Nocturnal Rainbows
"I don't know what to do..."
The words seemed to echo around her. Rainbow Dash couldn't tell if she was repeating the phrase over and over again, or that voice in her head had returned, mocking her with her own words as she watched calamity unfold. She was deaf to any sound. Not a single pitch, word or hum breaking through to her as she looked on absolute defeat, at the city she called snared in the embrace of sorcery.
Far below, ponies dotted the streets, brought to their knees as the magic surge seemed to drain their life force from them, but Rainbow Dash couldn't do anything to stop it. Slowly, she drifted forward through the air as she took in the sight with a numb mind. She had only barely gotten out herself. Who knows what might have happened if she hadn't, what those ponies below knew.
She didn't know how long she'd hovered there, despite the ache in her wings from whatever had triggered the event. Had it only been a few seconds? An hour. She couldn't tell, all she could consider, the only thought that dominated her mind, was that she had been the cause of it all. If she'd never listened Armor, if she had just let go like Princess Luna, her teacher, had said, none of this would have happened. 'Not the city, not Scootaloo, not Fluttershy, none of it.'
She was on vaguely aware of the hooves on her shoulder shaking her as a stallion screamed at her in desperation. She couldn't even make out his words, but she could see the helplessness in his eyes. The wild look in his bloodshot eyes, accompanied by helpless plea for orders, for direction, for... something. Anything.
She slowly dropped her eyes down, far down below to the Everfree Forest. Perhaps she should just fly back down there, and hide amidst the trees of shrubs until this was all over. She could easily say she had been too weak, too afraid to fight, to help. No-pony would blame her, not after all she'd been through. Maybe the Princesses would win the night, somehow. Maybe they had already stopped Twilight, and this was just one last parting gift from the witch.
The thoughts of doubt spun round and around in her mind as her eyes began to flutter closed. She was so tired, so numb to everything, that she didn't think she would ever feel again.
That is, until a hoof came rocketing across the left side of her face and her darkening vision instantly flashed red. She whipped back, nearly tumbling out of the air as the surprise blow cracked against the side of her jaw and hot blood poured out of her nose. The pain snapped her back to her senses as she looked up and saw Ironworks staring at her, teeth barred in an inaudible growl. Her eyes widened when she saw his hoof was tucked back in preparation to loose another blow. His muscles tensed, launching his leg forward in a blow that would have made Rainbow Dash go cross-eyed, had she not fallen backwards and let the wide-hook sail harmlessly over head. Her back legs spasmed in a pathetic attempt at a buck, merely pushing the frenzied stallion several feet away as she grabbed at her crushed snout.
"Wait, you maniac!" She gasped, leaning forward and pinching her nostrils to staunch the bleeding. The whole left half of her face throbbed in pain and she experimentally flexed her jaw to ensure it hadn't been broken by the heavy blow. Ironwork's helmet was gone, and he'd lost two of his sabatons, but not the one affixed to the hoof he clobbered her with. She felt like he'd dented her chin, and she felt an odd gap with her tongue at the point of impact. "You bucking idiot, I think you chipped one of my teeth!"
"Yeah, well you won't have to 'think' I did if you don't snap out of it right. Now!!" He screamed, already squaring up to her with a clenched hoof primed at his side.
"OK! OK, fine, just back off a sec!"
To her relief, he did. The monochrome stallion pulled back, at least, as stiffly as a pegasi could without falling out of the sky. He reached across his chest, gripping the clenched and shaking with it's opposite as if to stop himself from lashing out uncontrollably. His whole body trembled as he drew shaky breaths, trying to fall into a rhythm and slow his surging adrenaline. The pair were silent for several moments, as blood dripped down Rainbow Dash's chin and fell through the chilly air.
"Was that really, and I do mean really, necessary?" She finally said meeting her subordinates gaze with a flat expression. The stallion snorted brusquely, matching her glare with his own. "It absolutely was, ma'am. You gave me permission to do that a couple years back, and I'm not the type to shirk orders in the middle of a crisis." He said it smartly, but there was a grumble under the surface that Rainbow couldn't quite place.
Her hoof fell away from her face as she felt the blood flow slow to a trickle, and she considered returning his favor until a memory flashed through her mind. The stallion nodded with a smart-aleck look on his face that would have set her teeth grinding if the pressure didn't hurt like hell.
A few years back, she'd been part of a battle-simulation during a joint training between the Day and Night Guard. One Earth Pony had frozen up after getting hit b a wayward flash crystal that left him stunned for several minutes. Rainbow Dash, not one to lose, instead of flagging a referee or medic to pull him out of the war-game, resorted to slapping him back and forth across the face until he could repeat back his name, rank, and the "mission" they were supposed to complete.
Real life isn't a war-game, you bunch of flat-hoofed fillies.' She'd yelled at the concerned group who had paused to watch her "resuscitate" their fellow guard. 'If somepony gets the snot beat out of them in the field, but are still capable of moving, then damn-it you better get them moving! I would expect any of you to do the same thing for me. There's no referee when a fight comes down to life-or-death.'
Ironworks had been there that day, and though their group failed the objective, everypony present remembered well the "teachable" moment the Commander had instilled in them. Whether for better or worse was determined by each pony, but evidently Ironworks took it to heart.
"Fine, fine." She yelled again, turning away. The stallion's glare faded as he turned his eyes back towards Canterlot. He shook his head slowly, ash-colored mane loosely flapping in the wind as he looked on in consternation. "This is bad, ma'am." He muttered.
Rainbow Dash nodded sullenly, as hovered shoulder with him. "I know. I'm sorry for dragging you into this."
He snorted, still not taking his eyes off the city. "Are you kidding, you literally slapped me out of it. Least I could do is return the favor." He said, trying to earn even a snicker, but to no avail. They hung silently in the for a few moments, until Rainbow couldn't stand it anymore.
"Come on, we gotta try to get eyes on somepony, anypony." She stuck her still throbbing chin out, trying to at least confident in front of her subordinate. Her eyes traced around the south part of the city, looking for anypony not catatonic in the street. "Did you at least see anything before I slammed into you?"
Ironworks paused in thought as Rainbow kept scanning the streets. Her eyes lingered in everypony she saw. Even from this distance, she could tell some looked to be in intense pain, while a few others had either been knocked unconscious, or worse. Thankfully there were only a handful she could see throughout the scattered streets. Princess Luna's magic was powerful, and the spell she used sent out a soft memetic, akin to a distraction spell, that would keep ponies from leaving their homes, and keeping them asleep. Still, It pained her to see that everyday ponies were caught up in that damned Sparkle's traps too.
"Commander, I remember something." Ironworks finally said. He flew a bit higher, angling to the southeast part of the city. He pointed with one hoof towards a large warehouse that was only five or six blocks from where they had been, but Rainbow Dash had already spotted the odd glowing building. Despite the massive glow consuming the city, she was surprised she hadn't seen it earlier. Even with hundreds of thousands of strange sparks and odd tentacle-like appendages floating in the air, the building glowed with an odd hue of magics that made it stand out from everything near it.
"I thought I spotted something, but didn't get a good look in time, but I think this all started from there." He said, pointing towards the warehouse. Rainbow Dash nodded silently, her eyes instantly scanning the streets around the area for activity. It was hard to see anything. The flickering lights and odd magic sent shadows all over the place, even creating multiple shadows depending on how the sparks shifted. It was dizzying to follow, but just two blocks to the west of the glowing warehouse, Rainbow laid eyes on somepony.
"There!" She yelled, wings blurring as moved accordingly and took higher to the air for better reconnaissance. Ironworks fell in behind her, following her gaze. A pony had emerged from an alleyway and was bolting straight west towards the city-center. Their features were obscured, hidden behind a heavy cloak, but Rainbow Dash recognized the garment and a growl erupted from her throat.
"Sparkle!" She howled, tunnel vision clouding her gaze as she bolted towards the fleeing mare. "Hey, wait. Commander!" Ironworks yelled after her, but Rainbow barely heard him. She could see the lone mare running through the streets. With all the lights in the sky, Rainbow could drop on her like a ton of bricks. Her vision narrowed on the unicorn as she dove faster and faster, oblivious to the danger fast approaching.
As she neared the purple barrier, a cloud of sparks broke as one of the magical tendrils surged towards her. She barely saw it before it grabbed her, stretching through the dome and wrapping tightly around one leg. As soon as it made contact with he, the entire limb went numb, as if it had fallen asleep. She tried to pull back, but the tendril began reeling her back into the dome. "Let me go, damn it!" She screamed with futility. An aura of magic began to flow out of her wings as that same feeling surrounded her. One again, her wings felt heavy as iron. Like gravity had doubled it's pull. She kicked and fought desperately but it was no use, the magic was pulling her back in. "Ironworks, help!"
The stallion appeared instantly, diving into a kick just before Rainbow Dash hit the barrier. He struck the tendril, but it was like punching a cloud. Part of the tendril dissipated into sparks, only to reform around his hoof. He yelped, finding himself stuck and pulled back as hard as he could. His chest grew hot with exertion as he finally pulled free, instantly spinning to grab Rainbow as well.
"Give me back my Commander!" He yelled, rushing forward to deliver a swift kick to the bizarre "head" before grabbing Rainbow Dash by her front hooves and pulling back as hard as he could. As soon as he grabbed onto Rainbow Dash, the limb suddenly pulled back, falling free of her leg as the pair launched back in surprise.
Steadying themselves, they looked to each other in confusion. "What the hay happened?" She yelled, shaking her hooves and trying to rid herself of the tingle. The magical limb retraced back into the dome, though several more hovered nearby, ready to continue pulling her in of she got too close.
"I have no idea, but are you really going to complain?" He panted, watching below with a wary eye. "Looks like we're not getting back in very easily."
"No kidding." She said, finally getting feeling back in the foreleg. "Why didn't it grab you too? You didn't start getting the life sucked out of you?" Her eyes flicked to the tentacles and back to Ironworks, before scanning the streets for her nemesis once more. The stallion only threw his hooves wide in an exaggerated shrug.
"Hell if I know, I'm just glad we got you out." He paused for a moment, quirking his head in thought. "It did let you go awfully easy once I grabbed on, though." Rainbow Dash didn't respond, cursing as she searched the city to no avail. "Damn it! How could we lose her so fast?" Just as the words passed her lips, she saw Twilight sprint around a corner, still heading in the same direction as before.
"Wait, there she is, she's heading north now!" Ironworks spoke up beside her, pointing several blocks in the other direction from where Rainbow Dash looked. Confused, she followed his hoof and clear as day there was another pony galloping away in the same cloak. "What!?" Rainbow yelled, looking back and forth between the two. She gazed closer, and saw just a hint of a multi-colored purple mane and a horn glint under the light.
"Is this a trick or something?" Ironworks yelled. "She came into the city through tunnels in the mountain, is she trying to escape?" Rainbow shook her head. That couldn't be it. Sparkle was no coward. Dirty fighter, cheater, and menace, but cowardice didn't fit. Still, Rainbow couldn't think where she was heading, or why there were two Twilights. For a diversion? Going north still meant nothing, all that was up there were the Nobles district and...
Blood drained from Rainbows face and her breath went cold, a horrid feeling like frozen talons gripping her heart sent needles into every part of her. Her breath became ragged, almost suffocating as she forced the words aloud. "The hospital." She gasped out. "She's going towards the hospital. Fluttershy!" She screamed. Ironworks tackled her into a hug just as Rainbow nearly tried to dive into the barrier again.
"Wait, Wait!" He said, trying to hold the struggling pegasus back. She was nearly deaf to his words, fighting back tears as she watched the unicorn run faster and faster down the winding streets. She let out a horrible whine as Ironworks hauled her higher into the air, the armored stallion using his leverage to keep her from dragging him forward. Her vision narrowing on the fleeing unicorn. She stopped fighting her fellow guard, instead gripped the air tightly in front of her with her hooves, as if she could squeeze the pony from the distance and crush her into paste. It was futile, but Rainbow didn't have any other option. She could only watch helplessly as Sparkle ran away.
'There's only one reason she would go back. She won't leave any witnesses behind, she's know Fluttershy lived because we told her.' Her vision was pure red as her teeth ground together in a squeal, the ache in her jaw long forgotten. "We have to do something, she's going to kill Fluttershy!" It all seemed above her, and yet below her at the same time. A dizzying surge of thoughts, tactics, plans, emergency directives, and safeguards flooded her mind to no avail.
"Wait. Safeguard..." Rainbow whipped her head towards Ironworks' armor. The aquamarine gem nestled into the metal plated hung were it should, but Rainbow leaned closer and placed a hoof onto the star. Despite the cold air, the piece felt warm. Just mild enough to be noticeable. She gasped, pulling stallion closer and putting her ear against his armor.
"Hey, excuse me commander!" The Stallion jumped, trying to push her away. His hooves were slapped down as Rainbow Dash shushed him, closing her eyes and concentration. 'Come one, come on...' For a moment, all she could hear was the slow breaths of the stallion and her own heartbeat hammering in her chest. Slowly though, she began to feel rather than hear, the soft stirring of magic within the gem. It was faint, but her suspicion was correct.
"The Safeguard has been activated." She said, earning a uncertain glance from Ironworks.
"How the hay do you know? I thought no-pony even knows what that thing does."
"It doesn't matter, just trust me." She said with a huff, eyeing the magical sparks and tendrils idly floating below them. "When you pulled me free earlier, that thing didn't pay attention to you, right? While it hasn't been fully activated, I think the Safeguard might be protecting you from being noticed by whatever-the-hay Sparkle did. So long as we don't run into those weird tentacles, we might be OK."
"Wait, what do you mean 'we.'" He retorted, eyeing her warily. "Don't tell me your suggesting-"
"I will tell you, damn it! I'm your Commander, now listen to me for a sec." The stallion clenched his hoof, deciding whether to argue or just try hitting her again, but decided against it as he motioned her to continue. Her mouth was dry, even as she ran her tongue over chapped lips, as her eyes kept tracking the sprinting unicorn. "If we hold close, the magic in your armor might protect me from those things as well. If we stay close, then we might not get the life sucked out of us, and we can try to stop her."
"And what if you're wrong? How do you know you won't get pulled in by those things again?"
"I don't, but what else can I do?!" She screamed, trying to hold back heavy breaths and the tears which would follow. "If I do nothing, she might kill Fluttershy, if I try and fail, she might still kill Fluttershy, but if this works than we at least have a chance' to save my friend. Even if I get attacked, then you could be the difference between her survival, or..." Rainbow trailed off, biting back the horrid thought of what Twilight may do.
Ironworks jaw pulled tight as she stared at him with those pleading eyed. Finally, he threw his hooves up. "Fine, but this better work. I'm not gonna be the one to tell the Princess that I got her student killed cause of some half-cocked plan." She let out a heavy breath as his eyes scanned the barrier ceiling, being especially mindful of the ominous pseudo pod-like arms waiting just below the surface.
"Thank you." She muttered, wiping at her eyes for the second time that night. "OK, just trust me." She drew herself up, a steely look filling her eye. She loosened the straps around the breastplate, sliding one hoof under and joining the pair at the shoulder. "Gimme one of your shoes." She said hurriedly, ignoring the questioning look he gave her as he loosened one of his remaining shoes and she slipped it over her other leg, holding the wrapped hoof against the blue gem. She didn't feel anything, no magical hum or pulse that usually accompanies an active magical artifact, but she was prepared to take the risk.
"Move a bit more south, back the way we came. We're gonna full dive in, and once we're through we'll go from there." The stallion nodded, the pair readying themselves as they drifted away from the still waiting magical arms below. The limbs didn't follow, seemingly only attracted within a certain range, but Rainbow prayed that the Safeguard was helping. After moving some distance away, the pair drew deep breaths, before nodding together and plummeting through the air as one.
A rainbow trailed followed them as Rainbow and Ironworks flapped in tandem to keep their wings from colliding, rocketing straight down and punching through the dome. Instantly, the sound of ten-thousands ringing chimes picked up in the air around them, and a deep hum that seemed to rise up from the ground. They scanned all around them, eyes tracking any of the tendrils that might have been approaching, but were relived to see none moving towards them. Their eyes met in silent agreement, and the pair continued rocketing straight towards the ground as the paved street quickly approached. The pair slowed, flaring their wings to landing quickly and muffle their steps. They were at the edge of the warehouse district, flanked by villas and homes near the city's highway entrance. Twilight was out of sight, but Rainbow knew it would only take a moment to catch up.
She pulled her leg free and released her hold on his stone, still watching the skies just in case those tendrils starting rushing in again. Nothing happened though, and still the tendrils still floated ominously in the distance, far away from them. "Come on!" She yelled as loud as she dared, grabbing her compatriot as they sprinted down the way.
Houses rushed by as they ran, the opposite way Twilight was running, but Rainbow knew the alleys and side streets far better than Twilight. 'Just a quick detour, and we might even beat her there just hoofing it.' A corner appeared not far, a little byway called "Ivory Lane" that housed a few older shops from decades previous, but the perfect route for them to head Sparkle off. "Come on!" She called, and Ironworks fell in right behind her as she rounded the corner and was greeted by two dark orbs that swallowed her up as she ran.
"Wait"
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash was on her hooves standing in the middle of a plaza. She stared forward for a moment, blinking blinking slowly as a mass of purple and blue light suddenly appeared in front of her. She stumbled to the side, the memory of running forcing her idle legs into motions as suddenly, as she tried to squint past the sudden flare. Through bleary eyes she tried to understand where she was. Where decadent villas and smooth stone roads had been, now she was standing in a wide street, cobblestone beneath her hooves and long, square buildings in varying lengths and widths surrounding her on every side.
"What?" She spun in place, quickly finding a similarly disoriented Ironworks right behind her. The stallion stared idly forward as he slowly blinked, like a pony trying to figure out if they were awake or still dreaming. A feeling Rainbow Dash could relate to, as she spun in confusion, finally focusing on the luminous building in front of her. Her eyes went wide as she realized what she was looking at. "How in the He-"
THOOOM!
Rainbow Dash whipped back as a massive explosion shook the building in front of her. She was standing in front of the massive glowing warehouse they had seen before. The same warehouse that was now erupting in an explosion of light, sound, and shrapnel.
"Get down!" She screamed, diving to the side as bits of metal tore through the air around her. Ironworks reacted far slower, still sluggish where he stood, but she could hear his armor repel several pieces of debris even as he threw himself to the ground. Large sections of metal, wood, and stone filled the air around them, raining down in a fiery hail of rubble. Rainbow curled into a ball, protecting her head and core and only praying that a large enough chunk of building didn't smash her flat where she lay.
Slowly, se could hear the flying junk tapper as gravity took it's hold on the heaviest objects. Rainbow peeked one eye out from behind her hooves to see a gaping hole in the side of one of the biggest buildings in the entire district. Glowing lights surrounded the area, but they didn't seize Rainbow's attention as much as the gold dome surrounding the entire city. A massive barrier, even more brilliant than the one Sparkle had caused, surrounded the entire mountain and city. 'No way...' She turned her head, casting her eyes about the sky. The soft purple barrier that had surrounded the city was gone, and now a brilliant gold light surrounded all of Canterlot.
"How the..." Rainbow's head spun as she tried to fathom what just happened. Somehow in the blink of an eye, they were three blocks west of where they had landed. She whirled towards Ironworks, the stallion now picking himself up off the ground. "Did you knock me out or something? How did we get here!?" The bewildered stallion looked at her helplessly, as still as his shadow and just as lost for words as she was.
As Rainbow turned back, she saw a large pile of debris shift not far in front of her. Something big had been launched out of the building with the explosion, and steam seemed to rise from the rubble. Something dark was half-buried, and with... wings?
"Princess Luna!" Rainbow Dash sprinted forward towards the crumpled Alicorn. Rainbow began throwing off the chunks of corrugated metal, plaster, and sheet rock as Ironworks joined in to help. Splotches of discoloration and what seemed to be burns ran along Luna's coat, and for a moment Rainbow thought she wasn't breathing. "No no no, come on!" She yelled, gripping Luna's neck and pulling the alicorn's head towards her. Luna let out a small, breathy moan and barely open, glazed eyes met Rainbow Dash's. "Princess, it's me. Rainbow Dash. Come on, you gotta wake up!" She yelled again, but Luna didn't seem to hear her student. The Alicorn's eyes lazily rolled high to glance at the moon while she took narrow breaths.
With a defeated sigh, Rainbow slowly rested Luna's head down again. 'She's alive, that's the most important thing. She's alive.' She stared to the north, knowing that Twilight was still heading towards Fluttershy. To say she was conflicted was an understatement, as fury built in her chest jut as much as the anxiety of leaving her teacher behind. A hoof rested on her shoulder, strong enough be firm, but gentle enough to be comforting.
"We gotta do something. We can't just leave her like this." she sad with a sigh, placing one of her cyan hooves on top of the dark indigo limb.
"It's alright, don't worry about her."
A soothing voice said beside her. "Why don't you go on ahead. We'll stay here with her."Words like honey poured into her ears, and she felt the uncertainty go out of her like a held breath. She looked up to see the stallion smiling down at her. The night was so cold, but his smile was so warm. "Go on now, your princess will be alright, but she is getting away. Follow after her, but wait for me once you get there, yes? We wouldn't want anyone interfering after all." She could feel the pleasantness his words, and she rose to her hooves with a nod.
"You're right, just stay quiet. I'll... see you there." She said dreamily, running off into the darkness again. She didn't spare a glance back, feeling deep in her heart that his words were honest.
She ran quickly, ducking into alleyways and occasionally flying over rows of houses or building. Twilight had taken the main street, but even from starting behind, Rainbow could arrive there quickly b taking detours. She could have been there in only a minute if she'd flown the whole way, but if Twilight spotted her then things could go poorly. She was unarmed, unarmored, and the insane unicorn had any number of trick up her sleeves. Maybe Twilight would get those tentacles to tie Rainbow down, and she'd end up like him. Without Ironworks and the Safeguard to protect her, she'd be a goner.
As Rainbow passed through a street, she found a stallion collapsed on the corner. He lay unconscious, not moving a muscle, but Rainbow was surprised to not see an ethereal trail bleeding from his horn. She knelt down, pausing for a moment. She didn't need to feel for his pulse, he was steadily breathing, and almost seemed on the verge of snoring. 'That's... weird.' The stallion seemed fine, even though he had no doubt been subjected to the same effect she'd felt. "Small blessings, I guess." She muttered, picking back up into a gallop and continuing her game of jumping, ducking, and weaving through the city.
Just two-and-a-half minutes later she leapt over one more store-front and landed on the opposite sidewalk, quickly ducking into a narrow passage. Narrowed eyes scanned each corner and alley around her for several seconds before she finally stepped out into the street, confident that Twilight wasn't waiting outside. A tall glass cube several stories high, dominated the block. A place she knew well, and had spent more than her fair share of nights in. Canterlot Regional Hospital. The electricity was out, and so were the back-up mage-lights. 'Probably her doing as well. Rainbow could see a decent ways into the building thanks to bright lights above. However, she could see a number of ponies inside, all collapsed to the floor like everypony else in the city. Just like the stallion from before though, she couldn't see any life-force being pulled out of their bodies. The doors were wide open, but for some reason Rainbow Dash hesitated.
The whole building had an uneasy stillness to it, and even though urgency tugged at her heart and mind alike, she felt a creeping doubt spring up in deep inside her somewhere. Like a soft voice telling her to wait. A cold sweat dripped down her neck, and her legs tensed as she struggled to decide whether or not to stand or run.
'Wait for me once you get there, yes?' She remembered... Ironworks saying? Rainbow paused again, even more uncertain now. Now that she thought about it, the stallion hadn't quite sounded like himself. His normally clipped tone had been oddly serene, but maybe that was just him being a loyal soldier. 'Yeah, he was just taking charge, like a good soldier would.' She nodded to herself, pushing away her doubts. He could handle things with Luna, and she could handle Twilight.
Rainbow felt her chest swell as confidence surged though her once more. She wasn't going to waste a moment, not with her friend's life on the line. Heavy hoof steps clattered against the street as she bolted forward, sprinting through the large glass doors and into the darkened building as-
Once again, the room shifted and brightened like the sun appeared in front of her. She had barely taken a single step over the threshold and into the lobby, but suddenly she was standing in the middle of a hallway. Red light surrounded her on ever side, shining down from panels in a low ceiling that hadn't been there a moment ago, and illuminating the floor in an eerie glow.
Rainbow's mind felt numb again. Just like before, she'd been full tilt-sprinting into the waiting area, and now she was surrounded by doors in a hallway she didn't recognize. She turned slowly, trying to make sense of what was happening. "He-hello?" She called out warily, before covering her mouth just as quickly. She listened with fearful eyes scanning the area around her, terrified she may not be alone, and that somepony had heard her. She turned back and forth, but the dozen or so doors around her stay silent and shut. She looked back to see two silver elevator door, reflecting red light across the walls while her shadow stood between them. She glanced ahead of her again, dropping her hoof as a wall decal caught her eye. She leaned in towards the hood-etched panel to read,
Room 206,
Dr. Song, Post-surgical therapist
and rehabilitation specialist
She shook her head in disbelief as she felt out of breath. 'The second floor?' She thought, gripping her mane in one hoof as panic built up in her chest. The 'ding' of an elevator bell rang behind her. She jumped again, scrambling around in a panic. The sound of metal panels opening reached her, as she saw one of the elevators door open. No-pony was inside the glowing metal box, save for her shadow of course. She peered closer in focusing, barely able to see the shade even with the elevators cherry-colored light shining on it. It cocked it's head at her, and she returned the look in confusion. Her shadow seemed to laugh at her antics, pointing behind her with one leg and whispering something she couldn't quite make out as the doors slowly closed between them.
'Behind me?' Rainbow turned back, finally realizing the hallway curved left just a few paces ahead. 'Wait, surgical recovery. Fluttershy is just ahead!' She realized, as her shadow faded to the back of her mind. She turned, rounding the corner and jogging down the way as quietly as she could. A pair of double doors awaited her just a few feet away, both doors opened inwards to the large room. She could see the large white room ahead, beds lining the walls on each side, silently ready to host ponies who had undergone intensive surgical procedures.
Rainbow slowed her pace, though not without great effort. She knew that nearly twenty beds lined both sides of the room, and that on the fifth bed on the left, would be a sleeping buttercup pegasus. At least, deep within she hoped, she prayed that she would find her there.
She crept around the corner, leaning against the wall as she peered around the edge and felt her heart sink to her stomach. The room was dimly lit, no inner light on, but a massive, tinted bay window on the far side of the room allowed silver moonlight to cast a dull glow into the space. She could see Fluttershy laying on her back, still comatose in her large bed. She was propped up, her wings held out to the side by a series of braces and cables that would ensure she didn't roll onto them in her sleep, if she even moved. Twilight Sparkle stood over Fluttershy, hood down as she held one of pegasi's wings in her grasp. A simple knife floated in the air between the pair while Twilight Sparkle seemed to be unwrapping the bandages from one of Fluttershy's wings. She eyed the sleeping mare with a keen eye, like a doctor tending to a patience.
Or a scientist waiting to dissect an insect.
She couldn't restrain herself, as hot fire seemed to flood her veins. "No!" Rainbow wailed, tearing around the corner and leaping into the air. Sparkle instantly snapped her head up, Fluttershy's wing falling down to the bedside as she charged her horn and sent a blast of purple magic towards Rainbow Dash. The pegasus angled sharply to the side as the blast sailed by, closing the distance in a second. Twilight leapt back, scattering a burst of sparks in the air as she did. The deep red lights permeating the outer halls had preserved Rainbow's night vision, and the sudden flares caused sent spots dancing in her vision.
But she didn't slow, not for a moment. Rainbow leapt over Fluttershy's bed, half-blinded, and reaching for anything to use as a weapon. Her hoof wrapped around the leg of a small folding tray-table and she hurled the table towards the unicorn. "Get away from her you bitch!" The wooden tray spun as it flew and struck Twilight just above her right eye as the unicorn tried to duck. Her head whipped to the side and nearly brought her to the ground as she scrambled to stay upright. With a grunt, the unicorn kicked hard, springing across the room and firing a stream of spells towards the enraged pegasus. One bolt struck the pocket between Rainbow's wing and side, eliciting a howl of pain she she threw herself over Fluttershy to shield the comatose mare. It hurt like hell, but not enough to debilitate her. Twilight continued sprinting back towards the large bay window, throwing out stun spells every few steps. The blasts were sloppy, striking the wall above and to the side of Rainbow Dash, but the pegasus knew she would need cover fast.
The pegasi looked up, just as Twilight turned back and began alternating blasts between Rainbow Dash and the large window. Several shots struck the glass, sending thick cracks across the surface, but the darkened and reinforced pane proved sturdy enough to withstand a decent barrage. 'Oh no you don't, you coward!' Rainbow pushed off the bed, keeping clear of hitting Fluttershy's wings as she moved. She bolted to the side, diving behind a gurney on the opposite wall just as another shot whipped past her tail.
She ducked low, bracing the bed with one shoulder as the metal began being pummeled by magic. The frame was quickly bending under the pressure, but she held low and dropped her face to the floor. She could see Sparkle's hooves still moving, the unicorn slowly retreating back as she loosed shot after shot. 'Come on, come on...' Rainbow waited, watching until she saw the unicorns front hooves shift just enough the side that she could deduce the mare had turned her head towards the back wall again.
Rainbow shot out, grabbing the corner of the bed sheet and blanket atop the gurney and throwing them into the air as she bolted to the other side of the room. Twilight barely got one shot off at the window, the glass heavily fractured now, before she turned back to Rainbow. The pegasus had already reached two other beds on the opposite side, instantly flying back and dragging them into the air along with the other two she'd already thrown. The fabric spread wide and floated slowly down, creating barriers in the air for Rainbow Dash to disappear behind. Moving like lightning, she dove and twisted side ways across the room, grabbing more and fabric and throwing it high into the air. The room's twenty foot vaulted ceiling allowed her plenty of room to move, and soon the air was filled will spinning sheets. Before the first bed-lining had even hit the floor, Rainbow had pulled six more sheets off adjacent beds, bolting back and forth across the room and throwing more and more material into the air as she pushed her advantage.
Twilight tried to track the already swift pegasus, but every time she lined up a shot Rainbow Dash would disappear into the fold. As Rainbow pulled another lining from one of the empty beds, the sheet caught the mattress edge, and Twilight took advantage of the pause. Rainbow instead of trying to force the fabric off, instead gripped the edge she had and raised the sheet into the air, almost as if making the bed herself. Twilight's blast punched through the fabric, but there was no-pony there when it fell.
Rainbow Dash emerged near the opposite wall, once again trailing blankets and sheets behind her in a dizzying whirl. The speed and wind generated by her wings whipped the air strong enough to keep multitude of fabrics floating lazily in the air. Within seconds, Rainbow had thrown more than twenty sheets into the air, more and more swiftly following until the room was so densely packed that Twilight couldn't even spot the prismatic trail the pegasus left behind.
"What's wrong Sparkle?" Rainbow yelled somewhere in the midst of fabric-storm she'd created. "We had our first fight in a storm, why not another?" A lump suddenly dove through one of the falling sheets, streaming down towards Twilight as the mare fired off a heavy blast. The fabric exploded into feathers as the condensed pillow burst from the magic. Rainbow dove down, barely visible as she snatched another sheet with a snarling grin. "Can't you keep track of lil 'ole me?" Before she jumped out of sight again.
Twilight's head snapped back and forth, trying to find the rainbow pegasus in the fray. With a growl, she grabbed two of closets gurneys in her magic and hurled them through the middle of the air. Instantly, a dozen pieces of cloth tangled in the wildly spinning cots, but Twilight's eyes widened at the empty air in front of her. She expected to find Rainbow somewhere in the middle of the air to continue the juggle, but quickly realized her mistake as one of the sheet to her left suddenly rushed forward as the pegasus dropped it from her grasp. Rainbow blurred through the air covering the distance between them almost too fast for Twilight to see. She slammed her shoulder into the unicorn's side and Twilight tumbled back, slamming into the wall behind her hard enough to fracture both the plaster and brick behind it.
Rainbow landed on her hooves, not wasting a moment as she kept moving towards the downed unicorn. Twilight recovered quickly despite the blow, picking up her head with her back to the wall. Rainbow rushed forward, one hoof primed to deliver a hook strong enough to break the unicorn's neck if it hit. A glowing magenta wall suddenly appeared in between them, just as Rainbow Dash's hoof cracked against the barrier. Twilight's forehead was split where the table had hit her, almost looking dented from the strike, while the impacted shoulder hung weakly at her side. "Come on you coward! Don't tell me you're running away this time!" The cyan pegasus rained blow after blow on the shield, spittle flying from her lips with every hammer strike she loosed. She could see the fear in Twilight's eyes as cracks began to form across the magic.
Just as the shield was about to crack, she saw Twilight's eyes shift to the side and the sound of a bed scraping across the floor. Rainbow Dash shifted sideways, expecting one of the cots to fly towards her in a last attempt by Twilight. Instead, her jaw dropped as the bed was flung the opposite directing, all the way across the room and towards the entrance, right towards-
"Fluttershy!" Rainbow spun, abandoning her assault and careening across the room as the bed sailed towards Fluttershy's sleeping form. The mattress moved quickly, but Rainbow was faster. She slammed into the bedframe, tackling it into the far wall with a heavy crash. Even with the mattress between her and the plaster, the heavy impact knocked the wind out of Rainbow's lungs and both she and the bent metal frame collapsed to the ground.
A groan escaped her lips as she lay stunned for a moment, trying to rouse herself and pull the thick mattress off of her. The steel frame of the gurney had bent into a "v" from the impact, meaning it hadn't landed flat on her as well. She gasped for breath as she crawled out from the pile, light suddenly filling the dark room as she heard the large window finally shatter.
She look up just in time to see Twilight rise into the air, outlined in the glimmering starlight of the midnight sky. The unicorn turned towards her with an odd, almost pitying, expression. Rainbow pulled herself out, rising to her hooves only for Twilight to jump over the edge and down towards the ground below. Rainbow tensed to give chase, but the burst of magic that filled the air behind the mare confirmed she had teleported away.
Rainbow sagged for a moment, as the adrenaline left her system, only to return as she remembered her friend. "Fluttershy!" She yelled, leaping over two rows of cots and landing beside the yellow mare's bedside. She caressed the Pegasus's head, holding it gently as she inspected her body. Fluttershy hadn't been injured it seemed. Even her bandages seemed freshly wrapped, with only a few drops of dull-blood showing through the white. Rainbow breathed a heavy sigh of relief, burying her head in Fluttershy's soft mane. A soft lilac scent filled her nose, as she felt smaller pegasi's warmth against hers. She had always teased Fluttershy for smelling like flowers and shrubs, but it was the sweetest scent to her, knowing that it meant her oldest friend as still alive. She held the embrace for several moments, reassured that Fluttershy was OK.
Finally she pulled back, stroking her friend's mane once more as she said muttered, "I'm sorry Flutters, but I gotta go. I promise I'll be back soon, as soon as I can." She turned slowly, dragging her hoof through the soft pink hair as she turned back towards the newly opened wall that overlooked the city.
She took long, fast strides as she flexed her wings. The limbs still ached from her last crash, but she had flown with much, much worse before. She eyed the starry sky, light shining through even as heavy storm clouds gathered, before turning to look at the doors leading out of the recovery ward. "Now then, where the hay is Ironworks? That lazy filly said he wou-" Rainbow paused. 'Starry skies? Storm clouds!?'
She couldn't believe it, but it was true. No golden dome, no weird purple sparks, nothing but a massive monsoon building high above the city, while some of Luna's constellations still shone through. Rainbow galloped forward, leaping into the air and flying through the gap. She could still see one corner of Luna's moon shining down, just as clouds moved across and sent darkness over the city. Rainbow couldn't believe it. First Twilight's dome, then what Rainbow assumed was the Safeguard, and now this? She couldn't comprehend what was happening, let alone how the night's events could possibly confuse her any more.
Until a massive shadow rose up by the edge of the city, it's long neck rising almost as high as the tallest tower in the castle, and let a loose a ferocious, screaming roar that shattered the air around her.
"SKREEEEAAAIIIIIII!"
Rainbow jerked back as a tidal wave of sound struck her, almost knocking her back into the room she flown out of. She gripped her ears as glass shattered around her from the blaring resonance, and the cry faded as the roar of flames filled the air instead.
Rainbow rubbed her eyes with a hoof, as if doing so would wipe away the massive dragon she saw clinging to the edge of the castle. The beast was enormous, oddly lean with a thick, blocky head, and a neck that was far too long for it's body. A torrent of brilliant glittering, orange fire emerged from its jaws and filled the air above the castle.
She shook her head in disbelief. "There's no way. There's just. No. Bucking. Way!" She screamed, no-pony near enough to hear. As she stared forward, something shimmered in the air above the beast, wrapped in silver incandescent light and quickly rising into the stormy sky. The dragon noticed it too, turning away and launching off the cities edge like a platform as it chased behind. Even with her perfect vision Rainbow had a hard time making out what she saw, until she noticed heavy midnight blue wings, and a starry, ethereal mane waving in the rushing wind.
"Oh you've gotta be kidding me!" She yelled, quickly sprinting through the air as she watched her teacher rise through the air with the dragon in hot pursuit. She saw dozens, no, hundreds of ponies in the air working to whip up possibly the biggest storm she'd seen in years. It looked like half of Cloudsdale was here, and for good reason, but Rainbow Dash grimaced as she considered just what she as flying headfirst into.
Rain began to hit against her wings as she flew, and thunder rumbled loudly through the air, almost as loud as Rainbow Dash's furious mutterings. "Insane unicorns... magic tentacles... weird blackouts...' She covered the distance quickly, almost three miles in less than a minute as she began to whip back and forth, climbing high and diving low as she flew towards the dragon and mass of ponies in the distance. Fire tore though the air, Luna slung magic, and lightning bolts shattered the atmosphere in brilliant flashes. "or teleportation, or time travel, and then a dragon on top of it all!?" The air began mist as vapor curved around her in a cone and her rainbow trail behind began to permeate the air, as she flew in what had to have been some sort of new speed record.
"I had better get a damn good explanation, and I damn well better get it now!"
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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Man, I can't remember where we last saw Rainbow beyond her coming in to save the day last chapter. But her night has definitely got to be the most confusing out of everyone else. We know that Twilight was pretty busy doing other things at this time, namely tearing about the castle courtyard and surviving Celestia's wrath. So what did Rainbow really see in that hospital? And was it really trying to hurt Fluttershy? Regardless, it's nice to finally catch up with her and what she's been up to.
11352252
Ahhh... Poop
well..... this is gonna be intersting
11352560
Probably the clone that twilight made after she fought luna