Chapter 1: The News
Dash awoke to the sound of her blaring alarm.
"Wha?!!" She yelped and sat up with a jolt, quickly looking around in panic. After realizing it was only her clock, she reached towards it on her bedside table and gave it a hard smack with her hoof. "I swear this thing is gonna give me a heart attack one of these days." She grumbled in annoyance.
After sighing and accepting she needed to get up, Dash slowly proceeded to get up from her soft cloud bed, yawning in the process. After a few moments, she fully woke up and walked over to her bathroom, deciding she needed a shower.
She entered her bathroom, walking underneath the shower head and opened the tap. The cool water splashing against her back and running through her feathers was definitely a welcome sensation on mornings like these. Dash sighed contently. She needed this. She needed a rest after all the shit that occurred during the situation with Flurry Heart, the Wonderbolts, the changelings and her whole life in general.
Trouble had always waltzed right up to her and her friends. And she confidently predicted trouble would run to them again in the future. But she internally shrugged. Everything the future threw at them would be dealt with...she and her friends would make sure of that.
After the satisfying shower, Dash dried herself with a towel, not bothering to brush her mane and walked out of her room. She took a deep breath and walked down the hall towards the stairs. She walked slowly as she gazed at the pictures hanging on the walls, each holding a different memory. Cracking a small smile, she trotted down the stairs and opened the door revealing what lay outside.
Dash's smile widened as she was immediately hit by a wave of the fresh, cool breeze of a crisp summer's day.
It would be a shame not to fly on such a gorgeous morning.
Which was exactly what she planned to do as she quickly unfurled her wings and licked her lips. Adrenaline pumping, she stomped a hoof on the ground and took off into the air at breakneck speeds. She whooped and cheered and flew as far as her wings would take her. Quickly stopping, a grin formed on her face and she started to rise up.
Further and further.
Dash suddenly stopped and looked downwards at the ponies milling about—she could barely see them. She loved coming up here. The world looked so small. So tiny from a perspective like this. She just wished more ponies could experience this.
Her wings suddenly twitched and she stopped herself from taking off once again.
Dash was not alone.
She then heard the faint sound of panting from behind her. Whoever it was, they weren't being very subtle. Turning around, she saw who her supposed 'attacker' was. She flattened her brow and held in a chuckle.
Twilight was flapping her way over to Dash, panting as if she had ran the world's longest marathon. Rainbow sighed and flew over to the lavender alicorn
"Uh, you ok?" She asked, smirking. Twilight held up a hoof and calmed her breaths.
"How can you breathe, let alone fly so fast in such thin air?!" She finally spoke up.
"You get used to it, I guess," Rainbow shrugged. "But, why are you here?"
"Oh," Twilight straightened up. "I'm guessing by your relaxed and happy mood, you haven't read the newspaper yet?" She proceeded to light up her horn, surrounding it with a soft pink glow and conjured up a newspaper. "This is the latest edition."
Dash raised an eyebrow and took the newspaper starting to read it, her eyes widening with each word.
THE PEGASI VS EQUESTRIA?!
In a recent public event, our very own Princess Celestia was overheard conversing with a unicorn guest declaring the pegasi beneath every other race in Equestria. We have no real conformation of this but what we do know is many of the pegasi are outraged and want to take action.
The pegasi have always have been the natural warriors of Equestria, especially in the older times. So, it worried everyone when it was rumoured the pegasi had applied Commander Hurricane's Contingency, using the ancient ruler's last words stating that if any of the other nations were to show signs of betrayal, they could withdraw weather control and military support until or unless their enemies were eliminated or (re)united with.
This concerns most ponies as without the stability of the weather, it could wreak havoc upon—
Dash stopped reading and shakily looked towards Twilight.
"Is this true?" She asked with clear fear marked in her voice. Her purple friend looked away.
"Yes." Twilight sighed. "I don't know why she would do this. It's not like her!"
"But," Dash began. "Is it true that the rest of the pegasi are applying Hurricane's Contingency? I hope they're just rumo—"
"I'm sorry Dash...I visited Cloudsdale beforehoof and talked with the council, they confirmed it." She cut her off.
"Oh," Rainbow said, her heart starting to beat quicker. "What else did they say?"
"They asked which side I was on. I just said that I haven't decided yet and they hoped I'd choose the right one. They were always short-tempered so I'm afraid of what'll happen next." Twilight sighed. "The residents of Ponyville don't want to get involved...they don't want to fight each other." She gave a small bitter laugh, "wish I could say the same for the rest of Equestria."
"We always did valued loyalty above all else," Dash muttered. "What about the other princesses?"
"I asked Luna and she stated she most definitely was not with her sister and she didn't know what had clouded her kind heart so badly. Cadance wants her Empire to be safe, so she's not getting involved."
"Will you fight for Celestia?" Rainbow asked softly.
"I...I don't know," Twilight's ears flopped down. "What about you?" She asked. "I can only imagine how you feel, torn between your home and Equestr—"
"I don't have a choice!" Dash cut her off. "I'm in the Wonderbolts now, they're the second most powerful military poweress from the pegasi. Celestia may have created them but it's the sky they serve. They're forever with the pegasi...and that includes me."
"Oh Dash...you don't have to do this if you don't want to..." Rainbow immediately shook her head.
"I don't want to do it Twi...but I need to, I need to serve my cause and origins...or die trying."
"Then I won't stop you." Twilight nodded. "I still have to break the news and provide details to the rest of the girls...unless they've already seen it." She cringed. "That'll be an experience."
"I'll help you."
"Thanks Dash." They were about to take off when a thought occurred in Twilight's mind. "Hey, would you mind that if after telling everyone, we could go to Celestia herself to reason with her? I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding." She said trying to assure herself more than Rainbow.
I hope so, she thought.