The Pony Who Embraced The Darkness

by Zurvan

Chapter 20: Time For Me To Fly

Chapter 20: Time For Me To Fly

Rainbow Dash sits on the floor of the cave that her company is hiding in. The are all tired, and dirty. “So what do the griffins see when they come by?”

“It’ll look like an avalanche happened and blocked off the cave, just in case they know this cave is here.” Rune Skirt answers.

“I find it unlikely that the know every cave in these hills.” Bastion says.

“No offense, your majesty, but you were raised in a palace, not on these hills.” Cold Steel says. “I promise you if I was back in the hills I was raised I’d know every hill, valley and cave like it was the back of my hoof.”

Bastion looks at the earth pony then nods. “I suppose you may have a point.”

“I don’t care what they see as long as they pass us by.” Iron Wing says. “We’re not exactly running at full strength here.”

Rainbow Dash hangs her head, since they fled the palace they’d be ambushed too many times. Her company had dwindled down to just 6 ponies and of course the eternal pain in her flank Bastion. “Rune Plate, how’s Copper Penny?”

Rune Plate’s horn glow as she stands over an earth pony mare. “She’s resting, the wound on her flank is sealed.”

“Will she be ready to move by nightfall?” Rainbow asks.

“I don’t see why not, the wound wasn’t deep and and earth ponies have a high healing factor. She might be a little slower than normal, so she won’t be taking point.” Rune Plate answers.

“I’ll take point.” Iron Wing volunteers

The rest of the squad all stops what they’re doing and looks at her. “Are you sure about that Iron Wing?” Rainbow Dash asks.

Iron Wing nods. “Losing Iron Horn has been tough Captain, and I respect that you’ve given me time to deal with it in spite of everything., but I’m a guard first. He’d want me to do my job, not mourn for him. Let me do my job.”

Rainbow nods. “You take point then, just remember our lives rely on you too,”

“Don’t worry Captain, I’m not ready to meet my brother in the afterlife yet.”

“Now that’s settled you should all rest.” Rainbow Dash says.

“I’ll take the first shift.” Rune Skirt says. “I have to stay up to hold the illusion anyway.”

“You and your sister need to rest at some point.” Rainbow says.

“Unless you have an energy crystal to spare one of us will have to maintain the shield.”

“Could you use one that’s enchanted to do something else?”

“If I removed the enchantment sure.”

Rainbow taps her armor. “This small gem is enchanted to repair my armor, but you can have it if it’ll work.”

Rune Skirt examines the armor. “This is beautifully made, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Twilight had it made just before I came here.” Rainbow says.

“I can’t take the gem out of the armor, but I could certainly tie the spell off to it.”

“Then do that and go rest.” Rainbow says.

Rune Skirt shakes her head. “We’ll tie it off to the gem later, first you rest.”

“I suppose that’s fair, the gem won’t hold the illusion forever after all.”

“I’ll tell Plate about the gem, and have her wake you up so she can tie the spell off.”

“Fair enough.” Rainbow Dash says as she gets into a corner and lays down. “I suggest the rest of you get some rest.”

“I can’t wait to be out of the Faust forsaken land.” Iron Wing says as she settles down.

“Since my own soldiers are against me, I suppose I can’t argue with you there.” Bastion says as he finds his own place to settle down.

=========

“Alright everypony.” Rainbow Dash says waking them up. “The sun will set soon, and it’ll be time to move out.”

“Copper Penny reporting for duty, Captain!” The injured earth pony mare says.

“Good to hear soldier, how are you feeling?”

“A little sore, but I’ll make due.”

“Good, because I hope to push it tonight, if Cold Steel’s reckoning is correct we have a good chance of getting across to Equestria tonight.”

“What’s to stop them from chasing us all the way to Canterlot?” Bastion asks. “It’s not like you have an army at your border.”

Rainbow Dash grins. “Princess Twilight left a little present at the border just in case, I plan to activate it. That’s all I’m telling you.”

Bastion laughs. “Why am I not surprised?”

Rainbow grins. “Alright everypony, you know the drill, dingy up your armor, we need to try and be unseen.”

“We’ve been doing this for a week.” Cold Steel says as he rubs dirt onto Copper Penny’s armor, and then Copper Penny rubs dirt onto his. “I think we know what the plan is by now.”

“Sorry.” Rainbow says. “I’m just as tired of this hiding as the rest of you.”

“Then why the buck haven’t we given up the Faust-damned griffon?”

Rainbow growls. “I’ll chalk that up to the stress of it all, Cold Steel, but you know the answer to that.”

“Because YOUR princess ordered it. The princess that just gave you a captaincy. Instead of you having to work for it like the rest of us, you disgust me!” Cold Steel says as he moves to hit Rainbow Dash.

Iron Wing flies in front of Cold Steel. “If any of us are going to hit the Captain I have dibs.”

Cold Steel backs off. “Sorry Wing.”

“Look, I don’t blame you, I don’t like her orders either.”

“Then let’s send beaky packing.”

“Iron Hoof died believing in the princess’ orders, and I’m not going to besmirch his memory by going against them.”

Cold Steel nods. “Okay, okay I’ll back off.”

“Good, now let’s go, it’s dark.”

“I’ll drop the illusion.” Rune Plate says as she walks to Rainbow Dash and cancels the spell on the gem.

Iron Wing pokes her head carefully out the cave. “Looks clear.” she says in a hushed tone.

“Alright, move out, Copper Penny you stay with Bastion in the middle of the group.” Rainbow Dash says.

Copper Penny salutes. “Yes, sir!”

“I’ll take rear guard tonight. So move out!”

Iron Wing takes the lead, and rest follow with Rainbow Dash taking up the rear. They quietly walk through the barren outskirts of the griffin kingdom. After a few hours all the ponies can feel the ambient magic that radiates from Equestria.

Iron Wing flies ahead taking a bigger lead forward, and by consequence she’s alone when the griffon’s spring their surprise attack. Iron Wing sees it at the last second and dives yelling. “It’s a trap!”

The griffins dive after Iron Wing, but suddenly one is hit by a battleaxe, the axe cuts into him as it knocks him out of the sky between the two the griffin doesn't stand a chance. Cold Steel gallops toward Iron Wing activating the magic of his armor, claws forming on his hooves making him able to move faster as he can dig into the ground, and it’s obvious they are menacingly sharp. “Get them to the ground where I can gut them, I used my only aerial attack.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Iron Wing says as she stays low to the ground and heads toward Cold Steel, a couple griffins right on her tail.

Cold Steel grimaces knowing full well that there’s no way Iron Wing will get away in time when all the sudden and rainbow colored blur comes out of nowhere and stops in front of the griffins causing them to stop. “Regroup!” Rainbow Dash says as she taps her armor and electricity is discharged killing the two griffins.

Rune Skirt erects a magical shield around the others. “Captain, quick!”

“Get Bastion to the Equestria!” Rainbow says. “I’ll distract them.” With saying that she flies as fast as she can almost straight up. Most of the griffons follow her.

“You heard the captain!” Copper Penny says. “Move it!”

Rune Skirt goes to the front of the shield while Rune Plate goes to the back and using her magic to help hold the shield. “Let’s advance, double time!”

The group moves in unison advancing quickly. “We need to move quick!” Iron Wing says. “She’s going to do a Sonic Rainboom!”

“I thought that was a myth!” Cold Steel yells as the group speeds up.

“She’s the only pegasus known to be able to do one consistently.”

“Holy Buck!”

They continue to run as Rainbow reaches the apex of her flight, the griffons right on her tail. She suddenly dives at top speed, the griffons stop flying for a minute before flying after but steadily falling behind. The cone steadily forms around her, then the light starts to reflect off the cone. Right at the right moment she pulls up creating the rainboom knocking all the griffins out of the sky.

The rainboom goes over the heads of the group of soldiers. “I.. I’ve never seen anything like that.” Cold Steel says as they run across the border.

Rainbow flies up to them, obviously very tired. “We made it!”

“We’re not out of trouble yet, here they come!” Cold Steel says. As most of the griffins shake off the shock of the rainboom and fly toward them.

Rainbow flies down to a rock that now that you look at it it seems out of place and places her hoof on it. “Captain Rainbow Dash; action: activate barrier, repel invaders; code word: Loyalty!”

The rock glows, and so does another one off the the north, and one to the south. A magical barrier appears between the rocks and stretches up to the sky. “You’re Princess enchanted rocks?” Bastion asks surprised.

“They’re actually giant gemstones covered in clay to make them look like rocks.” Rainbow answers. “Come on everypony, we may be safe, but I’d like to get to civilization.”

The rest of the group nods and they begin walking. “Ma’am.” Cold Steel says as they walk.

“Yeah?” Rainbow asks looking at him.

“I’m sorry I questioned your orders.”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Really?”

“To be honest I questioned them from day one.”

“Then why follow them through when it would’ve been so much easier to to give them Bastion? Especially since Twilight just made you Captain; no offense after that spectacular save.”

“The rainboom is without a doubt one of the biggest reasons Twilight made me captain, of that I have no doubt. It’s the fact that she had the confidence in me to send me here to do this, and the fact that I represent the Element of Loyalty, those are the reasons I couldn't just turn Bastion over, and turn tail and run.”

Cold Steel nods. “I think I have a new respect for you Ma’am.”

“And I you, you saved Iron Wing’s life there with that axe threw, that was amazing.”

"I was doing what I could, I don't want to loss anymore teammates.”

Comments

[harts fire]

dash is showing her bad ass side.

[SudokuBrony]

[Zurvan]

7798225

I always wondered why nopony weaponized the rainboom

[Luckyfanisaac]

Rainbow Dash sits on the floor of the cave that her company is hiding in. They are all tired, and dirty. “So what do the griffins see when they come by?”

“I find it unlikely that they know every cave in these hills.” Bastion says.

deep and and earth ponies have a high healing factor.

Copper Penny salutes. “Yes, ma’am!”

so much easier to to give them Bastion?