Dusk
The bonfire was built unusually high that night, though Rainbow Dash supposed the nature of the evening justified it. Her squadron wasn't getting the flashy, grandiose graduation ceremony like the others, but she didn't mind. Luna had chosen to conduct theirs personally, and more privately, given their covert nature as Shadowbolts. Dash was lined up with the others, facing Luna and the fire beyond. They were lined up in their chain of command; to her right was Nightshade, then Stratus, Charger, Starry, and Blueball. A hush fell over all of them as Princess Luna began the ceremony.
"Not to have an adequate air force in the present state of the world is to compromise the foundations of national freedom and independence. If we lose the war in the air we lose the war and lose it quickly. Airpower has become predominant, both as a deterrent to war, and—in the eventuality of war—as the devastating force to destroy an enemy’s potential and fatally undermine her will to wage war. These are the opinions of only a few of Equestria's great minds on the value of airpower. As you know, power in the air is power over land and sea. Pegasi have the unique ability to strike with not only speed, but also stealth, power, and versatility. You six have proven yourselves consistently as the best wielders of that gift. You are the airborne spearheads of the Army of the New Lunar Republic. The responsibility is not one I give you lightly. You have each endured weeks of demanding physical, mental, and tactical training to complement your already-potent abilities. Over that time, you have developed true camaraderie with each other, and a sense of pride in yourselves, your squadron, and the Army. What you have gained from these experiences will serve you well. The challenges you face will only grow in magnitude and number, now that you are prepared to enter field service. I will send you on missions I could not trust an entire battalion of ordinary Lunar Guards to complete. You will be placed in situations where the future of Equestria is dependent on your success. I trust you to do what is necessary to advance the aims of our Army and our Republic."
From beside the bonfire, Luna telekinetically brought to her side a dark, oaken case, about the size of a large book. It was one from a stack of similar cases. She walked to the far right of the line, bringing the case with her and facing Blueball.
"Blueball Blitz, you have overcome remarkable adversity to become an extremely gifted aerobat. Your astounding speed and agility does credit to your team. But in days to come, it shall be tested at levels you have never seen before. To meet these tests, you will need to go beyond what you believe your limits are, and only through total self-confidence and willpower can you do so. Therefore, do you solemnly pledge to faithfully serve your unit as the Element of Spirit?"
For once in her life, Blueball lacked her common, toothy grin. But it was not completely gone; she had consciously reduced it to a subtly confident smile.
"I do."
"Then as Commander of the Army of the New Lunar Republic, I hereby charge you as Scout of Shadowbolt Squadron Alpha, and bestow upon you this."
Luna placed the case at her feet, then reached out for another as she moved on.
"Starry Skies, in your time with this team, you have demonstrated amazing cleverness and calm under pressure. Your acting abilities complement that to give you a veritable mastery of the art of deception. You must be prepared to use that mastery creatively to achieve your goals in increasingly difficult circumstances. This team cannot succeed without the proper tools for each mission; your role is no less vital than that of a warrior on the frontlines.Therefore, do you solemnly pledge to faithfully serve your unit as the Element of Resourcefulness?"
Starry had no doubt been involved in more than her fair share of these events, but there was no false sincerity in her voice.
"I do."
"Then as Commander of the Army of the New Lunar Republic, I hereby charge you as Quartermaster of Shadowbolt Squadron Alpha, and bestow upon you this."
The process repeated itself; Luna moved on with a new case to the next pony in line.
"Charger, you turned from your life of crime to a higher purpose as a Guard, and through that have discovered your unique talent for handling technology. But just as valuable a talent is your cool and collected nature. You do not simply ignore pressure; you use it to bring out the best in your efforts. The challenges you will face in the future shall place you under far greater pressure, and you must continue to use that skill to rise to the occasion if you hope to succeed. Therefore, do you solemnly pledge to faithfully serve your unit as the Element of Composure?"
Charger was already doing a great job at showing it; Princess Luna had just laid a grand challenge at his hooves, and one could tell he relished being able to accept it.
"I do."
"Then as Commander of the Army of the New Lunar Republic, I hereby charge you as Armorer of Shadowbolt Squadron Alpha, and bestow upon you this."
Luna was getting closer with every charge. Dash truly was proud of the team, and how far they'd gotten together, but a part of her worried that Luna would make her part too extravegant, and the others would be pissed off about it.
"Stratus, you are to be commended many times over for your relentless devotion to your duty as a Guard. Though a stallion of few words, your actions consistently demonstrate that unflinching committment. Your spirit of determination shall become all the more vital to your team as you find yourselves staring down seemingly-impossible odds on a nightly basis. Therefore, do you solemnly pledge to faithfully serve your unit as the Element of Willpower?"
He had locked eyes with Luna, and the words that came next almost seemed practiced. Dash guessed that even though this was the first time Stratus had recieved that exact charge, he was merely reafffirming a personal oath to duty and excellence. Strong silent types always had personal honor codes.
"I do."
"Then as Commander of the Army of the New Lunar Republic, I hereby charge you as Flight Lieutenant of Shadowbolt Squadron Alpha, and bestow upon you this."
Luna laid the fourth case at his hooves. Well, I doubt she can give me a better tribute than that, Dash mused.
"Nightshade, you have proven yourself a capable leader since placement in the Shadowbolt Program. You show a unique talent for strategy, a talent enhanced by your adaptability in the field. Decisive and mindful of details, you can be trusted to consider every possibilty before making a decision. As a leader and a friend to your fellow Shadowbolts, you are not only likable, but respected. This is a balance few achieve. But in trials to come, you will find leadership to be a difficult burden to shoulder. Your patience will be tried, your confidence challenged, and your cunning stretched to its end. You must soldier onward, impossible as it may seem, and inspire those beneath and around you to do the same. Therefore, do you solemnly pledge to faithfully serve your unit as the Element of Leadership?"
She was amazingly stoic about Luna's commendation, though she wore a toothless smile of achievement. Dash prayed there was no hint of jealousy in the words that followed; she had always been concerned that Nightshade would feel upstaged by her joining the team. But the two words, simple as they were, allayed Dash's fears and reminded her of the bond of camaraderie she and Nightshade had formed. They were spoken with contained excitement, almost joy, and complete confidence.
"I do."
"Then as Commander of the Army of the New Lunar Republic, I hereby charge you as Squadron Leader of Shadowbolt Squadron Alpha, and bestow upon you this."
Another box set down, and now Luna had grabbed the last one in the pile. As she walked towards Rainbow Dash, she gained a subtle degree of enthusiasm, though the officious Luna knew better than to let it show.
"Rainbow Dash, my loyal apprentice. In our time together, I have challenged you to become more than you ever thought possible, and you have excelled in every aspect of it. You stepped boldly into a world so much larger than yourself, without hesitation or fear. You have mastered an arcane and complex form of magic, almost unseen in Equestria for centuries on end. And in the course of your training, your deepest convictions about the nature of loyalty have been shaken to the core. On your own you are a powerful force for justice and freedom; with the amazing team of ponies who now stand beside you, you are nigh-unstoppable. You should be proud to call them your teammates and your friends, as they are no doubt proud of you and each other. Your role is a unique one; you are a full member of the squadron, but have purpose related to the entire Army. You must be prepared not only to charge into a fray, wings spread wide, but also to stand back, study an enemy, and decide how best to defeat them, even days before the battle comes. But as with your teammates, I have total confidence in you. Therefore, do you solemnly pledge to faithfully serve your unit and the Army of the New Lunar Republic as the Element of Loyalty?"
So, she was still Loyalty. But it was a new kind of loyalty. Not the shallow, "stick by your friends" loyalty she used to believe in, but passionate devotion to ideals. To justice, and freedom, and equality. To the things she knew were right, pursued with the passion Luna had always said gave her strength. Because those were the only things that lasted in this world. But the idea of Princess Luna having her own Elements was still kind of cheesy.
"I do."
"Then as Commander of the Army of the New Lunar Republic, I hereby charge you as Royal Designate to Shadowbolt Squadron Alpha and Field Commander of the Army of the New Lunar Republic, and bestow upon you this."
The last box was set at her hooves, and Dash had an almost-certain notion about what was inside. Luna returned to her original position in front of the bonfire, which was now dwindling into a glowing pile of ashes.
"Congratulations to all of you on your achievements, both in the past and those to come. I hereby christen Shadowbolt Squadron Alpha, and charge it as my personal task force for covert military interdiction across Equestria and abroad, until the Night of Faust's Judgement does end our world. This ceremony is adjourned."
With the end of official protocol, everypony quietly loosened their muscles and took a breath. Rainbow Dash's curiosity lead her to slide open the lid on her box, and shortly inspired the rest of the group to follow. Reaching in with her mouth to pull out whatever was inside, she grabbed fabric, and the moonlight revealed to her an iconic Shadowbolt uniform. Beneath it were flight goggles, made of yellow-tinted safety glass. Luna had come forward from the fire, mingling with the squadron.
"How do you all like your new uniforms? Though I suppose I should wait until you test them out to ask."
"It looks awesome, Luna! Just like I remember from my first adventure. Can't wait to see how I look in it!"
"I am glad you approve. The anti-friction enchantments were a great success on the part of our unicorn spell-makers."
Luna and Rainbow Dash walked back towards the fire, leaving the rest of the group to speak privately.
"But Luna, calling us your Elements? I mean, seriously, what's up with that? It's not like we have our own necklaces, do we?"
"No, Rainbow Dash. But think of it; together, you six represent the qualities that bring out the best in a warrior. Spirit, resourcefulness, composure, willpower, leadership, and loyalty. Those are the keys to your success in battle and in life. While you are not as historical as the Elements of Harmony, I like to think of you as the Elements of Strength, if you don't mind."
"Well, cool concept, when you put it that way."
But with a neon-blue flash of light, their private conversation was interrupted by a panicked, galloping unicorn. Luna recognized him immediately.
"Umbra! What is the problem?"
"Your Majesty, Camp Blacklight is under attack! We've been invaded!"
"By who?"
"The Equestrian Royal Guard! Your sister's forces!"
"My sister's... dear Faust, save us all. We've been discovered, and by the worst threat possible."
The entire squad snapped to attention around their Princess.
"What do we do, Luna?"
"I must return to Canterlot, Rainbow Dash. My sister is no doubt aware of my absence, and she must be dealt with before she can rally Equestria against us. I want you six to follow Umbra back to Camp Blacklight. He is the only one I've entrusted to know the way between here and the base camp. Get to the armoury, then repel the invaders as best you can."
The situation at a boiling point, Rainbow Dash enthusiastically took charge.
"Can do! Alright, mares and stallions, suit up and let's get to Camp Blacklight! We've got some flank to kick, and for real, this time!"
Luna, having transformed into her Nightmare Moon form, took off and flew toward Canterlot. As the others slid into their flight suits, Nightshade grabbed Dash at the wing.
"Hey. Listen, if Celestia knows about us, you know who else knows about us?"
"...My old friends."
"Exactly. This may be that time I told you about before, where you'd have to choose between them or us. Your not going to go soft if they're leading the charge, are you?"
"Never. They may be my friends, but you're my sister in arms, Nightshade. They try to stop us, they won't know what hit them."
"Alpha Company, move in and clear that building! Don't let them bunker down in their foxholes!"
Even the most commanding of the Equestrian Royal Guard colonels found it a struggle to be heard in the chaos of the failed surprise attack. He knew there was a threat out here, but he had never expected a full army base. Should've retreated. Should've waited for reinforcements. Of course, when a pegasus scout hidden in an overcast thunderhead sounded the alarm, he really didn't have much choice but to engage. But that was the eventual plan, right? He figured, since it was just before sunset when they made their raid, most of the camp would already be asleep, off guard. They had the camp surrounded, too; even with advanced warning, a whole army shouldn't have been able to resist for long. So why were his stallions being slaughtered?
Two earth ponies tumbled from a top-floor window of Barrack B, plunging head-first to the earth below. From the twin cracks resonating from their impact, neither Lunar nor Royal Guard had survived the fall.
A shadow descended upon a pegasus Royal Guard trying to survey his enemies' movements from above. A second later, the Lunar Guard, spying a gap in his target's gilded armor, drove a cyanide-coated combat knife towards its mark, then bucked him downwards. The poisoned stallion tried to recover from the ambush, but found each wingflap increasingly more difficult to pull off. Weakness creeping through his body, he lost consciousness, and entered what his fellow aviators knew as "the death spiral".
A pair of unicorn Guards were grappling on the ground, until the Lunar Guard seemingly gained a pin. But the Royal Guard telekinetically drew his sword and slashed it towards his opponent's bare throat. The Lunar Guard responded with his own magical force; auras of purple and yellow battled for control of the handle. The sword quivered between the two of them, until the Royal Guard summoned the last of his will to force the blade at his foe and slit his throat. But the dead pony slumped over and collapsed on him, pinning the weakened Guard just as effectively in death as he had alive.
Under orders to clear out all buildings in the kill zone, a rookie Royal Guard flung open the front door to a smaller building towards the edge of the camp... and was promptly blasted back, face covered in blood and embedded with buckshot. Charger had just redeemed his hoof cannon marksmanship scores. The building the tyro had found was the armory, and inside, Shadowbolt Squadron Alpha was preparing to turn the tide and take back the momentum in the first battle of their revolutionary war. Rainbow Dash pulled a map of the camp down from the wall, tossed it on the ground, and started strategizing based on Umbra's report.
"Alright, team, the Royal Guards have Camp Blacklight surrounded, but Umbra said the bulk of their army was here, moving south on the main road through camp. While we're forced to fight on all sides, they can sweep through and take us out from within. So we'll split up into pairs. Starry, Charger, you're our bombers. Take as many explosives as you can, then fly over their main force and blow the crap out of 'em. Take more than a few incendiaries and electroshock grenades, and throw them deep into enemy lines; they'll have more effect and cause confusion. Blueball, Stratus, you've got to break the pincer move. Get out of camp, then move along the outside lines, and take out all the Royals you can. Blueball to the east, Stratus to the west. Any of our soldiers you meet, tell them to go north and counter the advancing army. If you find anti-pegasi gunner unicorns, have them put up suppressive fire against the Royal Guard air forces. I'd suggest short- to medium-size blades and blunt weapons, but remember your targets will probably be engaged with our own forces, so be precise in your attacks. Nightshade and I will give Starry and Charger cover until they get over target area, then go low and raise as much hell as possible. Our goal is to cause chaos in their ranks and make them confused, disorganized, and easily overrun. Shade, I'm going with my katana and some throwing knives, along with a flashbang or two. You?"
"I think I'll take the minimalist approach and lead with the Equinox gauntlets."
The Equinox gauntlets were as much clockwork as they were combat tools. Through a complex series of gears and mechanisms nopony save the inventor quite understood, the gaunlets could each extend a poison-tipped combat dagger from the wrist. Each gauntlet also had a set of three 'hook blades', which could flip out and extend from the outer side. Crescent-shaped, they could be used for slicing, slashing, or parrying, and could snap a blade caught between them with a sharp twist of the forearm. Both were activated and retracted by a concentrated flick of the wrist, each action having a different trigger motion. They were very new developments as far as the technology went.
"Shade, you sure? Those things haven't had a bit of testing, and besides, the blades are so small, there's no way you'll be able to kill with them."
"Hey, Dash, have some confidence! I've been doing some personal training with these things, and it's not the weapon, it's how you use it, right? Besides, I'll keep my short sword and a few smoke bombs if things get ugly."
"If you're sure, Shade. This is basically a small-scale deep battle strategy, along with a scorpion attack. If you run into any heavy armor or artillery, go for the hit-and-run. If anything goes really screwy, this armory is our rally point. No matter what happens, we do not give this building up. Alright, everypony, load up and let's hit the clouds!"
The team split up, each pair scouring the weapons stores for exactly what they needed. Charger dumped tray after tray of grenades into his saddlebags, then tossed in a few incendiaries for good measure. Balancing a flanged mace in his left hoof, Stratus sheathed it confidently in his belt. And Dash carefully threaded blades in between her wing feathers; it was a new technique that allowed her to throw them with all four hooves on the ground and no loss of precision or power. Each one pulled over the hood on their Shadowbolt flight suit, then lowered the goggles onto their eyes. One by one, each took off from the armory doorway into the twilit evening sky.
With the resounding crack of metal on metal, Sun Spot brought his broadsword down on the head of a stunned Lunar Guard. The immediate effects of a skull fracture sinking in, the pegasi dropped from the sky unceremoniously. Guess that helmet wasn't as tough as it looked. Sun Spot scanned around for a new enemy to beat, and noticed a group of dark-colored pegasi flying north in a diamond formation. None of them seemed to be wearing armor, so he knew they couldn't be Royal Guards. Fools. Charging towards them, he singled out the lead pegasus to take his first attack. But as soon as he had decided on her, the pegasus at the rear dropped out of formation and arced towards him. A lone wolf? Even better. Sun Spot could pick out the details of his enemy's appearance now that they were approaching. It was like some Gothic travesty of the Wonderbolts uniform, complete with polarized yellow flight goggles. And the one approaching him seemed to have a... a rainbow mane? How unfitting for a warrior. He'd have to show this princess that she was playing with the big foals now.
Rainbow Dash, bringing up the rear of the diamond, carefully watched her sides and flanks for any kind of surprise attack. Pegasi carrying bombs were easy targets for other flyers, especially ones with explosives of their own. But as she completed a visual sweep of the clouds below, Nightshade called out from in front.
"Dash, we got one up ahead, on the left! I think he's spotted us! You want him?"
"Yeah, I'll deal with him. You keep these two safe 'till I'm done!"
Spiraling out of formation, Dash scanned ahead for the target Nightshade had called out. Sure enough, there was a pegasus Royal Guard, in full armor and with a broadsword to match. He had definitely noticed her, and as they moved in for the head-on sparring match, she began to evaluate and deduce everything she could about him. It was called combat analysis, she remembered from a week before, a crucial component of battle strategy. He was certainly muscular, based on his build and choice of weapon. He couldn't be that bright, either; a smart pegasus would take lighter and faster weapons into air combat. Based on the minor convulsions in his wing-flapping pattern, fatigue was beginning to get to him. And his armor was Royal Guard standard; thick and bulky, but with plenty of weak points. Combined with his bruiser style of fighting... This wouldn't be too hard.
With claymore raised and katana drawn, the two pegasi rushed at each other. Sun Spot led the action with brazen overhead slash to open, but Rainbow Dash ducked away to her right. She launched into a series of fast slashes, keeping her opponent busy parrying and never giving him a chance to break through. The unwieldy broadsword didn't do him any favors; after about the third parry, it couldn't keep up and the horizontally slashing katana made contact with his shoulder armor. This pause gave Sun Spot the chance to counterattack, a chance he made good on by widely swinging his sword at her with his right hoof. Dash was forced to back off, and he took back his two-hoofed grip on the claymore. Drawing back to his right, Sun Spot made a thrust at her, but she jumped up and out of the way. With a flick of her wing, a small dagger shot out and buried its tip in his right forearm. Releasing his grip on the sword, he winced and held the wounded limb close to his chest. Dash made a short dive and slashed at his left hoof with her katana, causing the broadsword to tumble unceremoniously out of the sky.
Drawing back her sword and aiming its point, Rainbow Dash prepared to make the killing blow, but something stayed her. The pony before her was still clutching his wounded hoof, obviously feeling the effects of the throwing knife's poisoned tip. He was beaten; there was no reason to kill him now. But why leave him alive? He was the enemy; he had invaded their home and attacked her! Hold on! Had training changed her so much that she'd lost any sense of mercy? Mercy? What mercy did Princess Luna get? What made this one so worthy of it, and not her? That burning sense of injustice from nights before swelled up inside her, driving her katana tip out and stabbing clean through her enemy's neck.
There's your mercy.
Drawing out and resheathing the blade, she watched Sun Spot plummet to the clouds below. Her first kill. She paused to reflect on reaching this milestone, but quickly moved on to rejoin her formation. The reason for her lack of introspection? She could only make one observation about her actions: her first kill was... exhilerating!
Passing over the assembled Royal Guard invasion force, the four Shadowbolts broke out of formation to attack. Charger spotted a siege catapult hurling fireballs in rear, and opening a side pouch on his saddlebags, tossed a small cylindrical charge at the machine. The projectile bounced once, then erupted into a wave of flaming napalm. The wooden catapult was coated in fire, along with its two operators.
"Haha, hot enough for ya?"
Eye to the ground for a perfect target, Starry loitered in the air until a thrown spear forced her to make an evasive move. Spotting a trio of Royal Guards, she had to dodge two more spears from their direction.
"Jerks! I've got a special present for morons like you!"
She tossed a small metal ball at their hooves, which came to a stop and did nothing. Noticing the device's apparent failure, the three of them broke into mocking laughter. That is, until the ball loosed an electric charge, frying each of them in their armor.
"Oh yeah! Triple kill!"
Nightshade used a power-dive to strengthen her tackle of a Royal Guard, allowing the momentum to drag him across the ground. She extended the wrist dagger from her right Equinox gauntlet and dug it into his throat. Leaping off, she flicked out the other dagger and both sets of hook blades and eyed the group of guards surrounding her. Each was covered in gilded steel armor, but if there was one thing her gauntlets were good at, it was hitting small targets. Wings throwing her toward a guard, she brought her left hoof up to slash his face with the hook blades, then brought it down and slit his throat. Nightshade then rolled to the right, jabbing her right dagger into another guard's chest as she stood. As he started to slump, she stole the spear from his back, then swung the blunt end wide left to hit a guard behind her in the muzzle. Choking back on the weapon, she found a group of guards circling her, swords and maces drawn.
"Oh, darn, looks like you got me!"
Not. Nightshade quickly slid her grip up, to just beneath the metal spearhead. With a flick of her left hoof, she poked the wooden pole backward, tip knocking a small metal canister off her belt as it came back. The canister hit the ground and began venting smoke almost explosively, shrouding the area and allowing Nightshade to take off .
Reverb awoke to the sight of a glinting steel spearhead inches from her neck. Behind it was the wooden shaft of a spear, and attached to that was a shadowy figure wearing the same glinting steel. It was not a pleasant thing to wake up to.
"Eh... wha... what's happening?"
"You will get up and come with me."
"Whoa, easy! I'm just a scientist! I study acoustics, I don't fight!"
Well, acoustic weapons, but he didn't need to know that.
"That doesn't AAGH!"
Another figure had slipped into her room, this one a dull, chalky white, and brought what appeared to be a spiked metal club down on the head of the first one. It fell to the floor, lifeless. Stratus took the mace out of his mouth and turned back to the rudely-awoken aquamarine unicorn.
"Suit up and get to the frontline!"
Down the halls, Blueball flitted about a laboratory, almost imperceptible to the invaders she had found inside. Her words were just as difficult to catch.
"Ooh, the science dorms! So this is what they look like! I've never been to the science dorms before! I bet they've got a ton of cool stuff in here! I bet they've got stuff in here that would explode!"
The leader of the three Royal Guards piped up irritatedely.
"Filly, would you just shut up and sit still so we can arrest you?"
"Oh yeah, y'all are here! I should really do something about you! Now let'sss seeee.... Oh! I know what to do! Look behind you!"
The stallion smirked with condescension.
"Please, like we'd fall for that!"
But in the blink of an eye, Blueball had disappeared. Unnoticed behind the trio, she hollered out at them.
"Shoulda looked!"
Drawing twin short swords and leaping forward, she stabbed them outward and into the two rear guards' flanks. She then catapulted herself head-over-hooves, using the swords for leverage for her momentum. Releasing her blades and landing on the leader, she reached around his neck and put him in a headlock. She then charged herself with electricity, allowing the voltage to flow across her and the Guard she was death-hugging, then arc out to the small lightning rods she had placed in his subordinates.
"Wheeeeeeeeee!"
When all was said and done, the three Guards fell to the floor, and Blueball pulled her swords from their victims, then contently trotted out of the lab.
The Mane 6 minus 1 were following the invasion force, hoping to avoid any serious combat. Once or twice, Twilight had to put up a shield to block an inbound bomb, and the sense of chaos sweeping through the ranks only weakened any sense of security they had. Eyes to the sky, Applejack noticed an almost-familiar glow of color as an enemy pegasus raced overhead.
"Twilight, look up there! Is that...?"
"I see her. Hmmm... yes, that's her. Let's get her down here and figure this out before somepony loses an eye. Unless Fluttershy wants to go up..."
"Oh, up there with all those dark clouds and fire and sharp, pointy weapons? Oh no, I'd rather not, if you don't mind."
"Well, she's too far out and moving too fast for me to grab with my magic. I guess we could... um... any ideas?"
Pinkie Pie, as always, had an idea.
"Here, I know what to do! Inhale dramatically, and... RAINBOW DASH!"
The shrieking cry carried well above the cacophony of battle, catching the ears of the one it was aimed at. Spying her old friends, Rainbow Dash circled downward, raised her flight goggles, and touched down between them and the Royal Guard army surrounding them.
"Well, I figured you'd be here. You had to find out sooner or later, but later would've been my preference."
"Rainbow Dash, what is all this? Why are you wearing a Shadowbolt costume? And what are you doing with that katana on your back?"
"As always, Twilight, you ask a lot of questions. And you're looking for a big explanation. I guess I'll start with the simplest question, "Why am I wearing a Shadowbolt costume?" It's because I am a Shadowbolt. Leader of the Shadowbolts, actually.
"But you always said you wanted to be a Wonderbolt," Rarity questioned. Rainbow Dash was circling the group now, almost prowling. Stalking.
"Yeah, thing with them is, they took too long. I've been front-page news more than a few times since that dream started; if they wanted me, they've had plenty of chances to get me. Besides, they're not all that great, anyway. Spitfire can't fight to save her life."
"That was you?"
"What was... oh, that. Yes, Twilight, they got too close, so we made them turn around. But like I was saying, Luna saw in me what they didn't, so I took her more-than-generous offer."
"What else was in that offer?"
"Oh, well, an apprenticeship for starters."
"An apprenticeship?"
"Yeah, an apprenticeship. Oh, Twilight, don't tell me you're jealous that you're not the only one learning from royalty now."
"But what could Luna teach you? She's been on the Moon for the last millennium!"
"You'd be surprised. For one thing, she taught me a little thing called speed magic."
"Speed magic?... But that's a myth! It's an arcane, dead art!"
"Who better to learn about the arcane from?"
"And that's all she taught you?"
"Hardly. You might say I went to night school here. They taught me all sorts of great stuff, like this!"
Dash's left wing flung out, hurling a throwing dagger at the Mane 5. Twilight snatched it magically and hurled it over their heads to nowhere in particular.
"And Luna taught me a few things about history, too. Like how Celestia's a power-hungry tyrant who's been playing us all for fools!"
"What? How could you? That's completely wrong! That's not Luna, that's Nightmare Moon!"
"Twilight, did you ever notice how puny Luna looks compared to Celestia? Can't say that about Nightmare Moon, can you?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Luna and Nightmare Moon are one and the same, Twilight! The only reason Luna became Nightmare Moon was so that she'd stand a chance in a fight when she had to bring down Celestia!"
"But Nightmare Moon is still an enemy of Equestria! Why are you siding with her?"
"You complete foal! For all those book smarts, Twilight, you're still completely blind to the truth, aren't you? But why am I siding with her? I don't know, maybe because thanks to Princess Luna, I'm the Field Commander of the best army in Equestria! Maybe because she's taught me to do things I could never dream of, things that make the Sonic Rainboom look like foal's play! Maybe because she hoof-picked the best fliers in Equestria and gave me them for a team!"
"Rainbow Dash, you already have a team! We're your team! The Elements of Harmony, what happened to that!"
"The Elements! You want to talk about the Elements? Ha! Look at what's right in front of you, Twilight. Your Element is a tiara. The rest of us just have necklaces. What do you think that means?"
"That doesn't mean..."
"It means that as long as I'm playing ball for Celestia's team, I'm never going to get out of your shadow! We weren't really the Elements, we were Twilight & Friends! It was all about you! And I don't care what any ancient prophecies say, I'm not playing second fiddle anymore!"
Rainbow Dash took a second to catch her breath and calm down.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a tyrant to kill."
Ripping a flashbang grenade off her belt, she spiked it towards them, and it exploded when it hit the ground. Twilight, however, reflexively shielded herself when the projectile came out, and with some faculties of sight and hearing, she was able to magically grab Rainbow Dash as she tried to take off.
"Not tonight!"
Dash noticed her restriction, but had an idea. She continued flapping her wings vigorously, pushing against Twilight's magic as hard as she could. It was the pegasi equivalent to spinning one's tires. Luna's lessons came back, and she began the necessary visualization. You are speed. You cannot be stopped. Nothing can stand in your way, because you are speed. The power of speed magic began to take her, until the power-up process was complete. Now intangible, Rainbow Dash was free to escape from Twilight's telekinetic grip. Flying away, she quickly turned back to see Twilight readying another magical attack.
"Nightshade, time to go! Cover me!"
"You got it, Dash!"
Vaulting over a Royal Guard and into the air, Nightshade hurled two smoke grenades at the Mane 5, quickly blanketing the area in obscuring fumes.
"Listen, Nightshade, we've done enough here. Tell the rest of the gang to dump any explosives they have, hit the armory one last time for melee weapons, and head for Canterlot. Luna's gonna need our help to take down Celestia and her guards. I'll meet you there!"
"See you in Canterlot, Dash! Give old Sunbutt a nice thrashing for me!"
With that, Rainbow Dash rocketed into the stratosphere, accelerating up to high speed to make the long trip to Canterlot.
Creating an energy fan to disperse the smoke, Twilight looked up to find Rainbow Dash and Nightshade gone. But another wayward bomb came down in front of her, blasting a crater in the ground and knocking her backward.
"Girls, we need to get out of here! Back to the forest!"
They beat a hasty retreat to the protection of the thick woods. After checking to be sure they weren't followed, Applejack turned to Twilight.
"Twi, I thought you had a grip on Rainbow Dash, how'd she escape?"
"I don't know! I was holding her down, but she kept flapping her wings, then it was just like there was nothing there anymore!"
"Could it have anything to do with that 'speed magic' she mentioned?"
"Probably, Rarity. I don't know a lot about it myself; most scholars regard it as pseudoscience, like astrology. There was never any proof that pegasi had inner magic they could harness, but then again, there was never a pegasus like Rainbow Dash. And if she was learning from Princess Luna herself, and she was able to escape my magic, we have to assume there's some truth behind the idea. But whatever it is, it's dangerous. We don't have any idea what its limits are, and with Rainbow Dash how she is..."
"Yeah, what is wrong with Rainbow Dash? Do ya think she's really off her rocker?"
"Too early to be sure. She could be completely crazy, but Princess Luna's got a millennia or so of experience in persuasion. Whatever she told Rainbow Dash was enough to turn her against us and against Celestia. And now she's said she's going to kill her..."
"So what's our next move?"
"We go to Canterlot and protect the Princess at all costs. We can deal with Rainbow Dash later, but we can't let her get to Celestia. For now, we have to consider her as dangerous as Nightmare Moon, and deal with her as such."
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an update! yay! why did it take so long though?
2600477 For one, that's the single longest chapter I've ever written. I also worked on a chapter for another story, and I don't like to work on more than one chapter at once. But the main reason is that it's the second semester of my junior year at high school; I was prepping for 5 AP exams, working on the nomination process for the Air Force Academy, and juggling more than a few extracurriculars. In short, there just hasn't been a lot of time to write. But now that school's basically over and I've gotten to a stopping point on the other story, the next chapters should come much more quickly.
2601583
awesome! sorry if i sounded nosy or annoyed, i was just curious is all. i hope your school year went well!
this is amazing.i'm looking forward to the next chapter.
Oooh this is great! Also just read a chapter of a twi sombra fic and this chapter pops up. My reaction is "meanwhile on the other side of grim dark equestria!"
Have Nightmare rip Celestia a new one!
2601647 Don't worry about it, the last thing I want is for my readers to think I've forgotten my work.
2602064 Glad to hear it. Don't worry, the next one should be coming out much sooner.
2602567 Equestria can be a pretty scary place, in the hands of twisted minds like ours. And next chapter (unless this twisted mind surprises itself), Nightmare and Celestia are going to go at it until I can't throw them at each other any more. As was the case in last night's Doctor Who series finale, the truth will finally be revealed!
2602718
Oh goodie. And twisted minds? Absolutely! I mean I'm the sick person who threw a life consuming demon Destroyah into equestria. Yea I know sick.
2602977 I think there's something innate about MLP:FiM fanfic writers that rebels against the cheerful, bright, vibrant nature of the show and decides that darkness and evil must be introduced to improve the quality of the universe as a whole. Or we could just be loosing our sadistic impulses on poor defenseless ponies. I don't care; either way, it makes good writing.
2603992
I think so! So hail the villains and let loose the inner monsters!
Oh I missed seeing this in my updates! Looking forward to next chapter's battle, and good luck with that nomination process.
Wow another super cool chapter it was a work of art
should be more than you ever thought possible,
5353051 Thanks for the catch, fixed.
This is awesome!
Bad characterization again, Rainbow dash killing someone who is utterly helpless.
Unless Luna warped her mind somehow with magic there's no way Rainbow dash would do something like that.
Bad characterization all around.
6579704 OH FOR GODS SAKE ITS AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, OF COURSE RAINBOW IS A BAD GUY! THAT IS THE POINT!
"Your Majesty, Camp Blacklight is under attack! We've been invaded!"
"By who?"
"The Equestrian Royal Guard! Your sister's forces!"
Aww shit!
Aaaawwww shit!
I always like to see the villain win once in awhile makes movies and stories less predictable. Also I love seeing a dark side to Rain... Sorry Dash.
Did Luna just quote General Montgomery?