Pressures of a Princess

by RarityEQM

Flicker

Twilight's smile was unnaturally wide as she embraced Rainbow Dash, squeezing her prismatic friend tightly and nuzzling in against her cheek. It had only taken Rainbow Dash ten minutes to find Princess Twilight, and even if they had been the most frantic, rushed ten minutes of Rainbow's life- she had completed her task. Twilight wasn't in the remains of the library in ponyville, but Rainbow Dash was willing to bet she'd be in some library somewhere if she needed to concentrate on casting a spell. Someplace quiet and out of the way so she could think straight...well, straight-er at least. The only other place Rainbow could imagine would be the library in Princeses' old castle; so thats where she searched, and thats where she found Twilight.

The princess had been sitting in front of an exceedingly large tome, with a number of scrolls around her. Scroll after scroll after scroll of parchment. Notes, and reminders about whatever Twilight was doing, Rainbow surmised. To the pegasi's surprise, Twilight had not reacted hostile when they encountered one and other. From Princess Luna's gravely threatening message, Rainbow had half expected Twilight to have gone feral. Foaming at the mouth and screaming nonsense, but the princess seemed remarkably calm- even happy.

"Rainbow Dash! I'm SO glad you're here! You'll be the first one to witness what I do!" Twilight squealed happily with an extra wide smile. Rainbow winced. Even though Twilight was friendly...something was wrong here. Something was very wrong.

"Uh...Hey, Twi, I'm glad to see you too. I'm uh, sorry we haven't talked much, lately. Things have been kinda rough, ya know. Uh...How uh...how are you doin? What are you doing? Here? In this creepy castle? All alone?" She stammered. Twilight giggled and skipped back over to the large open book in the middle of the room.

"I'm casting a spell! Rainbow, can you keep a secret? Eeeee, I'm bringing Rarity back!" Twilight shrieked happily. "Isn't it wonderful!" She asked. Rainbow's mouth dropped open. Even if she didn't know magical law, or practice magic herself, she was positive that was all kinds of messed up.

"You're...you're going to resurrect Rarity? Twilight, you can't-" Rainbow began, but was quickly cut off by Twilight, who shot her a vicious little growl in response.

"NO, I'm not going to resurrect Rarity! That is illegal, Rainbow Dash, I am a princess. A princess does not break the rules. I'm a princess...I have to...follow them. Resurrection is...very difficult. Thats impossible. That magic cannot be cast without a significant catalyst, and I couldn't even begin to wager the kind of horrible magical backlash such a spell would cause!" Twilight exclaimed, bringing Rainbow dash a breath of relief, if only to replace her concern with curiosity.

"Then...how...?" She mumbled- Twilight smiled even wider.

"Star Swirl figured it out, Rainbow! Hehehehehe, it's a temporal displacement spell, with a heavy influx of chronological layering. Its a time travel spell on a grand scale. I'm gonna go back and fix it, Rainbow! I'm gonna go back and stop her...stop me from ever making that mistake!" Twilight exclaimed. Rainbow's eyes widened and she glanced around, finding her voice lost after hearing Twilight's plan. The goal she was supposed to halt. She was supposed to stop Twilight Sparkle from bringing back their friend and loved one.

"...For real?" Rainbow stammered. Twilight wildly nodded her head, and Rainbow lurched forward, grabbing Twilight by the shoulders. The prospect of bringing somepony back...of being able to fix a 'mistake' of this caliber...the things it could mean for Equestria...long lost mothers or fathers, brothers or sisters, taken away by tragedy or sickness...Rainbow bit at her lower lip. How was she supposed to stop Twilight from doing this? How was she supposed to crush the only chance she may have had at seeing her friend again? What about the family, what about how sad Sweetie Belle had become, or the hole in her heart?

"This........Twilight This is.............This.......... is......... gonna be AWESOME!!!" Rainbow squeaked quietly- her own excitement starting to bubble out of control at the prospect. Maybe things really could be alright again! Maybe Twilight really could do it! She hoped, oh, how she hoped! She hoped, she hoped she hoped.

"Ask her how, Rainbow Dash." A voice called out from somewhere beyond the gloom of the derelict castle. A new voice- like a stern and disapproving school teacher. Twilight frowned, perking her ears and peering into the darkness surrounding her.

"Hey?! Who's there!!" Rainbow snarled. Silence filled the void between them, and Twilight splayed her ears back against her skull. Nopony was going to stop her from doing what was right. No pony was going to end her pursuit of justice! Rarity didn't deserve to die- not by Twilight's hoof! She was going to fix this...

"Ask her how, Rainbow Dash." The voice called out. Closer this time- loud and ringing...and closer. Rainbow snarled quietly and drew herself into a combat pose; head down, wings splayed, ready to charge ahead if need be.

"Quiet! Come out you coward! I trust Twilight a lot more than I trust some scaredy cat lurking in the shadows!" Rainbow snapped. A low haunting chuckle echoed around the room, coming from everywhere at once, and nowhere at the same time. The fur on Rainbow Dash's neck began to prickle. Twilight cast a little ball of mage light, that twinkled and danced like a fairy through the darkness- but failed to show any sign of the intruder. The voice rang through the halls again.

"Basic magical law, Rainbow. If a spell requires more components than available, the spell cannot be cast. In this instance, Twilight's will serves as her catalyst, and for this situation, we'll call her willpower 'mana.' Twilight has a horrifyingly large pool of mana to draw from- raw power, but the spell she wants to cast is-"The voice explained, but Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"BLAH BLAH BLAH! Either come out, or beat it! We don't have time to listen to you whine! We've got a friend to save!" The element of Loyalty cried out- and cried out once again when something crashed into the back of her neck, sending Rainbow Dash spilling onto the floor. Twilight screamed. Nightshade had distracted them both with her explanation, and taken to crushing Rainbow Dash with a swift blow.

"Traitor. The princess expected more fro-" Nightshade said- squealed, before diving to the floor, dodging a blast from Twilight's horn.

"DON'T YOU DARE HURT MY FRIENDS!!!" Twilight snarled, firing bolts of violent, violet energy at the slinky black mare in question. Nimble hooves, and a quick flicker of a shield spell saved Nightshade from Twilight's horn, but the shield was already cracking, and Nightshade was already retreating back into the safety of the shadows. It didn't last, however. To both Twilight, AND Nightshade's surprise, Rainbow proved far more resilient that originally anticipated. She was climbing to her hooves, and baring her wings in one moment- and soaring forward to crash and tackle into Nightshade the next.

"TWILIGHT!! FINISH THE SPELL! BRING HER BACK!!!" Rainbow cried out, forcing Nightshade to the ground in a violent pin. Nightshade kicked and hollered, struggling in vain under the pegasi's strength. No! No no no no! This could not happen!!

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!! SHE'S SUMMONING NIGHTMARES!! NIGHTMARES!!" Nightshade screamed, but Rainbow Dash wouldn't let go. She was the element of Loyalty, after all, and she'd be loyal to Twilight till the end. Even as the drew grew dark, and ebony forms began to slink from the walls. Purplish portals began to open- ripping viciously through the seams of reality, harboring tentacles, and fangs and eyes so many more than two.

She was loyal to Twilight Sparkle, and forever would she be- even as those things spidered into the room, and wrapped around Twilight's frame- the screaming alicorn's voice cut off by a gurgle of surprise. The dozens of things that wrapped around her arms, and legs, forced it's way into her mouth and into her nose, didn't stop until every last inch of Twilight Sparkle had been covered. The spell had been a success- Something had completely consumed Twilight Sparkle, and in her place now stood a horrible abomination of magic and animal. It stared coldly at Rainbow Dash and Nightshade, and now that all was said and done, spell complete and Rarity's return soon at hand- Rainbow Dash felt a bubbling inkling raise up; that maybe she'd made a mistake.
She felt her loyalty flicker.

Author's Note:

How could anypony expect Rainbow Dash would turn on Twilight? Impossible...but thats what Nightshade was for...