Dusk

by Resda

Quiet Dissonance

I shake my head to dispel the sensation of spinning. After giving myself a moment to take stock of my situation - four legs, two wings, horn, tail, conscious and aware, heart, lungs, and stomach safely inside my body, all check - I see to the others. Fluttershy seems uneasy if not a little sick to her stomach, Rarity struggles to maintain her composure, and Pinkie's a little giggly... their reactions fall within one standard deviation from the expected emotional response, so I can safely assume they're all okay.

"Luna's teleport spell is fun!" Pinkie crows. "It's all spinny!" She stands up on one hoof and twirls like a ballerina.

Yep, she's fine.

We hear a noise and immediately put ourselves on guard. Within the small wooded area Luna claimed to be a safe haven, the sounds of struggling, breaking branches, and grunts can be heard. The changelings couldn't have found us this quickly, could they?

Rarity cranes her head, ears pricked up. "That's... that's Rainbow Dash and Applejack!" She puts a hoof to her lips. "They're in trouble!" A sudden yelp of pain shatters any doubt.

The four of us cross the tree line and tear through the brush to rush to their aid. As the trees begin to thin out and the scent of the nearby Haysead Swamp fills my nostrils, we suddenly find them.

It's not as bad as we had expected.

It's much worse.

Rainbow Dash has Applejack pinned to the floor with her hind legs, wings flapping to maintain her dominant position. Her arms are being held back by Applejack's strong grip, but the farm pony is running out of stamina fast.

Applejack is obviously in pain, growling through gritted teeth. "If'n ya just calm down, Dash, we can just-"

"Traitor!" Rainbow Dash yells, practically barking into Applejack's face. "You're as bad as the others!"

"Let go, you featherbrained-" Applejack grunts, as she slowly loses purchase on Rainbow Dash's flailing arms. "Ya don't get it, do you?"

"Shut up!" Rainbow roars. She reels her right hoof back, ready to throw a punch straight across Applejack's jaw.

A burst of blue light flares up, leaving spots before my eyes for a brief moment. When they clear, Rainbow is floating in midair, held spread-eagle by Rarity's telekinesis against her will. I glance back at the white unicorn who has sweat dripping down her face from her considerable effort. "Rainbow Dash, stop this at once!" she manages through quickening breaths.

"Quit trying to horn in, Rarity!" Rainbow spits, drawing a gasp from Rarity and myself. "You're worthless! You're all worthless!" She strains against her bonds, causing Rarity to wince. I attempt to assist, but Rarity shakes her head, insisting I stay out of it.

"Dashie, how can you say that?" Pinkie blurts out as she steps over to help Applejack to her hooves.

"You!" Rainbow Dash struggles again, and Rarity strains to keep her limbs suspended. "Don't get me started, Pinkie Pie, because of course you would be stupid enough to fall for lies like that!"

Pinkie reels back, clutching a hoof to her chest as if for a brief second Rainbow had managed to escape her bonds and threw a punch herself. "Rainbow Dash... why would you-"

"You... f-forgot about her..." The other Bearers look to each other in confusion... but I already know what she's going to say. "Twilight... Our best friend, Twilight Sparkle! You forgot about her!" Rainbow's voice reaches a fever pitch. "You all did!"

Applejack jabs a hoof in Rainbow Dash's face. "Now look here. I don't know what's crawled up your plot these past few days, but there ain't nopony here don't care about Twilight."

Rainbow's eyes narrow. "Then why, Applejack? Answer me... if you care about Twilight Sparkle, then why is that... thing-" I backpedal as Rainbow's eyes dart over to me. "- still alive?"

In the space of an eye blink, Fluttershy slaps a hoof across Rainbow Dash's face. No one moves, all of us thunderstruck - even the pegasus herself is looking at her own yellow hoof as if it had betrayed her.

Rainbow Dash is wincing at Fluttershy's sudden strike - not so much from the pain, but from the sheer audacity it took for the pacifist pegasus to perform such a feat. "You... you just..." Their eyes meet, fiery rose against a deep, sorrowful teal.

Fluttershy looks to be on the verge of tears, but her gaze doesn't waver for a second. The rest of us watch, unmoving, as the pair of pegasi communicate more in the space of silence than anypony else could with mere words. It never needed saying, but the bond of kinship between Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash is rooted deep within their souls, aged and strengthened by the virtue of the passing seasons. My mind dwells on Spike for a brief moment - at least, until the perennial question of identity forces me to shove those damned thoughts away as quickly as possible.

Rainbow Dash breaks her gaze first, her muscles slackening in defeat. Fluttershy nods once to Rarity, and she looses Dash's restraints. She falls immediately into Fluttershy's waiting arms, sobbing deeply into her chest.

A deep, solemn calm descends upon us as we watch Rainbow Dash shatter to pieces before our very eyes. Rarity places a hoof on my shoulder; I don't bother to shrug away from the contact. Applejack brushes leaves and dust out of her coat; Pinkie Pie appears next to her, a dusty stetson in her hooves, and places it atop her blonde mane. Applejack pulls her into her embrace, and the two share quiet tears.

For a brief, blissful second, there is nothing but silence.

Author's Note:

Another short chapter. Wanted to knock out another scene... here you go.

If you haven't noticed, I've rewritten the prologue and first two chapters in preparation for an EqD submission. The goal is to make it so that I'm finally satisfied with my writing before sending it out... though, we'll see how that goes.

Comments

[NebulaNyx]

aww too short, I want to see them actually talk and understand dusk and who/what she is exactly. Oh well bring on the next chapter. Oh and I need to go back and re read the first chapters now to.

[ymom2]

You are teasing me with such a short chapter you know!

[Starcat5]

I'm spoiled, apparently. I've gotten so used to stories with 10~20k words per chapter, that I completely forget that 1~4k is average.

[StormyVenture]

Rewrites? I hope you didn't completely alter the storyline somehow. Poor Dusk, probably the best copy of a pony that's ever existed... RBD doesn't get something, she isn't pretending to be Twilight, she just is, well sort of. I'm assuming the hive mind stuff comes from the changeling somehow. I'd love to see a more in-depth explanation of how that transformation spell.works.

[NebulaNyx]

well I've reread the whole thing now, and I have to say the changes you have made are defiantly an improvement. Also this scene, particularly the part with Flutershy and rainbow, is epic. Short but epic.

[xv22shasokais]

Where's the right arrow button? Where!? WHERE!?

Though I'm still thinking it needs a teensy-weensy-little bit closure there, at least it could end with RD accepting that Dusk is in fact trying to save Twilight, or at the very least being told about it.
But yeah, I know writing is hard - very hard - so it is your choice.

And I just realized that RD saved AJ just so she can beat her to death

[Resda]

3016110
"The only one that gets to beat you to a pulp is me!"
"Right."

I figured that they just got into another argument off-camera, but your way is funnier.

[NebulaNyx]

any updates coming soon? please?

[Alicon Glactistar]

Interesting.

[Black-Briar Memery]

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Resda]

3130817 FINE OKAY GEEZ

[Gizmo Gear]

3130817 Oh dear Lord!! Milford warfstache has arrived!!