Unfriendship 2

by littleman001

Chapter 8: Rainbow Dash

The Battle for the liberation of Equestria had begun. With SkyWatch being back under their control and the dragons and the pegasi of Lightning Dust being taken out of the equation, the tides were beginning to turn. Resistance cells were becoming more organized, surviving, and newly freed members of the Royal Guard were rebuilding their corps and eager to get some payback, and with Equestria's greatest defenders reunited, the ponies were finally able to counter the Storm King's invasion.

Rainbow Dash and Luster Dawn just finished leveling another group of the Storm King's soldiers in Canterlot. The young unicorn blasted off the head of another of those hulking monsters and she wasn't ashamed to admit that she imagined it was the same one who killed her mother and encased her in stone all those years ago.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash, having put bladed armor on her wings was now more lethal than ever. She performed spins in the air with her wings spread out and decapitated two more of those monsters. Another one charged at her from behind intending to crush her and she turned too late to counter, but luckily for her, Luster picked up a steel pipe with her magic and sent it right through the creature's heart just before it could harm the pegasus.

With the last of the enemies defeated, Luster looked around the area. The monsters they defeated have been rounding up civilians and taking them away as prisoners. When she and Rainbow ambushed them, the prisoners all ran away, but a few of them were stopped when some debris fell on them, trapping them beneath it. Luster quickly used her magic to lift the debris off of the trapped ponies, while Rainbow was busy fighting off the remaining creatures.

"Don't worry, it's all gonna be alright now." she told the two survivors with a reassuring smile. "We won't allow anycreature to hurt you anymore."
The two ponies smiled in gratitude before they noticed something appearing behind Luster and took off in horror. Luster spun around with her horn ignited, expecting to see another one of the Storm King's soldiers behind her, but to her surprise, she saw only Rainbow Dash.

"Easy there, tiger." Rainbow said, holding up a hoof to calm her down. "The coast is clear. For now." Luster sighed in relief, but then raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh, it's just you. But wait, why were they afraid if it's just you?" Rainbow acted like she didn't even hear the unicorn. She looked up at the sky where the Storm King's airship was still ominously looming over the city and growled.

"This isn't right. Celestia's plan is all wrong." she fumed to herself. "We should be taking the fight to the Storm King instead." Luster was surprised to see Rainbow like this. She was always impulsive, sure, but to see her so dismissive of other ponies to throw herself onto the enemy? This was not how she envisioned the Element of Loyalty.

"Rainbow, what are you talking about? We still have more ponies to save before we launch a counterattack." she argued, but Rainbow didn't seem concerned.

"For every pony we rescue, the Storm King's forces slaughter a thousand more! He needs to be stopped!" Rainbow snapped, making Luster back away in fright. But she couldn't back down. These ponies needed help and she needed to convince Rainbow of that.

"Rainbow. Have you forgotten what Princess Twilight and the Elements of Harmony stand for? They are supposed to give the ponies of Equestria hope and protection. And while I may not be an element bearer but I spent my whole life wanting to be like them. Like you. That's Rainbow Dash I know. The one I look up to. She never leaves anypony behind. Because she is the Element of Loyalty."

Rainbow Dash sighed and shook her head. Luster was so young and naive. She still had much to learn. But for now, she decided to humor her. She reminded her much of herself with that fiery determination. And the fact that she was also looking for vengeance for her lost loved ones. With an affectionate smile, she followed the young unicorn deeper into the ruined city.

---

The Storm King's forces were escorting a long line of captive ponies in chains towards the airship that landed in front of the ruins of Canterlot Castle. As one of them fell behind due to exhaustion, one of the soldiers hit him with a shock stick to make her move on. Another one fell down and was about to receive the same punishment, but the soldier was interrupted by a sound of fabric ripping apart and he turned towards the airship to see Rainbow Dash and Luster Dawn in an energy bubble bursting through the airship's ballistics and charging straight at them.

Rainbow took the shock stick from the soldier and before he could do anything, she shoved it down his throat, frying the creature from the inside. Meanwhile, Luster crushed the head of another of them in with her energy bubble, before dissipating it and using her magic to cut the chins tying the ponies together.

"Get out of here!" They didn't need to be told twice. The ponies all scattered as Luster and Rainbow went back to battling the Storm King's forces. Luster lifted the body of the one she killed and smashed it into another one that was charging at her. The impact immediately crushed the creature's neck. Rainbow raised the shock stick she took and launched herself at a new target. She impaled the creature and flew through it's chest, coming out on the other side and throwing the stick at the last enemy. She hit him right between the eyes. The stick pierced the creature's head and fried it from the inside before the creature collapsed lifelessly on the ground next to the others.

With the fight over, Luster panted in exhaustion and allowing herself a moment of rest, she collapsed on the ground. She looked over at Rainbow Dash, expecting to see her sharing her relieved expression, but to her surprise, the pegasus looked worried. Rainbow was about to follow her example, but then she heard a voice.

"Help!"

There was one more pony on the streets, stuck under some fallen debris. Rainbow was about to take off and rescue her, but just before she reached her, she felt a sharp, burning pain in her backlegs. She was suddenly pulled back and crashed hard against the ground. When she came to, she started rubbing her aching legs to ease the pain and looked up in an attempt to locate her assailant. Which she quickly did.

"Gilda!" she snarled. The griffon returned the gesture.

"Lure them out with live bait." she mused, floating over the trapped pony. "The most basic hunting technique." she then unveiled her claws and was about to put the poor mare out of her misery, but Rainbow threw herself at her and tackled her to the ground as Luster went to free the pony from beneath the rubble. Rainbow raised her hoof to pummel the griffon, but before she could, she was hit in the muzzle with something so hard that it knocked her back several meters.

Rainbow was sent crashing through a window and slammed against a wall, knocking down a shelf full of bottles on them. She groaned in pain as she got up and looked around. She could make it out that she was in a bar of some sort. She saw some ponies cowering behind the counter and looked up to see who crashed into the building. Upon seeing it was Rainbow Dash, they immediately backed away in fear.

This hurt the pegasus mare. She knew that ponies still haven't forgotten about the Regime's attack on Canterlot. Seeing these poor ponies in terror not because of the invaders, but because of her touched a part of her inside that she buried deep. A part that held doubt. Just like Twilight, she had often asked herself if the actions of the Regime were right. But Twilight's example taught her that to do what is right for Equestria, they had to bury doubt. Still, it didn't make the fearful and even angry gazes of these ponies hurt any less. She was about to reach out to comfort them, but then the doors were blasted open by another shot of the same material that sent her in here. Rainbow raised her eyes in confusion. It looked familiar.

"Is that... cider?"

The door then burst open and two stallions walked into the bar that Rainbow recognized as Flam and Zephyr Breeze. They looked down at the injured pegasus mare with malicious smirks.

"All that flying around in the city probably tired you out, Rainbow Dash." Flam snarled. "Care for a hard drink of cider?"

The unicorn stallion fired his weapon at Rainbow, who was still hurt from the crash she went through, so she wasn't sure if she was gonna be fast enough for her next move, but she had to try. She used all of her remaining strength to achieve the highest speed that she could and slowed time down around herself. She then flew circles around the liquid and managed to affect it by creating a small whirlwind. She then directed the wind and the liquid towards Zephyr Breeze. The Stallion never saw it coming. It hit Zephyr right in the chest and covered him entirely, making him completely immobile.

"Nice." Flam smirked, clearly impressed by Rainbow's move.

"Why would you ally yourself with Tempest, Flam?" Rainbow asked.

"Ponies stopped paying you for all those junk you've been trying to sell them over the years?" she mocked. Flam narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm doing this one for free. You and the rest of those Regime bitches executed my brother! I'm just repaying the debt." Rainbow held no compassion for the stallion's grief.

"Since you were the older brother, I assume that you were the one who lead him into a life of crime. If so, then his death is on your conscience. He paid for your mistakes." That was all Flam needed to lose all composure. He aimed his weapon at Rainbow Dash and fired, but of course, it was a useless tactic against the fastest flyer in Equestria. Rainbow effortlessly dodged all of the blasts and even managed to land some punches on Flam between them.

Flam finally decided to change tactics and adjusted his weapon to fire a slightly less hardened version of his cider. He then aimed up towards the ceiling and fired, causing a literal cider rain in the room, which soaked Rainbow's wings to the point that she became unable to fly and crashed into the ground. Flam smirked upon seeing this and reset his weapon to hardened cider and fired a blast at Rainbow, who could barely roll out of the way in time.

Rainbow could feel the liquid getting harder on her wings. It won't be long until it completely solidifies and then she'll be screwed. Flam prepared to fire again and Rainbow was forced to jump over the counter to take cover. She had to come up with something and fast. She looked around to find anything that could help her. When her gaze fell on the ceiling, she noticed the fire sprinklers and an idea hit her. If she could activate them, they could wash the liquid off of her wings before it hardened. She then remembered that she knocked over quite a few bottles when she crashed in here. If she could somehow start a fire...

"Dashie... come out to pla-ay..." Flam sang as he slowly walked around the counter and prepared to fire at her again. Rainbow jumped over the counter again and grabbed a bar stool which she threw at the unicorn. He managed to catch it with his magic but it gave Rainbow time to look around for something useful and she noticed a lighter next to an ashtray on a table. Grabbing it, she threw it at the spilled alcoholic beverage, launching the chain reaction that she needed. The flames that roared up briefly activated the sprinklers and they quickly put out the fire as well as cleaned Rainbow's wings. Rainbow smirked as she pounded her forehooves together.

"My turn."

The tables have been turned. Rainbow launched herself at Flam and snatched his weapon away from him, before unleashing an endless barrage of attacks that quickly left the now defenseless stallion lying on the ground, moaning in pain.

"My condolences." Rainbow snarled, before throwing Flam's gun at his head, knocking him out. Her moment of triumph was interrupted by crackling sounds and she turned around to see Zephyr Breeze, who with the water from the sprinklers raining on him too, started breaking free from the hardened cider that trapped him. Rainbow groaned in annoyance.

"Look, Zephyr, I don't know why you're running around with this loser..." she started as she pointed at Flam. "...but I'm not in the mood for you hitting on me at the moment. I'm kinda busy right now, so if you could just get out of the way..." Rainbow never got to finish as Zephyr launched himself at her, which gave her the element of surprise and allowed him to punch her in the muzzle and send her crashing against the wall. Rainbow slowly got up and looked at Zephyr in shock. Did he just punch her?

"2 years, 7 months, 3 weeks and 4 days." Zephyr spoke as he banged his forehooves together. "That's how long I've rotted in the Badlands in your labor camp. For every one of those years, months, weeks and days, I'm going to break your wings in three places." he spoke with venom practically dripping from his voice. He picked up a barstool and was about to bring it down to break in Rainbow's skull, but she managed to roll out of the way just in time.

"Zephyr, what are you doing?" To Rainbow, Zephyr was still just Fluttershy's dimwitted little brother. The fact that he could be working against Equestria was unimaginable.

"No more goofing around, no more sleazing off, no more flirting." he snarled. "I will saw off your wings and drag you to Tempest in pieces."
Rainbow Dash found herself getting frightened. Zephyr's eyes mirrored madness. He was out for blood. He grabbed two pieces of broken bottles and launched herself at Rainbow with the clear intention of shoving them in her eyes. Rainbow got out of the way and kicked Zephyr away.

"Zephyr, stop this, I don't want to hurt you, but..."

"SHUT UP AND DIE!" the stallion roared as he resumed his attack. He lifted another broken bottle and stabbed it in Rainbow's leg. The mare screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground. Zephyr then got on top of her and pressed his hooves against her throat. Rainbow choked as she struggled to get Zephyr off of her. She pulled her backlegs up and kicked him away. She finally got over the shock of being brutally attacked by her former unwanted admire and began to fight properly. But no matter what kind of attacks she threw at Zephyr, he just refused to go down.

"Since when are you so resilient?" Rainbow asked.

"Labor camp toughened me up." Zephyr countered darkly. "The one thing I do have to be grateful to you Regimers. You won't be rid of me so easily! You will all pay!" he flew behind Rainbow with surprising swiftness and brought her forelegs down on her wings.

KRCK

Rainbow screamed in pain and once again collapsed on the ground, but Zephyr didn't stop. He brought his hoof down on her muzzle.

KRCK

And again...

KRCK

And again...

KRCK

Rainbow's muzzle was burning with pain and her nose was bleeding severely. But she still had some fight left in her. She finally pulled herself together and raised a hoof to protect herself. She then headbutted the stallion in the muzzle. This pushed Zephyr back slightly and gave enough time and space for Rainbow to crawl out from under him. She then grabbed the same barstool that Zephyr used earlier and bashed him in the head, sending him on the ground. Zephyr still looked like he was about to get up, but another hit with the barstool finally sent him down for good.

Rainbow fell on the ground and panted in exhaustion and pain. She kept staring at Zephyr's unconscious form, not being able to look away. The fearful look of those ponies who were hiding behind the counter earlier but have fled when the fighting started was hard enough. But Zephyr Breeze turning on Equestria because of the Regime's actions felt like another huge blow to her. She heard stories about the labor camps, but even she didn't want to believe that Twilight would go that far. But now she faced not only the reality of their existence, but the extense of Twilight's ruthlessness. As she kept staring at Zephyr's body, only one thought found it's way into her aching mind.

"We did this..."

Rainbow felt horrified. She felt sick to her stomach. She actually found herself vomiting on the ground. She had pushed this side of herself for so long that she had forgotten it existed, but now the realization hit her like a speeding train.

"We did this..."

She grabbed her head in despair and started panting in a panic attack. She felt like she was in a terrible nightmare that she could not wake up from. Tears began to fall from her eyes as it all came back to her. Rarity's death, the attack on Canterlot and Ponyville, the lies she fed Luster Dawn. She did and stood for things that would have made her old self spit her in the eye.

"We did this..." she sobbed pathetically.

"Yes we did." Rainbow spun around to see none other than Twilight herself entering the ruined bar through the broken door. Rainbow stood up and looked her in the eye.

"Is it true? Did... did you really send him and who knows how many ponies into labor camps?" Twilight just nodded casually.

"Of course. The only thing he was good for was to keep her sister in line. Had I known that Fluttershy would turn on us eventually, I would have killed him in front of her myself." Rainbow couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"No..." she uttered as more tears came from her eyes. "No..." she fell back on the ground.

"What's the matter, Rainbow Dash? You were my biggest supporter through and through. You even approved of my attack on Canterlot and using the Wonderbolts for it. Clearly this is nothing you can't stomach." Twilight spoke with the calmest voice imaginable. Rainbow felt numb in her mind.

"What... what have we become?" she asked herself. Her breakdown was interrupted by a laugh.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..." She was so numb that she didn't even notice that it was coming from Twilight at first. She looked at the alicorn and saw her laugh maniacally as she threw her head back and started glowing in yellow light. Her voice suddenly changed and her appearance started changing too. Rainbow stood back in horror as Twilight became a changeling.

"...HAHAHA!" Pharynx laughed as he returned to normal. "Isn't that interesting? There is a little doubt in Twilight's second in command after all." Rainbow's eyes widened. She was tricked by this changeling to break down in front of him and he caught her in her most vulnerable moment. This brought back the memories of Chrysalis tricking Twilight into destroying Canterlot. Rainbow's mind became overflown with rage.

"You..." she snarled. "You tricked me... YOU TRICKED ME!!!" Rainbow roared in rage as she launched herself at the changeling. Pharynx was surprised to see Rainbow still being able to fight. He expected that Flam and Zephyr have already tired her out and he could take her to Tempest. But rage can be a powerful fuel. Rainbow tackled Pharynx and punched him in the head repeatedly as strongly as she could. She screamed in rage as she continued the savage onslaught, beating the helpless changeling within an inch of his life.

Rainbow panted in fury as she pulled her hoof back for another punch, but before she could strike again, she noticed all the blood on it. She recoiled in horror. She looked down at Pharynx and saw him lying in a pool of his own blood, motionless and not breathing. Pahrynx was dead. And Rainbow Dash had killed him.

"No... NO! I... I didn't mean it... I..." Rainbow grabbed her head in despair. She wailed and cried until there was nothing left. No tears, no sorrow, no regret... Nothing. She looked up to see herself in the reflection in the broken glass. Lying on top of Pharynx's dead body covered in blood. Not just hers, but her victim's as well.

Rainbow Dash was dead too. She was now really a monster...

---

Luster Dawn laid on the square in front of the ruined Canterlot Castle in defeat as Gilda the griffon was towering over her triumphantly.

"Poor little pony." she taunted as she pinned her to the ground and raised a claw to her cheek. She pulled her claw down her cheek, drawing blood. Luster struggled to get free, but her fight with the Storm King's soldiers tired her out. She didn't even have enough strength left to cast a spell. "It can't be easy being a prey species." Gilda lowered her talon to Luster's throat and tightened her grip on it to the point where her claws almost penetrated skin. "Where is your big, strong pegasus friend now?"

"Right here!" Gilda turned around to see a rainbow-colored blur heading towards her at full speed. Rainbow rammed her forelegs into Gilda's stomach and punched her away from the unicorn, right into a piece of fallen debris. She then turned to Luster. "You okay, kid?" Luster slowly sat up and nodded in response. "Stand back and let a pro handle this." she said as she walked towards Gilda. Gilda just got up and relocated her shoulder that went out of place when she hit the debris. She went to confront the pegasus.

"Finally! We meet again." Gilda mused. "How long has it been? Seven years?" Rainbow scoffed in response.

"Not long enough. Why am I not surprised to see you running with Tempest? How could I ever think that you could change and adopt equestrian values?" Gilda narrowed her eyes at her.

"How could I ever think that they were worth adopting? I was right about you ponies! All you're good for is meat! After what your friend Twilight did to me, the least I can do is help Tempest tear this place apart! The fact that I get to kill you is just a bonus!"

Gilda wasted no more time and attacked Rainbow. Flying at the pegasus, she raised her talons and slashed her across the chest. Rainbow winced in pain and tried to fly back, but she choked when Gilda grabbed her throat. She was about to scratch out Rainbow's eyes, Rainbow blocked with her foreleg and kicked Gilda in the stomach, making her release her grip on her throat.

Rainbow then tackled the griffon and prepared to punch her in the face, but Gilda grabbed her hoof and deepened her claws into it, drawing blood and causing a great deal of pain. Rainbow backed away and rubbed her hoof to try and ease the pain and Gilda took advantage of this moment of vulnerability. She flew at her and pierced her side with her claws.

Rainbow screamed in pain and Gilda pulled her claws back to slash Rainbow's face, but the pegasus jumped back in time and Gilda wasn't able to pull back in time and fell forward. Rainbow then lunged forward and brought her hooves down on Gilda's forelegs with full force. The griffon screamed in pain as her forelegs snapped, leaving her incapacitated. Rainbow then kicked her in the side and forced her on her back.

"To think we were friends! Twilight was right! The only mercy your kind deserves is this!" Rainbow declared as she raised her armored wing and Gilda's eyes widened in fear as she saw the bladed edge of the armor glint in the sunlight.

---

The whole world was a blur to Luster Dawn. That griffon she wrestled with earlier was tough. She underestimated her opponent just because she didn't have magic and if Rainbow Dash didn't show up in time, she wouldn't have lived to regret that mistake. As her vision became clear, she saw a set of hooves appear in front of her. She jumped back in fright, expecting an enemy attack, but she calmed down once she saw who the legs belonged to.

"Hey, kiddo, you ok?" Thorax asked, giving Luster the warmest and most friendly look he can muster. Luster sighed in relief before nodding affirmative. "Good. Sit tight, I'll handle this." Luster was a little confused as to what he was referring to as her vision still didn't return completely, so she didn't see Thorax run up to Rainbow and Gilda and using his magic to teleport the griffon out from under the pegasus before she delivered the finishing blow. Rainbow looked around in surprise and saw Thorax standing in front of Gilda protectingly.

"What's the big idea, Rainbow Trash?" he asked angrily. Rainbow sneered at him.

"This isn't your business, changeling." she snarled.

"You already beat her. She's had enough. I don't think Celestia would approve of murdering an already defeated opponent!"

"You lecture me?!" Rainbow challenged incredulously. "How much blood is on the ledger of your species?"

"Oh, buckets full, honey. We changelings put way too much faith into the wrong leader. Kinda like you with Twilight."

It was true. Rainbow knew that what the changeling was saying was one hundred percent true. And she hated it. She couldn't handle the fact that she sunk so low that she could be now compared to one of the worst monsters in Equestria's history. And there was only one possible reaction she could give to that. She already took the life of a changeling today. What's one more?

Rainbow flew at Thorax with her vision blinded by rage. Thorax tried to use a defensive spell, but Rainbow was too quick. She got behind Thorax and used her bladed wing to penetrate him through the chest. Luster Dawn gasped in shock. Her vision finally came back and she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Rainbow Dash, her mentor and one of Equestria's greatest heroes was about to murder one of Celestia's greatest allies in cold blood!

Comments

[Comickook]

VERY good job on the action, exchanges and future chapter set-up in this chapter. Really appreciated the peek at Rainbow in these battles, including Zephyr's rant/fight and the bit about only keeping Zephyr alive to keep Fluttershy in line. Particularly liked the direct lead-off to Luster's chapter (Supergirl's chapter being one of the very few I've seen a gameplay video for).

Anyway, very certainly looking forward to more of this.

[littleman001]

11123307
Thank you very much, as always! Happy you like it!

[touileasaso]

I was wondering how you were going to make Rainbow Dash’s chapter since it’s o secret that Wonder Woman is the least popular character in the Injustice universe.

I think yours is better because it truly shows Dash’s downfall to darkness instead of Wonder Woman’s selfishness.

[littleman001]

11123485

Thank you.

That was the goal. I wanted to stay faithful to the game's story but still put a unique twist on it. Rainbow had passed the Despair Event Horizon. She knew she became a monster and also knows that it's too late to turn back.

[Hoofprintz]

Was that a the Warriors reference?

Pharynx is an idiot. Should've kept masquerading as Twilight and he wouldn't be dead.

Omg Thorax go away. If you'd have gotten here when you did and Rainbow wouldn't have saved Luster, she'd be dead right now. Let the pegasus handle her business you useless muppet.

Some good descriptions in this chapter. Reading on.

[littleman001]

11525117
I had to reread to find out which part are referring to. To be honest, I wrote it so long ago that I forgot if it was supposed to be, but seeing the way I spelled that sentence, I suppose it was.

Happy you're enjoying it!