The Chase
Chapter 2: The Chase
"Blazing Dawn!" Scootaloo, who was wearing a school saddlebag, called from the patio outside Rainbow Dash's cloud home. "Blaze! Could you hurry it up? We're gonna be be late!"
"Hold your horses, Scoots!" Blazing Dawn's moderately toned voice echoed from inside his cloud home. "I'm coming!"
Down below, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, who were also wearing saddlebags, were waiting patiently, tapping their hooves.
"Cheerilee will have our front hooves if we're late again!" Sweetie Belle groaned.
Applebloom, who was leaning against a tree, just shrugged. "Ah don't mind..." She chuckled to herself. "Cheerilee can threaten us all she wants, but I reckon she'd never hurt a fly!"
"Speak for yourself..." Sweetie Belle sighed.
Back up on the cloud, the door opened and Blazing Dawn hastily stepped out of the dwelling with his saddlebags as well.
"Fiiiinally!" Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "What took you so..." She paused and widened her eyes at the sight behind Blazing Dawn. "Long?"
The two Red Hooves, Blue Arrow and Papyrus, were flanking Blazing Dawn. Blue Arrow smirked, "We were gettin' ready too, lass..."
"Yeah!" Papyrus rubbed a forehoof on his armor. "This stuff is hard to shine, you know?"
Scootaloo looked confusedly at Blaze. Blaze smiled and said, "Bodyguards."
Scootaloo just made an "Ah" shape with her mouth before she shook her head in disbelief.
"Bye, hun!" Rainbow Dash leaned out of the entryway and waved. "Don't get into too much trouble!"
"Ditto, mom!" Blaze replied dryly before taking to the air with Scoots and the Hooves and flying down towards the waiting Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. Rainbow just giggled and shut the door.
As the Pegasi touched down on the ground with the land-bound ponies, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle both stared intently at the stone-faced Hoof guards accompanying them.
"Okay..." Applebloom walked up to Blazing Dawn. "What crazy pony slash creature slash evil spirit is tryin' to whack ya'll now?"
"Something called The Nightmare..." Blazing Dawn sighed as they started to walk into town and towards school, as was their custom every weekday, "No pony knows what exactly it is, but it would be in the 'evil spirit' category..."
"Ah see..." Applebloom frowned, "Are ya' gonna be safe, Blaze?"
"Are you kidding?" Blaze smiled as they walked through town. "I've got oodles of protection! Now I have Blue Arrow and Papyrus in addition to Lunar!" He pawed the ground and grinned. "That Nightmare thing stands zero chance..."
"Sounds pretty dangerous to me, B.D..." Scootaloo said as she flew slightly in the air above the group, "You might wanna be careful with this one..."
"Pfff..." Blazing Dawn shook his head, "You're starting to sound like Twilight..."
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle giggled at Scoots, who sheepishly touched down on the ground and began walking again.
As they rounded a corner onto the main street of Ponyville, they noticed a crowd of ponies gathered around Sugar Cube Corner.
"What the bloody hay is goin' on over there?" Blue Arrow wondered aloud, an eye cocked.
"I don't know..." Blazing Dawn said as they got closer.
Upon getting closer, they saw an ambulance pony cart and a few police carts as well. The ponies in the group gasped when they saw none other than Trixie, clearly unconscious, being loaded into the back of the ambulance cart on a stretcher by paramedic ponies.
"What in Equestria happened?" Sweetie Belle asked in wonder as her eyes fell on Trixie's cart halfway through the front window of the Ponyville eatery.
The Hooves at this point just stood idly by, keeping an eye on the kids from a distance.
"Beat's the hay outta me..." Applebloom said as she watched intently.
"Oh, hello, kids..." The group turned and saw Mr. Cake, the proud owner of Sugar Cube Corner, coming trotting out of the crowd towards them. "Sorry about the mess..." He frowned. "I hope this little distraction hasn't made you late..."
"Nah, we're cool for a few minutes..." Scootaloo said, looking up at the clock on Town Hall.
"So, Mr. Cake..." Blazing Dawn pressed. "What happened? Why is...Trixie...getting loaded into an ambulance?"
"And more importantly..." Applebloom added. "How the in hoof did that get in yer store?" Applebloom pointed at the cart lodged in the window.
Mr. Cake shook his head and sighed, "I'm sorry to say I don't know how it got there, kids. It couldn't have been Trixie..." Mr. Cake tapped a hoof on the ground as he thought out loud. "She's no where near strong enough to throw something that heavy..."
"Magic?" Sweetie Belle offered.
Mr. Cake shook his head. "No magic was used in the tossing of the cart..." He turned and looked at the police ponies taping off the scene. "The Unicorn Police ponies did a magic scan, and no magic was used on the cart..." He paused. "Though they found a very strong reading on the unconscious diva that's being driven away..." He pointed at the ambulance cart, which was heading towards the hospital.
"Why only on her?" Scootaloo asked.
"The police are baffled at that one..." He sighed. "The best they can come up with is somepony knocked her out and threw her cart through the window to frame her. Needless to say, the police will be twice as watchful today..."
"That's weird..." Blazing Dawn said. "You didn't see her do it, then?"
"Oh, no. I only stepped outside and saw her on the ground, but..." Mr. Cake paused. "Well, I heard her talk before I came outside."
"Why do you look so freaked out about that?" Scootaloo asked. It was true. Mr. Cake's mane seemed to stand on end as he recalled the event.
"Her voice...was different...like two ponies talking at once..." He shuddered. "One sounded like her, and the other sounded male...and evil...veeery evil..."
The CMC and Blazing Dawn exchanged glances of awe before looking back at Mr. Cake.
"What...what did she say, Mr. Cake?" Blazing Dawn pressed.
Mr. Cake inhaled deeply, "Something about...well...you, Blazing Dawn..."
"Me?" Blazing Dawn pointed himself in shock, "She already tried to foalnap me once and failed! Why would she mention me?"
"I heard what I heard..." Mr. Cake closed his eyes in thought. "Though she sounded very angry when she shouted it..."
"Did she say anythin' else?" Applebloom asked anxiously.
"One last thing about Princess Luna, I believe..." He nodded. "Then I came outside and found her out cold on the ground."
"How peculiar..." Sweetie Belle tapped her chin with a forehoof.
"You're telling me..." Blazing Dawn said, trying to process Mr. Cake's testimony.
"You kids better hurry along..." Mr. Cake said, turning back to his store, "You won't wanna be late!"
"Thanks for the info, Mr. Cake!" Sweetie Belle said before the group trotted down the road.
"That's mighty strange, don't ya' think, guys?" Applebloom straightened her red, white laced cowpony hat, "Trixie, of all ponies, causing unnecessary collateral damage to the Cakes?" She snarled, "Ah mean, wut did they ever do to her?"
Blazing Dawn shrugged, "Well, I didn't do anything to her, and she still tried to kidnap me and absorb my power a few months back..."
"B.D.'s right..." Scootaloo said from the air above them. "She's just a crazy bi-"
"Well, well, well..." A high pitched, migraine inducing female voice rang through the air from behind them. "If it isn't the Cutie Mark Blunderers!"
"Speaking of bitches..." Blazing Dawn sighed and turned around with the CMC, Scootaloo chuckling at Blazing Dawn's statement.. Walking down from town towards them was Diamond Tiara, now as tall as the CMC with a longer styled mane and tail. Her trademark tiara was still placed neatly on her head. Behind her was her lackey, Silver Spoon. She, too, was just as older and more spoiled looking if possible..
"Hey, Diamond Tiara..." Sweetie Belle groaned. Applebloom and Scootaloo glared at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon with extreme contempt, while Blazing Dawn stood idly by with the Red Hooves.
"I'm assuming that's the cliche popular mare in school, right?" Papyrus hissed to Blue Arrow.
Blue Arrow nodded, "Aye. 'Tis Diamond Tiara, the daughter of Representative Rich."
Blazing Dawn sighed, "Yep. Any second now she'll recognize I'm here, criticize me about hanging out with Applebloom and her friends, and then hit on me."
Papyrus and Blue Arrow exchanged glances of shock. "This happens..." Papyrus tapped his forehooves. "Often?"
"Almost everyday." Blazing Dawn rolled his eyes. "I've got it narrowed down into that three step plan of action she always takes..."
"What do you do?" Papyrus asked anxiously, earning a nudge from Blue Arrow.
"Just watch..." Blazing Dawn sighed again.
It was then that Diamond Tiara began her assault, "Please don't tell me you fillies are still trying to help the other hopeless blank flanks in the town find their so-called special talents, are you?"
Silver Spoon nodded, "It's such a lost cause..."
"Nah listen here, Diamond Tiara..." Applebloom stepped forward, "We got our Cutie Marks through effort an' hard work..." She smirked. "Ya'll got yers by a stroke o' luck..."
"Snap!" Scootaloo shouted from the background, causing Sweetie Belle to chuckle.
Diamond Tiara twitched slightly, trying to think of a retaliation, when step one of her plan fell into place.
"Blazing Dawn..." She narrowed her eyes seductively and smiled, brushing past Applebloom and walking up to the young alicorn, who was looking at Diamond Tiara with dry scorn on his face, "Still hanging out with the wrong crowd, I see?" She walked around him, brushing her tail up against his muzzle. "Why not come chill with me sometime?"
"They're my friends, Diamond Tiara..." Blazing Dawn growled, still looking ahead, "I suggest you find some..." He glanced at Silver Spoon, who mimicked Diamond's seductive glare, "Real friends..." He looked at Diamond as she stopped her walking around in front of him, "It would help you out, I'm sure."
"Oh, please, Blaze..." Diamond scoffed, "When your father is in the hierarchy like mine, one doesn't need friends like...them..." She gestured over her shoulder at the CMC.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, in turn, snarled while Applebloom galloped up and skidded to a halt in between Blazing Dawn and the pampered filly, "Leave him alone, Diamond Tiara! He ain't interested in you!"
"Oh really, cowpukey?" Diamond Tiara smirked, face to face with Blazing Dawn, "And I suppose you know all about the inner machinations of his mind?"
"Ah do, actually!" Applebloom growled, pawing the ground. "Better than ya'll ever will!"
"Dirty applebucker!"
"Glam-whore!"
"HEY!" Blazing Dawn shouted, pushing past Applebloom and standing in between her and Diamond Tiara, "C'mon, guys! Knock if off! We're gonna be late if this keeps up!" He nodded at Diamond Tiara. "Now, if you'll excuse us..."
"Hold it, Blaze!" Diamond Tiara circled around and stopped in front of Blazing Dawn and Applebloom as they tried to walk away. "Time to come clean!" She narrowed her eyes. "Who are you interested in, then, huh? Her?" He pointed harshly at Applebloom, who scowled. "Or me?"
"Ugh..." Blue Arrow facehooved. "First day on the job, and already, we get drama!"
"For real..." Papyrus sighed.
Blazing Dawn scowled, "Okay, one. You don't have the right to call me Blaze. Two, if I had to pick, it would be Applebloom!"
"What?!" Diamond looked taken aback.
"I thought it was kinda obvious, dude..." Scootaloo chuckled while flying overhead.
Sweetie Belle chuckled and just sang a line from a popular pop singer that just arisen in Equestria as she walked by:
Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?
Blazing Dawn smirked, "Seriously, Diamond...back off. Hay, even your so-called 'friend' over there would be better than you..."
"Really?" Silver Spoon asked, completely floored by his statement.
"Are you insane?" Blazing Dawn made a weirded-out look and shook his head, "No! I was just making a point!"
"Oh..." Silver Spoon blushed, looking at the ground.
Blaze looked back at Diamond Tiara, who was flabbergasted by what had transpired. Blazing Dawn took Applebloom by the hoof and winked at Diamond before walking off with the rest of the CMC and the Red Hooves into the schoolhouse, "Seeya, Diamond! Tell your Dad I hate him!"
As the group walked inside, Blue Arrow and Papyrus could not stop snickering at what had just happened.
"Oh, Gods!" Blue Arrow managed to say as he walked in the front door, "I love this kid!"
"I'll be heading to Canterlot again as usual." Lunar Eclipse called out from the living room, I'll be back at the usual time as well..."
"Okay..." Rainbow flew out of her room, "What do you do there anyway? You go over there like every day!"
"Rainbow..." He said dryly. "My business in Canterlot is personal..."
Rainbow cocked an eye, "Luna?"
Lunar smiled and nodded.
Rainbow chuckled, "Then who am I to pry? Go on! Get!" Rainbow smiled, took to the air, and waved her forehooves at him in a shooing motion.
"Goodbye, Rainbow." Lunar chuckled before unfolding his massive wings and taking off into the horizon.
Rainbow touched back down and trotted happily into her room. She opened her closet and grabbed a light blue polo shirt with a black tie with a golden clip. It looked like an Earth pilot's shirt. The nametag proudly gleamed the name "Rainbow Dash, Co-Captain" in silver text.
She hastily put on the shirt and and straightened the tie. She looked down at her long sleeves and rolled them up, for this is what she did to personalize her shirt. She trotted over to the mirror in her room and looked herself over.
"Ah, if only Ace could see me now..." She sighed as she gazed at herself, "A co-captain of the Wonderbolts...with Soarin'..." She smiled, "He would probably throw a fit if he knew the Wonderbolts wanted him to join too after that race..."
It was true. Her dream was realized. Rainbow was a Wonderbolt. At the race at Ghastly Gorge ten years ago, Rainbow and Ace pulled off a Double Rainboom to win the race. After Celestia and Luna pulled Ace aside to break the news, Soarin' and Spitfire offered Lightning Flash, their opponent, and Rainbow positions on the Wonderbolts. They accepted, and the Wonderbolts captains asked where Ace was. Rainbow, not knowing what was going on, said she would ask Ace later and get back to them. After Ace's departure, a depressed Rainbow had to tell the Wonderbolts the "official" story of how Ace went off to the Zebrahara as an envoy.
She sighed, straightened herself up, and flew out of her room. Rainbow Dash flew out the door, locked it, and spread her wings wide and took off into the skies above Ponyville towards the train station. "Another day with the Wonderbolts..." She chuckled, "Livin' the dream, Rainbow...livin' the dream..."
As Rainbow flew by over the town, a small cloud floated lazily above Rainbow's flight path. The cloud, upon Rainbow Dash flying by down below, stopped suddenly. The husky voice from the night before echoed around the cloud. "Hmhmhm...excellent...Loyalty is alone...time to destroy her..." The cloud suddenly changed from a pure white to a sinister purple, and, laughing evilly, the Nightmare shot down out of the sky towards a pair of guards that were on their daily patrol down below.
"I'm just saying..." The first guard said. "The mayor really has a pink mane!"
"No way!" The second guard said. "You sure?"
"Positive, Noteworthy..." The first one replied. "I saw her with my own eyes...pink mane and all!"
"What's wrong with having a pink ma-ACH!" The dark blue Pegasus suddenly started suffocating after a purple cloud of gas shot down from the sky, holding his forehooves up to his throat to try and stop it.
"Noteworthy?" The first guard widened his eyes and turned to his partner, "Noteworthy, you alright, bro?"
Noteworthy stopped suffocating briefly and just stood there, staring into space.
"Whew..." Noteworthy's friend said, wiping sweat off his helmet. "For a second there, I thought you were-GAH!"
Noteworthy suddenly turned and grabbed his friend by the throat, flying up into the air.
"N-Noteworthy...what-what are y-you doing!" The first guard managed to choke out.
Noteworthy said nothing; rather, his eyes, which were closed, snapped open to reveal his yellow eyes had turned into the serpentine eyes of Nightmare Moon. The first guard was speechless as Noteworthy grew in stature. His wings mutated to that of bat wings. His armor transformed to that of Nightmare Moon's guards. Purple gas surrounded Noteworthy, turned his hide black.
Before the first guard could say anything else, The Nightmare, now in complete control of Noteworthy, threw the first guard on the ground with surprising force, knocking him out on impact.
The Nightmare cackled, then took off after Rainbow Dash into the sky.
As Rainbow flew through the air, she heard the beating of wings behind her. She turned and gasped. Noteworthy was flying after her, but he looked...strange.
"Noteworthy!" Rainbow called out. "What are you doing, buddy? Shouldn't you be on your rounds right now?"
"Noteworthy" said nothing. To Rainbow's horror, however, he drew his sword and flew up to Rainbow with a sudden burst of speed, slashing at her.
Rainbow shouted out in surprise, narrowly dodging it. "Noteworthy, what in Equestria are you do-WHOA!" She narrowly dodged a slice from the mutated guard pony again. Rainbow flew through the air nimbly, expertly dodging various swipes and hacks from the mutated guard's sword, "Knock it off, Noteworthy! This isn't funny!"
At this point, Rainbow had had enough. She growled, whirled around mid-flight, and kicked the guard square in the chest, causing the mutated guard to stagger, "Back off, Jack!" Rainbow barked before diving down towards the Ponyville market below.
"Noteworthy" kept up with her easily as she took a low dive into the market, going underneath a market stand he just steamrolled through. Quickly dodging the explosion of produce from the stand, Rainbow Dash swerved around a bystander, who was knocked to the ground by "Noteworthy". Immediately, she swerved upwards and using a front hoof, she jumped over another market stand, taking flight through the transition. The corrupted guard broke the stand into pieces, sending civilians to the ground.
The town water fountain zoomed into view in an almost disorientated way for Rainbow Dash, who, for her part, curved up into the sky, hoping to ditch her pursuer, but to no avail. "Noteworthy" was still fast on her tail, almost as if he was possessed with the ambition of taking her out of the sky. It was truly starting to scare her.
Narrowing her eyes at the wide blue sky, Rainbow Dash muttered to herself, "Let's kick things up notch, shall we?" A cone started to form around her as she sped past the town, the library, her home, and just as she was reaching her son's school, a blast of sound rocketed the area as a splash of rainbow filled the air around her. Her Wonderbolts polo shirt ripped off her body as she sped up into the Rainboom state.
"Now what would be the best place to ditch this bozo..." Her eyes opened wide as an idea struck her mind. "Sweet Apple Acres, here I come!" She shouted gleefully into the air as her Sonic Rainboom carried her forward at speeds far above the sound barrier.
Blazing Dawn sat at his desk near one of the large windows in the room, bored out of his mind while his teacher, Cheerilee, was preparing to teach them new mathematical material. Sighing, he looked out the window with a bored and tired expression. All of a sudden, a giant rainbow wave filled his vision as the window slowly rattled from the intensity of a—
"Sonic Rainboom..." Blazing Dawn whispered to himself.
Suddenly, the schoolhouse shock intently, books and papers scattered all over the floor. Fillies and Foals screamed in sudden panic while Cheerilee tried to wade through her students to the window and get a glimpse of what was going on. Just as she was about to make it to the window near her desk, a second blast of air rocked the schoolhouse so hard, its foundation shook. Shelves, desk, and even the ceiling fans fell to the ground, debris clouding the air. The students screamed in unbridled fear, though luckily none had been harmed. Windows which had been exposed to all kinds of weather and strain blasted inwards and showered everypony in glass, shimmering brightly like the sunny day.
Blazing Dawn moved his hoof down from protecting his face and looked up at the trail of the second rainboom and was left speechless. It was just as long and thick as his mother's, but instead was composed of a purple smoke and blue lightning bolts that warped around and throughthe purple haze.
Hopping to his hooves, Blazing Dawn spread his wings as wide as he could, ready to take off after whatever was clearly chasing his mom.
"Wait, lad!" Blue Arrow rushed forward with Papyrus from the back of the classroom after helping some kids up, their swords drawn, "Don't do anything stupid now!"
"My mother is in danger, Blue Arrow!" The young alicorn snarled, "I can't just sit and do nothing!"
"Yes, you can!" Applebloom ran forward and turned Blazing Dawn around grasping him by the shoulders, "Let them Hooves handle this, please? 'Ah don't want ya'll—" She paused, blushed, then recovered. "We don't want ya'll ta' get hurt!"
"Let the Hooves handle it, sweetie..." Cheerilee managed to say from the other side of the room while caring for some scared students.
Blazing Dawn sighed and shook his head, "I'm sorry..."
Without another word, Blazing Dawn rocketed out the window as fast as his young wings could carry him.
"WAIT!" Applebloom extended a hoof out towards him, but it was too late.
"Celestia damn that lad!" Blue Arrow swore, turning to Papyrus. "C'mon! We've got a job to do, Corporal!"
"Yessir!" Papyrus growled before zipping out the window after Blazing Dawn, swords drawn.
"Alright, everypony remain calm!" Cheerilee still ventured among cowering groups of students, trying to give comfort to her students.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle walked up and flanked Applebloom as she watched Blazing Dawn and the Hooves rocket after Rainbow Dash and her mysterious pursuer.
"He'll be okay, Applebloom..." Scoots put a hoof on her shoulder, "He's Blazing Dawn after all! He can handle himself!"
"Ah have a bad feelin' about this one, girls..." Applebloom frowned as she watched the Pegasi disappear over the horizon towards Sweet Apple Acres.
The Royal Canterlot Gardens were bustling with life during the morning. Birds flew about from flower to flower or through the wonderous forest that could shade anypony from the unforgiving sun. Two alicorns in particular happened to be taking a peaceful stroll to the expansive forest side of the gardens.
"I'm very proud of Blazing Dawn's progress with not only learning magic, flight, or strength training, but also just how hard he's been working to sharpen his mind for any given situation." Lunar Eclipse spoke happily, his every graceful step falling in line with the Princess of the Night.
She looked at him thoughtfully, "I certainly agree with you, Lunar Eclipse, but I still worry for him, given how the council has shown nothing but disdain or distrust for him. It's almost as if he's being denied his rightful place in government." Princess Luna commented, her eyes narrowed so slightly, that only those who knew her as well as Lunar and their friends did could pick up on her public displays of emotion, "Especially Filthy Rich. That stallion does nothing but speak ill about Blaze's father and it irks me to no end. I can't tell you how many times I've come so close to physically striking him down and silencing his insolence!" She seethed with barely restrained rage.
Lunar Eclipse quickly thought of a topic change, his dark eyes sparking at the thought of Dan, "Speaking about 'Ace', Dashie still hasn't quite adjusted to being without him..." He let the statement linger, speaking volumes about his concerns, "I...heard her crying as I flew off his Blazing Dawn yesterday..." He sighed, "She does it every year."
Luna's teal eyes immediately softened at the mention of Rainbow Dash and Ace, "I still find it hard to believe it's been a decade without him, but—" She paused momentarily to breathe deeply before slowly exhaling, the regret flashing for a moment behind her eyes, "It still hurts to know that Rainbow still isn't taking it lightly. I don't blame her though. I felt sad being back here for a while because of how wrong it felt to be back here with Tia' and all our wonderful subjects. For the longest time I was so afraid of trying to fit in again, that it took Twilight to get me out of my shell on Nightmare Night so many years ago..." A forlorn expression sat lightly on her face as she thought back to that fateful night.
"Luna...There's no need to feel afraid to try to get back into the swing of things...After I had been gone for so long, I the Prince of Death, felt afraid to return to Equestria after being imprisoned for so long. The fear that I'd be marked and tagged as an enemy or treated as nothing more than second rate made me feel nothing but uncertainty. Then one particular somepony came to mind that snapped me out of the haze my mind had been caught in..." Lunar Eclipse stopped talking as he leaned his forehooves over a bridge the two had started to cross over.
Princess Luna looked at him and asked, "Who was that special somepony, Lunar?" The anxiety made her all the more curious as to who the pony was.
He looked over the bridge at the beautiful lake thoughtfully before his dark steel-grey eyes locked onto her and quietly whispered a single word, "You..."
Her cheeks lit up with an explosive blush that covered every square inch of her face. Before she could answer however, Lunar Eclipse grasped his head with a forehoof and grunted in pain.
"What's wrong Lunar?"
"I-I'm not...sure..." He gasped between breaths.
The pain in his head increased until he heard a voice he vaguely recognized as Blazing Dawn's voice echoing in his head. "Lunar! Guard! Gone! Crazy! Need! Help! Trying! To kill! Mom!" His voice sounded strained like he was in battle, or flying through the air.
His eyes snapped open in shock at the relayed news and he quickly gathered himself, wings spread wide and proud, "I'm sorry Luna, but I gotta go help Blazing Dawn before something happens to Dashie!"
Luna walked up to him and wrapped her front hooves around him, embracing him in a tight hug before lowering to the ground, "Don't worry about it Lunar, he needs you. Go get 'em!" She called after him as he took off into the air and sped off like a bullet towards Ponyville.
She walked over to the same spot he had looked over the bridge and looked at her reflection, her mind thinking over what they had just talked about. Luna found it nice that that special somepony had been able to convince him to come back to Equestria without even speaking to him; that was some special somepony to grab his attention like that. Suddenly, the gears in her head spun and she blushed intensely, remembering that she was the special somepony who had given him the strength to want to return home. Return home to his people, to Canterlot, to...her.
Rainbow Dash was putting all she had into this one Rainboom. Never before in her life had her own life been in danger when she did a Sonic Rainboom, and this was was it. This was the longest sustainable Rainboom she had ever pulled off. She managed to turn her head around while in the Rainboom state and gasped when she saw "Noteworthy" also in a Rainboom state, gaining steady ground on her.
"Since when can Noteworthy do a Rainboom?!" Dash shouted inside her head.
She turned her head back to a forward position and snarled, her eyes watery from the intense speed, and stuck a hoof forward in an attempt to increase her aerodynamics. She was fast losing her energy.
Up on a mountain nearby, a lone brown-colored mare with a expedition hat and shirt was climbing a rock face while attached to a safety harness. Wiping sweat from her brow, she paused to take a drink of water from her canteen and turned around to take in the scenery. What she saw make her almost drop her canteen in amazement. Two continuous streams of color, one that of a rainbow and the other of black stretched across the sky down below.
"Wow..." The mare said, shaking her head in disbelief. "That is quite possibly the baddest rainbow I've ever seen..."
Rainbow Dash couldn't take it anymore. The Rainboom had tuckered her out completely. The steady stream of rainbow behind her sputtered and died, and she started spiralling out of control.
"CRAAAAAAPPP!" Rainbow managed to shout out as she spiralled through the air, before landing with a heavy thud in Sweet Apple Acres below, a shower of dust erupting into the sky.
"What in tarnation?" A large, red stallion who was bucking apples nearby exclaimed as he heard the crash landing. The stallion was Big Macintosh, the older brother of Applejack and co-owner of Sweet Apple Acres. Seeing the cloud of dust, he dropped his apple bucket from his teeth and galloped towards the impact site as fast as he could.
Upon arriving at the scene, he gasped, "Rainbow? Wut in the hay happened to ya'?" Rainbow was lying in a small crater, totally red and sweating from exhaustion, eyes closed. Big Mac ran forward and kneeled down on his forehooves, "Rainbow? Speak ta' me! Ya'll okay? Wut happened!"
Rainbow tried to use her forehooves to get up, but she fell down from exhaustion. All she could do was shakily raise a hoof up and point behind Big Mac.
"What're ya'll pointin' at—WHOA!" Big Mac turned around to look at what Rainbow was pointing at just in time for him to narrowly sidestep a swipe from "Noteworthy's" sword.
Without asking why "Noteworthy" was attacking him, he roared and charged the corrupted guard, slamming into him and stunning him, "Eeeyup!" Big Mac barked simply before he whirled around and bucked the corrupted guard square in the chin as he would an apple tree.
A sickening crack was heard as "Noteworthy's" jaw shattered and he was flung through the air, "Noteworthy" landed with a heavy thud and lay motionless.
Big Mac snarled, "That oughta teach ya' not ta' mess with R.D., ya'...ya'..." He gulped in horror.
"Noteworthy's" head slowly raised up from where he was lying, and he smiled evilly, his jaw extremely disfigured as he did so. Suddenly, a cloud of purple gas streamed out of Noteworthy's muzzle, and the guard pony fell backwards and returned to normal, unconscious on the ground.
"Wut in the hay?" Big Mac widened his eyes in horror as the cloud of gas hurtled towards him at a breakneck speed, the familiar husky laughter filling the air.
Rainbow Dash heard Big Mac start to make a strange choking sound from her face-down position on the ground. Shakily, she used what strength she had in her forehooves to lift herself up halfway to look up at Big Mac, but was quickly picked up by the strong forehooves of Big Mac by the throat and slammed up against a tree behind her.
Big Mac had changed just as Trixie had the night before. Big Mac was now larger, wings had sprouted from his back, and a large horn was placed on his forehead that was glowing with dark energy as it pointed at Rainbow Dash. Big Mac was surrounded in purple gas as the other victims, but the trait that scared R.D. the most was his eyes. They were green, but they were serpentine, like Nightmare Moon's.
"Now, Loyalty..." Big Mac's voice echoed with the husky voice as a harmony to his, "I shall destroy you once and for all..."
"What..." She gasped through her strained breaths, "What...are...you?"
"Big Mac" only chuckled with his eyes closed, then tightened his grip on Rainbow Dash before getting up in her face and muttered snidely, "You honestly don't remember me, Loyalty? You don't recall the legend?"
Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes and snarled, though she still had strained breaths. "What...legend?"
"Nightmare Moon?" "Big Mac" smiled evilly.
Rainbow's eyes widened in horror, "You're...you're the...gah...Nightmare!"
"Indeed..." The Nightmare chuckled, it's baritone voice blending in with Big Mac's eerily. "Very good, Loyalty..."
"What..." She choked as The Nightmare tightened its grip some more, "What do...you want...with me?"
Big Mac's face was manipulated into that of scorn, "You and your pesky son have been interfering with my powers of manipulation!" The Nightmare closed Big Mac's eyes in thought, "You see, ever since that alicorn was brought into the world, my powers have weakened mysteriously. How? I do not know..." It made Big Mac snarl, "But when I destroy you and your son, I will have free reign of my power once more!" The Nightmare slammed Rainbow against the tree again, the horn on Big Mac's head glowing more intensely. "Once you are both gone, Luna will rejoin with me! And the night! Will last! FORE—ARGH!"
Before The Nightmare could finish his statement, a sudden slam into Big Mac's side sent it crashing into the ground. Blazing Dawn, who had just flown in with extreme speed, glared angrily at the Nightmare and snarled.
"Don't you bucking dare touch my mother again or I'll rip you to shreds!" The young alicorn's voice literally oozed pure hatred as he pawed the ground and snorted angrily.
The Nightmare just laughed and stood up after realizing that Blazing Dawn was the one that slammed into him, "Excellent...now I can destroy you BOTH!"
"Bad idea, lad!" Blue Arrow barked as he and Papyrus landed behind Blazing Dawn, swords drawn.
"Release control of Big Mac and surrender! NOW!" Papyrus roared, ready to attack.
The Nightmare made Big Mac frown, "The Red Hooves..." The Nightmare was powerful in Big Mac's body, but nowhere near powerful enough in its weakened state to take on both Blazing Dawn and two well-trained Red Hooves.
The Nightmare looked over at the exhausted Rainbow Dash, who was collapsed on the ground, and then back to Blazing Dawn, who was, for all intensive purposes, ready to throw down with all his alicorn training.
The Nightmare snarled in frustration at first, but then laughed and smiled, "I'll be back, Blazing Dawn. And next time...you WON'T be so lucky..."
In an instant, the cloud of purple gas leaked out of Big Mac's muzzle and flew up into the air and away, the husky laughter echoing through the air. The Hooves and Blazing Dawn watched, shocked at how the transformations Big Macintosh had gone through just melted away. He collapsed on the ground next to Rainbow Dash, unconscious like The Nightmare's other victims.
"MOM!" Blazing Dawn zipped up to his mother through the air and landed next to her, nuzzling her exhausted body as she laid face-down, panting heavily into the dirt, "Mom, c'mon! Sit up!"
"She pooped herself out from that rainboom, lad..." Blue Arrow frowned, sheathing his sword, "It's no wonder she can't bonny move..."
"Mom, please!" Blazing Dawn kneeled down and turned her body around. Her eyes were closed, her face was beet-red, and she was breathing heavily and strenuously, "Just hold on!"
"What in Equestria?" Cheerilee's voice sounded from behind Blazing Dawn and the Hooves. She and her class had followed the Rainbooms to the crash sight and the students gasped and cringed in horror when they saw Big Mac unconscious and Noteworthy with a disfigured jaw.
"MS. CHEERILEE!" Blazing Dawn shouted desperately, "Call an ambulance! NOW!"
"R-Right!" Cheerilee galloped away as fast as her hooves could carry her towards the Apple family home nearby.
Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all galloped up to Rainbow's side as well.
"B.D.!" Scoots said with worry in her voice, "What happened?"
"The Nightmare!" Blazing Dawn patted his mother's cheeks, "He...almost got her in Noteworthy's and then Big Mac's body's."
"BIG BROTHER!" Applebloom cried out in horror before running over to where her unconscious family member lay, "Big Mac, c'mon nah! Don't just lay there! Git up!"
"Applebloom..." Blazing Dawn frowned at seeing her in such distress. He turned his attention back to his mother, whose eyes were barely open.
"B-Blaze...?" Rainbow reached a hoof up shakily.
"Mom!" Blazing Dawn cradled her head. "You'll be okay! Just hang on!"
Rainbow's head fell off to the side as she passed out, her son's words echoing through her head.
"Mom! You'll be okay! Just hang...on...!"
OCs:
Blue Arrow and Papyrus (c) QTXAdsy
Song from Sweetie Belle:
Complicated by Avril Lavigne
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I just read this on Fanfiction.net! Man, am I glad you updated!
I so enjoy your writing and I can't wait for another update soon. 
Already we're into the second chapter and we get action right away!
I'm really looking forward to this.
i...am....very...intrigued.....need....more..
When is Dan coming back?
478897>>498970>>497024>>479309>>478989 ALRIGHT!! Step right up, everypony! It's time to play, "When Will Dan Be Back?" This game gives you, the esteemed Brony and/or Pegasisters reading this a chance to guess which chapter Dan will return in. The winner of the game will receive a grand prize of 1000 bits!
EDIT: you have a choice from chapter 3 through chapter 20 any dual choices will have the prize split between them if correct!
499043
A chapter from 3 to 20.
499262 Nopony likes a smartflank Jagun...
499273
Smartflank my flank
I do what I want
I would have said 21 since it's the answer to everything...but Ima go with 7 or 14 or maybe the next part of the triology...
As for the story...Me gusta.
499043 Six, most definitely.
499043 Alright mate, I'll take take part in this. I think........chapter 7.
DRAMATIC ENDING!
DUN DUN DUN!
No clues about Dan. Oh well, gotta wait for the next one :(
i say 3
499043?
Chapter 1 of Return of the 7th Element. Do i get my prize money now?
499043 i agree with akkura its chapter one of the sequel to 7th element he isnt going to be returning in this story
499043 from reading the beginning of the return of the 7th element when ace meets his son B.D. goes into a rage about all the times his father wasnt there including the nightmare incident, which is the current place in time. also Dan returns in fifteen years while this book is ten years so I would say none of the above, but if i had to choose it would be the 20th chapter.
MAKE DAN COME BACK!