Irreplaceable

by La Barata

Chapter 7 - Smoke on the Water

Irreplaceable
Chapter 7 - Smoke on the Water

“No no no no NO! Come on, Dash, BREATHE!” Twilight Sparkle knelt by the still form of Rainbow Dash, her hooves pounding her fallen friend’s chest. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening!
“Come on, Twi, Don’cha know any healin’ magic or somethin’ like that?” Twilight shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes.
“I can fix cuts or bruises, but nothing like this! It’s like trying to run a lightbulb with static electricity!” Suddenly, her eyes went wide, a thought. That’s it! A spark! “Okay, I have an idea! Everybody, stand back!” Twilight rose to her feet and took a deep breath, concentrating magical energy in her horn. With a thought, she sent an arc of lightning into Rainbow Dash’s unmoving body. Taken aback, her friends were stunned.
“Twilight, what are you-”
“SHUT. UP.” Twilight grunted, launching another bolt into Rainbow’s still-convulsing frame. This time, however, Dash’s eyes snapped open as she lay stunned, gasping for air. As she struggled to inhale, she found the breath squeezed from her body again, this time by the arms of a certain pink pony.
“OHMYGOSHDASHIWASSOWORRIEDIWASALLDASHWAKEUPBUTYOUDIDN’TWAKEUPANDYOUWEREN’TBREATHINGANDI-” Eyes watering in pain, Rainbow Dash gave a strangled grunt.
“Unh...Pinkie...Can’t...Breathe...” Pinkie flew back, eyes wide in concern.
“Oh, Dash, I’m so sorry! I was just so-” Applejack patted her on the back.
“Easy now, Sugarcube. She’s alright now, so just calm y’self down”.
“Yeah, Pinkie. I’m fine, just a bit-GAH!”. Attempting to get to her feet had been a mistake, it seemed. Twilight placed a restraining hoof on her shoulder.
“Please, Dash, don’t move. We need to figure out just what’s wrong with you first”. Twilight’s horn glowed again as she called up a scrying spell. She turned the glow on Dash, bathing her in light. As the glow faded, she shook her head. ”You’ve got some damage along your costovertebral joints, a fractured carpus and a damaged fibula on your-”.
“Twilight. English”.
“Right, sorry. A couple cracked ribs, a broken bone in your wing and your right back leg is broken”. Dash rolled her eyes.
“Perfect”.
Twilight’s horn pulsed with energy, gathering several branches and vines. Stripping the leaves from them, she wrapped them together into a makeshift stretcher.
“There. This should be sturdy enough to hold you. Alright, help me get her on top.” Twilight’s voice was calm, abnormally so. Stepping forward, Applejack and Fluttershy lifted her gently, placing her upon the stretcher. Dash craned her neck, looking up at Twilight.
“Can’t you just use your magic to levitate me home?”
“Well, the general magical principles of levitation has a different effect on actual living tissue as the-”
“TWILIGHT.” Twilight cringed.
“Right. English. Basically, it’s harder to levitate a pony than an inanimate object.I’d be able to lift you, but gravity would still affect whatever part I wasn’t holding. I’d need to steady your limbs with another spell. While I AM good with magic, that would take a lot of concentration, and I’m not sure I could walk any long distances while doing it. Not to mention the fact that if I made a single mistake, I could hurt you even more badly”. Dash lay her head back down, more due to exhaustion than any real satisfaction with Twilight’s answer. While Twilight had spoken the truth, there was no magical reason stopping her from simply levitating the stretcher, but, in truth, she was so shaken that the normally simple task seemed almost impossible. Instead she came up with a hasty jumble of magi-babble about pivot points and the effects of levitation on different tensile strengths of wood. In the end, the task of carrying the stretcher fell on Pinkie and Applejack. Rarity, being incredibly well acquainted with the finer points of levitation, perhaps even more so than Twilight, had given Twilight a curious look at this, but opted to remain silent. She was tactful enough to realize that Twilight needed her to keep quiet right now.

As the group made their way through the Everfree Forest, the noonday sun beat down through the treetop canopy. Though Ponyville wasn't all that far away, considering Dash’s present condition, bringing her to Zecora’s seemed like the wisest course of action. Zecora’s knowledge of healing was far more extensive than almost anypony’s, so they were suitably comfortable leaving Dash with her while they returned to Ponyville to fetch Nurse Hart. Approaching the hut, Twilight knocked on the door. Zecora answered. Seeing Twilight and the rest, she smiled, but that smile quickly vanished as she noticed Rainbow Dash.
“ What has happened to poor Rainbow Dash?
There’s more damage here then could be caused by a crash! “.
Twilight shuffled awkwardly as she explained the day’s events. Zecora sighed, shaking her head.
“You ponies of Ponyville always take on great tasks.
What did you think you could accomplish, might I ask?” Twilight opened her mouth, then closed it. She repeated this action several times more before finding the words she was looking for.
“We... I just thought... I thought we could bring him back”. Stepping back, Zecora opened the door wide, beckoning for the ponies to enter.
“My home and skills I’ll gladly lend,
Bring her inside, her wounds I’ll tend”. As Pinkie Pie and Applejack carried Rainbow Dash inside, followed by Rarity and Fluttershy, Twilight hung back.
“I said my door is open wide,
why hesitate to come inside?“.
“I’m... sorry, it’s just... I can’t... I... I think I need to be alone right now!” With those words, Twilight turned and ran, charging off into the Everfree forest with reckless abandon. Stunned, her friends looked at each other momentarily before Applejack gave chase. Galloping at top speed, she easily caught up to Twilight.
“Hold on, Twi, slow down. Just talk to me!”. Twilight skidded to a halt, whirling around to face her friend. Tears streaming down her face, her red rimmed eyes locked onto Applejack’s, staring her down.
“I don’t understand!” Applejack starred into her friends eyes, filled with sadness and anger.
“Wha...”
“I DON’T UNDERSTAND! None of this can be real. Spike got upset, I was cross with him, he left. I understand that much. Anyone can become upset, anyone can feel hurt and sometimes they leave because of it. I get it, I understand that. But why didn't he come back? Why did he let that monster train him? Why did he say such terrible things?” Her words were bordering on hysterical, but her voice maintained the same unnatural calm it had held since the fight with the dragon. Applejack couldn't think of anything to say, her mouth closed firm, afraid that if she opened it, what would come out would make matters worse. “Rainbow Dash got hurt. She got hurt badly, horribly, she almost died, all because I was too stupid to take a moment to sit Spike down and just tell him what he means to me, just take two minutes to say ‘You haven't been replaced. You are still and always will be my number one helper, one of my closest friends and very dear to my heart’. That’s it. That’s all I had to say. If I wasn’t so STUPID, NONE of this would have happened.” The purple mare’s eyes were glistening with tears, but her face bore such a look of pure, impossible fury that, for the first time in her life, Applejack wanted to turn tail and run. The look on her beloved friend’s face was enough to pierce something bordering on terror into the earth pony’s heart. Twilight’s front hooves began to pound the ground, over and over, again and again. Applejack swallowed, banishing her fear to the back of her mind. This was her friend, she had to do everything in her power to help her.
“Why don’cha calm down a mite, Twi. I understand, I-” Twilight’s hooves paused in their tattoo as her head whipped up, eyes fixed in a glare. Her eyes were dry now, their only occupant raw ferocity, yet her voice still retained its now disturbingly calm tone.
“You understand? Do you really?”
“Look, we all make mistakes, bu-” Twilight reared onto her hind legs, the calm in her voice replaced by a powerful scream.
“How DARE...”
“QUIET!” It was Applejack’s turn to yell, Twilight recoiling at the sudden outburst. “I won’t have you standing there interruptin’ me when I am TRYING to speak with y’all”.
“But-!”
“But nothin’! We all make mistakes, lil’ things that we didn’t think ‘bout at the time ‘cause it was such a tiny detail we couldn’ see the significance. IT HAPPENS. You’re right, though, I spoke outta turn. I don't understand. Maybe someday I will, but at this point I don't, and I don't care that I don't. Dash is hurt bad, Spike is still missing and I think it’s apparent that that there dragon did sumthin’ to him”. The fury faded from Twilight’s eyes, replaced by a deep sadness. “I ain’t about to think any less of you because you failed ta see the significance of reaffirmin’ Spike’s and your relationship, and I sure as shoot ain’t about to let you do the same. Now then, you can leave if you want and give yourself time to think or you can come on back inside. But, if’n you do decide to leave, I’m givin’ you fair warnin’. You’ve got one hour to get’cher self back her afore me and the others come searchin’ for ya”. As Applejack turned and began the walk back to Zecora’s hut, there was a loud magical shing. She didn’t bother to turn; she had seen Twilight teleport enough times to know the sound.
“Oh, sugarcube...”. Applejack shook her head as she resignedly returned to Zecora’s hut. As she opened the door, the rest of the group regarded her with surprise.
“That poor young mare seemed quite distraught.
Your solo return means she was not caught?”. She shook her head.
“We had a couple words, then she went an’ teleported outta there. I gave her an hour before we all go out there an’ drag her back, kickin’ and screamin’ if we gotta”. The friends sat together in silence, the worry in the air permeable as a marsh fog.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Burning smashing ripping tearing crushing blasting smiting shredding piercing. The blaze spread across the town, sending up clouds of billowing, spiralling smoke. Debris from smashed houses, toppled trees and broken windows littered the square. Ripping shredding tearing burning smiting blasting piercing smashing crushing. Claws crunched, biting deep into the ground as the great beast stalked through the town. Coldly, almost detached, it surveyed its surroundings, more familiar to it than it would have liked. Carousel Boutique, Sugarcube Corner, the public library. Ah, yes. The library. Shredding smashing crushing burning blasting smiting piercing tearing shredding ripping. It moved through the town, destruction in its wake, as it headed for the library. Noticing the strangely depopulated town, he began to think. Where are they? There should be ponies. Where are ponies? So few... Where have they gone? The town is here, but where is the town? Rage clouded its countenance. They have gone. They have left, too. They’re all gone. They, too, have abandoned us. It was not enough to cast me out, it seems. Now they have abandoned their home in fear I would find them again. I will not be ignored. I will not be cast aside. I WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN. Inhaling, he blasted a mighty gout of flame, raking the city before him with green destruction. The town was indeed empty; currently, the only occupants were those who had stayed behind to grab extra valuables; a keen eyed pegasus pony had spotted the beast approaching and had sounded the alarm. The evacuation had been remarkably quick. As he reached the library, he roared, a terrifying, chilling sound. Again he roared, though this time, words were formed.
“FACE ME”. From inside the library, nothing. Hiding. They know our power. They fear our power. Before this day has ended, they will taste our power. Another great roar, met only by silence and the crackling of the flames engulfing the town. Furious, he spat a burst of flame at the great tree housing the library. As the fire blazed, spreading through the canopy, he felt nothing. He wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to feel, to be honest. Should he feel triumphant? Should he feel powerful? Should he feel accomplished? Should he feel sad? Depressed? Angry? Whatever it was, why didn’t he feel it? Spreading his wings, he shot upwards, leaving the scene of devastation far below as he turned and soared out over the Everfree Forest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Right. Time’s up”. Applejack got to her feet. “Come on, y’all, let’s git goin’”. Reluctantly, the rest of the ponies, with the exception of Zecora and the sleeping Rainbow Dash, got to their feet. As they gathered outside, Applejack began issuing orders. “Right. Now, if we’re gonna find her, we gotta split up. Now, it’s too dangerous fer us ta be goin’ off alone, so we’ll head out in groups. Fluttershy, you an’ Pinkie head off ta th’ north. Rarity, you’re comin’ with me. We’ll meet back her in an hour. Got it?”. Everypony nodded. “Let’s go”.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Cowards, filthy, blasted COWARDS!.” The words echoed throughout the swamp as the furious dragon gave vent to his fury, roaring the words to the sky. It didn't seem right, though. The screaming felt good, sure, but the words didn't. Calling the ponies cowards wasn't right, it didn’t feel right, but he wasn't sure what was right anymore. Wasn’t sure what to say, what to feel, what to think. He had unleashed his fury upon those who had scorned him, the town that shunned him, and yet he felt nothing. What was he supposed to feel? Surly satisfaction at what he had done, maybe even remorse for the innocent lives that- NO. There are no innocents. They all abandoned us. They are all a part of it. All of them, all, all, ALL OF THEM. They cast us aside, they abandoned us. We were nothing to them, now they are nothing to us. They should die, they DESERVE to die. Well, not really, he supposed. After all it was Twilight that- The dragon’s mind froze, seizing the word. Twilight. It was the first tangible connection he had been able to muster for some time. After all, that word- no, that name was the reason he was doing all this. Wasn’t it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By a small pond not too far from Zecora’s hut, a confused pony sat next to the water staring at the reflection cast by the still liquid. The pony in the water was her, sure enough, but it wasn’t anypony she recognized. The normally bright eyes were dull and lifeless, red rimmed and bloodshot. Her normally well groomed mane was dishevelled and unkempt. Who WAS this creature? Where was the normally irrepressible magical genius? She stared at a stranger, somepony she had never seen before in her life. She stared deep into those eyes, those worthless, empty eyes, as she sat, trying to figure out exactly who she was looking at.
“Twilight!” The purple unicorn started, snapped out of her reverie by a familiar voice. She turned to see Pinkie Pie bouncing towards her, followed closely by Fluttershy.
“Oh, Twilight, we were super duper worried! Why’d you run off like that?”. Avoiding her gaze, Twilight studied the ground intently.
“Pinkie, Fluttershy... I just needed a bit of time to myself”. Pinkie, ever the irrepressible one, hopped about gleefully.
“Well, silly filly, you had your hour, now you gotta come back, okay?”. Twilight allowed herself a small smile at her friend’s antics.
“Okay, Pinkie. Let’s go”. They made their way back to Zecora’s hut, Fluttershy deep in thought over the state she had found her friend. Pinkie didn’t really seem to notice, but there was a change in Twilight Sparkle. It was difficult for the shy pony to put into words but it was almost as if Twilight was losing something deep inside of her, part of what made her who she was, and she knew it was happening. It was tearing her apart.
“Twilight... Are you okay?” The question seemed so... wrong. It was clear Twilight was not okay, but what else was Fluttershy to say? Twilight forced a smile, but there was no heart in it.
“Don’t worry, Fluttershy. I’m fine”. The remainder of the journey was spent with no words spoken between the three, however Pinkie Pie made a point to hum a song the entire time as she bounced her way along the path.
Upon their return, they found Rarity and Applejack waiting from them, apparently having only just arrived themselves.
“Oh, Twilight, darling, where have you been? We were worried sick!”.
“I just needed a bit of time to myself”.
“It is good you don’t return alone,
I fear there’s trouble at your home!” Zecora, seeming quite agitated, pointed over the trees in the direction of Ponyville.
“What do you- Oh my gosh!” Applejack stopped mid-sentence, stunned into silence. Over the treetops, a cloud of thick, black smoke coiled up towards the sky. Without another word, the five ponies took off towards home as fast as their legs could take them.

TO BE CONTINUED

Comments

[JacenCaedus]

11801 pacersfans.com/images/smilies/popcorn.gif

[Rainbow Prime]

Applejack starred into her friends eyes, filled with sadness and anger.

Applejack stared into her friends eyes, filled with sadness and anger.

[StraferElite]

7739334 sieg heil sieg heil