Rainbow Dash's Unstoppable Ego

by MagicS

The Eternal Furnace XXI

“I really hate to admit this but I’m getting a little more nervous the closer we get,” Frayed Wire said as they headed up the stairs that took them higher and higher up towards the top level of the city and where Resin resided.

“Normally I’d have a snide remark for you but honestly I feel the same way,” Double Duty said as he ran up alongside him.

The rest of the gang ponies at the front had a muttering of agreements. Rainbow Dash couldn’t blame any of them either, they knew what Resin was like, they knew they had worse things to face very soon, it was a nerve-wracking experience. At least they were still all being good together, they didn’t need an argument or insults breaking out right here at the end.

“I get that it’s kind of scary but just believe in me and each other,” Rainbow Dash said. “Remember that you’re not tackling this alone, we can all rely on each other and work together, that’s been the plan from the start! That’s what ponies do; help each other.”

“Right!” The gang leaders said in unison, making Rainbow Dash smile.

“We’re almost to the top now, so get ready for another big fight!” Rainbow said.

They had been charging up the stairs for a decent while now and Rainbow Dash knew it was coming to the point where eventually they’d be directly on track for that final level. Once they got there she’d have the rest of them branch off and head right down the circular corridor to the control room while Dash went left to the flame room. She knew for sure that Resin was going to be waiting for her there. What she didn’t know was if Resin was going to be bringing any of those friends of hers with her or if she was going to leave them all to defend the control room. Dash kind of hoped for the former, she believed in her new friends’ ability to take down those metal monsters but they were still really dangerous. It would probably be better if Rainbow Dash was still fighting some of them.

The platoon rounded another flight of stairs but had to stop before charging up the next—they had company.

“There they are!” A large group of security ponies yelled from atop the stairs, likely warned or called in by Resin earlier.

“Just bowl them over!” Rainbow Dash yelled and she and the others bolted up the stairs.

There were a solid twenty security ponies though and they had the high-ground, it allowed them to brace themselves when Rainbow Dash and the others crashed into them. So instead of them quickly getting through these guys they got stalled in another fight. Rainbow Dash and some of the other pegasi flew over and on top of the guards and attacked them like that while Double Duty and Frayed Wire were at the front lines leading the charge on the stairs. Headbutts, kicks, and bites were the name of the game when it came to the brutes pushing against each other trying to overpower the other side. The security ponies were essentially the last line of defense and they didn’t want anyone getting through. Meanwhile Dash’s army knew they were so close to taking down the tyrant they were defending.

To help out her guys, Rainbow Dash and the other pegasi with her started pulling security ponies away from their group and attacking them at the back. Now they had to deal with an assault on both sides. She punched the first guy she found herself face to face with right across the jaw and grinned as he spun around and fell to the floor like a sack of dirt. Like this they could make short work of these security ponies.

As soon as the back half of ponies turned around to fight the pegasi that had circumvented them, Rainbow Dash found herself dodging and blocking a number of hoof strikes and baton smashes meant for her. It felt good to be in the middle of a fight though since she wanted to keep her adrenaline flowing at high speed. She ducked under a baton swing aimed at her temple and dodged back from a hoof jab going between her eyes. When one security officer came at her from the side she extended out her wing and struck him in the face with it, dragging her feathers across his eyes to temporarily blind him.

It was a game of whittling down the security force with their superior numbers and the downright unfair advantage of having Rainbow Dash on their side. She was so much faster, stronger, and just better than them all that none of them were a remote challenge to her. That wasn’t a surprise to her though, she was the amazing Rainbow Dash after all.

Another security pony lunged at her and Rainbow Dash fell onto her back, grabbing his hooves as he flew over her and kicking him in the stomach, launching the unfortunate fool into the wall behind her. By that point Double Duty and the others were breaking through their lines on the front and making it up the stairs to the landing. Fighting on stairs while your opponents were on the level landing above you was pretty difficult so it was good for them that they could press on and finish things on equal footing. And now that that was the case the rest of the security force that had rallied to Resin’s defense crumbled. They simply didn’t have the numbers or fighting ability to stop the swarm of ponies that Rainbow Dash was leading.

Nut lowered her head down and headbutted the guard right in front of her, knocking him out. And that was the last of it. The last few security ponies still standing raised their hooves in surrender and Rainbow Dash was more than willing to accept that.

“You guys just look over your friends, okay?” She asked the security ponies and gestured to all the groaning and unconscious ones on the floor and stairs. “Things will be done here soon and we didn’t really want to hurt any of you.”

“Funny way of showing it...” One of the security ponies had the courage to grumble.

Rainbow Dash just shrugged at him. “Sorry, but we’re in a hurry too. No one will bother you from here on out though so just make sure none of them are hurt too bad.”

The security ponies didn’t entirely look like they believed Rainbow Dash’s altruistic words but it was clear they wouldn’t be fighting anymore. Her army was left to now travel up unassailed. Unfortunately some more of them had been injured or exhausted and had to be left behind too. Rainbow Dash wasn’t happy about their numbers being whittled down before they even made it to the top but she wasn’t about to push injured ponies into such a dangerous fight. She and the others would just have to make up for it. That was fine, Rainbow Dash could cover.

“Everyone get back together and follow me! We aren’t stopping until we get to the very top this time!” Rainbow Dash yelled and waved to the others, flaring her wings and flying up the stairs while everyone ran after her.

It was really the moment of truth now. Though Resin had managed to stall them and even weaken their forces a bit there were still plenty of ponies coming up to fight and put a stop to her. Rainbow Dash had full confidence in herself and her friends, victory was at hoof and then this city could go back to normal. All the ponies living in this mountain could feel hope and happiness again.

“Once you’re all in the control room just try and get to the power distribution if you can!” Rainbow Dash said to them. “Don’t be too preoccupied with fighting those metal animals she has unless you absolutely have to get through all of them first. The power, fuel, and everything is the more important part.”

“Got it, but getting past them may not be so easy.” Frayed Wire said.

Rainbow Dash nodded. “I know, but you also all know their weak spots now too. You may not have seen one of the big ones yet but don’t be afraid, I told you what they can do and how to fight them.”

“We’ll try our best,” Acid Rain said.

“That’s all you need. Do your best and work together,” Rainbow smiled at him and the others.

Because of certain areas of the city being gone now they had to find another route circumventing things once they got close to the top level before they could reach that final few flights of stairs that took them to the peak. On their way they ended up passing a number of curious civilians who lived up here, ones who had gotten tired of staying in their rooms after being forced in by the security force earlier. They didn’t know what to make of the army and stayed out of its way but still couldn’t help but watch. As for the gang ponies, seeing how much brighter and cleaner these top levels were the whole time they had been charging through them did a good job of making them angrier. They could use that anger in the upcoming fight. It wasn’t fair to them that they had to do the most grueling and difficult sort of work and then Resin was just going to discard them and let them all die. She’d pay for that.

Finally after this climb, after starting out down at the gate separating the bottom and top levels, after fighting through the security force and the metal crabs and spiders, they finally reached the stairs that would take them to the top level. Rainbow Dash had them pause for a moment so everyone could catch their breath, and then with a wordless nod they slowly walked up the stairs.

She saw Nut shaking a little bit out of the corner of her eye before Frayed Wire put a calming hoof on her shoulder. Soot Mane was standing stalwartly with Double Duty, the both of them supporting each other. The rest of the group was doing much the same until Rainbow Dash finally reached the top of the stairs and stepped up to the round corridor that stretched around the top level. Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and turned around to face the others.

“This is it. I’m going to go this way-” she nodded to her right. “And deal with Resin. Fight hard.”

The others nodded to her and as Rainbow Dash strode down the corridor they came up the stairs and went the other way. Rainbow Dash calmly walked to the ceremonial flame room she knew was close, she could feel the heat already. After all she had been through she wanted to conserve as much energy as possible since she was unfortunately on the verge of collapse despite everything. There was very little power and adrenaline left in her body to pull out.

But she was still confident enough in her ability to beat Resin. Because she was awesome.

Rainbow Dash reached the open doorway and turned into the large room with the raging inferno in the center, the brass furnace still reaching up into the ceiling while the strong fire inside it burned and burned.

Resin was waiting for her there, of course. Looking just like she had when Rainbow Dash met her earlier, wearing the same clothes and facing the fire at such a close distance that it had to practically be burning her face. Her obsession was unmatched. She wasn’t alone this time though. The metal wolf beast was standing beside her, its red eyes staring down Rainbow Dash. Resin too seemed to realize she had company and the tyrant stood up, turning around to fix Rainbow Dash with a blank stare for a moment before her mouth twisted up in a smile.

“I’m afraid I can’t allow you to harm the flame. It will burn forever.”

Rainbow Dash sighed and shook her head. “You know I honestly think I’m doing this for your own good too.”

The wolf growled and flames bellowed from its mouth as it started stalking towards Rainbow Dash with Resin standing in front of the furnace.

“Alright, if that’s how it’s gotta be then fine. I love a good fight anyways,” Rainbow Dash punched her hooves together.

---

The others meanwhile stood at the entrance to the control room and the dangerous opponents inside it. The metal bear, ram, boar, and lion all stood together, just waiting for the first pony to step inside that room and become their prey. Double Duty, Frayed Wire, Acid Rain, Soot Mane, Nut, Cast Iron, and all the other ponies with them were on edge. These things were fearsome, far more than the spiders and crabs had been, and none of them were pretending they weren’t afraid.

But they knew what they had to do.

With a roar from one of the ponies, nobody knew exactly who, the entire group charged into the control room and at the monsters.

Comments

[THERDSTORYWHISPERER]

Another great chapter!

[redmar]

The time has come for the final confrontation.