Dead Loyalty

by Darksonickiller

The Body

Dead Loyalty

Chapter 10: The Body

Two hours came and went and before they knew it, a golden chariot pulled by two identical looking royal guards landed in front of Twilight’s library. There was no doubt that Lightning Dust was inside. They were all a little uncomfortable having to see Rainbow’s killer again but it was necessary, and after today they hoped to never have to see her again.

There was a knock at the door shortly after the chariot had arrived and Twilight went to answer it, only to find a royal guard with the usual gold-clad armor that all of Celestia’s guards wore on the other side.

“Miss Sparkle, I assume you know why we are here today?” The guard asked in his usual emotionless expression, which never changed in the slightest.

“Yes, we are fully aware why you are here.” She answered him quickly looking back at he friends, who all nodded showing their understanding of the situation.

“Good, we will go whenever you and your friends are ready.” The guard said before turning around and walking back to the chariot. “We will wait out here, come when you are ready, we are in no rush.”

“They are ready when we are girls.” The lavender unicorn said as she shut the front door then turned around to face the other four mares and baby dragon. She was sure they heard the guard clearly but she repeated his words to them any way.

“So is everypony ready to go then?” Twilight questioned her friends who all answered yes. But when Applejack answered, there was anger in her voice and her facial expression was one of pure hatred. She could tell Applejack was still angry about the pony right outside the door, the one that murdered the mare she loved, the one who was no longer getting a life sentence.

She could clearly tell by her body language that Applejack was ready to break Lightning's neck the second she got the chance. She wasn't going to let Applejack ruin their chance to find Rainbow’s body in her emotional state. Truth be told, she knew she wanted to find her body just as bad as the rest of them and Applejack had every right to want to break the neck of the pegasus waiting outside.

“Applejack listen.” Twilight said, getting Applejack to look at her in the eye. “You have to promise me you will not try to attack Lightning Dust or do anything irrational, ok?”

“That nag mare should be locked up forever, this ain’t fair.” The farmer said, stomping the ground with her hoof. “She murdered Rainbow Dash damn it she doesn't deserve to get off so easy!”

“You may be right Applejack.” The librarian mare said, moving closer the the angry mare and rubbing her back again.

“Of course Ah’m right!” Applejack interjected.

“But would you rather her spend the rest of her life in jail and we never find Rainbow’s body,” Twilight continued. “Or she spends half her life in jail and find her body and give Rainbow the funeral she rightfully deserves?”

“Twilight is right dear. I don’t like Lightning Dust any more than you do, but at least this way we can have some closure.” Rarity chipped in to help.

“Ah guess y’all are right.” Applejack said, sighing as she took a deep breath. “Let’s go get this over with, I don’t wanna look at her any longer then I got to.”

“First you have to promise not let your emotions get the best of you again.” Twilight sternly insisted, still looking Applejack in the eye. “Because we aren’t going anywhere until you do.”

“Fine. Ah promise, Twilight” The cowpony said hesitantly. “Can we go now?”

“Pinkie promise me Applejack.” Twilight answered the frustrated mare.

“Fine, cross my heart hope to fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye.” Applejack said, doing the necessary motions to complete a Pinkie promise.

“Ok good we can go now.” Twilight said, satisfied with Applejack’s promise. “We all need to be prepared. Her body has been missing for a month now, so whatever we find, it won't be pretty.”

The fives mares and little dragon exited the library. Once outside, Twilight noticed that behind the the chariot was another royal guard harnessed to a simple wooden cart with two shovels and a tarp in the back. She could tell what that was going to be used for.

“Ok, we are ready to go now,” Twilight told the guard that had been waiting patiently by the front of the chariot.

He nodded and walked over to the chariot and pulled it open. Another guard stepped out, followed by the murderer herself, Lightning Dust. She was wearing orange clothes standard to most jails nowadays, and hoof cuffs around both her front and back hooves. She also had a leather strap holding her wings closed against her sides. After she stepped out a second guard followed behind her.

“Ok Lightning, where are we going?” The guard said sternly, obviously not wanting to have to ask again.

“Which way is the that creepy forest?” The shackled pony asked. “If you get me there, I can show you where she is.”

“The Everfree Forest is that way.” Twilight pointed with her hoof before she started walking in that direction, followed by her friends. “Let’s get going.”

They started their walk through the town, two guards leading Lightning Dust while two more guards followed behind her and another guard walked behind them pulling the cart. Their walk was a silent one for the most part as they continued down the dirts roads of Ponyville. After a while, they began to notice that more and more ponies were lining the streets and watching them.

“What’s going on, Twilight dear?” Rarity asked, confused as the ponies on the streets started whispering back and forth to one another.

“The whole town probably knows about the murder by now,” Twilight responded, looking around at the ponies lining streets. “They are probably just curious about what’s going on. Just try to ignore them.”

Trying to ignore the towns ponies proved to be impossible since the ones that knew Rainbow Dash fairly well were angry and took the group by surprise by starting to throw food, drinks, and the occasional rock at Lightning Dust and shouting nasty things at her. Lightning Dust, being shackled, could not defend herself and was forced to take several beverages and various different fruits and vegetables to the face and body.

Lightning Dust knew she deserved every bit of what she was getting, so she did her best to ignore it as she continued to be pelted with food and drinks, but suddenly the feeling of food splattering against her stopped and her vision went purple. It only took a few seconds for her to realize what had happened: that purple unicorn who had saved her from the other mare twice had encased her in a magical bubble that deflected the objects that were thrown at her.

“Why would you do this after what I did?” the confused mare asked. “I don’t get it.”

“You’ve already gotten what you deserve for what you did.” Twilight said, sounding as if she didn’t want to speak to her at all. “You are going to jail for a long time, so getting hit with food is unnecessary.”

“Umm ok, thanks, I guess.” Lightning said, still a little confused. After all she did murder her best friend, she would think the unicorn would be the one throwing stuff at her.

Twilight didn’t respond to her. She only continued her trek through town along with her friends, the guards, and Lightning Dust herself. After ten or so minutes, they had made it through town and its angry townsfolk to arrive at the edge of the Everfree Forest. The group stopped a few feet away from the tree line. Wanting to get away from the eerie presence of the forest as soon as possible, they waited for Lightning to give them further instructions.

Realizing there were eleven pairs of eyes burning holes in her head, she quickly started to look around to get her bearings, so as to not keep the other ponies waiting any longer than they had too.

“Umm, that way.” She motioned down the tree line with her head since she could not use her shackled hooves. “We need to go down that way a bit before going inside a little.”

The group continued forward as Lightning carefully examined each tree until she found the one she was looking for about fifty feet away from where they first started: it was given away by a small blood stain near the base of trunk.

“Here,” Lightning said as she stopped by said tree. “This is where I took her in the forest.” She made her way into the forest with the guards and Rainbow’s friends following close behind.

They didn’t have to walk for very long before Lightning Dust stopped near a small circular clearing with an old rusty shovel lying almost perfectly in the middle of what appeared to be a tiny mound of dirt.

“She’s over there, right where the shovel is,” the shackled pegasus said, finally answering the question that everypony had asked since the beginning. She kinda felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Almost as if she righted her wrong, even though she could never make it right.

The guards retrieved the shovels from the cart and slowly walked over to the small mound of dirt. After they moved the shovel off to the side, the two guards carefully started to dig the body up. It took less than five minutes before the body of Rainbow Dash was fully unearthed. Once her friends got their first look at her since before the murder they all had mixed reactions. Her body was ice cold to the touch, her multi-hued mane, tail and coat, messier than usual and matted with dirt and blood had lost its shine and looked dull. Most of her feathers had fallen out of her wings and her back was covered in dry blood from the two large cuts still clearly visible at the base of each of her wings.

“That’s her.” Twilight told the guard, who then nodded back at her. She had to look away. She couldn’t bear to see Dash that way, and, she realized, all of her friends looked away as well. Fluttershy and Rarity looked like they were ready to vomit but did their best not to. Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Spike weren’t much better off as they held back their tears.

After a brief silence in respect to Rainbow Dash the guards loaded her body into the cart, draping the tarp over her in the process as they all headed back into town.

Author's Note:

Here you go chapter 10! Enjoy!

Comments

[Richforce]

Ok Dust once you get into that cell take the bed sheets, make them into a loop, tie the other end on the bars good and tight, put your neck through the loop, lean forward and join Rainbow Dash.

[lordofmyth]

........i would say that celestia negates the promise and sends her to a life sentence anyway. she has that power and this is far more than just a typical crime, it is a murder of someone who helps defend equestria, so it isultimately and attack on theri government...........

also this whole situation is contrived and written in a violently confusing way.

[FlutterLight]

4751835 It's treason of the highest caliber, so Lightning should get the maximum sentencing

[Psitally]

THERES STILL A CHANCE. For a plot-twist!

[Ribe_FireRain]

4758346 That wouldn't be my call, now. Darksonickiller now has that choice, but we both thought a plot-twist (or the one I had) was going to mess things up, so we decided against it.

Darksonickiller now owns my story, and it would be up to him. Although, I gotta say I'm actually impressed by it. javascript:smilie('');javascript:smilie('');

[Psitally]

4760345 :pinkiecry: but I don't know darksonickiller!!!!! Oh well I bet he's great since you trusted him to take your story.

[Darksonickiller]

4761505 don't worry the story will be fine I won't ruin it.

[Psitally]

4761630

the story will fine

I question your honesty jk you shouldn't be worried about ruining the story. I'm sure you'll do fine! I'll be eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

[Darksonickiller]

4762394 Gah stupid iphone i can never type on this thing

[Psitally]

4762434 amen to that, I'm on my phone right now aswell

[FoxfanMLP22]

Looks Like The Story is Almost Getting to It's End...
I Hope Rainbow Dash Gets a Proper Funeral.