The Streak
The Streak
By: Darksonickiller
Rainbow Dash weakly opened her left eye, the right refusing to open, as her body was flooded with a sudden rush of agony. Dash tried to breathe, every nerve in her screaming in torment, as tears fell from her eyes, causing more in the right. She tried to stand, regretting it instantly the moment her arms moved. Other than the slight movement of three fingers, she found herself to be greatly incapacitated, her legs feeling the worst of it, not wanting to respond to her commands at all. Dash turned her head the side as much as her stiff sore neck would allow her, her stomach tightening at the sight.
She saw that further away, staring back at herself from the mirror, was the image of a broken girl. Half of her face was purple, while the view of her swollen closed eye, as well as both her nose and her jaw broken to one side, frightened her. Around her, was a puddle of crimson that leaked from her nose and among other places. Her legs were mostly outside of it’s view, as she could barely move her head, if the condition of the upper half of her body was anything to go by. She assumed they were probably in bad shape, as well.
It was completely silent, she couldn't hear anything on the other side of the door. She had no idea how long she’d been laying there, but it had to be pretty late at this point. Rainbow tried to scream for help, only for a searing torment to erupt from her throat and jaw along with the coppery taste of blood, killing the sound quickly. Rainbow Dash began to weep as she tried to remember what had lead to her laying in the school bathroom at night, but it hurt too much to think. Being unable to move, all she could do now was wait and pray someone would find her soon. Everything went dark a short time later as she lost the battle to stay conscious. She lay broken and still on the cold bathroom floor of Canterlot High in the middle of the night.
…
Dash stood in the huddle with the other girls on her soccer team as the roar of the crowds on both sides cheered in excitement. Rainbow looked up from the group to the scoreboard. The game so far had the Wondercolts trailing behind by only one point. And due to Gilda, the ref would be dropping the ball.
The Griffons were undefeated for the last three years. The girl’s Soccer division referred to this as “The Streak” since it was the longest winning streak in the division’s history, which made Dash all the more determined to win. While on the other hand, the Griffon’s team captain, Lightning Dust, was hell bent on continuing her team’s glorious streak. Ever since she joined the team her freshman year, she had led her them to victory fifty-six times in a row, and in a few minutes it would be fifty-seven. Dash broke the the huddle and she took her offensive position. Across from her was her ultimate rival, Lightning Dust.
"Are you ready to lose, Lightning?" Rainbow taunted. Lightning only scoffed.
"May I remind you that you said that last game?" Lightning broke into an evil chuckle as she took her position, as well. Rainbow Dash laughed , and she and Lightning Dust stood face to face. The ref held the ball and dropped it in between the two girls. Rainbow watched as the ball hit the ground and the chaos began. Rainbow was the first to swipe the ball. She zoomed past Lightning as fast as, well, Lightning. Easily she dodged most of the other team. She was almost towards the goal with the clock ticking down ever so slowly. The goal was Gilda. She had as many red cards as a tomato plant, but was easily the strongest girl on the Griffon team. Dash readied her kick. This was it. The streak was about to lose that glorious streak. She could see it now. The crowd cheering her on as-
"Swipe! See ya later, sucker!" Rainbow tripped over herself and landed face first in the dirt. As quickly as she fell, she could see that Suri Polomare had stolen the ball. Rainbow felt adrenaline pump into every bone and muscle in her body. Soon, she was sprinting across the field, racing against the clock for the ball. She slid past Cloud Kicker and swiped the ball away in ten seconds flat. Rainbow had the ball and there were ten seconds left in the game. She looked for an opening but Gilda was ready for anything. Rainbow readied her kick once more and she kicked the ball. The world suddenly started to slow down and Gilda leaped to block the ball.
Swash! The ball hit the goal’s back net and Gilda hit the cold hearted ground. The crowd was silent for a whole three seconds. Then the crowd erupted with excitement as the game was now tied. Coach Spitfire called for a time out. Dash ran over and sat on the bench with the rest of her team and gouged down the rest of her gatorade.
"Nice job out there kid, but it's not over yet,” Coach Spitfire said “You only delayed the inevitable. I'm sitting you out for overtime, but if we need you you're getting your butt back out there, got it?" Rainbow proudly nodded.
Rainbow cheered her team on as they kept back the mighty Griffons. It was nerve racking being on the sidelines, but Rainbow knew it was for the best. Besides, when Spitfire eventually puts her in, she’ll be known as Rainbow Dash, hero of the Wondercolts!
"Rainbow Dash! Get in there, we’ve got an injured player. You can guess who caused it," Coach Spitfire shouted.
Rainbow glance over at Gilda, who struggled against the refs that were pulling her off the field. Rainbow couldn't help silently laughing to herself. She stood off of the bench and hustled to her position. Again, she faced Lightning Dust. Both players said nothing, they only glared holes through their jerseys. The ref dropped the ball once more and Rainbow swiped the ball once more. Both player’s legs made contact with each other and Rainbow felt a surge of pain shoot through her leg, even though she was well protected. She had the ball, but she couldn't ignore the pain in her leg. She did her best to dodge the other players but she made a few close calls. The goal was in her sights, but the team’s defense blocked her path to glory. She struggled against the pain in her leg and dodged the first player. She laughed triumphantly as she dodged the second one. The goal was even closer than before, time was counting up and there were only a few seconds felt. Only one thing stood in her way now. She lifted her leg and kicked the ball as hard as she could. The ball flew forward and the world again had slowed down, she could hear the buzzer going off, the game was over. Rainbow watched as the ball hit the goalie straight in the diaphragm and launched her into the goal. The crowd roared as fans of both teams screamed. Rainbow looked up at the scoreboard. It read: Griffons two, Wondercolts three, and it only took a second for it to sink in that she had done it. She won the game, she was going to the finals and she had ended the streak.
“Yesssssss! Yessssssss!” Dash screamed, raising her arms in triumph as her team surrounded her and cheered with her.
“Noooooooooooo!” She heard Lightning Dust scream from the other end of the field. She was furious, and her screams got worse as she started shouting profanities along with Gilda and Suri, as they started kicking over the Gatorade coolers on their side of the field.
Dash and her team made it back to the sidelines where Coach Spitfire was waiting for them with a huge grin on her face.
“I’ll be damned kid, you actually did it!” Coach Spitfire shouted over the thunderous roar of the crowd as she high-fived Dash a few times. Dash’s teammates suddenly stepped away from her, and before she could ponder why, two of the players poured one the of the coolers of ice cold Gatorade over her head as they celebrated their upcoming trip to the finals.
After most of the fans and players had left the field and things had died down, Rainbow walked to the locker room. She opened the door, and she was almost tackled to the ground in a giant bear hug from all of her friends. "Rainbow Dash, that was the most fantabulous amaztastic thing I had ever seen!" Pinkie practically yelled. She started to ramble on about a party and started to leave to prepare. The rest of her friends left to the party as Rainbow started to collect her things.
“Rainbow Dash, you should totally come over to my house so we can celebrate!” Pinkie said excitedly.
“Sure thing, Pinkie. You girls go ahead, I'll come by later, ok?"
Pinkies face scrunched up. "Okie dokie lokie, but I'd better see you there," the Pink poofy hair girl said with glee.
"You got it Pinks. I just got to get this stuff together and go wash up." Dash said as she walked away.
Pinkie and Rarity were walking together on their way to their first class. Pinkie was rambling on about how not-fun it was for Dash to have skipped her own party, but she wasn't deterred easily. The party girl was already planning a 'Congrats on winning and sorry you were too tired to come yesterday' super party. Rarity, slowly growing annoyed and bored of Pinkie, was glad to see Twilight and Sunset approaching. “Twilight, Sunset! Hello girls!" Rarity shouted.
Twilight smiled and waved, and Sunset shouted her own greeting. "Pinkie, you locked my book in your car," Twilight said once they were close enough not to shout at each other.
"Well, then I guess we're going to have to head back to Pinkie’s car," Sunset began.
"Must we all go? Class is starting soon, and—" before Rarity could finish her sentence, Pinkie had grabbed the three girls and was rushing them toward the parking lot.
Halfway to the parking lot, the girls had a near head on collision with Applejack and Fluttershy, the former reeling in surprise and the latter squealing in shock and curling into a ball. "Fluttershy, it's just Pinkie and the others, running around for some reason." Applejack shot a suspicious glance toward Pinkie with the last part.
"Oh, so you mean they found Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked, rising to her feet.
"No, silly Twilight locked her book in my car, so we need to go get it! Why would we be running around just because we found Dashie? Oh right, her party! I'm going to need streamers, and balloons and—" Pinkie was cut off by Applejack sticking an apple into Pinkie’s mouth, earning a disapproving glance from Rarity.
"So, ya'll are saying you haven't found her? Where is that girl?" Applejack shrugged off the topic, as Pinkie had already begun shoving the others toward the parking lot. Grabbing Fluttershy’s arm, she began chasing her friends. A few minutes later, Applejack and Fluttershy caught up to Pinkie and the others in the parking lot. Pinkie had her face against her car's window, and there was a set of keys on the ground. "What in tarnation is going on?"
"Pinkie can't find her keys." Twilight explained angrily.
"Um, these wouldn't happen to be them, right?" Fluttershy asked, holding out the set of keys that were on the ground when she and Applejack arrived.
"Yes, now can we please go? I am not going to be late for class, and there is no way I am going to hold it for forty minutes!" Rarity snapped, snatching the keys away from Fluttershy.
"Well if you had to pee, why didn't you say so?" Sunset asked, hiding a smirk.
"I was a little busy getting dragged against my will to the student parking lot," Rarity grumbled, but her cheeks were just a bit rosier than normal. Noticing this, the others suppressed laughter while Twilight motioned for Rarity to go.
"Class will be starting soon, we should all be heading off." Twilight said, finally in possession of her book. The group headed back into the building, and Dash's whereabouts were brought up again.
“Well, her car is in the parking lot so she’s here somewhere." Applejack pointed out. "She must be off with the some of her soccer team or somethin'. Maybe they made it to the finals, after all.”
"Well, I’m sure we’ll run into her eventually," Fluttershy commented, pushing the door open as they walked back into the school.
"Of course we will, now off to class we go." Sunset and Twilight went down the hall to the right, Applejack going to the left with Fluttershy, and Pinkie continuing straight with Rarity. The girls exchanged farewells as Rarity turned toward the bathroom. Sighing with relief, she pushed the door open and screamed in shock as she stumbled back out of the door and landed on her butt, causing the door to shut again. Her hand was covering her mouth to quell her screams as tears started down her cheeks. Hearing her screams, Pinkie swiftly spun around on her heels and ran back to Rarity, closely followed by AJ as she came back around the corner she just rounded. Seconds later Twilight, Fluttershy and Sunset had ran back up the hall to the source of the scream.
“Rarity! What in tarnation is going on?” AJ questioned as saw the look of pure horror on her friend's face. “Ya look like ya seen a ghost.”
“Rainbow...” Rarity muttered though the hand still clasped around her mouth.
“Pfff! Did that prankster jump out and scare you half to death again?” AJ asked with a smirk as she sung the restroom door open again. “Ok fun’s over Rainbo—”
“Rainbow!” AJ shouted as she ran into the restroom. Her smirk disappearing immediately upon entering, knowing now why Rarity was acting the way she was.
There on the floor was a bloodied, broken Rainbow Dash, She was covered in bruises and some small cuts. Parts of her legs were swollen and various shades of purple, obviously broken. her books and papers from her backpack had been strewn all across the room and the vase that sat next to one of the sinks was shattered on the floor all around her in pieces.
AJ rushed to her beaten friend’s side, not caring if she slipped on any water or blood. She knelt down beside Dash, gasping in shock again as she got her first look at Rainbow’s bloody disconfigured face. The now dried blood from her broken nose had completely covered the entirety of the lower half of her face and broken jaw, along with a good portion of the floor next to her.
“Dash! Dash!" AJ shook her shoulders gently, trying to rouse her hurt friend. "Come on, talk to me girl," Applejack pleaded with her unmoving Rainbow-haired friend.
Twilight was the next to enter the restroom and assess the situation. She was horrified at the sight of Rainbow Dash lying on the restroom floor broken, bruised and bloodied. When the door opened again, Fluttershy got her first look at Dash and fainted almost instantly. Luckily, Pinkie caught her before she fell and lowered her gently to the floor and started fanning her with her hand.
“Now’s not the time for a nap, Shy.” Pinkie said in a serious tone that she rarely used as she looked upon her injured, still friend. “This is horrible, who would do such a mean thing to Dashie?”
“Darn it, Dash! Wake up girl, talk to us.” Applejack repeated as she shook Dash with a little more force.
Rainbow Dash finally cracked an eye open, but only just. Applejack noticed this and was somewhat relieved.
“I think she wakin’ up!” The blonde haired girl shouted. “Dash! Dash! Can ya hear me? say somethin'.” Applejack pleaded as she knelt down closer to Dash’s face.
“...help… ...pain...”
Those were the only two words she managed to mumble out with a scratchy voice, and even then, it was barely audible, but to AJ, the words rang loud and clear in her ears as she noticed how glazed over her eyes were. Rainbow looked up at Applejack before they closed again.
“She needs help, right now!” Applejack shouted, looking behind to her stunned friends. ”We gotta do somethin’ now!”
Twilight was trying to comprehend the whole situation. She looked around to her friends. Rarity was still trying to compose herself after the initial shock of finding Rainbow, Fluttershy had just barely woken up from her faint, holding Pinkie while Pinkie Pie was still attending to her, and Sunset Shimmer had placed herself on a locker, hyperventilating.
“Sunset!” Twilight said, taking charge of the situation, but forgetting she had a phone due to the shock of it all. “Go get Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna right now! They’ll know what to do!” she shouted to Sunset Shimmer, who immediately took at a full sprint down the hall.
Principal Celestia was sitting at her desk drinking her coffee as she did every morning before the school day started. Vice Principal Luna had gotten up and headed for the coffee machine to refill her mug when the office door burst open and Sunset ran in without warning startling the two principles and almost causing Luna to drop her mug.
“What’s the meaning of this, Sunset Shimmer? You know students aren't allowed in here unless called for,” Principal Celestia asked, confused at her rather sudden intrusion into her office.
“Yes, do explain yourself," Vice Principal Luna added.
"There's no time, we have an emergency!” Sunset Shimmer blurted out after she caught her breath. “You have to hurry!” Before either principle could question her further on the matter, Sunset had taken off down the hall again.
“Come Sister, let us see what this is about,” Principal Celestia said as she took off at a brisk pace after her student.
“Why do I always pick the wrong days to wear heels?” Luna mumbled under her breath as she followed her sister down the hall at the same pace.
It barely took a minute for the three to make it back to the restroom, and the two staff members quickly assessed the scene in front of them. Fluttershy was crying into Pinkie’s shoulder, Twilight was with Rarity away from the door, trying to help pull the young woman together, while Applejack held the broken form of Rainbow Dash, muttering.
"You'll be okay, Dash. Just hang on," the cowgirl said repeatedly, rocking back and forth with their friend in her arms. The bell rung, signaling students to go to their first classes, however, they started coming over to see what was wrong, those with a clear view shocked at the sight.
"Luna, put the school on lockdown, NOW!" Celestia commanded, turning to the growing mass of the student body. "Everyone report to your first period classes immediately. GO!" The students were hesitant but did as they were told as the alarm sounded; hopefully the younger students were unaware of the events happening.
Celestia looked to Applejack, her clothing smeared with copper stains as tear trails covered her eyes. As tears fell on Dash's beaten face, Celestia noticed the empty look in the beaten girl’s eyes. It was like the lights were on but nobody was home. A faint clicking noise echoed in the halls toward the group.
"Sister, the police and an ambulance are on the way," Luna told her as she knelt down next to her. The police arrived minutes later, quickly followed by the paramedics who had come for Rainbow Dash. The girls were taken to the Principal’s office where they told the officers everything they knew. After their statements, they were taken to their classes. On the way, they walked past the police investigators who were taking photos of the crime scene and gathering evidence. While in class the girls could barely focus. None of the other students had any idea what had happened, except that a student was hurt. The girls met up in second period and talked.
"I can't believe this is happening. It just... It feels like a bad dream." Sunset Shimmer whispered. The others agreed except Applejack, who hadn't said a word since answering the police.
"Don't worry girls, I'm sure Dashie will be fine now that she's in the hospital," Pinkie said with a smile. "And after school, we can all go see her." She stated matter-of-factly.
It was around lunch time, and they were all seated at a table picking at their food and listening to the gossip going around about this morning’s events, when the loud crackle of the intercom silenced the room. "Will Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy, please report to the Principal's office," Principal Celestia's voice called before the static died. The girls walked out of the lunchroom.
"I hope we're being called because they've found the hooligan responsible for hurting Rainbow," Rarity said as they walked to the office.
"Maybe Dash woke up, or caught whoever did it too, but..." Fluttershy trailed off, holding a book up to hide her face. The girls entered the office, finding both principals waiting for them.
Principal Celestia was sitting at her desk resting her chin on her interweaved fingers. She had a sad, concerned look on her face. It looked as if she was nervous, and her sister wasn't faring much better. It was silent for awhile while the girls waited for either of the principals to speak. Taking a deep breath, Celestia broke the tense silence in the room.
“I sincerely wish this atrocity hadn’t happened and that I didn’t have to tell you this,” she paused, and took another deep breath before continuing, “The Hospital called,” she said, before pausing again. “Rainbow Dash’s injuries were worse than we thought. She had been bleeding internally the whole time she was in the restroom; if she’d gotten there sooner, the doctors might have been able to do more.”
“What are you saying, Principal Celestia?” Twilight asked, worried about the answer she would receive.
“I’m truly sorry, girls, but Rainbow Dash was pronounced dead twenty minutes ago,” the Principal said sadly.
For a few seconds, no one spoke or moved until the statement fully sank in. Rainbow Dash was dead.
Fluttershy collapsed into a ball, crying. Sunset Shimmer knelt down to comfort her, too shocked to do anything else. Pinkie’s hair, as if wet, straightened, turning a darker shade of pink. Rarity burst into tears, and Applejack pulled her into an embrace, and they both cried into each other’s shoulders. Twilight’s face seemed to have lost its color, and she was looking a little sick. Noticing this, Sunset turned away from Fluttershy to guide Twilight into a chair.
“I never thought… I knew it was bad but… who’d have thought it would end like this.” Sunset muttered, returning to give Fluttershy a pat on the back.
“We’re cancelling school for the remainder of the week to give you girls some time to recover. There will be the funeral service the day we get back,” Celestia explained gently, trying not to let her disbelief show.
Since she seemed to have been the only one to have found her voice, Sunset spoke on behalf of the group. “Y-yes ma’am.
“You are also permitted to return home now, if you feel you have to. This is a lot to process. We’ll have grief counselors available starting this afternoon if you choose to stay for the rest of the day,” Luna added.
Sunset nodded, “Thank you, ma’am.” Celestia nodded in return and left the room to make the same announcement to the rest of the school. Luna turned her attention to a stack of papers on the desk, reminding the girls they could stay as long as they needed.
“Fluttershy,” Sunset began gently, “Would you like to go home? Or would you like to talk to one of the counselors?”
Fluttershy looked up at Sunset, her face streaked with tears. “I’d like to go home,” she whispered. Sunset nodded before turning to her remaining friends.
“What about you guys?” She asked.
Applejack broke the embrace between her and Rarity. Wiping her nose with her hand, she replied, “I’m going home too, I don’t know how any of ya’ll can think after hearing something like that.”
“I certainly cannot,” Rarity declared, dabbing at her smeared makeup with a tissue. “Which is why I am going home as well.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Twilight said, rushing out of the room. Applejack gave a sad sigh before leaving, Rarity following a moment later. Pinkie simply muttered something about having to pick up her sisters before leaving.
“Come on, Fluttershy, let me walk you home.” Sunset offered a hand to Fluttershy.
Fluttershy took her hand after rising to her feet, but kept her head forward so her hair covered her face. The two began the trek home in silence. It wasn’t until they arrived at Fluttershy’s doorstep, that either of them spoke. “Can you come inside with me?” Fluttershy asked.
“Sure, do you want to talk?” Sunset asked sympathetically.
“I’m sorry, you’re just so much better than one of those counselors! You actually knew Rainbow, you cared about her and you care about me. They don’t!” Fluttershy wrapped her arms around Sunset.
Sunset returned the embrace, stroking Fluttershy’s hair. “Of course we can talk, you’re right, what we need is to be with friends, with each other.” Fluttershy broke from the embrace, unlocking her door.
“Come in.” Fluttershy held the door open, moving her hand in a sweeping motion to invite Sunset in.
Sunset complied, albeit hesitantly. She was still fairly new to the friendship thing, and was unsure the best way to comfort her friend. She was also worried about Pinkie, whose sudden change in demeanor was quite frightening. Her thoughts wandered to her other friends, Twilight, who she last saw deathly pale, Rarity and Applejack, crying on each others’ shoulders.
Then she thought of herself, just standing there, not shedding a tear. Is it terrible that I don’t feel all that sad? Does this make me a bad person? Two emotions hit her with full force at the last thought: guilt and fear. She felt guilty for not crying, or reacting in any way at all, and she was afraid it shed a bad light on her. All the emotional weight on her shoulders, Fluttershy’s tearful gaze burning a hole in the back of her head, the full gravity of the situation was too much for her to handle.
“Fluttershy, I’m really worried about the others, I really think that right now, we all need to just be with each other…” It was a lame excuse, but at least it was partly true. Fluttershy nodded with a weak smile, and Sunset wasted no time texting everybody to meet at Fluttershy’s house. Taking a deep breath, she followed Fluttershy up a staircase and to her bedroom. Feeling numb, she let her thoughts run wild while they waited for their friends.
The blissful numbness of mindless thought was shattered when Twilight arrived. Shaking her head, Sunset found she was so deep in thought, she completely missed the arrival of all her friends. Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose hard before speaking. “Are you guys all okay?”
Twilight nodded in reply, her face having regained most of its color. Applejack stared at Sunset for a moment, contemplating her answer before slowly nodding yes. Pinkie frowned, and muttered, “No…” slowly and softly. Fluttershy had stopped crying for the most part, and cracked a small smile at Sunset. Rarity looked Sunset straight in the eye, her face devoid of emotion.
“We’re trying, we really are, but… I’m not sure if things will ever be okay…” Rarity let her gaze travel across her friends, “I don’t want to try, I want things to just be okay, Okay?” With that, Rarity burst into tears once again. Fluttershy followed soon after, and soon they were all holding each other in a comforting embrace, crying, muttering things like, “She was too young.” “This can’t be real.” “Why her?”
Once again, Sunset felt bad for not crying. She did feel sad, she would miss Rainbow Dash, but she couldn’t bring herself to cry about it. Fear of seeming selfish, or apathetic, or rude, she tore from the group hug and left the room, shouting “I’m sorry” as she left.
She threw herself against the wall outside the room, and then the tears came. Suddenly, sadness turned to frustration, with herself, with her stupid, emotionless self. Not caring about her friends on the other side of the wall, she just screamed. Then, the anger faded and she just felt sad, sad and alone. She let herself cry, gasping in breaths and sniffling between moans of sadness.
A pair of arms slipped around her shoulders, and her companion held her in an embrace until she was calm enough to speak. “I’m terrible aren’t I? I didn’t cry, I didn’t feel bad at all… I felt a little sad… but that’s it… I swear, I miss her, I miss her dearly, just…”
Sunset looked up to see the tearful, but happy eyes of Twilight. She was smiling, but it was a sad smile. “You’re not terrible, you’re crying now aren’t you?”
“Not for her, for myself, for my emotionless self.” Sunset looked away from Twilight, letting her hair block out her gaze. “My Celestia-forsaken emotionless self.”
“Not everybody gets super emotional like that. It’s okay not to cry, as long as you feel bad for what happened, there’s not much else. Nobody can control how emotional they get.” Twilight slid down next to Sunset. “I wasn’t too sad about it either, because… there’s the other Rainbow Dash, but then I realized how much this hurt you guys, and I cried because of that. I honestly hated myself for thinking like that, but I remembered something I learned about friendship, that It’s okay to be different, it’s okay to express yourself differently than others, but it’s not okay to not care. You’ve shown how much you care about us, and about what happened, so don’t feel bad. You’re a great friend.” Twilight smiled, and Sunset met her gaze this time.
“Okay,” she whispered, and the two returned to Fluttershy’s room. Everybody had calmed down a bit, and Sunset joined everybody in a group embrace, and she didn’t feel bad at all. It would take time for things to be okay again, and it wouldn't be okay for a long time, but at least they had each other to get through this tragedy .
---
Gilda and Lightning Dust were hanging out on the bleachers after school. After their defeat, they had been meeting after school every day so their peers would assume they were practicing, but the trio knew they wouldn't have to worry about losing any time soon. Suri came running to her companions, her eyes wide. “Guys, we’re in trouble,” she gasped.
“Did somebody find out? How? Who?” Gilda snapped.
“No!” Suri’s eyes were beginning to water.
“Then what happened? Spit it out!” Lightning Dust demanded.
“That girl we beat up, Rainbow? She’s dead!” Suri’s words hung in the air for a moment.
Gilda was the first to react. “Dead? She can’t be dead! All we did was toss her around a bit!” When Suri just shook her head, Gilda felt a creeping feeling in her spine. She knew they were headed to jail.
It took a second for this realization to hit Lightning Dust. “Shit! We’re going to jail! If one of her friends finds out, we’re done!” Lightning kicked the bleachers in frustration.
“Get a hold of yourself!” Gilda shouted. “Do you want people to find out? Look, as far as we know, the girl got hit by a bus, or something. It could be some sort of outrageous coincidence. Regardless, you making enough noise to wake up the neighborhood isn’t going to help, now focus!” Turning to Suri, she continued, “And you, pull yourself together. We need a plan.”
“We killed somebody, and you just want to plan your way out of this?” Suri asked, horrified.
“Well, we aren’t turning ourselves in! Besides, this could be a coincidence like Gilda said. Kind of like that Twilight girl and her twin in the city,” Lightning reasoned.
“Focus!” Gilda snapped the girls out of their argument.
“Who put you in charge?” Lightning asked, glaring at her friend.
“Well, you aren’t coming up with much of a plan, are you, Captain?” Gilda retorted.
Suri was angry now, too. “Guys! I think we’re missing the fact that we killed somebody!”
“We didn’t kill her!” Gilda argued.
“Yes we did!” Lightning and Suri both shouted at once.
Gilda conceded, “Fine, we did, but what are we going to do when cops come knocking at our doors? Look, I get that this isn't something you just brush off, but it isn’t something you go running around announcing. Listen, this is what’s happening, we’re going to—”
“Never speak of this again. Ever.” Gilda was going to object to her being interrupted, but Lightning’s glare was enough to silence her.
“And, when the cops ask?” Suri wondered.
“If the cops ask, we’ll need a convincing lie,” Lightning decided.
"Right, a convincing lie... how about... we saw her in the bathroom, gave her a friendly punch or two, then headed off," Suri suggested.
"Don't you think it would be safer to say we didn't see her at all?" Gilda asked.
"That would be better, but who would believe that? We'll have to admit we saw her, but then what?" Lightning gave things some thought, but couldn't help but think about the fact that Rainbow was dead, and it was her fault. "Um... you know what? The cops won't come knocking any time soon, let's give this some deep thought."
"You're right, we'll give it a day or two, then this whole thing will have blown over," Gilda declared. Suri nodded, but was still a bit unsure. Satisfied they had a working plan, Gilda left the other girls to do what they wanted. Suri was quick to follow, but Lightning Dust held her back.
"Hey, you don't have anything to worry about. We've got a plan, and Gilda has things under control." Lightning Dust gave Suri a reassuring pat on the back, before leaving her friend alone in the field.
The next day passed without much trouble, and the girls were starting to think they were off the hook. The school day was nearing an end when the loudspeaker crackled to life. "Gilda, Lightning Dust, and Suri Polomare, please report to the Principal's office immediately." Suri shot Lightning Dust a glance from across the room before rising from her seat. Lightning just looked confused, but Suri caught the act and attempted to follow suit. The two were joined by Gilda outside their classroom before silently making their way to Principal Discord's office.
Before opening the door, Gilda mumbled, "Not a word, stay calm." Nodding, the trio entered the office, to be greeted by the sight of four cops. One was talking to Discord and Celestia, the principal of Canterlot High, while the other three were standing in the corner, eyeing the girls suspiciously.
Breaking from his conversation with Discord, the first officer turned his attention towards the girls. Before he could say a word, Suri fell to her knees, crying. "This is about Rainbow Dash isn't it? I knew we killed her!" Gilda tried to silence her with a sharp glare and a hush, but Suri kept going. "We were in the bathroom, then Rainbow came in, and we were just so angry and we—" Lightning silenced Suri by tugging her back to her feet and clasping a hand around her mouth.
"I don't know what she's talking about," Gilda declared with a sheepish smile.
Lightning Dust elbowed Gilda in the ribs. "How stupid do you think they are?" She hissed.
The cop straightened his badge before proceeding. "Miss, we have video evidence stating otherwise."
Gilda sighed, "We didn't mean to kill her, doesn't that account for anything?"
“No, effective immediately you are all expelled,” Discord declared.
"Miss, we call that 'involuntary manslaughter'," The cop also replied. "You are under arrest." Without thinking, Gilda bolted for the door, quickly followed by Lightning and Suri.
The cops were quick to react, and began to chase them. By then, the final class had ended, and the halls were flooded with people. Lightning and Suri were not far from the office, but Gilda was ahead of the crowd, making a beeline for the door. The crowd parted at the sight of the cops, unsure of what was happening. Lightning was still running, but Suri had tripped into somebody, allowing one of the cops to get her.
She screamed when the cop began dragging her toward the exit, kicking at empty air. Looking around, she saw that the doors were blocked by bewildered students, and Lightning was as good as cornered. Realizing all eyes were on her, Suri broke down, crying in embarrassment. The cops had gotten to Lightning Dust soon after that, and Gilda had run straight back toward the cops when she realized the door wasn't an option.
Through her tears, Suri could see that Lightning was screaming as she tried to free herself. Gilda had one handcuff on, but was stubbornly keeping her other arm out of reach. Once he had cuffs on her, the cop arresting Lightning Dust let her on the floor to help with Gilda. Suri was pushed out the door before she could see what happened, but Gilda and Lightning Dust were dragged out a few minutes later.
Gilda was still kicking and screaming, but Lightning Dust was half-walking out, saving a shred of her dignity. The three were then loaded into a police car.
They sat in silence for a long time while the police talked to Discord. Then, two officers got into the car. One started it up while the other began, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand each of these rights I have explained to you?”
Lightning Dust answered, “Yes, Sir.” Gilda echoed Lightning, but Suri remained silent.
“Ma’am, I need an answer,” The officer explained, looking at Suri.
“Yes, Sir, I understand,” Suri answered.
“Having these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to us now?” The officer pressed.
“No, Sir,” Gilda answered.
Lightning also said no, but Suri obliged, “Yes Sir.” The officer then turned around so he was facing forward while the other one began the drive to the police station.
Celestia sighed as she watched the flashing sirens of the squad cars pass by the window of school principal’s office, before returning her troubled gaze to Discord. “We caught it on camera, you know. The three girls entered first, followed by Rainbow Dash. After some time, only your three students emerged. The next morning, almost twelve hours later, Rainbow Dash was finally discovered alone in the bathroom. Had the custodian not had the day off, she would have been found far sooner. ”
Discord twiddled his fingers lightly as he nodded with a semi-stern stare. “Ah yes, some of our school’s more volatile student athletes, if I remember those three correctly.” He produced a coffee mug from the ether and took a sip of its contents, which were steaming hot. “ It is simply beyond tragic that pupils of mine have left your school in such a state of grief and disarray. Rainbow Dash had so much potential, as did they.”
While Discord took another sip of coffee, Celestia nodded and tiredly collapsed into her seat like a heavy stone, rubbing her temples. “What a chaotic world we live in, sometimes.”
The other Principal arched his bushy white eyebrows in sympathy. “Indeed. Let us hope that justice is served.”
...
Upon arriving at the police station, Suri was taken with one of the officers to an interrogation room. Without Gilda and Lightning Dust watching her every move, she felt oddly at peace. The officer wasn't mean and shouting in her face like on TV. He sat down in the chair across from her and retrieved a pen from his pocket. "Now, Miss, I'm just going to ask a few questions. First, your name?"
"Suri Polomare." Suri pressed her hands together, shifting in her cuffs.
"Miss Polomare, on the tape we acquired from Canterlot High, you and your friends were seen entering the bathroom. A few minutes later, Rainbow Dash is seen entering. Then, you and your friends are seen leaving, but Rainbow Dash was never seen exiting." The officer scribbled something on a notepad he pulled from a pocket. "What happened the night described on the tape?"
"Well..."
Gilda, Lightning Dust, and Suri were all in the bathroom. Lightning was still fuming about losing that game. After three and a half years, they had lost “The Streak”: a streak they built from the ground up. "Rainbow is so getting it!" Lightning snapped, kicking over a trash can.
"Three years! Three and a half years down the drain because of that absurd stroke of luck!" Gilda fumed, sliding her razor-sharp fingernails across a nail file.
Suri replaced the trash can Lightning knocked over. “It was really close, one freaking point!” Suri flung a paper towel across the room, hitting the person who was on her way in. “Sorry.” She grumbled, shoving the trash can back under the counter.
“No problem,” replied a voice, snapping all three girls’ attention towards the door. There, in the doorway, was the girl who had broken their streak, who had broken the streak. Suri jumped to her feet while Gilda slid off the counter. Lightning had already taken a stride towards Rainbow. “Oh hey girls, good game out there.”
“Yes, good game.” Lightning took Rainbow’s hand and shook it slowly, a glint of evil in her eye. She nodded to her two friends, one of them slipping around behind her and locking the door with a click.
Rainbow seemed to have caught sight of this, and tried to pull her hand free. “Um… yeah…” Lightning tightened her grip around Rainbow’s hand. The two girls made eye contact for just a second, Lightning’s gaze full of anger, Rainbow’s full of fear. Lightning jerked her arm backward. Rainbow’s eyes widened as she fell forward. “What are you do…”
Gilda lunged forward, swiping her fist at Rainbow. Her fist caught Rainbow in the eye, effectively blackening it. Rainbow reached out to stop her fall, knocking a vase off its perch next to the sink. Taking advantage of this, Suri kicked Rainbow in the ribs hard, landing her on her back. Lightning put her foot on Rainbow’s chest. “You win some, you lose some, don’t you Dash?” Lightning asked with menace.
She then threw all her weight into a punch aimed at Rainbow’s nose. However, Lightning’s foot slipped from Dash’s chest, and her fist ended up colliding with Rainbow’s jaw instead with a sickening crack. Having lost her balance, Lightning’s momentum carried her forward, leading her to hit her head against Dash’s. “Ah, dammit! I’m gonna make the next hit even harder for that!” Pulling back and rubbing her head, Lightning readied her fist for another punch, only to see Gilda had beat her to it.
Using her nails as a weapon, Gilda managed a few cuts on Rainbow’s arms. Pulling her onto her knees, she reached for the vase that had been knocked to the floor. She grabbed it with the hand that wasn’t holding Dash and began to hit her over the head. After a few hits, it shattered, causing the flowers and water to splash everywhere, and blood to trickle down the side of Dash’s face. After that, she seemed to be losing consciousness. Still not satisfied, Gilda nodded toward Dash’s bookbag, which had been dropped before the scuffle began. Suri snatched it off the ground and began sifting through the contents. Eyeing a textbook, she tossed it to Gilda while flinging the bag over her shoulder, papers falling out in the process.
“This is what you get for ending our Streak, Bitch!” Gilda shouted at her but not loud enough to be heard outside the restroom as she pummeled Dash with the heavy book.
“You ended the Streak, so we’ll end your career!” Lightning Dust added angrily.
Lightning then jumped forward, clasping a hand around Dash’s now broken jaw. A scream died in Dash’s throat when the book collided with her head. Annoyed that Dash was already slipping away, Suri thought of an idea. “This should wake you up, bitch.” She growled before throwing all her weight into Dash’s leg causing it break almost effortlessly as a satisfying snap echoed around the room, accompanied by a muffled scream. Lightning laughed maniacally, putting pressure against Dash’s jaw.
Pushing her head forward so she was facing the ground, Lightning let Gilda and Suri both kick her hard in the ribs a few times again before dropping her to the floor. Rainbow looked up at the trio, pleading in her eyes. She began talking, her voice pained and slow. “Plea… stop. I just wanted to win, like you.” Dash carefully pushed herself onto her elbows. “It’s jus a game. Pomise not to tell ‘nybody. Plea stop.”
Gilda placed her foot on Dash’s other leg, smiling mockingly down at her. “How about no?” She asked, before pressing down on Dash’s other leg much like Suri did previously, causing another pleasing snap, followed by a scream that Suri shoved her fist into Dash’s mouth to stifle. Both of Rainbow Dash’s legs were now completely broken. Then, Lightning crouched down in front of her. Her eyes shining with mock sympathy. Her mouth cracked into a sly grin before she readied a kick.
“Let me show you the kick that started the Streak you ended.” Lightning sneered, backing up a little while Gilda held Dash’s head in place, then running forward and kicking Dash in the head. Her foot connected with Dash’s nose with a crack and a spurt of blood. “GOAL!”
The kicked created two separate cracks; the first came from the rainbow haired girl’s nose as it broke to the side, the second one came from her neck as it snapped back from the force of the kick. That blow did it, she was out cold before Gilda even let her drop to the floor. And when she did, blood quickly pooled around her face.
Satisfied, the three stepped away from Dash’s unconscious form. Lightning nonchalantly wiped the blood from her shoe with a paper towel. Giving her companions a thumb’s up, she lead them from the room. Suri turn around one last time before the three left the restroom she walk over to Dash and proceeded to stomp her hand under her boot until she got yet another satisfying crunch.
“Look who else isn't going to the finals now!” Suri spat at Dash’s unmoving from.
She turn around just in time to see Gilda pick up the unconscious girl's phone as she threw it across the room resulting it in smashing to pieces as it collided with the back wall of the restroom. With that, the three girls left Rainbow Dash bleeding and unconscious on the restroom floor.
…
The skies were mixed with bright blue and fluffy clouds, giving the feel of a joyful day. Except it was anything but joyful for those gathered to mourn the passing of a lost friend. Rainbow’s friends, family, and most everyone from the school, including the teachers and administrators, were attending, as well as many from the school from which Rainbow Dash’s assailants had attended. She had been a popular young lady, and had friends among both schools. No one was in a mood to smile, and many cried openly, as her casket rested beside where she was to be laid to rest.
Her service was being held in the soccer field, which she had spent so much of her time practicing and playing. It was a big enough place for all those who wished to attend, so it seemed the best place to hold the memorial. After the service, Rainbow Dash was to be buried in a private ceremony for the family alone.
Near the center of the field, a stage had been built, and upon the stage rested a polished and darkly stained wooden casket. In front of the casket lay cards, flowers, and other mementos from all those who were Dash’s friends. These surrounded a large painting of Rainbow Dash in her soccer uniform, her foot resting on the ball which she loved to kick around the field. The background of the painting had the sky with clouds , but framed with a beautiful rainbow, which illuminated the scene in a display in prismatic colors. At the bottom of the painting, the words, “The Rainbow Shines On” were written boldly, to match the bold persona Rainbow Dash possessed.
The casket itself was open. Some were worried that it would have to be a closed casket service for Ms. Dash, with how severely beaten she had been, but the morticians had been able to work wonders, and inside, she looked as if she was just taking a short nap. She had been dressed in a bright, airy dress, one which had been made for her by her friend, Rarity. Attached to the collar of the dresses was a pair of pins. On one side was the team pin for the Wondercolt’s soccer team, while on the other side was a Wonderbolts pin, whom Rainbow had dreamed of being a member of her favorite pro soccer team someday.
Off to one side of the casket was a podium. it is this podium that Principal Celestia walked up to. From behind this podium, she addressed the gathered attendees sitting before her, filling the field.
“It is a tragic day when we have to gather to say goodbye to someone we all were close to. Today, we gather to say our final goodbyes to Rainbow Dash, who was taken from us way too early, robbing us of her energetic and loyal passion, of which she gave to us freely from her heart. While this is a time of mourning, we must also remember to celebrate the wondrous times she shared with us. Let us honor her memory.” Celestia paused in her speech for a moment, finding it difficult for her to continue. After a moment, she gathered her strength to go on, “We shall remember her love of life, and her loyalty she showed to her family, her friends, her teammates, and her school. This was a loyalty of love.
“I remember when she first came to our school. She was brash, youthful, and very certain of herself. Through the years knowing her, I quickly came to see that all of that was not out of arrogance, but out of a love she felt for not only herself, but for everyone else around her as well. Rainbow was a very blessed part of this school, and of the friendships she made, and she shall always be missed.”
Pausing again, Celestia gathered herself once more. She could see that there was not a single dry eye among everyone there. As much as the loss hurt her, it had to be hurting her students even more. Turning away, Celestia handed the podium over to her sister, so she could say her words, and after her, and of Rainbow Dash’s friends who wished to say their own goodbyes.
Yes, it was a very sad day for all, with many needing to say goodbye to a dear friend.
…
It had been a long three months for all those involved, but in the end, the three assailants, Lightning Dust, Suri Polomare and Gilda, were all found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. The District Attorney had initially decided to push for third degree murder, but settled for the lower tier crime to ensure that the three would be tried as adults in this case. When the verdict of guilty was handed down by the jury, all those attending nearly celebrated their victory, only to have that nipped in the bud by a prim and proper judge. Still, Rainbow’s friends, family, and the administrators from both schools were satisfied by the verdict returned.
Now was the final stage of the trial, where the sentence was to be handed down by the judge.
Sitting at the defendant’s table were the three convicted teens. They solemnly waited to hear what was decided to be their fates. They had been informed by their lawyer that the maximum that they would receive was ten years, but would most likely receive five. That they were not charged with a more serious crime was fortunate for them, for then, they would have faced a twenty year sentence most likely.
The judge sat in his seat, reviewing the paperwork concerning the case. He wished to make certain that everything was in order before passing down judgement. After a few more moments, he deemed the documents satisfactory, and turned his focus to the defendants. “Would the defendants please rise for sentencing?” Though phrased as a polite request, his tone indicated it was more a command than a request. When the three stood, facing him, he began.
“Gilda, Lightning Dust, Suri Polomare, the three of you have been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Rainbow Dash. Considering the evidence which the prosecution presented, especially the medical reports detailing the injuries, and the suffering that she had endured before she succombed to the injuries which you inflicted upon her, I have determined that the three of you shall receive the maximum punishment allotted for the crime. Although there was zero intention of causing Ms. Dash’s death, she did die, and she suffered greatly before she did. What you three did was inexcusable. It was a horrendous act, and the punishment must fit the crime.
“Gilda, Lightning Dust, and Suri Polomare, the three of you are sentenced to ten years imprisonment, in which, you will be eligible for parole in five for good behavior.” Removing his reading glasses, he looked across to them sternly. “Considering your disciplinary records from your school provided to me by Principal Discord, I somehow suspect that you three will not make parole. To be honest, I wish I could have sent you away for a longer term, but the ten I have handed down is the max allowed for involuntary manslaughter.” Looking back to his papers, he read off the rest of the sentence. “You will be remanded to the Canterlot Penitentiary, where you will serve your sentence for a minimum of five years, and a maximum of ten, as per law.” And with that, he brought his gavel down, closing the case for good.
In the spectator’s section of the courtroom, most everyone started to cheer. Celestia and Luna breathed sighs of relief, thankful that justice had been served, and now, they could focus on helping all the students heal from this tragic event. Principal Discord thought much the same, wishing for his school to be able to move on and recover from this dark blot on his school’s history. Behind them, Rainbow Dash’s parents silently wept their tears, glad that justice for their daughter had finally been reached, but saddened that the one they loved so much had been so cruelly taken from them. Rainbow’s friends all hugged one another, rejoicing that those who had robbed them of their friend would finally receive the punishment due.
One person did not join in celebrating. One child silently stood, and walked out of the courtroom, the finality of the loss of the one she thought of as her big sister hitting her fully. With tears streaming down her face, young Scootaloo burst out of the room, running as fast as her legs could carry her, wishing to leave all the hurt and pain behind her, but unable to do so.
Twenty Years Later…
Suri Polomare stood alone in the cemetery. Twenty years of her life lost because of the group’s big mistake. She shivered as she thought of those years. At first, she believed the three would stand together and try to serve out the sentence. Three months into their incarceration however, Suri was sold off to a prison wife in exchange for the two being protected by one of the gangs. For the rest of that year, Suri was passed around the women, the worst experience of her life.
The group drifted apart while Suri became a play toy. Gilda snapped after the first three years, she remembered watching as Gilda was dragged off to the local asylum, screaming about Dash returning from the grave to get her. Suri checked on her when she got out prison, It seemed Gilda’s old bouts of anger turned into fits of rage while in there, when she saw her, she was in a padded room after biting an orderly, she looked so drugged up it was like looking at a different person.
Soon, the two were on the tenth year, Lightning Dust had a breakdown as well, however not as bad as Gilda’s. The cause of it was a news article she found. It spoke of a young woman named Scootaloo. She had recently joined the Wonderbolts, citing her hero as Rainbow Dash. An interviewer asked her about her half sister’s involvement with her hero’s death.
“My sister died that day. Now, I don’t have a sister.”
That was the one night Lightning Dust and Suri switched, that was the day Lightning Dust wanted to die, and Suri was the one talking her off the ledge. Since then, they had been together, Suri looked behind her to see Lightning Dust climbing the hill. She looked ragged and depressed. Her will broken by thoughts and time. She was lucky not to have joined Gilda. Soon enough, Lightning stood by Suri. Both looking down at the grave that lay before them. The silence seemed to go on forever, until Lightning broke it like thin glass.
"The Streak. Was... Was it really that important to us?" It took Suri the longest time to respond.
"It was important enough that we did this." Suri knew her response was blunt but it was outlet the truth. Both girls stomachs churned at the thought of what they had done. They regretted every breath they took that day. Suri couldn't even blink. The image of Rainbow’s body was etched on the inside of her eyelids. Everyday it took all of her will not to take a knife and end it. Nothing would be able to heal her. Not even time. Not. Even. Time...
Both girls heard footsteps behind them and they turned to see Gilda. She looked completely sane and well taken care of. Her hair looked brushed recently, and her clothes new.
"G-Gilda?" Suri said nervously. Gilda didn’t respond, she didn't even look up. She just walked past Lightning and Suri as if they weren't there. Suri watched as Gilda walked up to the grave and put her hand in her pockets.
"I was let out last week. They took me home and put me under probation."
"Gilda, I—" Lightning stopped Suri from talking and shook her head. Both girls looked into each other's eyes. They both got a good look at each other’s broken minds and souls. Both girls sane, but broken beyond repair. Never will their eyes look the same. Never will the torment stop.
A just punishment for killers.
Gilda broke the silence. “We never formally paid our respects, you know?” Gilda pulled something out of the bag she was carrying with her, which had gone unnoticed until then. It was a bouquet of flowers, one of every color in the rainbow. “This can be from all of us.” She laid it in front of the grave.
“Rainbow Dash,” Lightning sighed, “We’re so sorry.”