The Weeping Rook
The Pegasus on the hospital bed began to thrash weakly, trying to get away from the advancing Condottiero, who merely waited until the Element of Loyalty had exhausted herself. A tear rolled down Rainbow Dash’s face as she gazed into the unsmiling face of Tarantella Allegretta, who stood with drawn steel in hoof. After all this, she was just going to kill her? Nothing else, no trial, no verdict, nothing? This wasn’t fair, it couldn’t be the end…but maybe it was, and it was what she deserved. She had seen the way the doctors had looked at her. They were afraid of her, they hated her, and Rainbow was almost sure that if they were not on orders from Twilight, they would have left her to die. Of course they had sworn an oath to do no harm, but that didn’t mean they had to offer help. And now, this Pegasus was going to kill her. Quickly, she dried her eyes, set her face, and prepared herself for death.
Tarantella nodded appreciatively. “You are very brave, to accept death so quickly. But it will not come for you today. I am using this for my protection only. I was told I might need it.” She tilted her head curiously. “Do you know who I am, Rainbow Dash?”
The cyan mare shook her head. It took some effort. Inhaling, she spoke a single word. “No.”
“My name is Condottiero Tarantella Allegretta, of the Fiato Danzatori. And I wish to know if you are here to kill Twilight.”
That got a reaction from the Pegasus. Her body arched up out of the bed, and if it were not for her weakened state, she would have been across the room, hooves at Tara’s throat in moments. But in her weakened state, all that was achieved was a strangled growl and a few inches of lift before Rainbow Dash collapsed on the bed, gasping in pain. A few spots of red appeared on her bandages, and Tarantella waited calmly for the Pegasus to subside. The stasis crystal over her bed flickered. Normally orderlies would have been in the room to check on her, but Tarantella had seen them distracted by two of Silent Shield’s hoof-picked lieutenants. She had time to listen to Rainbow Dash, and hear what she had to say.
“This is why I chose to speak to you now. You are impulsive, brash, and a threat to the safety of every pony, Gryphon, Minotaur, and Changeling in this castle. You blazed a trail of blood and fear and death for four years after your friend disappeared into the Everfree. Not once have our analysts been able to discover why. And now I wish to know.”
Though it pained her, Rainbow Dash had found her voice. “You bitch! I’ll beat your head into a bucking wall!” Her threats were heard by nopony. The room was soundproofed.
Tarantella approached the bed, within reach of Rainbow Dash. “You lack the necessary strength, and to be honest, I cannot fathom why you seem to hate me so. I have never wronged you personally, I know that for certain. We have never met.”
The Pegasus was having none of it. “I swear to Celestia, once I get out of here I’m going to destroy every one of you! And I’ll make sure Twilight goes last, so you can feel what it’s like! You won’t-“
The blade appeared in Tarantella’s hoof and was at Rainbow’s throat quickly enough that it made a whistling noise as it parted the air. “Lay one hoof on her, and I will personally carve your heart from your chest and feed it to you.” Not missing a beat, she sheathed her weapon again. “Why. Why are you so bent on making me suffer? What do your friends know about me that I do not? I have done nothing but show you kindness, Rainbow Dash. Why do you hate me?”
The fire suddenly faded from Rainbow Dash. In its place was a broken shell of a mare, not just defeated but ground into dust so thoroughly that it might as well not have been a pony at all. She looked Tarantella in the eye. “You really don’t know, do you? You have no idea.”
Tarantella shook her head gently. “What have I done? Why did you, of all of Twilight’s friends, decide to make it your mission to hurt her?”
“Stormchaser. Stormchaser was the reason. You took her from me, when you took Twilight from Canterlot.”
The Condottiero sat down, confused. “Are you saying I took a love from you? I remember no such thing.”
Rainbow Dash began to speak. At first, it was halting and grating, as if the words hurt to spoke. As she continued, however, she grew in strength and confidence.
“Her name was Stormchaser. She was born in a small town outside of Fillydelphia, to a mother who sold flowers and a father who was a carpenter. Their names were Lily and Cedar. She grew up as an only child, but she had a twin brother who died the day after they both were born. If he had lived, the parents had planned to name him Granite, after his grandfather. In case you were wondering, her parents were both Earth ponies. Their line is pretty much all Earth ponies, as far back as five generations. She was going to be called Sandalwood, but when her parents found out she was a Pegasus, they decided to name her after the last Pegasus in their family, who was also called Stormchaser.”
She took a breath, coughing a little. Tarantella took a glass of water from the bed and lifted it to her lips gently. The Pegasi took small sips, to avoid choking. Refreshed, she sat back and continued.
“She got her Cutie Mark right after she learned how to fly. A storm got away from some of the weather ponies, and she chased it down and tapped the exact right spot to break it up before it hit town. Her parents were so proud of her, flying strong at such a young age.”
Tarantella spoke up. “That truly is admirable. I was not able to fly so until I had been flying for several years.”
Rainbow Dash nodded. “She belonged in the sky. But she didn’t just fly. She liked to sing, and she was pretty good at it, too. Not Los Pegasus material, but I liked to listen when she got in the mood. Neither of us could cook, so we ended up eating out a lot.” She chuckled. “I remember trying to surprise her for her birthday with her favorite home cooked meal. I had no idea I could burn Nova pepper soup to a black crisp, but there you go. We ended up going to a nearby greasy spoon. It was one of our best nights together.”
She continued. “She was so…graceful, I think is the word, in the air. Me, I’m fast and precise, a real hard-hitter. But she was beautiful when she flew, even if she was sometimes a bit clumsy with four hooves on the ground. I know that feeling pretty well. Loyal to a fault, always promoting one thing or another. I think that might have been why she joined the Corps.”
Tarantella was beginning to understand, but Rainbow Dash was talking still, as if she wasn’t even there anymore. And it was such a change from the monster they had all thought her to be, that Tarantella could not bring herself to interrupt. “She always said she joined because there was nothing left for her in that town once her parents were both dead. Life out on the plains is pretty short, and her parents worked hard. And, I think she wanted to help ponies, to make sure that the sort of hardships her town went through with the tornadoes and storms wouldn’t happen to others. The Air Corps offered the best chance for her.”
The door creaked open, and one of the Guards stuck his head in. “Just checking on you both, Consort. We’re outside if you need us.” It swung closed once more, and Rainbow Dash continued.
“She joined a Recon group for the speed and competition. It turned out she was a natural, and she ended up on a stunt team in the Corps. Since I did a few freelance stunts back then, it was only a matter of time before we met and hit it off. Same age, same interests, and I’d worked out after the Royal Wedding that stallions weren’t really my ‘speed’, if you know what I mean. We met after more and more shows, trading stories or getting drinks, and before you knew it we were both going steady, and I had never been happier.”
Tarantella knew that feeling well. She had experienced it right before she had visited Canterlot.
“Normally you’d expect a pair like us to butt heads, and we had a few fights, but we actually got along pretty well. It was awesome for two years, and then I decided that I wanted to spend my life with her. I got up the courage, and popped the question at one of the Summer Sun Celebrations, right as the sun set on the last night. And when she said yes, I lost it. I started crying I was so happy, and for the rest of the night she wore the necklace I gave her proudly. But there was a caveat. She wanted to postpone the engagement until she could quit the Corps.”
Rainbow Dash smiled fondly at this. “That was so her, right there. She was able to rein me back and get me to think things through. She was a planner. It sucked when we had to split because of a patrol or exercise. Her contract was up in a year, she said. One year and she’d be out with a nice separation bonus and ready to retire. We wanted to start up our own team, better than the Wonderbolts or any other stunt group. And then we’d open a flight school. We both loved the sky, and we wanted to share that with as many Pegasi as we could.”
Her face darkened. “And then, a few months later, one of my best friends goes crazy and kills the colt she’s been seeing for months, absolutely shocking us all and ending her almost literal fairy tale romance. She takes off north after setting her library on fire, destroying half the town, and knocking me unconscious when I tried to talk to her. But you know about that already. You met her up north, didn’t you? And you two fell in love.”
Tarantella nodded. “That’s right.”
Rainbow Dash sighed. “I don’t think she realizes the panic she caused, even today. The most powerful spellcaster ever had gone insane and killed the colt she loved. All of Equestria’s armed forces were mobilized that night. Stormchaser got called back to Canterlot, and I went after Twilight with my friends, because I’m loyal and I wanted my friend back. And you know what? After we caught her, I had doubts. It felt wrong, it didn’t sit right with me, but the Princess convinced me it was for Twilight’s own good. And when Twilight, our Twi, came back to us, it looked like we might actually get our happy ending.”
Tarantella knew what was coming next, but it did not make it any easier to hear.
Rainbow Dash’s voice became weak again, this time from tears. Four years later, and it still hurt. “At the ceremony, Twilight took Luna’s power and knocked out Celestia. I was horrified. I thought that she had panicked and tried to use magic to defend herself. She was a nervous wreck leading up to the ceremony. I flew as fast as I could, hoping to reach her, to calm her down and get her to stop, but she did something to the Elements. And I realized that she had been in the right all along. I was so stunned, that I couldn’t even move. I just landed on the nearest wall and curled up, trying to figure it all out. I didn’t even notice when she had gone. The Guards found me there two hours later, and then I heard what had happened to Stormchaser. It was one of her teammates that identified who had done it.”
Tarantella finally understood. “Me.”
Rainbow Dash nodded. “You.” She started to cry. “They brought her body back. They had cleaned her off and sewn her up. She almost looked like she was sleeping. I cried for the rest of the night, there by her side, and when she was buried the next day I hadn’t left her once. It was pointless. I had no direction, no purpose. I’d lost my Other Wing. And it was there that Celestia found me, still crying, even after all my friends had tried and failed to get me away from that little patch of dirt.”
Her voice got stronger. “She told me that she could help me, that I could stop the war and stop the killing if I wanted to work with her. What was I supposed to do? A day later I was in Cloudsdale, and after that, I began to train with my Element. It was your face on every weighted bag, every target, every sparring partner I faced. I wanted Twilight to face justice for her crimes, sure. But I wanted you, Tarantella. I wanted you to hurt like I had to, and I wanted to know that I was the one who had made it that way. I waited for four years.”
Tarantella ended the story. “And here we sit. You helpless, a clear threat to my lover, wanting to kill me. Any sane pony would drive this dagger of mine through your head and kill you now. But there has been enough bloodshed. And I think you should know how and why Stormchaser died.”
Rainbow Dash sat back in her pillows and listened as Tarantella spoke. “When we were ambushed outside of Canterlot, I watched my friends and family, ponies I had grown up with and fought beside, killed and captured as we fought to escape. In the end, out of thirty ponies, nine remained. Myself, one of my cousins, and seven other brave fighters. My uncle lay dead with a pike through his throat, and we could not grieve or else we would be discovered. It was then that Luna herself appeared to us, and spoke of how we had needed to play our parts perfectly. And we had.”
Tara’s hoof tightened. “Oh, you have not seen such rage in your life. My cousin was inconsolable. We cursed her bitterly for what she had done, until she revealed that what she had planned would result in freedom, for ponies everywhere, at the cost of her own freedom. But she needed us to help. They looked to me. I was their leader, and my decision was theirs. And I went back. For Twilight. Because I loved her and believed in her, and because she needed me.”
This time it was Tara who drank. “For three days, I waited and bided my time. We took shelter with some ponies in Luna’s service, who called themselves the Order of The Crescent Moon. We work with them still today. And on the third day, we went to the arena and waited for my Other Wing, and though I could see she did not recognize me, I could not help but smile and throw her a rose. I watched with pride and fear as she was welcomed back into Celestia’s service, and as she took control of her life again. I watched you try and stop her, and once she disappeared, we circled above the city and waited.”
Tarantella leaned back against the wall. “She was not hard to find. Spike is easy to spot, and sure enough, the city had noticed. Pegasi swarmed from its towers, and soon ten times our number were in pursuit. But we had the advantage, and we hit them from behind. Many of our techniques are non-lethal, but at that height, any fall is lethal. We tore them to shreds and drove many of them away. Except for your Wing, Rainbow. She stayed persistent, and when we tried to stop her, she reunited my cousin with her father. I dropped on top of her, and met her in combat above the trees of the valley below Canterlot.”
She remembered it very clearly now. “She fought like a wildcat, her dagger nearly taking my life three times in the space of a minute as we fought for altitude and that perfect shot. But we were both sinking lower, and soon we were barely skimming the tops of the trees. I knew then that if I did not win, and soon, odds were good I would never see my love again. So, I did what I had to. I had tried to tangle her in the trees, but she was too wily by far. My rope was gone, and we were fighting knife to knife. It was her or me, and when I saw an opening, I took it. I clipped her wing, and when she spun, I took her near the head.”
Rainbow Dash flinched. “Don’t tell me that.”
Tarantella pressed forward. “She died painlessly and instantly. I know. It is how we release those who are badly hurt in battle up north. And she died like a true warrior, Rainbow Dash. Never doubt that. She died doing her duty, and for this I remember her. As I rejoined my fighters, I saw one solitary Pegasus, keeping a distance, watching the fight. Her flying partner, no doubt. When he saw me rise alone, I watched him peel away to Canterlot. His heart was broken as well, I think. She was well-liked, wasn’t she?”
Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah. She was.”
Tarantella met her eyes. “You know that no amount of death can redeem a life. Death begets death, and revenge cannot bring her back. I know your pain. I have lost those close to me, and I have suffered for it. But no matter what we do, we cannot bring the dead back. I have thought on it for a long time. Should you wish to speak to me about this again, or need somepony to cry with you, call on me. I will be there for you.”
Rainbow Dash was silent. As Tarantella turned to leave, however, she spoke. “Tarantella, we will never be friends. We’re not confidants, I don’t want anything more to do with you. But I can’t bring myself to kill. Not you, not Twilight, nopony else. I’ve caused enough death. Tell Twilight when you see her that I won’t do anything to stop her.”
Tarantella simply nodded and closed the door behind her, leaving the Pegasus to rest. Because the room was soundproofed, she could not hear when the Pegasus began to cry. It was so soft that she could not have heard it from the doorway. The Pegasus in that room didn’t want anypony else close to her to die. All she wanted was for Stormchaser to come back. That’s all.
In the vault of the Regia, sealed inside a case of stone and iron, the Element of Magic, hardly recognizable, began its final stage of decay. The stone, the beautiful star set in it, detached itself completely, cracking in two as it hit the floor of the container. One half shattered into a thousand pieces, the other remaining miraculously intact. Three points were all that remained of the star. Chips began to flake away from it, however, as the Element degraded.
By the time three sunrises had passed, it, too, would be dust.
In another box in that same vault, the Element of Loyalty rumbled and shook. The red stone in its center gleamed with Power, and a stray spark skittered across it. It was very closely tuned to its Bearer, and with Celestia banished, it could be closer than ever. Twilight had thought that she would break Rainbow Dash’s Element through rage, like Applejack’s. But tonight was not a night where Rainbow Dash could hate. Tonight was a night for grief. And that would do just as well.
Stats
Page generated in 0.051 seconds
Total duration
959 users online
282,255 hits today, 2,004,447 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
And you all thought I was about to turn this fic into Cupcakes...
Whoa, if Stormchaser wasn't there and thus didn't die, Rainbow Dash might have defected? Crazy.
2263322
I didn't.
That was beautiful.
i310.photobucket.com/albums/kk429/YawnSighGasp/Reaction%20gifs/tumblr_lpdjgn9xK71qiea0v.gif
So I guess that means another Element is free and RD is now a Wielder.
I cried
Death may beget death. But is that such a bad thing?
Few people realize how sweet it is too hold a life in your hands and watch as they accept their death, and are reaped in a black harvest.
Pacifists think that peace is the default of life. It is not. Chaos and disorder are the how life is. Death and life must remain in a dance with one-another. Forever equal. Forever fighting for the advantage. Harmony and chaos are like this. If one were too gain an advantage, it will just as swiftly disappear.
this is so sad, its really depressing me!
hurry up and write more so we can atleast end some of this trauma please!!
yes, this chapter pleases me immensely. please put up another soon mister/misses writer person!
2263616
I disagree. While peace may not be possible, it does not make the alternatives preferable. There is more than enough chaos and disorder as it is without anyone causing an iota more of it.
While this may make for an excellent story, it also makes me sad.. For the sake of an impossible unreality that we could call wrongness in the world (suppressing everyone's individuality for the sake of "peace"), Celestia is sacrificing everything she had claimed to be working for. I think this story is deeply in need of an alternate universe tag.
I feel bad for Rainbow Dash... yet I don't want Tarantella to die. Yet does RD not deserve something? But blood only brings more blood.
I loved the character development in this chapter!
Amazing as always love a dash of sad
I have the feeling, in the end of Dusk, Twilight´s element will be reforged and she will be Celestia´s faithful student once more. And It will be up to the Weilders and the Everfree to free her form the Sun Goddess´ hooves. That would be quite the irony.
2263913
But don't you see, even if Tyrant was capable of suppressing the minds of her subjects, eventually, some strange creature will wander across the planet, and turn it into a ball of radioactive sludge. For no other purpose than that they can. Tyrant would always lose in the end, since eternity is a very long time, and a lot of things can happen in it.
Also, life without pain or suffering would be so bloody menial that I would probably suicide just to end the stupid monotony. Tyrant is misguided by her sense that this would be a good thing.
Things are going well!
Soon, the Wielders shall unite, and the Tyrant will fall.
Awaiting further releases.
2263913
L&W is already set in an alternate universe (Twi doesn't grow wings). Seeing as DDG is a sequel to L&W, it sort of inherits the AU tag by default.
If DDG had the AU tag too, then it would mean (at least for me) that something fundamental had been changed in the story (compared to its prequel).
I don't understand Rainbow Dash.
Not that I think your rationalisation or characterisation is wrong, I just don't empathise with her viewpoint at all. Revenge was never a thing for me.
Funny that even in such a radically different atmosphere from the show, RD is still my least favourite pony.
2264795
My theory is, Discord counts with that. Order has, so far, pushed her plate on the balance so heavily that, either she fails and causes a pendulum effect in favor of Chaos, or the balance itself crush allowing him to run unrestricted.
great chapter!
I was so thinking about this encounter all last chapter. WELL DONE!
I need chapter 42 D:
2263322
you'd like to think we thought that wouldn't you
in any case, the encounter turned out, more or less, how i wanted it to turn out.
luna knows i would've liked to see a BIT of combat...but that's just me and my bloodlust
but i also wanted an encounter where the two of them explained what had happened, why it happened, and sort things out at last
so basically......the chapter didn't dissapoint
If only stormchaser let this one storm go, a lot of ponies wouldn't have died under dashes hoof. Sometimes its better to hold back.
>we ended up eating out a lot
Hawt
So Twilight has all the elements, except for one. The one crown to rule them all if you will. I don't like the look of this, But I say that every chapter.
5158036
Twilight has the crown. That's how she knows it's degrading and the fact that the Element of Loyalty was captured and is in a vault that contains the crown.
In the vault of the Regia, sealed inside a case of stone and iron, the Element of Magic
In another box in that same vault, the Element of Loyalty
Those last two are quotes, unfortunately the spoiler tag doesn't work for them.
And now at last... Harmony truly lies Broken.
6834938
Actually, Harmony is now Freed. What Celestia did to its Power was monstrous; it was never hers to control.