"Dust, what did you do?" Irony screams. The brown unicorn slumps to the ground, still impaled on my blades, I put a forehoof on his chest and pull them out.
"Irony, I…"
She cuts me off, "That was a member of our family!" Tears spring to her eyes, "That was the father of my foal."
"Irony, I had to…"
"You had to? You had to kill a member of our family? Why?"
I wipe the blades clean of blood, "We were set up, and while the site was Spectrum, the constructs we just fought weren't. Those constructs had just been created, this was a setup to capture us. And this pony." I kick the prone body, "Was the one who told them where we were going."
"That's impossible, that is Dr. Ray he helped me, he saved my life," Her brow furrows, "He saved your life too, if you can't remember."
"No, this pony didn't do that…urk."
I am stopped from talking as an armored hand wraps around my neck, lifting me off the ground. I can't speak as she brings my face close, snarling into my face, "That pony was Dr. Ray, he saved our lives, he joined me in Equestria, he did nothing but help us. I love him, almost as much as I love you. And you killed him."
She throws me to the ground, "Go, Dust."
My entire body drops, "Irony, you can't mean that, I was…"
She cuts me off as she whirls away from me, "Get out of here, you killed one of our own. You are so against killing, and yet you kill one who was as innocent as can be."
I raise a hoof, reaching for Irony, "Irony, you've got it all wrong…"
She turns her head so I can see the tears running down her face, "If I see you again, Lightning Dust. I will kill you."
I stand there for a long time, I look at the rest of my family, everyone seems to be hurt by my actions, but I did the right thing. I look at Mindy, her face is unreadable, though pain is shining through, "Dust, you had better go."
I look over at Helen, tears flow down her face, the same with Moon Shadow, and even Sunset Shimmer, "I did the right thing."
Irony growls and whirls, her mace in her hand, swinging at me with all of her might, I do the only thing I can do, I bounce into the air, my wings pulling me away.
"Get out of here, Lightning Dust, and never come back!" Irony screams. Fighting tears of my own, I turn and fly, shedding my armor as I do, finally the wingblades are left behind as I continue to accelerate. I know what I have to do, I have to find the real Dr. Ray, and bring him back to my family. I smoothly break through the sound barrier and streak off. Dr. Ray is still alive, I have to find him, and nopony is going to stop me.
***
Several hours of flight time, and I'm near Gallup New Mexico, I flutter down to a house I've been told about, but this is my first visit.
I stand on the porch for a long time, afraid to knock on the door. But finally I raise a hoof, only to have the door open, and a familiar face greets me.
"Hi, Velvet."
The older mare looks at me in surprise, then behind her, she shoos me off of the porch and comes out, closing the door.
"Dust, you shouldn't be here."
My ears drop, "You've been told already?"
She nods, "I got the call from Mindy about an hour ago, why did you kill Dr. Ray?"
I sigh, tears leaking from my eyes, "It wasn't Dr. Ray, it was another unicorn changed to look like him."
Velvet shakes her head, "I'm sorry Dust. I'm having trouble believing that. What proof do you have?"
I spend a long time explaining how everything fit together, and when I finally wind down, she frowns, "I'm sorry, Lightning Dust, but this is all conjecture, and going with your gut. And somepony died because of it." She looks up, "Did this unicorn turn back into his natural form upon death?"
I shake my head.
"I only know of a single unicorn with the requisite power to have the changes be enduring even after death and the life force of the one changed no longer able to sustain the spell, and that is Sunset Shimmer, an alicorn could do it, but Twilight Sparkle is back in Equestria. So it couldn't have been her."
I shake my head vehemently, "Velvet, I don't know how it's possible, but everything adds up, even his scent was wrong, I mean it was a very slight difference, but I only noticed it because everything else was coming together, I had noticed a slight difference before, but I had shrugged it off."
She looks at me, "Lightning Dust, you killed the one pony that could have proven, or disproven your allegations. Can you think of any time that Dr. Ray wasn't at home with you ponies? Or not with another member of your herd?"
I shake my head, "The only time he's really gone anywhere recently was when they retrieved the book."
She sighs, "Lightning Dust, I really hate to say this, but you are not welcome here, and I doubt you will be welcome among any ponies."
My wings drop, I feel dizzy, "But Velvet, he sold us out, he told whomever it was that we were coming, enough to set up an ambush that, if it had been properly executed, could have killed us."
"That is a theory, Dust. But you killed the one pony that could have told us the truth. Without that so called imposter, you can't prove your theory."
I stomp a hoof, "I know it's true."
Tears spring to her eyes, "I'm sorry, Lightning Dust, but you need to go."
I shake my head, "I need your help, I need to find the real Dr. Ray, and rescue him."
She shakes her head, "I have things I'm working on as well, you know I want to bring down Spectrum as much as you do, but I can't have a murderer around. I'm sorry, I really liked you. But you murdered, in cold blood. You need to go, Lightning Dust."
"But…"
I'm bowled over by a blue whirlwind, I end up on my back, a dark blue stallion with a rainbow mane is snarling in my face, "Velvet said you have to go, now go, Lightning Dust. You are not welcome here. Now get out of here."
He gets off of me, allowing me to regain my hooves, "Blaze, you have to listen to me."
He stomps a hoof, and stalks forward, his wings spread in rage, "Lightning Dust, get out of here, you have no business here, we don't like murderers around here. We've dealt with enough that want ponies dead, to have to deal with a pony that will kill another pony."
Velvet places a hoof on his withers, he shrugs her off, "Her impulsiveness almost got my daughter killed before, back in Equestria, I can't let her impulsiveness endanger the ponies here. She is a danger to us all."
I look back on the porch, Apple Pie has joined Velvet on the porch, along with a wizened man, I'm guessing it's Blaze's grandfather, I look back at Blaze, "Please, listen to me."
Blaze streaks forward, I can feel him gathering his magic, he may not be the kind of magic user pegasus that I am, but I can feel the magic within him, what makes him the speedster he is, I bounce back and fold my wings, "Please!" tears fall from my eyes, I can't take this. I did the right thing, but I can't handle this.
"Blaze." Comes a sharp shout from Grandfather, "This is sacred land, are you seriously offering violence?"
The blue pegasus wilts a bit, "I won't harm her, I'm simply making sure she leaves." He turns to me and stomps a hoof, "The penalty for murder in Equestria is banishment, you know that as well as I do, Mindy has told us what happened, you need to go. Nopony will give you shelter, nopony will be your friend, nopony will be around you, Lightning Dust. Now go."
I slowly turn, my tears flowing like a river down my face, "Please, don't."
He sighs as he turns away, "And did Dr. Ray get a chance to ask you not to?"
I turn and wail as my wings power me into the sky. What can I do?
***
A flight east lands me in Texas, I think for a long time whether or not I should go and see my parents, but rejection from them would likely kill me, the way I feel right now. I've alighted on top of one of the many wind turbine generators located in this part of Texas near Midland. I sigh and strip my phone off of my upper foreleg, I was always glad they had found a way to make the touch screens hoof friendly, and my phone could be called a phablet for as big as it is, it's always been my link to my family, the link to those I love. It's battery is almost dead right now, but do I really care?
I place the phone on the fiberglass of the nacelle of the turbine, looking at it for a long time, then I bring my hoof down sharply on the phone. The new generation glass doesn't break with my first strike, to I hit it again, this time the glass has a shatter mark in it, and the fiberglass of the generator has a crack in it as well. I really don't care. I bring my hoof down again, grinding the phone until the battery shorts out, killing the device. I would need to be a unicorn to get this little earring that Moon Shadow made for me out, I hold my hoof to my ear, I try to concentrate on Dr. Ray, but I don't feel him at all. I saw the charm that Moon Shadow had made for him, the equivalence of the rings in the mare's ears, when I killed that pony, so whomever had substituted him for the real Dr. Ray was paying attention. I fiddle with the earring again, and finally bring a hoof on each side of it. Squeezing my hooves together, I get a good grip on the earring. With a small yelp of pain from me, I yank it out of my ear. My family rejected me, I only have one path of redemption, I must find that stallion, and the sooner the better.
I place the earring lovingly on the nacelle, I look at it for a long time, then with a flash of anger, I bring my hoof down on it, making sure the metal of my horseshoe lands firmly on the small piece of jewelry. I grind it into the nacelle, then bring my hoof away, the emerald is unblemished, but I did strip the gold of the earring off. That will have to do. I can feel blood dripping down the side of my head, but I really don't care.
"Dr. Ray, I will find you, if it's the last thing I do." I take off, I have to find him.
uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh okay then..
5682940 don't like? I'll admit I don't always go in the direction that most people think
5682978 Nah, I like plot twists, I was just surprised as heck at this. By all means continue with it! Just make sure it has a HAPPY ending.
5682978
I don't like the plot twist here. It cheapens Lightning Dust's character and her relationship with her family. The same family that just a few chapters ago talked about how much they want to help Lightning Dust be happy. Do I need to mention Dust's daughter?
And if Lightning Dust is shown to be right, so what? She
attackedkilled a defenseless character. No interrogation. Heaven forbid that one day your scent is off, least Dust kill you before you could explain yourself. How can that have a happy ending? No one in their right mind could trust Dust, even if she is right. She's a murderer.It's cheap (and pretty extreme) drama. I mean there could be enough of a story with realizing that Dr. Ray has been replaced, adding in everything else on top of it... which conflicts with everything the story had built up to this point...
I don't like it.
5683052 I'm sorry that you don't like it. But the isolation that Dust is now going through, because of her impulsiveness, is necessary in the story as I view it. I respect your opinion, but I think that the direction I'm going will end up being for the best. As I put in the comment earlier, Dust was (in her mind) acting to protect her family. And when the rest is revealed, I think their family will be stronger for it. I think when the new antagonist is revealed, I think it will be interesting.
5683073
Nothing like family bonding over the murder of a suspected doppelganger and the (wrongful?) banishment of your loved ones. Brings them closer together. Helps them trust each other. Yep. Saying "If I see you again, Lightning Dust. I will kill you." is totally something that can be taken back. I'm sure one day they'll look back on that and laugh at how silly they were all being.
5683073
carful there old friend you are giving away spoilers.
this story hit me totally out of left field I never saw this coming. but velvet is right in one thing even of dust is proved right murder even if the right thing is still murder there is only one out come in equestrian law banishment.
now for the big question how long has DR ray not ben DR ray I am thinking of the little ones who is the true father of them??
5683168 Dust will have to be forgiven for her actions, and it's not going to be easy or all at once. But making it believable... I think I can pull it off, and I've already been pondering how to do it. But I seriously doubt this will be in the family file of fond memories.
5683183 lol, no worries, I haven't given anything away...
And Dr Ray is the natural father of moon and irony's munchkins. He was taken recently, but you will have to wait for phenrys to get up to this point. I was afraid to write the scene, thinking I would give too much away, but having the trial worked better in my view, so kudos to kitsey chan for throwing Volker under the bus there... Lol.
And about the murder charge, is it really legally murder if you are killing in the defense of your family?
5683218 hum well in the us you know that answer.
but we are not dealing with the law from the us we are dealing with equestrian law.
but you will have to wait for phenrys to get up to this point. ok cough cough you know I have a patients of scootaloo don't keep us weighting to long.
and phenrys I know you are reading this you better get your plot motivated we are all going to be chomping at the bit for this answer.
Sorry 5683073 but I have to agree with 5683168 on this one. There is NOTHING that can be done to put any kinda faith back into Lightning. She murdered somepony on the spot, without question, just because her gut told her too. She didn't explain before, try to capture him, or anything. Just saw him and instantly murdered him. And as was stated, punishment of Murder is Banishment. So even if Dust turns out 'right' about it all, she still murdered a pony and took the laws in her own hands. She would still be banished. And her family would have to be brain dead crazy to let such a loose cannon near them or their kids ever again.
Also, this point from 5683218 : "is it really legally murder if you are killing in the defense of your family?"
No, it would have been self defense if the pony that died was going to murder or endanger her family right then and there. But he didn't have a gun out, he wasn't charging up a harmful powerful magic spell, he was a unarmed civilian. A Trained Military pony murdered an unarmed civilian.... as I said before, she didn't even try/think to capture him, or alert anypony else, or anything. She just jumped right to murder of a pony that wasn't do anything harmful at the time. I am pretty sure Dust would be found Guilty of Murder in all parts of the world, no matter how 'right' she was about the guy.
5683464 I'm sorry to hear that. But I have been thinking about this, and I think I can make it work and be believable. But thank you so much for the comments, I really do appreciate them.
Velvet is right. Dust's a murderer and did possibly the least useful thing for getting the real Ray back, or even proving the one there was a fake.
The only problem or fear with this is teleportation. Unless you are REALLY confident that you can stop them from teleporting before you can get a horn binding spell on them... IF you have a horn binding spell ready... the concept that they could escape and return could be considered an imminent threat. Its the downside to unicorns, they are "always" considered armed because of their spells.
Remember, one of the greatest fears of the government in these stories is a unicorn will teleport into a building like the White House or such, and either kidnap the someone... or plant a Nuclear devise akin to a "snoopy" or "Davey Crockett". The USA invented in the 60' a 50 pound nuclear demo charge, that could be set between 10 and 1000 ton equivalent. Think of the terror of a unicorn teleporting into the pentagon, dropping a 1 kton charge on a 10 second fuse, then teleporting out.
Now not saying dr ray could have teleported away, just saying, the "fear" that he could have could be justifiable. Problem is, once you go down that road, start questioning unicorns honor... the next thing that happens is windego show up and start breathing down your neck.
Oh my.
Where do I even begin... it's... I don't know, I don't have words. You've built Dust as a likable character. You went out of the way to redeem her behaviour in the show. You've spent at least a dozen chapters explaining how horrible she felt after killing that one guy in Minsk - completely justified self-defence, by the way.
And now this.
I'm sorry, but at this point I don't believe that Dust is capable of doing something like that. Last chapter, just last chapter, she was making sure her strikes are non-lethal against the armed people who had directly attacked her.
Several hours later - she murders the pony that doesn't pose any immediate threat just because she thinks it's an imposter. She, who have a bad case of "ponies are not to be hurt ever" syndrome.
The question is, who is this pegasus and where is real Lightning Dust?
5683472
Then you have a tough task ahead. I really don't see how this line can be salvaged without a total rewrite of this entire chapter. No matter what Dust does, she still is a murderer.
Though, I would be happy to be proven wrong, if you manage to pull it off.
5683728
There are multiple people and ponies around, most are trained in combat. Lighting Dust is one of the fastest ponies alive. Teleportation is not an instant spell. Grabbing or tapping the horn of a unicorn disrupts spellcasting. Hitting it hard makes the unicorn unable to use it for a considerable period. Knocking the caster out happens to be also detrimental to spellcasting. The imposter doesn't suspect his cover has been blown so he couldn't have had a spell prepared.
Now, explain to me, why instead of a friendly buck to the horn he got a blade to the heart? I really, really want to know. Right now Dust's actions are not justified in the slightest.
5684234
5683601
5683464
5683052
Good. Thank you for following the story well. Your reaction tells me that I wrote the story producing the exact emotions and thought I was trying to achieve. Dust is not capable of cold blooded murder, just as you suggest. And you are clearly distraught by what you read, just as Dust's family was when they witnessed this seemingly terrifying spectacle, so you as a reader can empathize with their reaction. There are aspects about this chapter that as of yet, only Dust is aware of, because I want the reader to identify with Dust's family. Later chapters will ultimately reveal what happened here and it will be up to you then to decide if Dust was justified in her actions or if you feel it was an irredeemable act. However, I ask that you hold your judgement until the full story is revealed.
5684663
All right, let's put Dust on hold. She had her reasons, she can't really kill a pony in cold blood, the bad doctor could be just another construct for all we know (actually, did constructs bleed? you skipped that detail).
Then there is another concern, it was overshadowed with Dust's behaviour, but if we ignore that, it comes to light and can't be ignored.
What kind of a <censored> family she has, that it abandons her like that? Yes, murder, bad, I get it. But no benefit of a doubt? No real attempt to understand why she did what she did? Don't compare my reaction to her family's. I'm a complete stranger, I don't have deep feelings for her, I have not shared everything I have with her, I did not raise kids with her. If their reactions matches mine, then she must immediately dump them all (except, probably, Irony, since Irony actually have a reason to be emotional and unreasonable here). Half of her family owes their lives to her - and this how they repay her? That herd requires some serious trimming.
5684871 Well think about it. You get home, you just nearly died while fighting your archenemy. You see your loving lover waiting for you, then your other lover (with no warning or whatever) snaps his neck without a single word. All that goes through your mind is that the leader of your herd, just murdered the FATHER of your children!
Even if Dust is proven right, that is very scarring and what is preventing her from doing it again and being wrong this time? Especially since I haven't reread it, but was the children there watching too? That would be very scarring for them too, to see one of their Mothers kill one of their Fathers for no reason and might come after them next.
5685056
Others though? Not that much. Shocked - yes. Wanting answers - hell yes. Ready to detain her to heal whatever brain bug got her? Quite possible.
Banishing her immediately? No way. No further than out of Irony's sight, since she's emotional and can't think clearly. Otherwise - who needs such a "family"?
5684663
This story is a first person perspective from Lightning Dust. To have us empathize against her actions as being out of character, despite us having a first person glimpse into her thoughts, means the narrator is unreliable. Not that is a bad twist as many good stories have unreliable narrators, but it's usually foreshadowed when done seriously or unsubtly hinted at when not.
The issue I see is because you leave things as they are without wrapping it up in one go, you risk having readers agree to banish Dust too in their own way. To stop reading the story because they no longer empathize with the main character. So even if you wrap it up, if those readers never read your story again, and by extension anything that is associated with it like Irony's Tale or A Velvet Nightfall then they will never know the untwist that puts this into perspective.
It's a very delicate line you are walking. Not that it hasn't been walked before by TV shows with extreme cliff hangers, but it's almost always resolved within the next episode to keep viewer interest...
5684871 5685056
Peer Pressure and Shock are very real, and it's especially strong amongst ponies (herd mentality?) from what we've seen canonically. Plus Dust really, really, really comes off as unhinged. Would you side with her if it meant losing everyone else who is sane in the family, at the drop of a hat, right after a murder?
But lets speculate on how the author feels this could be resolved.
There is one cliched path that I recognize can be used to explain everything and also remove moral culpability from Dust and her family's actions. It's not the only path, but it's one that comes immediately to mind because of parallels with A Canterlot Wedding where a similar scene happened:
Mind control.
It's one of those explanations that I didn't want to consider because I have real problems with the concept, but it exists and can be used as an explanation. Both within the 5s/4 'verse (the curse placed on them in the first place is proof enough, and side stories with Changelings also have it) and within the canon of MLP itself with Discorded ponies, Changeling mind control, and the Siren's powers of disharmony.
This entire chapter feels related to A Canterlot Wedding, specifically when everyone Twilight knows turns on her when she is trying to point out that Cadance is a fake. Granted, Twilight wasn't driven to kill a pony and neither were her friends/family/mentor, but the effect was similar enough. Some Accusation Stories (and this episode has more of those than all other episodes combined, to give you an idea of how controversial it was) go on to theorize that both Twilight and everyone around her were subjected to a subtle mind control to explain their actions.
I don't like it and I really had issues with that episode, but it's a possible explanation. I have doubts any other explanation would be less convoluted than this one.
5685171
The word you're looking for is empathise (or empathize, in American English)
5685171
The idea is not "side with her", the idea is "try to understand what's wrong". Let's see, what possibilities herd members have to consider at that point:
1. Dust had a good reason to kill the guy. In that case she'll explain it, given the chance. She won't have that chance if banished before she can talk.
2. Dust went Cupcakes level insane. She could've had, she had severe psychological trauma everyone is aware of. In that case she's a potential serial killer. You don't banish potential serial killers, they tend to kill multiple people if you do.
3. Dust had made a terrible mistake. Sadly, it happens, especially during the war (and they have a full blown war for years). Banishing her is letting an armed war veteran proven to be unstable loose on the population.
So her herd is not only is very bad at trusting her (since №1 is not even considered), but also terminally stupid (as 2 and 3 are also not considered). Since we know that they are not supposed to be a bad family, and there are enough smart ones among them, they are acting wildly out of characters. Except for the Irony, because she's not thinking and that's believable.
Mind control is a possibility, but that will mean that everyone Dust attempted to make a contact with in this chapter is seriously brainwashed, along with the police and other authorities that let the murderer to have a free roam. It's not like in Canterlot Wedding, where only M6 and Celestia are in direct contact with Twilight (Shining Armor being brainwashed is a given, we see it).
5685245
My, how embarrassing. Thank you.
5685308
I think we (at least you and I) are talking past each other here. I think they are both irrational, so do you. But you are trying to apply a rational explanation that would contradict their actions and I'm claiming that they are too caught up in the heat of the moment to apply rational thought. I don't disagree with your conclusions, I'm just saying they didn't think of them.
They'll probably change their mind and by then it's too late because Dust is gone and so is her cell phone battery.
Lastly, Equestrian Justice isn't a shining beacon of light. This is the same system that thought banishment of Nightmare Moon for a thousand years was acceptable. Would she have even been released had she not broken out? I never bought any story that claimed otherwise, and in canon it is not clear at all that Celestia knew that it would happen a certain way, despite claiming to. It was certainly a huge gamble that would only be justified by some kind of foresight.
There is a reason Banishment isn't a part of modern justice systems around the world. Mostly because other countries get upset when you foist your problems onto them by proxy.
5685398
Actually, they did have enough time to think after Dust went to Gallup - it took her several hours, she had her phone with her all the time, and they made sure that no one she can turn to will help her before she arrived. They were thinking clearly enough to properly shun her, that takes some conscious effort.
As for Nightmare Moon, she was never processed through any legal system. And from the show material, she wasn't supposed to be released ever ("banished her permanently in the Moon", first episode).
5685476
*sigh* I really, really hate this chapter.
5685488
Same here. Hopefully there are really the light at the end of this tunnel.
5684234
5683464
I think it's important to remember that Dust was one of the less redeemable antagonists in the show, and also a human for longer than the others. Her quick thoughts got people killed unintentionally before, and she's still very prideful, to a fault. She could barely deal with the rejection from Alan.
She was also more tempted to kill Volker, and lost her cool with humans more than once in the story. I could even say that the slightest hesitation she had against Corddis, another magic user, got her own brother killed. Even if it wsn't intentional, subconsciously, she made the only reasonable choice.
I also feel like I should remind you that she was wound up from the battle before, but also put together most of the pieces that he was an imposter before she struck.
5687190 Ok... That guy there is an impostor!
Options... Options...
Tell everypony so we can detain him and question him.
Detain him first then explain to everyone and have them check.
Bring up the facts, let everyone else put it together, stay near the door so he can't escape.
Keep quiet for now and watch him, see what he is there for.
Keep quiet for now, and confront him later at a better time and place.
Leak false info and watch what happens.
Set a trap to get the people he is working with to slip up.
Or.... Killing the unarmed possible innocent Civilian right now and lose the only lead to the real Doc, have everypony feaking out and causing mass panic, hate, and drama to me and not him, and losing complete control of the situation...
If I remember right, the Wonderbolts were mentioned as being part of the Military, they did have chain of command and rules/laws to follow and rules of engagement too. Coupled with stuff also pointed out by 5687190 about Dust's past, something also mentioned by Rainbow's dad, it doesn't look good for Dust. No one. NO ONE. would ever trust Dust again, even if she went weaponless and moved deep into the mountains.
But ignoring all that, she still a Military pony that murdered an 'innocent till proven guilty' unarmed Civilian. That is a very big no no. And as was stated, the punishment for murder is Banishment. And don't try to say it was 'self defence' because that's total bullshit. Self Defence would work if he was armed with a weapon and threatening someone with it. But he was unarmed, no weapon at all, nothing. Also killing would be a last resort, Dust didn't even think about capturing him, just went right for Murder.
Even if everything went Dust's way in Technicalities, she still Murdered somepony on a Gut feeling, a pony she loved and was very close with. Just 1 scent off, one little accident that spelt the wrong shampoo, and Dust might kill you or your children too. She would be seen as very mentially unstable and would not be allowed near children and probably be in a Mental Hospital.
Holy Throne.... that happened....
5687276
Uhm. Unicorn. Armament built into his skull. You know, the spiky mana-channeling organ for which his tribe was named?
Say you're a military pone. Trained to remove threats, to react with lethal force if you perceive an immediate threat. This has already been established to be true of Lightning Dust in this fic.
Now. Hostile agent embedded in with your family, with potential orders to sterilize the entire area without warning if the ambush plan fails?
The only viable tactical option is strike quickly, without hesitation. Can wingblades cut off a horn before a bomb spell goes off? I don't know. I suspect a unicorn's natural magic will resist such an attempt, much as pegasus magic resists crash damage. Lightning Dust would have been trained by a military that did know, and her automatic reactions would have been trained accordingly for dealing with hostile unicorns in the appropriate manner.
I'd at least have listened to her evidence before running her off.
Here's to hoping she succeeds in rescuing the good Doc.
Wow. My initial reaction was exactly what everyone else's here in the comments was.
That being said, from the intentional lack of evidence, Dust not even summarizing it to Velvet in dialogue for us, I have to assume you're intentionally turning the readers against the protagonist here and i find that really interesting.
I'm not sure how a writer redeems a character after pulling trust from us. MY guess is it would be more redemptive if it turns out to truly be Dr. Ray. She's been through some awful shit and to be kind of crazy she must find a way to grovel and redeem herself in the eyes of her family and to ponykind.