Changing Our Destinies

by silent_user

Chapter 5 - Off Across the Desert

"Good morning, sleepy head.“

"Huh?"

"You really are a heavy sleeper, aren’t you?”

Twilight rubbed her eyes and set herself up. She thought sleeping on a train bench was horrible, yet it was nothing compared to the floor of a freight cart. "Good morning, Rainbow."

"The train stopped a few minutes ago. We should get away before they start unloading it,” the pegasus urged her.

They could see parts of the railyard through a gap in the door. An earth pony made his way towards a worker, “Morning Joe. Where are the others?”

“Hi, Jim. The others are home. We didn’t expect your train to show up today.” Both fillies were waiting for an opportunity to open the door without alerting them.

“What do you mean? I arrived right on time!” the train driver insisted.

“They shut down the rail network for emergency maintenance. Your train was supposed to be stopped in Appleloosa, but they messed up. I am just here to tell you so you aren't left alone," the worker explained.

“Ok, good joke. Have all railways rusted at the same time, or what? Next time think of something better than everything being shut down for maintenance. Now get the others to unload my train. I have a schedule to keep,” a slightly annoyed Joe told him.

"You think I don't know that? Of course, they didn't shut down the entire network for maintenance. It's just the official explanation they gave us. However, then I saw the newspaper. Apparently, they shut it down as part of a pony hunt for a wanted dark magic user.” Rainbow looked at Twilight with an “I told you so” look.

“For real? The entire network? Just for that?” Joe still wasn’t buying it.

“I know! And it gets even crazier! It's a filly whose parents taught her that. They are rotting in jail now. The guard believes that the filly might be spreading dark magic, and that's why I believe they have taken these measures. They apparently have evidence that she has already possessed a pegasus filly who is now with her.” Twilight motioned for Rainbow to continue listening. After all, they could be talking about other fillies, right?

"They can't do that for long, though, or Equestria will run out of supplies pretty fast." Joe removed his cap and rubbed his head, seemingly at a loss.

“Yeah, I know. Let’s hope they find them quickly. You haven’t seen those two, have you? Purple unicorn filly? Blue pegasus filly? Rainbow mane and tail?” Jim asked.

“No,” Joe replied.

“Dang. There would have been a huge reward if you did. So, are you up for some drinks? And don’t worry, we are still getting paid,” Jim assured him.

“Depends. Is the bar swarmed with guards?” A sceptical Joe inquired. That the day had just begun didn’t bother him.

“Nope, no more guards than usual. I mean, we are in the freaking desert. Why would any sane pony come here?” Jim chuckled.

“No more guards than usual? So, only the entire town guard it is, then. Sure, let's join our colleagues in armour and get drunk.” They disappeared, leaving an empty train yard.

“See Twi, I told you they are after us. We need to leave right now.” Rainbow fumbled with the door.

"Mom, Dad," Twilight sobbed.

Rainbow turned around. She had assumed Twilight would have already realized the fate of her parents. That she really was just pretending to know nothing about the situation. Then again, they claimed that she, too, was now contaminated by dark magic and apparently under the purple filly’s influence, and she was pretty sure that that wasn't the case.

The blue pegasus wrapped her wings around Twilight, hugging her. “Hey, it’s going to be ok. They are going to be fine. You said that the dark magic thing was false, right? That means they are going to realize their error and release them.”

While her actions helped a bit, Twilight was still distraught. “This is all my fault! I must go back to help them! I must fix this mess and take responsibility for my actions!”

Rainbow couldn't allow that. Everything but that. "No, Twi! Think about it! It's a trap! They shut down the train network, mobilized all their guards, and sent those ESS terminators! It's us they want! If we go back, your parents will be released, but there will still be two ponies in the cell!”

Her words were valid. They wouldn't have done all that for some simple criminals. They really were after them, and they wanted them badly. Why that was the case, Twilight could only guess. "We still have to help them, though!” she exclaimed.

"Twilight, please! Listen to me. If I could think about a single possibility of how we could do that, I would be right there with you. But there isn’t one. We are just two fillies against the entire guard, and as I said, they are after us. Once we are gone, your parents will hold no value anymore, which means they will be released." If that was true, she didn't know for sure. It sounded reasonable, though.

“You are right. You really are good at cheering me up.” Twilight opened the door.

Rainbow smiled at the compliment, “Haven’t you heard? I am your dark minion now. Cheering up my mistress is part of the job."

Twilight's face would have been enough to illuminate the cart had it still been dark. "D-Don't be ridiculous. I didn't use any dark or mind magic on you," she stammered.

“I know, Twi. It was a joke. Let’s go,” Rainbow jumped out of the train.

“Wait a second. Let's eat first. I am starving. I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday." Twilight's stomach grumbled as if to emphasize her words.

“Well, same here. Let’s head into town and get something,” Rainbow suggested.

“That’s not necessary, here -“ Twilight took her remaining food and water out of her back. A few cereal bars, an apple, and a bottle of water “- We really shouldn't head into town. The risk is too high. If the newspapers have really written about us, then our faces are probably printed in them as well. Let’s eat something and think about how we should proceed.”

Rainbow realized that she was right. They couldn’t go into town. So, she hopped back into the cart, sitting down again. "You are right –“ She eyed the “breakfast” Twilight had prepared “-I am not hungry though.”

The statement confused the purple filly. “What do you mean? You just said you were.”

“Twi, this isn’t enough for both of us. It's your breakfast and my fault for not taking anything with me.” Rainbow looked really uncomfortable, avoiding eye contact.

"Don't be like that. Do you expect me to eat while you starve? Come on, Rainbow, I insist." Twilight took half of her cereal bars, shoving them towards her. "If you don't eat, then I won't either."

“Fine, you win.” Rainbow took the cereal bars, yet she wasn't happy.

"So, let's think." Twilight projected a map of Equestria above her head. "We are currently here in Dodge City. Equestria’s border ends here, where the Badlands begin. The problem is that we have to cross the desert to reach them, and the Badlands themselves are really hostile territory as well. The only upside is that they aren't claimed by anyone, so once we reach them, we are safe from Equestria as well as any allied nations that would extradite us. You heard the workers. They think such an attempt is so insane that the guard didn't even bother sending any reinforcements here. This means they are probably checking that we aren't leaving Equestria by ship or through the frozen north. Since the rails are shut down, and the ponyhunt is intensifying, those options aren’t open to us anymore anyway. Here is the deal, there is still another way within reach rather than going through the desert and the Badlands. The Hayseed Swamps. They aren't claimed as well. This way, however, takes not only longer, but the guard will also more than likely be looking for us there, as well.”

Rainbow listened closely. “All in it is then,” she concluded.

"Rainbow, I would like to share your confidence. However, there is no way we could carry enough water with us to make it all the way through the desert as well as the Badlands. We would have to rely on pure luck that we could refill along the way. If that isn't possible, we will most likely have to turn back or go really all in and quite possibly die of thirst,” Twilight warned while eyeing the now hall full bottle. Sticking to her word, she gave it to Rainbow.

“I still believe it is our best bet. Can’t your magic help us in any way?” she inquired.

"I can't just summon water. The best I could do is conjure up a shield that protects us from the heat. However, I could only maintain it for two to three hours a day,” Twilight answered, dispelling the map above her.

Suddenly a mad smile plastered itself on Rainbow's face, "Twi! I have an idea that is so crazy that it might just work!"

***

Fluttershy knocked on the door again, this time forcing herself to knock loud enough for the ponies inside to hear her. Still, there wasn’t a response.

Weird. Where could Rainbow be?

“Morning, Fluttershy.”

“Eeep!” She jumped, turning around. "You scared me, mister Dash. Good morning. Did something happen?" Bow had one wing wrapped around Windy. With the other wing, he held a letter bearing a seal on it.

Oh no! She must have gotten into trouble again!

“Haven’t you read the newspaper today? Rainbow has been foalnapped.” Bow and Windy walked past her, opening the door. “Do you want to come inside?”

Foalnapped? That’s impossible! Such a thing hasn’t happened in decades!

For the first time, Fluttershy regretted not reading the newspaper. She had stopped trying to read it a long time ago when she realized that it was always negative, sensitizing everything, often at the expense of other ponies. Before the door could close, she slipped inside with Wendy and Bow.

“I wish we could answer the questions you more than likely have. However, we don’t know anything either. As a matter of fact, we only learned about it from the newspaper ourselves. Here you should read the article first.” Bow pointed towards a paper lying on their kitchen table. Then he turned back to his wife, walking away with her, leaving Fluttershy alone in the room.

For a moment, she waited for them to return, but then in a rare turn of events, her curiosity won over her insecurity. Slowly she closed the distance between herself and the table, grabbing the newspaper once she had reached it.

It was the latest issue of the Canterlot Times. A picture of Rainbow and a purple unicorn was on its front page. The headline read: “Have you seen these fillies?” with a subheading stating: “Parents arrested in a sting operation for illegal use of dark magic – Daughter on the run – Pegasus foalnapped.”

Fluttershy's wings began to shake, yet she couldn't take her eyes off the article: "Yesterday morning, two unicorns were arrested by the royal guard for the illegal practice of dark magic, a crime that hasn’t occurred in over 320 years. According to sources within the guard, it was the princess herself who uncovered the crime when she noticed sources of dark magic after the entrance exam of their daughter at the School for Gifted Unicorns.

“Yet when an emergency raid was performed, it was already too late. While the parents could be arrested, the dark magic had already taken hold of their daughter, who managed to escape. To our readers, who might not be aware of the risks it bears, it is a form of magic fuelled by negative emotions and known to be extremely dangerous as well as unstable. At first, the user doesn't notice anything different compared to light magic, which gives them a false sense of security. However, the more they are exposed, the more their thoughts will get influenced, quickly making them get addicted without even realizing it. Once a critical point has been reached, the caster will have no more influence over their actions, with the dark magic entirely in control.

"It is for this reason that the guard asks to be on the lookout for these two fillies. The first one (picture on the left) is Twilight Sparkle. She is a purple unicorn filly, age 10. Her cutie mark is a dark pink star surrounded by five smaller, white stars (see picture). Her magical signature is pink. Please be advised that she has already shown violent tendencies due to her dark magic corruption, such as attacking one civil servant as well as multiple guards, heavily injuring at least one in the process and stealing his equipment.

“The second pony is a blue Pegasus named Rainbow Dash, age 12. She has a rainbow mane and tail, and her cutie mark depicts a rainbow lightning strike coming out of a white cloud (see picture). Rainbow Dash was supposed to be brought to Canterlot to be rewarded for performing the first sonic rainboom, a previously thought impossible feat. Unfortunately, during her travel there, the guards escorting her were taken out by Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash was foalnapped by her for reasons unknown. This constitutes the first event of foalnapping in over 52 years. It is to be believed that she is now under the influence of dark magic as well.

"To prevent the further spread of dark magic, extraordinary measures have been taken. The military is aiding the guard in the search, together with the EBI, and travel restrictions have been imposed.

“If you see Twilight Sparkle or Rainbow Dash, do not engage them for your own safety. Instead, immediately alert your nearest armed official or contact your nearest guard station. Any hints that help track down Twilight Sparkle or Rainbow Dash will be rewarded with 1.000 Bits. Any hints that directly lead to the capturing of at least one will be rewarded with 20.000 Bits.

"Last but not least, we would like to remind all readers that those fillies are just victims themselves, who are not in control of their actions and bear no responsibility for them. What has happened is a painful reminder of the nearly forgotten dangers of dark magic. The guard has assured us that once the fillies have been captured, they will be treated and are expected to recover fully. As for Twilight Sparkles' parents, by law, they are facing the death penalty. However, the palace has commented that it is no longer being enforced and that those laws have just not been updated. Currently, the severest punishment the parents could get is life in prison, which would mean 25 years in prison, after which parole would become a possibility. More information on page 4.”

Fluttershy put down the paper.

“They are lying.”

“Eeep!" She once again jumped, startled. “Please stop sneaking up on me like that. What do you mean they are lying?”

“The newspaper. They are lying. I talked to Windy. Did you read the part about Rainbow and the sonic rainboom? It’s a lie. Yesterday two ponies from the Equestrian Secret Service came over. They took her with them to question her about the sonic rainboom as part of a secret investigation. They claimed they would bring her back as soon as possible, yet they never returned. Then this morning, we saw the article. We immediately went to the Cloudsdale Guard Station, but they wouldn't tell us anything. They just told us they were sorry for losing her during the transport towards Canterlot and that they were looking for her. When we asked them about the ESS and their investigation, they claimed they didn't know what we were talking about. Fluttershy, do you have any idea what is going on here?” Bow was mustering her.

“I have no idea,” she answered. It all sounded surreal.

"I feared as much. I know you would have told us if you did,” Bow frowned.

“What’s going to happen now? Will she be ok?" Panic was starting to set in.

"I don't know, Fluttershy. I don't know. I have no idea where she is. I have no idea what is going on here. I have no idea if I can trust the guard to find her. All I can hope for is that if they lied about Rainbow, maybe they also lied about the other filly. That hopefully, she isn't really in danger.” This tiny piece of hope that Rainbow was not truly in danger and under the possession of dangerous dark magic was the only thing that kept him going.

A knock got their attention. He made his way towards the door with Fluttershy following him.

Rainbow is gone! She is gone! She promised she would look out for me! Yet here I am, all alone again.

And Fluttershy couldn’t even be mad at her since there was a good possibility that it wasn't even Rainbow's fault.

Bow opened the door.

“Good morning. I am Special Agent Flash, and this is Special Agent Dust. We are here as part of an ESS investigation for which we need to take Fluttershy with us.”

He slammed the door shut again.

***

Princess Cadance knew it would be a bad day after she saw the newspaper's front page.

How nice of Auntie to finally take some time for me.

Despite living in the same castle, Celestia always had a talent for avoiding her.

Accepting her offer all those years ago and going with her might have been a grave mistake.

Cadence saw the door to the sun princess's chamber. This time she would be resolute.

She promised that I would get an important role in government. That I would get to make decisions with her. Yet here I am, a mere figurehead. Nobles have more power than I do.

The two guards gave way for her, and she opened the door, ready to scream at the older princess.

Her plan fell apart when she saw a tiny baby dragon sleeping on Celestia's lap.

The princess of the sun used her magic to close the door. “Morning, Cadence. I have an important meeting soon. Please make it quick,” she spoke quietly.

“I saw the newspaper. How could you?” Cadence asked.

“I could tell you that Equestria’s media is independent, but I am not in the mood for lies. I ensured that they told the public the view of the crown on the matter. I needed a reason for my actions, after all.” Celestia gently stroked the dragon. It was a stark contrast to the cruel words she had just spoken. "As a ruler, you will quickly learn that sometimes morally dubious actions have to be taken for the greater good. We need Twilight. Once she has been found, we will devise another explanation and release her parents.”

Couldn’t come up with another explanation, as if!

Yet, Cadence wasn’t going to argue. Hearing that Night and Velvet would be released was more than she had expected going in. “Why take away their custody?”

Celestia sighed, “It was a rash decision. A rare moment where my emotions got the better of me. It shouldn’t have happened. They were given Twilight because I assumed they would be able to take proper care of her. Her running away, though, has shown me that they might not be the right ponies after all. I think there is a pony who would be better suited. A final decision has yet to be made, however.”

Cadence couldn’t believe her ears, “How dare you! Night and Velvet are great parents-“

“Adoptive parents-“

“That doesn’t matter!” Cadence screamed, “They love her just as any other parent would love their daughter! You know I can tell such things! Wasn’t Twilight supposed to be monitored? Where were your precious agents when she ran away, huh? And don’t forget that she ran away because of a vision, an event totally out of her parent’s control! You know that just as well as I do!”

Celestia eyed the dragon. It was a miracle that he was still sleeping. “Like I said, a final decision has yet to be made. Right now, our top priority should be Twilight's safety.”

There is no point in pressing the issue any further. If I push too hard, she will just end the conversation entirely… I am really starting to see how Luna went insane. Not going to tell her, though. I don't want to end up as dust after all. She is always so high and mighty, holding all the strings, acting like she knows everything! She could probably murder a foal in front of my eyes and then lecture me about how it was for the greater good….

Cadence decided to ask something else instead. "What happened to Twilight's real parents? You never told me.” If Celestia was willing to bring up Twilight's adoption, then it was worth trying her luck again on that front.

"It's not a happy story. Twilight's mother abandoned her. However, when I saw little Twilight, I immediately recognized that one day she could become quite a powerful pony, maybe even a bearer. So, I ensured she would end up in a proper family." It was more than the princess of the sun had ever told anypony about the matter.

That doesn't make any sense! How would Twilight have gotten her attention in the first place? Also, at the young age Velvet and Night adopted her, it should have been impossible for anypony to tell that Twilight would become this powerful, let alone a bearer!

"And you made the right call. Twilight ended up in a proper family. What about her father? Has he ever been found?" Cadence tried to further probe some information out of Celestia.

But Celestia wasn't willing to give any further information, “No, I don’t know what happened to him. Please, Cadence, it is a very painful story. I don’t want to talk about it any further.”

The mere fact that she told me anything about Twilight's parents after all those years is a miracle. I must press further! There are so many other mysteries I want to ask her about.

Celestia had her guard lowered, and Cadence was fully going to take advantage of it. “The dragon. Is it true that Twilight created him?”

The older princess's face brightened at the question. “Yes, and she didn’t even use dark magic, which makes this feat so much more impressive. She is so young yet exceeds all expectations I have for her. The little one here is a perfect creation. True intelligence and genuine feelings, with no violent tendencies. I didn’t think it was truly possible to check all those boxes.”

“What breed is he? I have never seen a dragon that looks like that," Cadence asked.

“That’s the most interesting part!” Celestia carefully levitated the dragon for her to see. “I believe that Twilight created him after how she thinks a dragon should be. I looked for hours, and there wasn't any breed with his description. This is why I looked further into him. I can sense Twilight's magical signature on him.” She was now in full lecture mode, looking like she was presenting a research project. “This shouldn’t be possible since dragons are one of the few creatures that are naturally resistant to magic, a trait he, too, exhibits. Just think about the possibilities! A spell caster that at the same time has total resistance to magic! If he becomes a researcher, it would be much easier for him to work on complicated spells since he wouldn't have to worry about their effects on him. Or if he becomes part of our armed forces, he would prove a deadly foe. Thanks to his natural resistance, he could use his magic on enemies without them being able to sense him with their own magic. Or-"

Cadence stopped Celestia's wave of praise for Twilight's "creation", “I think I get. He can use magic while at the same time being resistant to its influence and properties.”

“Correct. Sadly, Twilight forgot the wings.” Celestia’s bright smile disappeared, “And it’s a shame the little one might not make it.”

“…what?” Surely Celestia wouldn’t hurt him, right?

She just said that he doesn’t pose a danger!

"I can sense Twilight's magical signature getting weaker and weaker by the second. Together with it, his life force is slowly draining. I don't know if that means she always has to be near him for him to survive or if that effect would disappear after some time. Maybe after he has developed some more. Regardless, if she doesn’t come back soon, he will die. Another reason why we must find her,” Celestia explained.

Oh no! If that is true, Twilight would never be able to forgive herself!

“It was nice talking to you, Cadence, but unfortunately, our time is up. I hope I could address some of your concerns and questions.” She levitated the dragon into a small crib.

“Thank you, Celestia. I hope you will find Twilight and be able to fix your mistakes." The princess of love left the room.

“Fix my mistakes… If only that would be so easy,” muttered Celestia. For nearly a thousand years, she had tried to do just that. Yet, she made new ones at every turn instead of fixing the old ones. She turned her attention back to the dragon, who was now sleeping peacefully in her crib.

“You are reminding me so much of Twilight. You are just as special as she is, and just like her mother has abandoned her, you were also abandoned." That wasn’t entirely true.

It was a gross oversimplification. One could only wish that it was that simple.

And one could only wish that the actions of Twilight's mother had been that innocent.

***

Why did I agree to this?

Twilight and Rainbow had rummaged through the train. They had found some pallets with water bottles and food, as well as an additional backpack for Rainbow, originally meant to store tools. Now that they were resupplied, they were ready for Rainbow's plan.

This is never going to work.

The little pegasus was holding Twilight, readying herself to start.

"Remember Twi, once I perform the sonic rainboom, you will supply me with your magic. Hopefully, it will allow us to skip quite the distance.” They had already gone through the plan multiple times until Twilight ceased to protest.

There are still so many unknown variables.
Also, what if she drops me?

Rainbow had assured her that that wouldn't happen, yet worry remained. “Rainbow, I am scared.”

"Don't be Twi. It will be amazing, I promise." With that, she started gaining speed.

Rainbow's grip was hard as steel, nearly hurting Twilight. Normally the unicorn would have protested. This time, however, it filled her with a sense of safety.

Our aerodynamics are all off! Backpacks? Rainbow carrying me? This is physically impossible!

Yet the pegasus gained more and more speed, her wings flapping more and more, frantically trying to gain momentum. Twilight took it all in. The height, the wind, and how everything on the ground looked tiny.

Come to think of it, can speed really be the only factor?

For now, she stopped worrying. Even if it didn’t work, Rainbow hadn’t lied. The experience was truly amazing.

One day…

One day I will have wings of my own…

One day we will be able to fly together…

Will she still carry me, then?

After some time in the air, they stopped getting faster, and Rainbow noticed it too. By now, Twilight had trouble keeping her eyes open, the wind causing them to tear up.

Then in a last-ditch effort, the blue filly gave it her all. Her grip around Twilight tightened dramatically, and her wings flapped at a speed she didn't think was possible. She wouldn't let Twilight down. She said she could do it and intended to keep her word.

Sparks began forming around her, with a rainbow trail forming behind them.

Impossible.

Twilight readied her horn, starting to let her magic flow. Then with an explosion, there was no stopping them anymore. Rainbow couldn't see where she was going, as everything became a blur. Twilight magic was dancing around her as they gained and gained more speed, with Rainbow only stopping trying to gain speed when she could feel her neck threatening to break.

They continued flying at this lightning speed, until suddenly, without any warning, Twilight's magic and the rainboom disappeared.

Rainbow started falling.

***

Shutting the door wasn't very effective. It got engulfed in magic, and just like that, it was open again.

“As I was saying, we are here to bring Fluttershy in for questioning in accordance with TSRDNS21. Her parents were already informed and agreed,” Flash scolded them.

“They only agreed because they don’t know you guys are a bunch of liars!” Windy came around the corner screaming at them.

It was time for plan B. At least they could kill two birds with one stone.

Dust engulfed his colleague as well as the yellow filly with magic, and in a flash, they were gone. Now it was time to edit some memories.

***

Fluttershy found herself in a chariot.

“I am sorry about that. I don't know what happened there. Usually, ponies are happy to help us,” Flash seemed a bit embarrassed. “We will be heading to Canterlot. The princess wants to talk to you. We believe that you could help us in finding your friend."

Fluttershy had fled into a corner cowering. She didn’t trust him at all. Good ponies didn't just foalnap her. Then suddenly, they were engulfed in rainbow colours, with a purple hint to them.

The sonic rainboom! Rainbow!

It was the sonic rainboom, dialled up to eleven. She looked out of the chariot seeing the pegasi around her flapping erratically as if they had trouble controlling their flight. For a moment, she could have sworn that the buildings around her even sank into the clouds before recovering.

A sudden burst of confidence grabbed her, as it had during the first rainboom.

I can do this! If going with them means I can help Rainbow, it will be worth it! And if they truly have foul intentions, then having a pony on the inside is bound to help Rainbow as well.

***

“Status Report!”

The heads of the equestrian security apparatus were sitting around a large table. The Minister of Interior, Minister of Defence, the general staff, the head of the EBI and Sneak, of course.

“We have our forces deployed around Equestria! Borders and rail network have been shut!” The Minister of Interior stood up and went towards a map, “My Princess, we have concentrated our Border Guard at strategic points, such as here and here. Thanks to the additional forces from the military, these points are now impossible to cross without us noticing-“

"What about the north? What about these areas near the desert?" The princess asked.

“Unfortunately, we don't have enough resources to secure them. However, due to the hostile conditions to life there, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash are unlikely to cross the border there anyway, should they decide to cross it in the first place,” the Minister replied.

Is that a joke? I am mobilizing all of my armed forces, and he complains about a lack of personnel?

“What about our other search efforts?” the princess continued to question him.

“We are currently strategically sweeping as many cities simultaneously as we can. Once finished, we will move to the next ones, going from north to south. Additionally, the public has been put on high alert and is helping. We also have teams of pegasi sweeping the areas between cities,” The Minister hoped that Celestia would accept this answer.

She didn’t. “How is it going?”

“Your Majesty, we are encountering major problems within the guard and military,” Candy spoke up. As a loyal subject and head of the EBI, it was her duty to inform the princess about the disarray her forces were in.

It earned her an angry glare from Sneak, who just realized that it was Candy who more than likely told the princess about Rainbow Dash. She was known amongst them for always trying to suck up to Celestia.

“Explain, please,” the princess addressed her.

"My men have encountered a severe lack of organization within the guard and military. For one, their communication systems are completely overwhelmed. They also have trouble figuring out where their forces are, often sending no one or multiple units to the same place. A good chunk isn’t accounted for at all. Additionally, their equipment is often times missing, severely outdated or broken. The worst part, however, is their morale. The lack of it is astonishing, with most of them performing their tasks only in a lacklustre way, if at all,” Candy rattled off.

"Princess Celestia, this isn't our fault!" everypony besides Sneak and Candy screamed.

"If this isn't your fault, then whose fault is it? Mine?” the princess mustered them.

“…”

Their lack of an answer was all the confirmation she needed.

I should have expected this. Luna was always the one who took care of our armed forces.

Finally, a general spoke up, “Just like every year, we have made and submitted a list of recommendations to improve the morale and performance of our soldiers. We are lacking staff, and the staff we have is underpaid as well as underequipped. I don't even want to start talking about logistics. Our forces are definitely not able to perform outside Equestria. My Princess, we need more funding. It has constantly been cut to the point where we can no longer function properly."

“That’s correct,” another General spoke up. “Additionally, a good part of Equestria's forces are only ceremonial these days and not fit for actual deployment. This no longer includes just the Royal Guard but good chunks of our actual armed forces as well. Many battle groups are more concerned with entertaining the public instead of ensuring equestrian security.”

The generals were looking jealous at Sneak and Candy. They didn't have these issues. While the princess was horrible when it came to managing her armed forces and the guard, she was smart enough to understand that the EBI and ESS were essential in securing her rule.

"I understand. Once Twilight and Rainbow have been found, it will be a top priority to address these issues,” she assured them.

Good thing they don’t know that I will have to remilitarize Equestria if anything happens to them. Who knows? They might screw up on purpose, then.

“Right now, however, we have to work with these issues-“

Rainbow colours, with a purple hint to them, engulfed the room.

The sonic rainboom! And that's Twilight's magical signature!

Celestia tried pinpointing their locations, fighting the interference the sonic rainboom was causing.

The border! They are moving towards the Badlands! I don’t have any significant forces stationed there!

“They are moving towards the Badlands! Send everything we have there immediately! If necessary, follow them into them!” she ordered.

Candy sprinted out of the room with Sneak slowly following her. The generals, however, exchanged looks. They could send troops to the border. After all, the rail network could now finally be reactivated. But crossing it? Asides from the political problems it would bring, such actions would be suicide for their forces. There was no way they could ensure a secure supply line, which would lead a good chunk to die of thirst.

“Are you deaf? Mobilize at once!” Celestia repeated her order.

Before they could explain, a loud explosion rocked Canterlot. Through the windows, they could see a giant fireball soaring.

In a heartbeat, they were fully alerted, running out of the room, frantically trying to organize a defence with the little man they had left. It was just too bad that the search parties had already cleared Canterlot. If an enemy attacked now, they would be fighting a losing battle.

Only Princess Celestia and her two Ministers remained. Minsters that had apparently wilfully given her false information about the state of her armed forces.

“I will be expecting your resignations by the evening.”

***

Frantically she tried flapping her wings again, trying to get a reaction. It didn't work. Her precious wings had left her degraded to useless paperweights.

The ground was coming nearer.

This is it. At least I won’t be dying alone.

Twilight had stayed oddly quiet, yet Rainbow held onto her for dear life, hoping a miracle would set in. Below her, she could start to make out sand.

I am sorry, Twilight! I should have listened to you! This was a stupid idea!

Then she felt lift being generated. Her wings started working again, and she started flapping like her life depended on it. Only this time, it really did.

They started to slow down until they were only hovering one or two meters above the ground.

Defeated Rainbow let herself and Twilight slump to the ground.

“Oh, ponyfeathers. That was way too close. Are you ok, Twi?" For the first time, she managed to get a good look at the unicorn.

Twilight had her eyes wide open. She wasn’t moving and seemingly not even breathing.

"Twi! Twi!" Rainbow began shaking her, trying to get a reaction.

It was to no avail. The purple filly didn’t react.

“Twi! Twi! Say something, I am begging you! Don’t leave me alone!” Rainbow began slapping her, tickling her and pocking her eyes. It didn’t work.

Then, remembering her flight school training, she pressed her lips on Twilight, preparing to administer CPR.

***

Twilight felt like she was in heaven.

It's another vision! I have to watch more carefully this time.

The vision materialized.

This doesn’t feel right.

She was standing in a fancy room. Like last time everything was shaded in rainbow colours. But unlike last time, nothing happened.

Is that snoring?

It came from a crib. In it, she saw a tiny baby dragon.

It must be the one I hatched! The one from my vision!
But he is so young. This can't be the future. So, does that mean I am in the present?

Carefully she levitated him towards herself. Yet, despite her best efforts, he woke up.

“Hello, Spike. That’s your name, right? What am I even saying? I hatched you! This means it falls onto me to name you, correct? What do you think? Is Spike a good name?” she asked.

The dragon giggled, looking happy at her choice of name.

Unfortunately, the happy moment wasn’t meant to last. Spike started coughing, unable to control himself.

“Spike! Spike! Somepony help!” Twilight tried hitting Spike's back.

It had no effect, and she didn’t know any spells that could help. Quickly she ran over towards a glass of water, hoping it might be able to help.

It not only didn’t help, but the water also caused him to choke.

“Somepony help! I need help!” she tried again.

This time her shouts were answered by two guards rushing through the door.

“Freeze! You are under arrest for trespassing!” the first one shouted.

"That's Twilight Sparkle. Get reinforcements!" The second one shouted, quickly whirling a spell at her.

The world collapsed.

…

…

…

Rainbow is kissing me.

Rainbow is kissing me!

"Mff, Rainbow, what are you doing? What's going on?"

Rainbow eyes met hers, “Ah!” The pegasus parted lips with her, jumping back. “Celestia, dammit! You scared me, Twi! I thought you were dead!”

"Rainbow, what happened?" Twilight wiped the sand from herself.

“You tell me! This stupid rainboom brings nothing but trouble! I am never going to perform it ever again!” Rainbow had trouble controlling herself, her breathing becoming erratic.

Twilight rushed towards her. “Hey, I am here now. I am fine, and you definitely didn’t kill me. We succeeded. I still remember you starting to perform the sonic rainboom. It was amazing! The way you carried me. I could feel the wind rushing against me. Everything looked so tiny from above, like we were living in a toy world.”

“It’s priceless, isn’t it? I don’t know what I would do without these wings,” Rainbow agreed.

Twilight hugged her, “You see the sky up there? One day we will both be flying in it together.”

Rainbow didn’t answer, but Twilight could hear her breathing slowing down again. "Here, Rainbow, you should drink something. I am sure you are exhausted." She handed her a bottle.

Wordlessly, Rainbow grabbed it and began drinking.

What I would give to know what she is thinking right now.

Twilight, too, grabbed a bottle for herself.

“What if?” Rainbow whispered.

“What if, what?” Twilight asked.

“What if my actions had indeed killed or severely hurt you?” Rainbow was even quieter than before.

“Rainbow, it would have been an accident. I agreed to this. It wouldn't have been your fault, and I wouldn't have blamed you,” Twilight tried to assure her. “You still didn’t tell me what actually happened, though.”

The sun was shining full force at them, not showing any mercy, and their bottles were already empty. They had to restrain themselves from opening more.

Twilight looked around. As far as she could see, there was only sand and barren land.

If we don’t find a new source of water soon, we are not going to make it.

***

“Princess, we have to get you out of here!” A royal guard rushed into the room. “Canterlot might be under attack, and the castle has been infiltrated by Twilight Spa-"

“Where is she!” Celestia interrupted him.

“I don’t know, Princess. I think she was sighted in your chamber-“

Before he could finish, Princess Celestia had already teleported away.

Instead of being greeted by Twilight, she saw two guards who were poking Spike. He was now lying on the ground.

Upon seeing her, the guards immediately stopped. "Your Majesty!" they saluted.

“What happened?” Princess Celestia levitated the young dragon towards herself and began gently stroking him. He looked dazed, barely moving.

“We thought we heard somepony screaming for help! It seemed to come from your chambers, yet that couldn’t be possible. We had guarded the doors the entire time, and they are warded off to prevent anypony but yourself from teleporting into them,” they started to justify their actions.

That’s right. And I should have been notified when you two entered them.

She checked the wards, realizing that they were all messed up.

Hopefully, they are an exception.

“So, we checked the corridor, but no one was there,” one of them continued. “Suddenly, we could hear the screaming again. This time we were sure that it came from your chambers, so we rushed in.”

"Twilight Sparkle was standing there, holding the dragon, calling him Spike. She looked transparent, like a ghost. However, I immediately recognized her cutie mark. We couldn't risk her spreading the dark magic further, which is why I shot a stunning spell at her. Yet, when the spell impacted her, she disappeared. We are still searching for her,” the second guard finished.

Wait a second. If Twilight was holding the dragon….

"What happened to him?" Celestia pointed at the dazed Spike.

“Well… he kind of just sort of inadvertently may have fallen onto the ground-”

“You let him fall onto the floor! You morons!” Celestia couldn’t believe it.

“We didn’t realize-”

“I need to think about this. Dismissed," Celeestia shooed them away.

It's true. Twilight really was here. I can feel that her magical signature on you has gotten stronger again.

Yet it was already starting to fade again.

I no longer understand what’s going on here. When has everything gotten so out of control?

Celestia continued to examine Spike. Hopefully, the drop hadn't caused any injuries.

***

Finally, Rainbow began to explain. "I had successfully performed the rainboom, and we were whirling through the air, aided by your magic. Then suddenly, your magic and the rainboom disappeared. My wings weren't working anymore, causing us to start falling towards the ground. I could see it coming closer and closer. Last minute, however, they started working again. I was barely able to stop the fall -” She stopped. The next part would be hard “- I finally managed to get a good look at you. Your eyes were open, and you weren't moving" - her voice became shaky again - "Twilight, you weren't breathing. Panic took hold of me. I tried shaking, pocking, slapping, tickling… probably a bunch of other stuff as well, yet nothing worked! Before you finally woke up, I was planning to administer CPR. When I checked, I couldn’t even detect a heartbeat.”

Not breathing? No heartbeat? Surely that couldn’t have been the case.

“Rainbow, I have no idea how that must have been for you-”

“Twi, I need to know! What happened to you?” Rainbow asked, still in bewilderment.

"I don't know," Twilight began. "At first, I thought I was experiencing another vision. I was in a chamber. Spike was lying there in a crib. He is the dragon I have hatched. I picked him up, trying to interact with him. Then, out of nowhere, he began having a terrible cough. I tried helping him, but only made it worse.”

I was so helpless. I have never felt so awful.

Yet, she knew that it was only a fraction of what Rainbow had felt.

"I cried out for help, and after some time, two guards blasted into the room. One told me to freeze, while the other cried out for reinforcements, saying they had caught me. He then whirled a spell at me, causing me to wake up.” Twilight thought for a moment. “I think it was real. It felt far more real than my first vision, and there was no indication that I was in the future. Additionally, Spike and the guards interacted with me. This also didn’t happen the first time.”

“Why? Why is that happening? Why you? Why those visions? What do they mean?" Rainbow didn't know what to make of her account. There were so many questions they had yet to solve.

“If only I had the answers to that,” Twilight muttered. “There is one more thing. The guards were definitely royal guards. Rainbow, I think I was in the princess’s chambers.”

“Buck!” the blue filly exclaimed. “If we weren’t a priority before, we are 100% now. Good thing we have already crossed the border. We have crossed the border, right?”

Finally, a question that Twilight could answer. "Yes. You see the barren lands over there? Those are the Badlands. We have crossed quite the distance.”

"Sweet! This way, then?" Rainbow began walking in the direction Twilight had pointed at.

“Correct, but wait a second. I will put a shield around us that protects us from the heat." Just as she had finished her sentence, a transparent bubble had formed around them.

Who would have thought that Shiny's military knowledge would come in handy?

Together they made their way towards the Badlands.

Comments

[singing steel]

If you change the future you change the past

[Axolotl222]

So wait, are you implying that the reason why Equstria's military in the show was a little too absent at times was because corruption and lack of actual experience has rendered them ineffective?

That... makes a depressing amount of sense.

[BlueStarred Spike]

Did Twilight just performed Astral Projection? She really is powerful with potential.
Also, Those guards made her drop a baby!? They're gonna get it now!

[Vampire king Jonathan]

“That’s not necessary, here -“ Twilight took her remaining food and water out of her back. A few cereal bars, an apple, and a bottle of water “- We really shouldn't head into town. The risk is too high. If the newspapers have really written about us, then our faces are probably printed in them as well. Let’s eat something and think about how we should proceed.”

Really celestia now you're slandering twilight sparkle that's low even for you dark magic twilight sparkle would think twice before using it if she knew any you can't make others do what they don't want to twilight sparkle is innocent

[Vampire king Jonathan]

Besides she is just a innocent filly she doesn't know dark magic she's too young and apparently you celestia aren't using common sense

[AgentKorpsman]

“Good morning. I am Special Agent Flash, and this is Special Agent Dust. We are here as part of an ESS investigation and need to take Fluttershy with us.”

Nope

He slammed the door shut again.

Yeah fuck celestia and the g-man’s or pony’s

Also here *hands shotgun* you might need it.

[AgentKorpsman]

Her plan fell apart when she saw a tiny baby dragon sleeping on Celestia's lap.

Awww.

Someone find me a picture of this please. Or drawn it.

[AgentKorpsman]

And one could only wish that the actions of Twilight's mother had been that innocent.

Hmmm

Yeah I’m thinking celestia killed them or something.

[AgentKorpsman]

11493374
And celestia allowing it to happen.

Again I say worse guards ever.

Except for the lunar guards.

[Poparakelis]

This is getting darker

[Killer20]

This Story is REALLY GOOD!

[silent_user]

11639415
Thank you so much! I am so happy that you like it

[josue]

11606191
Well this time lines doomed time to go to the next one

[Leviathan Eclipse]

"I cried out for help, and after some time, two guards blasted into the room. One told me to freeze, while the other cried out for reinforcements, saying they had caught me. He then whirled a speel at me, causing me to wake .”

Spell. This is the second time this chapter you miss spelled that word