The Return

by R-Dashiefan20

Chapter 21

I made my way through the black crumbling hallways and into the throne room. Sitting in the throne was Rainbow Dash. But, not my Dash, this was the dark magic version. Her hair was no longer beautifully colored in the spectrum of the rainbow, it was now several shades of gray.

"It's about time you got here." She said as she stood up.

She had a solid black broadsword in one hand and a crystal orb in the other. She was throwing the orb into the air and catching it again as she walked over to me.

"Don't even try to get to me. You're not my Dash." I said as I readied my sword.

"No. Maybe not. But, after I destroy this, you won't know the difference." She said holding the orb out for me to see.

I looked into it and saw that it was flashing various pictures. I realized that it was all my memories of Dash. The orb was slowly being clouded by black smoke.

"Yep. It's only a matter of time before you will only remember your precious Dashie as the monster I made her into." She said.

"No. I won't let you take her away from me!" I yelled as I swung my sword.

She parried my move and stuck the orb into her pocket. She then started to fight with me. We fought back and forth for several minutes. Finally, we locked blades. I saw the strain on her face as she struggled to hold me back. I let out a slight laugh.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"Just the fact that..." I started as I disarmed her.

Her sword flew up and lodged in the ground a few feet away.

"I've always been better at sword fighting than Dash." I finished.

I held my blade to her throat and readied to strike. I hesitated. I just couldn't do it, I knew this wasn't my Dash, but I just couldn't do it. She sensed my hesitation and spun kicked me to the ground.

"Ha. I knew you'd wimp out." She said as she retrieved her blade and walked over to me.

She stood over me and pulled out the crystal orb. It was almost completely black now.

"Any last words before you become a permanent member of the Blackblood army?" She asked as she raised her sword.

I just sat up and closed my eyes and waited for her to strike. I heard a metallic clang. I opened my eyes to see Dash locking blades with someone. I looked over to see Wind Storm. She looked down at me.

"You're not really going to give up are you? What happened to the fearless leader I know and love?" She asked.

"I'm still here. I just can't bring myself to hurt Dash. Even if that is just a cheap dark magic copy." I said.

Wind knocked Dash back, which stunned her. She looked back at me.

"If you don't kill this cheap copy, you'll never see the real Dash again." Wind said.

"What's the point. We're just going to lose in the end anyway." I replied.

"That's not true. That's just the dark magic talking. You have to get up and fight. Imagine if Dash saw you being this way, do you think she would still love then? No, she wouldn't. She loved the fact that you were strong and brave and would do anything for her." She said as she deflected another blow from Dash.

Her words hit me like a bag of bricks.

"You're right. I can't just give up. I need to fight!" I yelled as I picked up my sword and swung at Dash and hit her in the shoulder, cutting straight down through her chest.

"No!" She yelled as she disappeared.

The crystal orb fell free. I caught it just before it hit the floor. The castle became brighter and new again and the black smoke from the orb absorbed into my hand and went back to normal.

"I can take that and put it back where it belongs it for you." Wind said.

"Thanks. I don't know what I would've done without you." I said as I handed her the orb.

"Well, you would've fallen to the darkness like I did." She said as she gave me a hug.

"True." I said.

"Well, I think now it's time for you to wake up." She said.
"Wake up." She said again