The Girl Who Cried Wolf

by J3sterking

Invisible Scars

"Out of my head, of my heart, and my mind,
Cause I can feel that your flesh now is crying out for more."
The Wolf by Siames

Rainbow Dash sat down with several of her friends for lunch, grabbing a meal that was almost her usual size. Most of the Rainbooms were scattered about the cafeteria today--except, notably, Pinkie, who seemed absent still.

Whatever she was planning was, apparently, worth skipping out on school for.

Applejack happened to be the only other Rainboom at the table, but that was fine. She'd see most of them around after school, except...

"Has anyone seen Sunset?" she asked.

"She's off setting up her house to get ready and leave," Applejack said. "She's apparently headin' back home for a bit. What about Pinkie? Have ya seen her?"

"No, last I head, Bon-Bon was asking for advice on how to cheer someone up--I assume Lyra, though she seems fine to me. But Pinkie Pie made some joke about being a ninja-secret agent of fun, and I haven't seen her since," Rainbow said.

"Please, Lyra Heartstrings? Down in the dumps?" Thunder Lane laughed. "Not likely. That girl's unshakable. Like, this one time, she looked up to see a spider just hanging right next to her face. She didn't even scream! She calmly picked it up and moved it outside."

"I dunno," Flash Sentry said. "She has been...weird. It didn't seem like she was listening in class."

"Lots of people don't listen in class," Rainbow said.

"Even if it comes back to bite 'em like a rabid possum?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, uh--I'm an athlete, so, no one expects me to be smart." Rainbow folded her arms over her chest. "What's your excuse?"

"Farm girl. I'd say that's even better than your excuse, Dash," Flash pointed out. "But, back to the point, I think something happened on that trip she was on."

"Right--she and Bon-Bon were on a trip of some sort, right?" Pinkie had mentioned it on the call, right? "Well, if something happened between them, I say we let 'em work it out on their own."

"Rainbow Dash, voting for not pryin' into other people's business?" Applejack chuckled. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"Har-de-har, AJ," Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. "I think if something happened and she wants to talk about it, she will. If her vacation didn't live up to her expectations, let her keep it to herself."

Applejack frowned.

"Oh, like your trip to Las Pegasus," Thunder Lane commented.

Rainbow Dash snapped her attention to him, eyes narrowing. "What about it?" she demanded coldly.

"Hey, don't be like that, everyone gossips about that," Thunder Lane said, holding up his hands. "People noticed when you came back from that trip all shaken up. I think some people started betting on it."

"It was two years ago," Rainbow said slowly.

"Yeah, most of 'em have forgotten that the betting pool exists," Thunder Lane said. "I always thought that it was in poor taste."

"Is it still up? What are they saying?" Rainbow growled.

Thunder Lane pulled out his phone, showing it to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow scrolled down the page, eyes narrowing. "Some of these are recent. Who's been maintaining this for two years?"

"Trixie, I think," Flash said. "I just assumed you knew--Rainbow? Rainbow!"

Ignoring him, Rainbow stomped across the cafeteria, heading right for Trixie and the several other people she was sitting with.

Trixie looked up, but before she could finish a single boast, Rainbow shoved Thunder Lane's phone in her face. "Do you care to explain this to me, Trixie?" she demanded.

Trixie blanched, and, to her credit, actually looked somewhat ashamed. "Oh, well, uh--that." She gave a nervous chuckle. "Well, you see, people, uh, got to talking, and, uh--one person jokingly bet money, and, uh, another person did, less...less jokingly, and, um--"

"Take. It. Down."

Trixie hesitated, then nodded, shrinking down in her seat. "S-sure, alright," she said. "I...it was just a fun thing, Rainbow, there's really no need to--"

"Oh, can it! I don't want to hear whatever bullshit you have ready to explain this--this--THIS!" She shook the phone. "Did you ever stop to consider that making bets about different horrible things that could have happened to me was not very considerate?"

"Uh--well--" She gulped. "No?"

Rainbow let out a frustrated cry, then stomped back over to her table. She tossed Thunder Lane's phone back at him, then stomped out of the cafeteria.

---

Students stayed away from her for the rest of that day. Rainbow Dash was, for once, fine with solitude.

She leaned back against the Wondercolt statue, unwanted memories playing on loop through her head.

In some ways, it didn't make any sense that the wounds were still so fresh. In others, she should have been crying herself to sleep every night.

She sometimes wondered if she could have handled the situation differently. Maybe she wouldn't have even become a werewolf.

No, actually, that wasn't likely. It had been too late by that point.

A crackling sound interrupted her. She looked up, seeing a somewhat familiar shape appear over her head. "Princess Twilight?"

"Please, you girls don't have to call me 'Princess'," Twilight Sparkle stated. "You're my friends. I don't even make the ponies back home call me Princess." She sat down besides Rainbow Dash, "You feeling alright?"

"Uh--never better!" Rainbow managed a nervous chuckle. "You come all the way over here just to ask that?"

"It was around twenty feet," Twilight answered. "I was talking to Sunset, but she kept getting interrupted because your friends kept calling her to say that something was up with Rainbow Dash, all with varying levels of detail on what actually happened. She was going to come over herself, but I told her I was closer, and wasn't busy finding someone to watch my house."

"Oh. Heh. Right. Sorry, it's really--"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Rainbow shook her head. "Not in the least," she groaned.

"Should you talk about it?"

"Eh...probably," Rainbow admitted. She folded her hands together, flexing the fingers against each other.

"From what I gather, people here were making bets about something bad that happened to you a while back, and you got really mad at Trixie for it. I'm assuming...it was when you became a werewolf?"

"Spot on. How'd you--"

"Sunset heard from Applejack," Twilight said. "And it was the most likely candidate for what had you upset."

"Ugh." Rainbow let her face fall against her knees. "I'm not having a good day."

Twilight leaned over and hugged her. "Better?"

"...A little."

"Glad to hear it. It's what pony Pinkie Pie does whenever somepony's feeling down, and I honestly didn't know if it would work."

Rainbow chuckled. "Any world, and I guess Pinkie's still Pinkie."

"Do you want to talk about it now, Rainbow?"

Rainbow sighed. "So, I had some online friends...uh...you...do you know what the internet is?"

"Sunset explained it to me, just after the Battle of the Bands," Twilight said.

"Right. So, I'd met them all a few times before, right? Gilda, Spitfire, and...and Soarin." God, even saying his name...

Twilight reached over, taking her hand.

"And we were just...hanging out in Las Pegasus. Like we always did when we got together. And...Soarin was acting a little funny. The others didn't notice, they weren't...as close to him as I was. He and I..." She couldn't quite get the words out.

"I know. I think the other Rainbow Dash feels the same way about him, even if she hasn't admitted it yet."

Rainbow paused. "He's--he's still alive, over there?"

"Yeah."

Rainbow gulped. "He...he died."

"I'm sorry. Was it..."

"He--he was the wolf who attacked me," Rainbow said slowly. "And changed me."

"He lost control?"

"Lost his goddamn mind, more like," Rainbow growled. Her eyes took on a faint yellowish sheen. They did that every once in a while, but no one had noticed. "He wanted me to become 'better than human'. Stronger, faster, all that jazz. Went off on a tangent or two about making everyone in the world stronger. And...that those who didn't survive the change...well, they just weren't cut out for it, y'know?"

"He thought this was a good thing?"

Rainbow nodded. "After--I survived, and I realized--what exactly had happened, I--I went over. To...to where I kept his big, special gift for me."

Twilight said nothing.

"It...it was a gun," Rainbow said quietly. "He bought me this big, fancy handgun. I found him, making his plans to attack Gilda and Spitfire, and...I...I shot him. I killed him. Dear God...he...Sunset became better, right? Why...why couldn't he have? Why'd I have to--act before I thought?"

Twilight leaned close, hugging Rainbow Dash tightly while the athlete sniffled. "Did you try convincing him to stop?"

"Yeah. Before---before he attacked me." Rainbow wiped her nose.

"Sometimes, there aren't other options. He was about to continue attacking your friends, he was refusing to stop. If you didn't stop him, Gilda and Spitfire could have died. Have...do they know?"

"G and S? Yeah. We...we haven't talked in a while."

"Talk to them again," Twilight urged. "They might be able to give you the help you need."

"Should...should I tell the gang? Sunset and Rarity and..."

"Maybe. I assume none of them know?"

"Fluttershy knows some things about Soarin, but...not all of it."

"You could start by talking to her. Filling her in."

"What if...what if..."

"You think they won't accept you?"

"Yeah! I killed--"

"Even if any of us could come up with an alternative, it would be years too late," Twilight pointed out. "Hindsight is weird that way. The only thing looking into the past can do is help us with the future."

"I...I don't know. I'm not sure...I...you're never here, so...telling you is different from telling them."

Twilight considered that. "Even so, that means you took the first step, right?"

"Yeah. I guess."

"Then that's good," Twilight answered.

"Hey...you've fought evil a lot, right?"

"Yes."

"Was there...anyone you met...who couldn't...be redeemed?"

Twilight was silent for a moment. "Yes," she said. "There were ponies and other creatures who were so opposed to the idea of friendship, that there was simply no way to bring them back to the good side. Most of them...are still alive, but..."

"But you've killed some?"

"King Sombra was the evil tyrant who ruled the Crystal Empire in days long past. He kept his people enslaved in brutal fashion. Between his power, and his temperament, we never even had the option."

"And you killed him?"

"Pretty much," Twilight answered. "Even if the fame went to somepony else, and I didn't directly do the final blow, I still think about it sometimes. That...I could have spared him. Redeemed him, somehow." She shuddered. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't lose sleep at night. I do. I lose it over him, and over the others, like Chrysalis and Tirek, whom I might still be able to save. But for those who've already gone..."

Twilight reached over and tapped Rainbow Dash's chest. "Remember them, in here," she said. "They deserve that much, at least."

Rainbow Dash clenched a fist over her chest, and nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. And Rainbow? Remember: It'll be okay."

"I'll try to remember that."

Twilight stood up. "If you ever need to talk to someone--or some pony--you can always pop over to my place. Okay?"

"Got it. I...I might take you up on that."

Twilight smiled, then slipped around the statue and disappeared through the portal.

Rainbow Dash let out a sigh, then stood up. She felt...lighter? Talking to someone--anyone--had helped. Kind of. Maybe?

She wasn't sure. There were a couple of things she was sure about, though, and she needed to deal with them.

She hesitated, watching the setting sun. "Crap," she muttered. Well, most of them would wait until tomorrow.

One thing, however, she needed to handle quickly. Thunder Lane's choice of comparisons might be a lot more spot on than he would have thought...

---

It was almost dark by the time she got to Lyra's and Bon-Bon's apartment. Their respective parents were, as they said, 'abroad', so the two of them lived in an apartment in Canterlot. They had for a considerable length of time--it was just before Sunset enrolled at CHS, but, from what Rainbow knew, after Sunset had arrived in the human world.

Lyra's or Bon-Bon's parents could have confused things, but they'd need to be told sooner or later anyway, if Rainbow Dash was right.

Rainbow Dash knocked on the door, standing for a minute while she vaguely heard talking going on inside.

The door opened after a minute, and relief instantly shone on Bon-Bon's face as she looked at Rainbow Dash. "Hi, R.D." she said. "Uh--everything alright?" She looked behind Rainbow Dash, checking for any thugs that might be waiting to ambush her.

"No. Yes! Ugh." Rainbow rubbed her face. "You know how the other Rainbooms and I stopped the evil magic things going on?"

"Yes?" Bon-Bon said in a concerned and somewhat questioning tone.

"It's kinda sorta related to that. I need to talk to Lyra."

A flash of fear shone briefly on Bon-Bon's face. "Oh, um, well, she's out, but everything's normal with her," she said, in a surprisingly convincing tone.

Rainbow sniffed, closing her eyes. On top of the normal house smells, she caught the scent of something that didn't quite belong. The same strange scent she'd caught on Lyra earlier, and that she'd caught on Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah, she's here," Rainbow said. "Bon-Bon, I know. Things are weird. You have no idea what's going on. But I can help, if you just let me in." For good measure, she let the wolf out just the tiniest little bit.

Bon-Bon, to her immense credit, didn't flinch as Rainbow's eyes turned to a fierce golden yellow, and the pupils narrowed. "She's not the only one who's gone through this," Rainbow said quietly.

"That's not--" Bon-Bon hesitated. "Come in," she said. She stepped away from the door, letting Rainbow Dash in.

Comments

[Pete100]

11657147
I guess eating sunset does sound a little disgusting.

[Pete100]

"Lost his goddamn mind, more like," Rainbow growled. Her eyes took on a faint yellowish sheen. They did that every once in a while, but no one had noticed. "He wanted me to become 'better than human'. Stronger, faster, all that jazz. Went off on a tangent or two about making everyone in the world stronger. And...that those who didn't survive the change...well, they just weren't cut out for it, y'know?"

So similar to when sunset shimmer put on the crown?

"Sometimes, there aren't other options. He was about to continue attacking your friends, he was refusing to stop. If you didn't stop him, Gilda and Spitfire could have died. Have...do they know?"

She’s not wrong.

One thing, however, she needed to handle quickly. Thunder Lane's choice of comparisons might be a lot more spot on than he would have thought...

What does she mean?

[J3sterking]

11657154
I wasn't intending a parallel between soarin and sunset, but less 'possession' and more 'driven mad', but thinking back, I actually really like it.
As for the last thing, read on my friend!