Chapter 4 - On the Run
It just isn’t fair.
Rainbow Dash was lying on her bed. Her head was buried in her tear-drenched pillow.
Why do they always have to pick on me? Why can’t Feather see that I genuinely try to change?
While her tears may have stopped by now, her feelings of rage and sadness didn't.
No matter what I do, they just don’t stop.
It wasn’t always like this. She still remembered the times when her life was easier. Sure, Flying still hated her. However, the bullies sure didn't. She got along just fine with them. Not to mention that Gilda hadn’t left yet. They had so much fun together. But no, Gilda just had to return home.
If I had just never taken pity on Fluttershy and never decided to stand up for her. Maybe then I wouldn’t be wallowing in self-pity right now.
Rainbow hated herself for having these kinds of thoughts. Fluttershy didn’t deserve this. The yellow pegasus had already suffered so much under the constant bullying she, too, had participated in.
Why do I have to be the one to change this, though? Why couldn’t I just let it go?
Sometimes ignorance indeed was bliss. If Rainbow had just never noticed the extent of Fluttershy’s suffering, then she would have never felt compelled to do something about it.
Get yourself together! You can’t let them win! You can’t let them get away with making other ponies feel as miserable as you feel right now!
She made up her mind. For now, she would continue to sulk. Then, as soon as she had finally managed to calm down, she would bottle up her feelings like always and get everything in order again.
***
She looks so beautiful. The way she majestically manoeuvres around the sky.
“Hey, little one! Little one!”
“Huh?”
"It's time to get up. We are nearly there."
Twilight didn't recognise the voice. Her back was aching, and she didn't feel rested at all.
“Nearly where?”
“Ponyville. We are going to arrive at Ponyville station in about 10 minutes. You should get your stuff together. Your relatives are bound to be worried if you miss your station.”
Slowly, Twilight straightened herself up while taking her surroundings in.
Ponyfeathers. Note to self, never try to sleep on a train bench again.
“What relatives?”
The conductor looked puzzled. The filly was travelling to visit her relatives, right?
“Your relatives, that’s why you are visiting Ponyville, correct?”
“My relatives, yes! Of course! That’s why I am going to visit Ponyville!”
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
Quickly Twilight grabbed her bag and got her stuff together.
“You had me worried there, little one. I thought I may have misunderstood my colleague for a second.” The conductor flashed her a quick smile.
Huh, that’s right. This isn’t the conductor from last evening.
“What happened to the other conductor?”
"Oh, don't worry. His shift ended, and I took over from him back when we reached Cloudsdale. He told me that you were unaccompanied and to ensure you don't miss your station.”
Twilight couldn't help but notice that this conductor seemed to be the polar opposite of the last one. He looked happy and motivated, like he actually enjoyed his job.
What a minute. Did he say Cloudsdale?
“Cloudsdale, why Cloudsdale? That's a major detour," she questioned him.
"Oh, you are quite good at geography for your age, aren’t you? Yes, it is a detour, but your ticket should have been cheaper as a result. I assume that’s why your parents got you on this train.”
He seemed to have meant well, yet the little filly was a bit offended at his slightly demeaning statement.
Quite good at geography? I bet I have read more about it than you have.
Despite wanting to speak up, Twilight swallowed her pride. There was no use in getting into an argument right now.
“Look, little one. I have to check on the other passengers as well. Just promise me to get off the train when we reach the station, ok?" He gave her an apologetic look.
“Yeah, sure.” It wasn’t like she was a little foal.
"All right, little one. Goodbye, and have fun in Ponyville." He left her cabin and went to the next one.
Twilight got up and made her way towards a door. It couldn't be long now until they arrived.
I hope I don't look too dishevelled. Wouldn’t want to make a bad first impression.
On the horizon, she could see the structures of a small town forming.
***
Night was reading his daily newspaper while Velvet was busy finishing breakfast. Both were waiting for Twilight to wake up.
However, their morning routine was interrupted when they heard the front door opening and saw a wave of magic engulfing the room. A moment later, Princess Celestia casually walked in, sitting down at their table.
"I am sorry, princess. Is there something we can do for you?" a perplexed Velvet asked.
As always, Princess Celestia answered with her signature smile and calm voice. “I am here for Twilight.”
"Oh, princess, we are so sorry,” Night started. “Twilight actually hasn’t made her decision yet, but we will let you know as soon as possible.”
“You know, lying to your princess is technically still considered a crime.” Celestia's calm voice remained. Her smile, however, disappeared, causing fear to take hold of Night and Velvet, just as she had intended. "Cadence already told me about her decision. I am here to collect her now.”
Blank panic was taking hold of Velvet while Night tried to reason with the princess.
“Princess Celestia, with all due respect-"
Magic forced his mouth shut. "You can keep it to yourself. I don't want to hear it. Here is what will happen next: I have cast a spell to ensure Twilight doesn't hear us. You will go and fetch her. You will explain to her that you have decided that she must become my student. Don’t drop any hints about me forcing you, or she will suffer the consequences. Once you have done so, I will allow you to say your goodbyes. My guards will fetch her stuff later. If you do everything to my satisfaction, I will allow you to visit her at the castle from time to time."
The princess’s voice didn’t leave any room for discussion. That didn't stop Velvet from trying, though. "How dare you! Who do you think you are? Twilight is-"
Her rage had no effect on Celestia. “Twilight is my student from now on. You should be grateful I am taking this path instead of having her executed.”
“E-E-Executed?” Night and Velvet could barely process what the princess was suggesting. Why would she even consider murdering their daughter? Just because she didn’t want to become her student? Had they really misjudged her so much?
“Yes, executed. There was no dragon egg. It was just a replica. This means that your daughter created life. I will admit that the law is still a bit draconian. Since such an event hasn't happened in over 800 years, I never bothered to update it. So, while the punishment for creating life is officially execution, I will be lenient and take your daughter under my wings instead. This way, I can ensure that she is indeed not a danger to society.”
On the surface, the reasoning seemed sound. However, they knew better, “But, Princess! We can assure you that Twilight isn't a danger to anypony!”
“Doesn’t matter. The law is clear, and I am already being lenient. If you don’t cooperate, we can always arrange an execution.” The ponies in front of her shook their heads, causing a smile to appear on Celestia’s face. “Good. Also, you are forbidden from discussing what happened today with anypony. This is a matter of national security, after all…." She stopped talking, glaring at Velvet instead, whose eyes had slowly wandered towards a kitchen knife. "You are welcome to try, Velvet, but I assure you, you will only have one try." Without waiting for a reaction, Celestia continued. “Which one of you is going to fetch her?”
Having dismissed the idea of attacking the princess, Velvet took a step forward, only to be stopped by alicorn magic. "I believe your husband will be better suited to carry out my instructions."
It was pure powerplay. But what could Velvet do? Neither she nor her husband had any hope of taking Celestia on. They could only pray that by following her instructions, they would ensure that the princess would not hurt their daughter.
Defeated, Velvet slumped down on her chair. She could hear her husband walking up the stairs, followed by knocking on Twilight's door. Everything seemed like a bad dream, yet she knew it wasn't. They were going to lie to their daughter. They were going to pretend to her that they were willingly forcing her to become the student of that monster. The mere thought that they were considering encouraging Twilight to take the princess's offer just a few minutes ago sickened her.
I-I always believed in her! She gave us everything!
We should have known that what has been given can also be easily taken away again.
Twilight…
Velvet heard them coming down, and with each step, it became harder to hold back her tears, despite her desperately trying to prevent herself from slipping up. The risk of Celestia making good on her threats was too high.
But instead of Night and Twilight, only Night appeared, levitating a letter with him. Velvet wondered if he could not bring himself to carry out Celestia's instructions. For a moment, she was even filled with hope that maybe he somehow managed to get their daughter out of there.
"What is the meaning of this? Where is Twilight?" The princess demanded to know.
Night had trouble forming a sentence, “I…, Twilight…, she left this letter-”
Celestia quickly snatched it, skimming over it, while he walked back to his wife, whispering to her.
The mocking smile that formed on Velvet’s face didn't escape Celestia.
"I promise you are both going to regret this." Princess Celestia got up and left their house. However, through their windows, they could see her talking to guards she had apparently stationed in front of their home in advance.
Then Celestia left. The guards, however, made their way towards them.
It seemed that the princess intended to keep her promise.
***
A barely audible, cautious knock on her door got Rainbow's attention. There was only one pony that would knock like this.
“You can come in, Fluttershy.”
Slowly Fluttershy made her way towards her, ensuring she didn't step on anything. She couldn't help but feel that Rainbow's room looked more like a war zone that got worse every time she visited.
Rainbow sat herself up on her bed, “Why aren’t you in flight camp, Fluttershy?”
“It didn’t feel right, knowing you got expelled while trying to stand up for me,” the yellow pegasus answered.
She probably just didn’t want to deal with those bullies without me being there.
Then again, who would blame her?
“Thanks, Fluttershy, but that really wasn’t necessary.”
Silence reigned, both averting each other’s gaze.
Surprisingly it was Fluttershy who decided to speak up first. “Rainbow, are you ok?”
“Of course I am. Why do you ask?" Rainbow answered quickly.
"Well, I know how much flight camp meant to you, and you seemed really angry about getting expelled. Also, your eyes are pretty red and-"
Rainbow motioned for Fluttershy to stop, “Ok, ok, I get it! Yeah, I am still angry about getting expelled, but it will be fine. There is bound to be another flight camp somewhere.”
“Rainbow, maybe you should apologise to Feather. I am sure he will forgive you."
Rainbow didn’t take well to Fluttershy’s well-meant advice. "Apologise? Apologise! Why would I apologise to him! I did nothing wrong! I did my best to change for the better! I stopped hanging out with those bullies, stopped playing stupid pranks on him, and did my best to follow his rules! If he can't see that, then it is his own fault!
By the end of her rant, Fluttershy was practically cowering in front of her. "Rainbow, please. I just want to help you. I know you meant well. I know you are trying to change, and I am sure Feather will see it, too. You just need to give him some time. However, you have to realise that he did have some points. The race was a reckless Idea, even if you meant well. For example, when you raced off, you did kind of push me off the cloud-"
“So that’s it, huh? After everything I did for you, you are just siding with him!" Rainbow was enraged. She couldn't believe that Fluttershy, her only remaining friend, the one she sacrificed all her other friendships for, was not only siding with Flying Feather of all ponies but also accusing her of throwing her off a cloud.
“Rainbow, I’m begging you! I know you are angry, and I understand you, I really do! I just want you to be happy. We both know flight camp means a lot to you. Don’t let your disdain for Feather cloud your judgment.” Despite still cowering on the floor, the yellow pegasus continued to argue her point.
“I want you to leave Fluttershy,” Rainbow's wing was pointing at the door.
“Rainbow, please! You know I am right!" It was a futile attempt. Rainbow had already made up her mind.
“Just leave, Fluttershy!” Rainbow repeated herself while towering above her.
This time Fluttershy listened and robbed away from her until she reached a safe distance to stand up. Quietly she left the room, leaving Rainbow alone to her thoughts again.
"I see it didn't go well?" Rainbow's mother asked.
Fluttershy just shook her head. There really was little to add. The whole street probably heard Rainbows shouting.
“Don’t worry, Rainbow always was a stubborn hothead. You were probably just too early. Give her some time to calm down, and everything will be fine." Poor Fluttershy, Windy thought. She really didn’t deserve to be at the receiving end of her daughter’s legendary outburst of anger.
“It’s ok, I know. I will try again tomorrow,” Fluttershy answered. The praise she got from Rainbow's parents always embarrassed her.
"Thank you, Fluttershy, you have been such a good influence on her. If there is anything we can do to help you, just let us know.” Windy could only hope that Fluttershy would be able to get through to her daughter. Being expelled from flight camp had upset her far more than usual.
***
Ponyville, indeed, was a small backwater town, but it didn't bother her. After all, it would make her goal much more straightforward.
How should I proceed from here? Ask around?
Trying to think of a plan, Twilight left the station and began wandering around aimlessly.
Maybe I will be lucky again, and she will just show up?
But if she doesn’t, how am I going to find her? Who could I ask?
She continued to roam around, unable to think of a solution that wouldn't expose herself as a runaway or at least raise suspicion.
I could check out their school? She has to be enrolled there!
Then again, it is unlikely that they are open during holidays.
I could probably sneak in, though?
No, Twilight, don’t push your luck! There has to be a better way than committing more crimes.
Maybe I could ask an officer?
Yes! That's it! I came to visit my relatives, but they didn't pick me up for some reason, and now I am lost. They will have to look her up, and then I will know where she lives!
I probably shouldn't ask an officer, though. Maybe a local official? Let’s try town hall.
Finding the town hall was easy. She didn't even have to ask. It was probably the most prominent building, centred right in the middle of town.
Ok, Twilight. Stick to your story, and you will be fine.
To her surprise, she didn’t see any workers once she entered.
Sure, everything looked like a town hall, aside from the big open doors that led to a big event room. There was a reception, a few offices, tables, nice decorations, and documents lying around. Everything was there. Just the workers were missing.
Honestly, it was kind of scary. Like something caused the civil servants to run for their lives leaving everything behind.
Don't be ridiculous, Twilight! It's fine, there has to be somepony working here, or they wouldn't have left the doors unlocked.
Her perseverance was rewarded when she heard sounds coming from the end of the hallway. Quietly she made her way towards it.
Indeed, there was a mare deeply absorbed in her work, reading through some documents.
Ok, now I just have to get her attention.
However, that was easier said than done. Despite Twilight now standing in front of the desk, the mare didn't seem to notice her, still ruffling through documents.
“Umm, excuse me?” she tried. Still, there was no reaction.
Is that how others feel when I am engulfed in my books? If that is the case, I can't believe they put up with me for so long.
The sign sitting in front of Twilight caught her attention.
Mayor Mare? Is that her name? Is she the Mayor of Ponyville? Might as well try again.
Umm, excuse me? Mayor Mare, right? I was hoping you could help me, maybe?
Having heard her name, Mayor Mare finally stopped what she was doing and looked up. “Oh, hi there. How can I help you?”
Quickly, Twilight rattled down her story with ease. “Hi, I am Twilight. I was planning to visit my relatives. They were supposed to pick me up at the train station. However, they weren’t there for some reason. I was hoping you could help me?”
For a moment, Mayor Mare wondered why the little filly had chosen to go to town hall instead of the guard. Luckily for Twilight, she concluded that she had probably just gotten lost and looked for the biggest and most apparent building to get help. “Oh, you poor thing! Don’t worry, we will find them. What’s their name?”
Oh, buck me! How could I miss this? What kind of moron am I?
“Twilight? If you tell me their names, I can look them up or more than likely, I already know them.”
Ok, Twilight. You can do this, but you have to lay it on thick.
Tears filled her eyes, and she began to sob, "I don't know, my parents told me, but I wasn’t paying attention. I’m sorry!”
The Mayor stood up and quickly walked over to her. “Shhh, it’s alright. We are going to find them anyway, I promise. What can you tell me about them?”
The little filly dialled her fake crying down, wiping the tears out of her eyes, “I haven’t seen them for quite some time, but I can describe my cousin if it helps? I still remember her pretty well!”
The worry that had previously filled her left Mayor Mare again. She could work with that. There weren't that many children in Ponyville, luckily. “It would be a great help, Twilight.”
“She is a blue Pegasus, around my age, a little bit older. She also has a rainbow-coloured mane and tail.” To Twilight's surprise, she had no issues at all describing Rainbow, despite never having seen her. To her, it felt like depicting a lifelong friend.
A blue pegasus filly? Rainbow-coloured mane and tail? It didn't ring a bell. Mayor Mare was sure there was no one living in Ponyville with that description. Fortunately, her career as a politician had gifted her with an almost perfect poker face. “Is that all you can recall?”
“Unfortunately, yes, don't you know her?" Twilight answered, unaware of the Mayor's concerns.
“Sadly not, but I don’t know everypony around here. Don't fret, though. I will go down and look your cousin up. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable. It could take a bit,” Mayor Mare smoothly replied.
“Thank you so much!” Twilight went over towards a couch in the corner of the room and sat down. Then she levitated a few snacks, as well as some water she had taken with her, out of her bag. It would have to suffice as breakfast, at least for now.
***
“I know you are angry, and I understand you, I really do!”
She doesn't understand anything at all. No one does!
The conversation with Fluttershy was a disaster, at least in Rainbow's opinion. She had returned to bury her head in her pillow.
Still, I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on her. She meant well. Did I really push her off the cloud?
Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t recall. She simply hadn’t paid any attention at the time.
Fluttershy is a terrible flyer. What if anything had happened to her?
Rainbow's grip tightened, threatening to rip the pillow apart.
I can’t believe it! I wanted to stand up for her, and then I went ahead and nearly killed her without even noticing!
Why, oh, why do I always have to be such a failure? It just isn't fair!
"Rainbow dear, could you come down, please?" she heard her mother yell.
Rainbow grabbed her pillow and pulled it over her head, trying to drown her out.
“Rainbow, please come down. There are some ponies who would like to talk with you.”
Celestia dammit!
"Tell them to go away! I don't want to talk right now!" she finally replied.
“Rainbow Dash, you will get your flank down here, right now, or I swear to Celestia, I am going to drag you down and-“ Before she could finish, Rainbow was standing before Windy, much to her surprise.
“There you are, Rainbow. I guess I should try yelling and threatening more often,” she joked.
"Please don't, Mom. Who are those ponies?" Two ponies were standing in the living room. Much to Rainbow's surprise, one of them was a unicorn.
I thought unicorns couldn’t walk on clouds?
“Hello, Rainbow. I am Special Agent Sneak, and this is my colleague Special Agent Twister. We are here as part of an ESS investigation,” the pegasus introduced himself.
ESS. As if I am supposed to know what that means.
Rainbow rolled her eyes, much to her mother’s dismay, “And ESS stands for...?"
“Equestrian Secret Service. We have already talked with your mother. Unfortunately, you are required to come with us to answer some questions regarding the flight manoeuvre you performed.” If Sneak tried to come off as friendly, he failed miserably. While he spoke calmly and collected, he looked like he would much rather just drag the filly in front of him with him instead of explaining himself to her.
Twister didn't look much different, either. She was standing behind Sneak. If one didn't look too close, they would have thought she was shy or disinterested, trying to remove herself from the conversation. But Rainbow noticed her tense muscles. Twister was definitely fully alerted, ready to interfere at a moment’s notice if necessary.
Wait a minute…. They aren’t here because of Feather, are they? I can’t believe it! I am going to strangle that piece of-
Sneak noticed her unease, "Don't worry, you aren't in any trouble. We just have some questions.” He motioned for Rainbow to follow him.
“Yeah, right! You can’t force me to come with you! I know my rights!” The surprise had worn off, and she finally managed to switch back to the signature personality she had adopted.
“As a matter of fact, we can force you. For one, your mother agreed-” Sneak pointed at Windy, who gave her daughter an apologetic look “- and additionally, TSRDNS21 would have authorised us to take you in for questioning, even if your mother had refused." He again motioned for her to follow.
"TRS, what now?"
I can’t believe this guy! Does he just expect me to know what those things mean? Is he going to ask me to kiss his hooves next?
Sneak sighed. He hated that he had to attend to these kinds of matters personally. It really should be a job for his subordinates to deal with this brat. "Top Secret Royal Decree regarding matters of National Security number 21. Before you ask, no, you can't know what's in it. If you don't like it and/or believe we have violated your rights, you have the right to file a complaint with the court after we are done. Not like it's going through anyway-” The last part he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for only Rainbow to hear “- Now please come along, so we can get this over with.”
As if!
"Oh, yeah? And how am I supposed to know if you are speaking the truth if you won't even say what’s in this magical decree, huh? I’m not going to just follow you and- What the buck! Put me down! You can’t just drag me with you!” Much to Rainbow's anger, Sneak and Twister ignored her while her mother avoided eye contact.
“Thank you, Twister. I was starting to get a headache there. Misses Dash, I can assure you we will bring your daughter back safe and sound as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation." Despite thanking Twister, Windy couldn’t help but notice that Sneak never turned around to look at her. Twister, however, didn't seem to care. She continued to stand in her corner, motionless like a statue. The only difference now was the glowing of her horn, which enabled her to hold Rainbow in a soundproof barrier.
"Please be patient with her. I know she can be a hoofful and-” In what Windy could only describe as the most disrespectful gesture she had ever witnessed, which was saying something, considering her daughter's behaviour, Sneak just turned around and left like he had gotten what he came for. Following him was Twister, still restraining Rainbow Dash.
They didn’t even bother closing the door behind them.
***
This is taking longer than I thought. I guess Mayor Mare wasn't as lucky as Scroll.
Having finished her “Breakfast”, Twilight went towards the window, her eyes drifting around the market square, hoping to catch a sign of Rainbow.
You know, Ponyville isn't that big, and there aren't that many inhabitants. So, what are the chances of the Mayor not knowing her?
Twilight snapped her head around, going back to the couch.
I am overthinking things again.
Finally, she could hear steps.
That doesn’t sound like just one pony. Did the other workers decide to show up?
Mayor Mare walked in. “Twilight, I am sorry. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anypony matching your description. So, I walked over to our guard station. They, as well as everypony else I asked on my way, didn’t know anypony matching that description either.”
Noooooooooo! Why would you do that?
Twilight wanted to groan. Two guards walked in. One was a muscular earth pony, and the other was a fragile-looking unicorn.
“Hello there, we heard you got lost?” The earth pony addressed her.
“Well, yes. But it's fine, really! She has to be around here somewhere!” Twilight tried to assure them.
The guards weren't convinced, however. "We checked, and there is no one here matching your description. Can you give us any additional information?”
Suddenly a realisation hit Twilight.
And if she wasn’t born here? What if she moved here at a later date! Why didn't I consider that! I should have made a checklist and done more research! Of course, this was way too easy.
Her breath quickened. She could feel a panic attack sneaking up on her. The guards and Mayor Mare noticed this as well. “I see-“ The earth pony sighed ”-It's best if we just return you to your parents. Where are you from?”
Ok, where could she be? Think Twilight! You're running out of time!
Cloudsdale! Statistically speaking, Cloudsdale would be my best bet!
“Cloudsdale!" As soon as Twilight uttered the word, she realised her mistake.
“Cloudsdale? You, a unicorn, somepony who can't walk on clouds. You are living in a city made of them?" Twilight gave him a sheepish smile. "This isn't working. I am going to ask the EBI for assistance. Shimmering, could you finish everything here and then take her with you to the station?"
"Yes, of course.” Shimmering levitated some papers in front of Mayor Mare. “Could you please fill these out?” After receiving an affirmative nod from the Mayor, he returned his attention back to Twilight, “May I take a look at your bag, please? It would help us a lot."
Ok, nothing is lost yet. I can still make it. Cloudsdale is not only known as the City of Pegasi but also showed up in my vision. At least, I think there were some scenes involving Cloudsdale.
But he is right, I can’t walk on clouds, can I?
Twilight decided it couldn't hurt to ask, “So there aren’t any unicorns in Cloudsdale? What if they need one? I can imagine many scenarios where that would be a major problem.”
Shimmering smiled, seemingly happy to lecture her, “There are ways to circumvent the cloud problem... May I search your bag now?” Last minute he stopped himself, seemingly remembering why he was there.
Ok, that makes sense.
She ignored his question again, “How, though? Do they just levitate themselves? Are they being carried by Pegasi the entire time? How would that even work?"
Shimmering, put the bag down. Then he grabbed a necklace that Twilight hadn't noticed before. “Here. These necklaces allow us to walk on clouds in emergency situations. They are a true masterpiece of magical engineering. With them, we can walk on clouds for up to eight hours. Unfortunately, they are extremely costly, and we always have to ship them back to Canterlot once they are drained.”
A plan formulated in Twilight's head.
“Could I take a look at it?” she asked.
This time he grew suspicious. Even for his standards, the filly's line of questioning had grown suspect. Mayor Mare also stopped working on the report giving Twilight a suspicious look.
“I am very sorry. This is the only one we have at the Ponyville PD, and I will get into serious trouble if anything happens to it. We are already tight on budget as is and in serious risk of being shut down-” Shimmering grabbed the necklace tightly as if his life depended on it “-if you are interested, though, I can show you the technical documentation we have back at the- Ahh! What the hay! Why would you do that!”
Twilight had used her magic to blind him and Mayor Mare. Then, snatching up the amulet as well as her bag, she ran for the exit.
Much to her dismay, her spell didn't stop him from noticing the theft. "Shade, stop her! She has our amulet! Shade! Shade!” Twilight could hear him screaming.
It became a problem when she noticed that Shade was indeed still here, running towards her.
"Stop right there! That's government property, belonging to the-" Again, Twilight used her blinding spell. What she hadn't counted on, though, was for Shade to stumble, causing him to fall down, hitting his head on a table.
Please! Oh, Celestia, please tell me that wasn't blood I saw! What am I doing here! That was way too close! I can't just go around hurting other ponies! If I get caught again, I will not put up another fight!
For a moment, she even contemplated stopping but, in the end, decided against it.
It’s too late now. I will simply use the amulet as little as possible and return it immediately after. Hopefully, it will be enough to avoid any negative consequences for them.
Quickly Twilight glanced back one last time. She could see Shade getting up.
Thank Celestia!
With that, she suppressed any further thoughts on the matter. Could Twilight have lived with herself if her little stunt had caused any permanent damage? It was impossible to know, yet she doubted it.
In a hurry, she made her way through Ponyville until she reached the train station again. A familiar train was already standing there as if it had been waiting for her.
However, the sound of a whistle indicated that the train would, in fact, not be waiting for her. Increasing her pace, she gave it her all, screaming for them to wait. Yet, the train began moving anyway. Just as she wanted to give up, she noticed the door of the last carriage opening, feeling herself being levitated. “You know, little one, we are not supposed to do that. You really need to be punctual next time.” It was the conductor from before. “You are very fortunate I am on this train. It's funny. Originally, I wasn't even supposed to be here, but there was a scheduling conflict, and I was over hours- Gosh! You probably don't care, do you?" He chuckled. "So, were your relatives that horrible that you had to flee, little one?"
Twilight was still panting on the floor, unable to give an answer.
"You know, that must have been a new record for the shortest visit. Is everything alright?” he inquired, concern growing.
Still panting, Twilight searched her bag until she found what she was looking for. Wordlessly she handed him one of the spare tickets she had.
“All right. I guess you really had a short visit planned.” The ticket had also been bought in Canterlot, so the little filly must have planned to take this train in advance, or so he believed.
For a moment, Twilight stopped panting, "Yeah, honestly, it was more of an errand. Thank you for helping me.”
“No problem. Just don't tell anypony,” he winked at her, as he returned to his job.
Twilight went towards the first empty compartment on wobbly legs and slumped down.
***
“So let me summarise this. You believe that the manoeuvre you performed is called a sonic rainboom. You did not plan to perform this sonic rainboom but claim that it was done by accident. Furthermore, you are unsure how exactly you managed to do it, correct?”
Sneak was regurgitating her description of events for the hundredth time.
“Yes!” Rainbow threw her hooves over her head.
“Fine. I believe you. Wait here. I will be back soon." He left the room, showing his level of trust in her by locking the door behind him.
I can’t believe it! They are treating me as if I had murdered somepony!
As soon as they arrived at the police station, they had taken her into an interrogation room. Sneak had questioned her dozens of times about the sonic rainboom, ever so slightly rephrasing his questions yet never giving out any hints about what this was all about.
Who knows? If Feather is to be believed, then I may have indeed murdered somepony.
She lay her head down on the table. It seemed like performing the sonic rainboom may have been a mistake she would not be able to correct.
“You believe her?” asked Twister.
"Yes, look at her." Sneak gestured towards Rainbow. Through the one-way window, they could see her dejected self.
“She could be faking it,” Twister suggested.
“Maybe. However, I don't think so. I believe we have found ourselves a bearer.” A victorious smirk had appeared on Sneak's face. "We may have messed up with Twilight, but this is bound to take some heat off of us.”
His assistant wasn't convinced. She had yet to see any evidence that would support Sneak's claims. “And you are certain that she is a bearer? How can you tell?”
“Intuition" - Twister shot him an annoyed glare - "Ok, what would have been the chances of her even being able to perform this flight manoeuvre? Also, the timing. It happened right when Twilight was about to fail her test. That's too big of a coincidence. Her sonic rainboom had an effect on Twilight, and as far as I can tell, only Twilight. As we know, the elements will try to guide their bearers and try to bring them together. This could have been one such attempt. The elements gave Rainbow the boost necessary to win her race and helped Twilight in the process. Both earning their cutie marks as a result, at the exact same time,” Sneak finished.
Twister, however, still wasn't convinced. To her, it all seemed a bit farfetched. Then again, Sneak was the boss. He made the calls. “So, are we going to let her go and monitor her?" she asked.
“No. As I said, presenting Rainbow to the princess should take some heat off of us. Also, the princess should be able to directly confirm whether I am right or not. That’s why we will be taking her with us.” He quickly glanced at the time. They needed to hurry. Due to the situation around Twilight, they had already been ordered back to Canterlot 30 minutes ago.
In a hurry, they went back towards the interrogation room. “Ok, Rainbow. There are still some things we need to clarify. You will need to come with us to Canterlot. Twister, take her with you. I will get our stuff.”
This time the pegasus followed of her own volition, wanting to avoid the embarrassment of being carried around again.
Canterlot, they will bring me to the princess for judgment! I need to get out of here!
Twister motioned for her to stop. “Sneak will be here in a moment. Sit down and wait.”
As instructed, Rainbow sat down on one of the chairs in the reception. Thanks to ponies walking in and out, the door was open most of the time. If the unicorn would just let her out of her sight for a moment, she could make it.
Rainbow waited and waited for what felt like an eternity. However, Twister didn’t let her guard down.
Is she some kind of terminator? For pony's sake, she isn’t even blinking!
If she bolted now, she had no doubt Twister would use her magic to stop her.
“Commissioner Bolt! Commissioner Bolt!”
Unlike her jailor, Rainbow turned towards the screaming. A frazzled-looking mare was running towards the reception.
“What the matter, Golden?” A pegasus, which Rainbow assumed was Commissioner Bolt, asked.
“We just received urgent orders from Canterlot. We are to mobilise all unneeded forces, whether on duty or not, and await further instructions," Golden half screamed.
Everypony turned their attention towards her, causing her to go red.
Commissioner Bolt, however, didn’t seem to be bothered by the sudden influx of attention. "Was any reason given as to why?”
“Yes, Sir! There is a unicorn filly named Twilight Sparkle on the run. Apparently, her parents taught her dark magic, which has gotten out of control. It is believed that it has taken her under its influence, and she has already committed serious crimes. They want us to aid in the search.”
Golden had spoken so fast that Rainbow almost lost track. Then she heard a growl. Twister had gotten red and advanced on Golden and Bolt with an ignited horn. “That’s confidential information! How dare you just blast it out like that! Do you both not know what confidentially means? You will both be reported to the princess for this!” Then Twister turned back towards where Rainbow was supposed to be.
***
Mom was right. I have changed.
Previously Twilight had worried that Rainbow wouldn't be like she had seen in her vision, but now she questioned if Rainbow would like her instead.
This was a mistake. I should have resisted the urge to find her. Would it have been so bad to wait a little bit longer?
Now it was too late. Twilight was already in too deep.
Just remember, Twilight, calm down and think before you act. What happened in Ponyville cannot repeat itself under any circumstances. You must be resolute, no matter what happens.
This included resisting the weird feelings if necessary.
Finally, the train came to a stop. She made sure that no one was looking before leaving the train and then quickly dashing away from the station, hiding in some bushes that grew behind it. Above her, she could see colossal cloud formations.
This must be Cloudsdale, but how do I get up there?
She put the necklace on and peeked through the bushes. At a nearby railyard, she could see a few workers loading stuff into and out of freight trains, putting them on or getting them off wagons that were carried by Pegasi.
I could sneak onto one of these waggons. They carry me up, and then I can go ahead and search for Rainbow.
It seemed like a good plan with little room for error as long as she didn’t get caught. So, Twilight decided to observe the area, this time taking her time and waiting for a good opportunity to ensure she indeed wouldn't get caught. It continued for a bit until she was sure she had gotten down the patterns of the workers as well as accounted for all of them.
Just as she wanted to go and sneak towards a waggon, however, she noticed something in the distance swirling towards her.
The Rainbow Pony she had been looking for landed in front of her, looked frantically around and jumped into the bush next to her. Then she turned around, finally spotting Twilight, staring her right in the eyes. “This may sound weird, but please don’t rat me out to him.” Rainbow pointed towards the distance, where Twilight could see another shape forming and coming towards them. “I am kind of on the run from him. It's a long story."
She could see another Pegasus landing in front of her. He, too, looked around before making his way towards them, a murderous look in his eyes. Next to her, Twilight could hear Rainbow's heartbeat increasing, with the pegasus backing away as far as she could, throwing her wings over her face. It was obvious that he was going to find Rainbow, and since they were on a plain field, there wasn't another place to hide.
Before she could think about what she was doing, Twilight grabbed Rainbow, pulled her down, put her hoof on her mouth and cast an illusion spell on them.
The pegasus was now standing right in front of them. He circled around the hoofful of bushes, looking into each of them before he reached theirs.
He stared right at them.
…
…
…
Then he turned around, making his way towards the trains.
“Sneak!” they heard a yell.
A unicorn ran towards him. “Sneak! We must go! The princess called for us nearly an hour ago!”
"You better shut up, Twister! You let her go in the first place! Where is the backup?” he asked furiously.
"They aren't coming, Sneak. The princess requested all their available forces, and they aren't willing to commit any of the remaining ones to help us. I didn't have the authority to force them, and you were already gone." Twister rubbed her hooves, anticipating the yelling that followed.
“Good job, Twister! Now the princess will get to chew me out for not one but two failures! Don't worry, though. Everything she throws at me, I will throw at you tenfold!” Sneak screamed at her. His face was bright red, "Just wait until we are alone, useless! In the meantime, send some agents to monitor the brat's house and send an official alert out for her! She cannot have gotten far!" He violently dragged Twister towards the train station.
Carefully monitoring them, Twilight waited until they got onto a train before releasing Rainbow.
"Sweet, thanks! Without you, I would have been a goner,” she thanked Twilight.
“No problem, Rainbow,” Twilight answered. She was still looking after Sneak and Twister, making sure they were really gone.
“You know my name?” Rainbow asked suspiciously.
It caused Twilight to finally stop watching for them, instead turning towards Rainbow again. “Your name is actually Rainbow?”
The pegasus in question was deeply offended by the statement. “Yes, my name is actually Rainbow Dash. Is there something wrong with my name? Would you prefer that my name was Crayon, Paintbrush, or any other quality joke I have already heard a hundred times?"
“What? No, no, no! I didn’t mean that as an insult! I was just surprised! Sorry if it came off differently. I am Twilight Sparkle. Nice to meet you." Twilight frantically tried to fix the damage her statement had done.
Way to ruin a good impression.
"It's fine, no biggie."- The shift in Rainbow's personality was quick, and the difference was like day and night – " I can’t believe I am lucky for once! Can we team up? With your dark magic, getting away will be foal's play!”
Dark magic? What is she talking about? Did she have a vision with me involving it?
“Dark magic? What dark magic?” Twilight asked, puzzled.
“You don't have to hide it from me. I am on your side. We both need to get away, so let's work together. It's the logical thing to do. Back at the police station, they said you were wanted for being under the influence of dark magic that your parents thought you," Rainbow tried convincing her.
That's ridiculous. She must have misheard something. And I guess this means she didn’t have a vision either or anything like that. Ponyfeathers!
Honestly, Twilight didn’t know how she imagined what meeting Rainbow would be like, but it definitely wasn’t like this. “I guess I am kind of on the run from them, but not because of dark magic. You must have gotten something wrong,” Twilight admitted.
“Reeeeally? That's fine and definitely good enough for me. I am sure your normal magic will come in handy as well, as it did just now.” Rainbow didn’t believe her. However, if Twilight wanted to hide it, that was fine by her.
Well, it could have been worse. She wants to "team up" with me, and I can figure out everything else from there. Not to mention that she seems to be in trouble and in need of a helping hoof.
"Yeah, sure. Why not?" Twilight gave in to Rainbow's demand.
“Great! What’s the plan?” Rainbow immediately followed up.
"I actually planned to go back to my family once I figured things out. They are surely worried.” It wasn’t the answer Rainbow was looking for.
“What! If we do that, we will get caught! I, for one, value my wings and would hate for the princess to rip them off or whatever they decide the punishment will be. Surely you have a better plan. Come on, I promise I won’t hold you back! I will leave as soon as possible if that's what you want,” she was practically begging Twilight now, even if she would deny it in hindsight.
“I don’t think the princess does that” -Twilight responded while rubbing her horn, making sure it was still there – “I mean, I don't know what you did, but I doubt it was that bad."
“Fine, keep your secrets! I will flee alone then!” However, before she could take off, Rainbow got encased in magic.
I can’t just let her leave like that! If I do, who knows where she will end up! I may never see her again!
“Wait! You win!” Twilight released her again.
Rainbow ignored the fact that Twilight just treated her like Twister did, instead enjoying her victory. “I knew you would come to reason. So, what’s the real plan?”
Celestia dammit! Do I really look like some evil witch or what? Is she really still believing I am a dark mage?
Twilight gave her an annoyed look, “I am not a dark mage. Please stop these insinuations, ok? Where did you want to go?”
“Duh! We have to leave Equestria, of course! Or do you want to hide for the rest of your life?" The confidence, as well as the conviction with which Rainbow had spoken those words, scared her.
“L-Leave… Equestria?” she stuttered.
“Yeah! To be honest, it wasn’t that great anyway. Now come, we have to go before they finally get their reinforcements. I don't want to see some kind of massacre." Rainbow regretted the last part when she saw Twilight's eyebrows starting to twitch. It seemed she would have to think before speaking, or she might end up on the receiving end of some spells as well.
“I am not a dark mage!” The purple filly screamed as loud as she could while still ensuring the rail workers wouldn't hear her.
She is right, though. They could come any minute.
Three options were now at her disposal. Leave Rainbow, help Rainbow or turn Rainbow as well as herself over to the guards.
I can't leave her, and I obviously can't rat her out. She might never forgive me if I betray her like that.
That left only one viable option. “We could ride with one of the freight trains. Look over there” – Twilight pointed to the railyard – “I have been monitoring the workers and figured out their patterns. Once an opportunity presents itself, we could sneak onto one of those trains.”
Rainbow grinned, “Awesome! Just give the word, and I will take us there."
Twilight didn’t know what she meant by that but turned around regardless. It took a few minutes, but finally, an opportunity presented itself. "Ok, they are busy inspecting the new carts. Now is our- eek!
Rainbow grabbed Twilight, flying them into the first cart she saw at top speed. “There, done! We are making a great team already,” she proclaimed to a green Twilight.
There is no way that she didn't do that on purpose. Why though? Gosh, I hope I don’t throw up.
Twilight held her hooves over her mouth, staring at Rainbow in irritation.
Seeing that her little revenge for Twilight wanting to ditch her in the beginning worked, Rainbow examined the train cart, gesturing towards a freight sticker. “Looks like we will be heading to Dodge City, wherever that is.”
“It’s a city in the desert, near the Equestrian border. Now be quiet, or the workers will hear us,” Twilight shushed her.
And so, they sat in the corner of the cart, waiting for the workers to close the door so that the train could start its journey towards the border.
***
“I guess we can talk now. Look, I am sorry for earlier. I don’t know what came over me.”
"It's fine," Twilight replied. The train had finally started to move, and they were now sitting in a dark cart, heading towards its destination.
“You know, it’s pretty dark in here. You wouldn’t be able to do anything about that, right?
Twilight gave an exasperated look. Not that Rainbow could see it, though. Then she illuminated the cart with her now glowing horn.
“Cool. I guess you don’t own any flashlights, then?” She eyed the unicorn's glowing horn.
I really didn’t think she would be that annoying.
“Casting spells and keeping them up drains our stamina. I have been working to increase mine, and this spell isn't really demanding, so I should be able to maintain it for some time. Now that we are safe, there are some things I wanted to talk to you about.” Twilight started.
"Bring it on. I have nothing to hide,” Rainbow proclaimed.
Where to begin? There are so many things whirling around my head.
She decided to start by asking Rainbow some general questions before trying to bring up her visions. "Why is the guard after you?”
It was a question Rainbow had expected yet didn't have an answer for. “Oh, it really isn’t important. I did something stupid, that’s it.
So much for having nothing to hide, maybe I should do the first step.
“What I said was true. They aren’t after me for dark magic or anything-” Twilight pointed towards her necklace “-Here, see this necklace? I ran away from home, stole some train tickets and then attacked two guards, stealing this necklace that allows me to walk on clouds from one.”
“You did what!” Rainbow was astonished.
Oh, come on! You had no issues with me being a wanted dark magic user!
“Yeah, it wasn’t really thought out, but surely this isn’t worse than what you thought I was on the run for. How come you didn’t care about me supposedly being a dark mage anyway?” Twilight asked.
"Well, I mean, it’s fine. I just didn’t think you had the guts to attack some guards outright. Not to mention robbing them. Also, why would I care if you were a dark mage? You saved me there. You have my back. I have your back. It’s as easy as that,” Rainbow reasoned.
Yeah, sure. You obviously don’t realise how dangerous dark magic is.
After some moments of silence, the rainbow filly spoke up again. “I performed a sonic rainboom. That’s why they are after me.”
A sonic rainboom was something Twilight had never heard about before, despite her extensive book reading. “A what?”
Rainbow continued her explanation. “A sonic rainboom. I don’t know if you have seen a rainbow shockwave, but if you did, it’s because I performed a flight manoeuvre that set it off.”
“You? You did this?” the little unicorn couldn’t believe it.
It all makes so much sense now!
“Haha, yes! I’m not insane! That must be why the vision pulled me towards you specifically!" Despite Twilight's insistence about not being insane, Rainbow would have begged to differ.
“Vision?” she inquired.
“Yes! Ok, this might sound strange but hear me out. Two days ago, I took my entrance exam at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.” Rainbow nodded, motioning for her to continue already. “They wanted me to hatch a dragon egg, and then there was your Rainbow Wave-"
“No! No! No! I ruined it, didn’t I? I am so sorry. Feather was right. Was that why you came here? To get revenge on me for ruining your exam?" Rainbow felt miserable. She had never heard of the School for Gifted Unicorns, but if it bore the princess's name, it must have been a very prestigious school.
“What? No, I succeeded,” Twilight corrected her. “I was about to fail, but then your sonic rainboom came, and I managed to hatch the egg. "Rainbow's face brightened again. Hearing that she not only didn’t cause Twilight to fail but helped her instead was a revelation that filled her with happiness she couldn’t explain. "Yet, that's not the only thing that happened. Your sonic rainboom caused me to have some kind of vision, like I said. In it, I saw some glimpses of our future."
“Our future?” It sounded ludicrous. Despite that, Rainbow could hear the conviction in Twilight's voice.
Twilight continued again. “Yes, our future! I saw you and some other mares in Ponyville! I was the princess's student and had the dragon with me! Together we wielded some artefacts and defeated an alicorn, a draconequus, as well as other foes! I could barely believe it myself! Eventually, I even became an alicorn, and I think you joined the ranks of the equestrian military! There was a big castle and-"
“Ok, time out,” Rainbow stopped her. “You sure you didn’t just imagine?”
“I thought so as well, at first. But everything happened. The princess offered me the position as her student. I hatched the dragon. You exist! I know it's all true. It must be!” Any shred of doubt within Twilight had disappeared when she finally met the rainbow filly.
Rainbow chose not to argue with her. It seemed impossible to convince Twilight otherwise, anyway. "Well, if you are certain. I just have one question. If you are here now, aren't you changing the future?”
“You are right. That’s the plan,” she confirmed.
"Why, though? The future you told me about sounded awesome. Honestly, I would kill to have such a future myself,” Rainbow questioned her further.
“I…, well…, it's complicated," Twilight stammered, trying to find the right words.
How do I explain this? I barely understand it myself. So much is still muddy.
“I just had to. When I experienced this vision, I gained this strong feeling that I should look for you. Additionally, I only remember glimpses of what I think was shown to me. From what I can tell, at first, everything was great, but in the end, I felt this terrible loneliness and deep emptiness. It's so hard to explain.” She stopped to use the breathing technique Cadence had taught her. While she performed them, Rainbow looked at her with an unreadable expression. "I know it sounds so selfish! You are absolutely right. So many would kill to have this future, but-“
“- it's not the future that you want?” Rainbow finished her sentence.
“Yes.”
“Then buck that future! Why should it matter what other ponies think? You decide your future!” The filly in front of her spoke with fire and passion Twilight had never witnessed before.
“Thank you, Rainbow. I really needed that,” Twilight mumbled.
"Don't mention it, Twi. Like I said, you have my back. I have yours,” Rainbow assured her.
Twi? Did she call me Twi?
Silence reigned for a few moments before Twilight spoke up again. "There is something else. I am not entirely opposed to the future in vision. Becoming an alicorn? Saving Equestria? It's my dream to learn everything about magic and, if possible, use it to one day help others.”
“Then we will make it happen. If we could do it once, we can do it again.” The confidence within Rainbow was still burning.
“I don’t want to be alone,” Twilight whispered.
“Oh.” Only now was Rainbow realising the implications of what Twilight said. Alicorns lived forever. “But you won’t be alone! What about the princess?
She is right. Cadence and Princess Celestia would be with me.
Still, it didn’t fill Twilight with happiness. Not like another thought did.
Careful, she chose her words, “Cadence and Princess Celestia are great and all, however… I don't think it would be the same. You, I and the others were such great friends. I don’t want to lose you.”
“If you managed to transform into an alicorn, what’s stopping us? We could totally do it, too,” Rainbow asked.
She is right! I don’t know why my future self didn’t do that, but I will find a way!
“You really think so?" It wasn't a question Twilight needed an answer to. She would try regardless of Rainbow's response.
Still, it was nice that Rainbow was indeed in support of her goal, "Yes! It will be so awesome! We could fly together, perform magic together... We would be friends forever! The possibilities are endless!"
The day continued with Rainbow describing all the awesome things they would be able to do together in great detail while Twilight listened with dreamy eyes.
***
“I am so sorry! I came here as soon as Raven informed me about what happened.”
Cadence and Shining were standing in front of a cell, holding two familiar ponies.
“Don’t worry about us! What about Twilight? You can’t let Celestia get her,” a still very distraught Velvet said. It earned her the stink eye from the two solar guards watching them.
Unfortunately, the princess of love didn't have good news for her. "There really isn't anything we can do. Shining will aid the search efforts as soon as possible while I will try to get you out of here and talk some sense into Celestia. Once Twilight has been found and you are freed, I will do my best to aid you in restoring your custody rights."
“She took away our custody!” Night screamed. It seemed that the limit of what he could take had finally been reached.
Next to him, Velvet fainted.
***
“You are late. Where is Twilight?”
Sneak could see the princess was in a terrible mood, and thanks to Twister's incompetence, he had nothing to show. "I don't know," he admitted. Hopefully, the princess's rage would be over quickly.
"I'm sorry? Don't know? Don't know! You are the head of the ESS! I personally tasked you with looking out for her! And now I hear that you not only lost her but I was also informed that you let another bearer slip out of your hooves! Do you value your wings, Sneak? I will have you know they can be removed easily!" The princess screamed in her Royal Canterlot Voice. The enchantments in the room were probably the only thing that prevented Canterlot from being put on high alert.
I am going to kill whoever told the princess about that brat.
“Thankfully for you, the EBI was more competent. Apparently, Twilight went to Ponyville to look for a pegasus matching Rainbow Dash’s description. She then boarded a train towards Cloudsdale. Looking at the timeline, she should have arrived while you were there. I will add it to the list of your failures," Celestia indeed scribbled something down on the papers she was holding.
Sneak tried to defend himself, "I couldn't possibly have known that-“
It was a poorly chosen defence, "You are the head of the ESS! Knowing is your only job!” If she had had the time, she would have continued to yell at him, yet fortunately for Sneak, the princess didn’t have the time for that. “Twilight's behaviour after the exam was odd. It didn't match her previous behaviour patterns, and I think the vision she described in her letter is the cause.” She pulled out a letter, handing a copy to Sneak. “We will need to look into that as soon as we have found her. It is paramount that we determine whether or not an enemy could have caused those visions. Worst case scenario, it could have been a subversive manoeuvre by Nightmare Moon. Moving on, I think it is safe to say that she was looking for Rainbow, and since, according to the EBI, she never arrived in Cloudsale, she must have found her. Or something happened to her, in which case I will tie you up and throw you off a cliff.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Sneak was sweating profusely.
Am I imagining, or has it gotten hot in here?
“You are a very lucky pony, Sneak, since I can’t be bothered to look for a replacement right now. Do me a favour and present some results, will you? I have already ordered all available forces to start looking for both of them. Additionally, the borders have been closed. Use those resources to find them and do it fast. We can’t afford for them to fall into the enemy’s hooves. Dismissed.”
Sneak immediately bolted out of the room.
Left was only Celestia.
I should have never allowed Twilight to leave after the exam. Hopefully, they will find her, or it will have all been for nought.
***
After some time, Twilight felt fatigue setting in. It seemed that all this excitement, combined with the use of magic, had drained her more than she had previously thought. Therefore, they decided to try and get some sleep, so they would be rested once they had arrived.
At least, that had been the plan. Once she was sure Rainbow was sleeping, Twilight stood up walking towards the door.
Carefully she opened it. Fresh air greeted her. The train was moving slowly. On the horizon, Twilight could see the sun going down as the night sky appeared.
Was it worth it?
"When I first met you, I had my doubts. You were nothing like I thought you would be.”
Am I really leaving everything behind? A safe future traded for a life of uncertainty? Just so I can reach a goal I can never hope to accomplish?
“But when you were cheering me up, I got the same feeling I had during my vision. You are just as smart, loyal, kind, and strong as you were in my vision. And you are right. Together we can indeed accomplish everything."
Twilight took in one last breath before closing the door and going to sleep again.
***
Unbeknownst to her, Rainbow couldn’t sleep either.
Is it really true? Were we destined to meet? Were we supposed to fight magical creatures? Would we have defeated an alicorn? Would Twilight have become one?
And will it not happen now?
Rainbow felt like she should have been angry. Like Twilight ruined some kind of dream for her.
Would I have been happy? Twilight sure doesn’t seem happy! Becoming part of the equestrian military definitely isn't something I want!
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Twilight getting up and saw her horn lighting up again.
Where is she going? She isn’t planning on ditching me, is she?
Then she heard the door open.
That traitor, I am going to kill her!
Rainbow was ready to pounce on her. Last moment, however, she stopped. Twilight wasn't moving. She was just standing there, looking outside.
What is she doing?
"When I first met you, I had my doubts. You were nothing like I thought you would be."
Is she talking about me?
“But when you were cheering me up, I got the same feeling I had during my vision. You are just as smart, loyal, kind, and strong as you were in my vision. And you are right. Together we can indeed accomplish everything."
Twilight turned around and went to sleep again.
…
…
…
Tears were forming in Rainbow's eyes. She had trouble staying quiet, not wanting to alert the purple filly. Hearing those words from her, Rainbow didn’t know what to think.
Smart? Kind? Loyal? Strong?
She had heard it often from her parents, but they were obligated to say those things. She was their daughter, after all.
She had also heard it very often from her friends. The ones that had either left her or turned their back on her when she didn’t want to be a bully anymore.
And she had heard it from Fluttershy.
Fluttershy.
The yellow pegasus always said those things to cheer her up, yet Rainbow could never shake off the feeling that she was just using her. That she just wanted Rainbow as a shield against the bullies. That Fluttershy tried to twist her into a version of Rainbow Dash that suited her as well as Rainbow's parents.
I heard my parents and Fluttershy talking so many times behind my back. I wasn't good enough for them, just like I wasn’t good enough for Flutters, despite losing almost everypony for standing up for her.
Never would she have believed that somepony could genuinely think of her like Twilight did.
Twilight didn’t know I was listening. She didn’t want me to become smart, kind, loyal, or strong. She really believes I am all of those things already. She really is accepting me for who I am.
And she didn’t need me. She could have left at any time. By all accounts, she should have left me! For pony's sake, she chose me over her family! Fluttershy wouldn’t have done that!
More tears streamed down.
Twi even saved me from those ESS ponies. Fluttershy would have no doubt sided with them like she always sided with my parents or Feather.
Yet Twilight's words also hurt deeply.
Am I really what Twilight said, though?
Strong? Yeah, sure, she may be right about that. I guess I am pretty athletic.
But smart? I always had the worst grades in the subjects that mattered.
Kind? I was a bully for most of my life, and even when I quit and tried to be friendly, I still treated everyone like trash.
Loyal? As if! I literally just abandoned everypony. I didn't even consider how my parents would feel for a second, and I can only hope that Fluttershy was some kind of evil pony deep down…
Even if I never found any substantial evidence….
…
…
…
I am a horrible pony. Let's be honest. The world would have probably been better off without me.
Now that I am gone, my parents will worry, and Fluttershy will be all alone, without any friends left to stand up for her.
By now, her wings couldn't dry her tears anymore. They were wet like a river, just like her eyes. Despite that, she was still trying not to alert Twilight.
Twilight. She is the only one left now. Tomorrow we should have crossed the border. Then I can start anew. We can do all those fantastic things we talked about…
I-I can prove myself! I still have a chance! Twilight still believes in me! Not because she is my mother or my father. Not because she wants something from me. No, she believes in me because of who I am! She doesn’t need me to prove anything!
It was a paradox. Fluttershy, as well as her parents, had always encouraged her to improve herself and become a better pony. All it did was depress her, resulting in defensive reactions. Now there was Twilight, seemingly accepting her for who she was, already believing her to be a good pony with admirable traits.
It was at this moment Rainbow made a vow to herself.
I am going to prove her right! I may not have those qualities right now, like Twilight beliefs, but I will become kind, strong, loyal, and smart! Together we will accomplish all those things of her vision! Then my parents will finally be genuinely proud of me. And Feather and the bullies will buck themselves for never believing me and always being so terrible.
Finally, the tears dried up.
Smart? Kind? Loyal? Strong?
If she believes I can be those things and if future me managed to become that, nothing will stop me.
Rainbow just hoped that Twilight wouldn’t backstab her like her former friends did.
***
Dear Mom, Dear Dad, Shining, Cadence as well as everypony else who is going to miss me,
I am sorry if this letter is going to be short and messy. My thoughts are still all over the place, and I am writing them down as they come.
I know, though, that nothing I can write will ease your worries entirely. For that, I am genuinely sorry.
You were right. Something happened. During the entrance exam, I had a vision that showed me parts of my future. It was a great future, yet not the one I was looking for.
There are ponies out there who I believe are fundamentally connected to me as well as the future I saw. I will look for them, starting with the one that stood out the most.
I hope that once I have found her, everything will become more apparent, and I will be able to return.
Love,
Twilight Sparkle
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Well the future has changed the past
The flames of Daybreaker or showing.
An interesting start to a different way things can go. I liked how you did that little bit RD overheard.
Looking forward to where you take this from here.
What a load of baloney that is the biggest lie I've ever heard I think celestia is delusional to spread such malarkey
Celestia: the paragon of pony kindness and acceptance
Twilight: runs off after a cosmic plot-call
Celestia: "Very well, execution it is."
That said, kinda makes sense, going 1000 years with only one promising solution, and then having to make an emergency backup after the first attempt went AWOL, only for THAT attempt to also run off, would probably make anypony act a little unfriendly.
Dang it she just missed her
Oh shit day breaker is showing
I still don't think Celestia is evil, just desperate.
11606173
Yeah I'm going to say bordering on desperate and slightly insane getting close to evil if nothing's done about it
I feel that so hard.