Sequel to Love and Loyalty. War is difficult. Love is a luxury. Choices mean either life or death.
GUESS WHAT? I have time to write! And inspiration too!
Loyalty is the only thing left. But is there love?
Life is lived between the ashes and remains of the fallen, but are these the only horrors that they'll face? Or are there more, only waiting to be discovered? Something more sinster, twisted and evil than anyone could imagine...
Rainbow stepped out in the cool autumn breeze. Normally she would take a fly and relax, but her heavily bandaged body prevented her from even the most basic of movements. It was already six, no eight months into the war, and nopony had gotten anywhere. The dead bodies proved so.
She could only limp along the rubble as she struggled to reach their meeting place. She was well, or at least better than many who had ended up in the infirmary. The only serious injuries were on her good wing and her legs. It was certainly lucky - for her - she didn’t require major surgery or else she would’ve been stuck under painkillers for an entire day. It would kill her on the inside to see others die, yet she was helpless while watching so.
The tiny, if somewhat enclosed cove was perfect for ponies who didn’t want to be discovered, and it served Rainbow and Soarin well when they wanted to meet each other alone without anypony else interfering.
As it came into view, Rainbow finally stopped, short of breath, blood seeping through her bandages as she strained to reach her destination.
“Hey there, hotstuff.” A very familiar, playful and gentle voice rang.
“Soarin.” Although her smiles were hard to come by, every time Rainbow heard his voice she wanted to smile, to show him that she was alright, even if her attempts were futile. The injuries had always said too much.
“Are you okay?” His expression instantly changed to one of concern as he took in her injuries, running his hoof along the bandages and coming back with blood.
“I’m perfectly…fine.” Rainbow grumbled.
“You’re not.” Soarin’s normal easygoing demeanor had disappeared, and his face was set in a stern frown. “What have you gotten yourself into?”
“A war?” Rainbow muttered.
“You have to listen to me!” Soarin tipped her chin up to look her in the eye. “You are not fit for battle tomorrow. You’re already having trouble walking.”
“I’m FREAKIN’ FINE!” Rainbow yelled the last part, yet Soarin just shook his head silently.
Sighing, Soarin sat down. He did notice, however, the moon shining bright in the night, and the reflection in her magenta eyes were clear. The moonlight had also illuminated her rainbow mane, and despite her ragged appearance, Soarin thought she was beautiful. More than any other pony he had ever met.
Deep down, Rainbow knew that the battle with injury was one she could never win, but she also knew that they could win the war. But for now, she was going to enjoy the night. So many had been spent dealing with the wounded, comforting others, and paperwork, that she had forgotten what rest meant. She had no idea on how she could’ve survived this long with the pressure shoved in her face. Throwing in love, and the whole thing was already unbearable.
Soarin, on the other hand, felt better, but not much. Every day he lived the fear of losing the only pony he loved. Every day he lived with the fear that he would leave her alone to face the world. No one wanted to lose a pony they loved so much, even if it would cost their own lives.
“I think we should go now.” Dash said coldly.
“Okay?” Soarin didn’t understand what it was all about. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
“Squirt?” Rainbow asked.
“Dash!” Scootaloo popped out from her bunk, smiling. She idolized Rainbow because she was strong-willed, determined and brave. Rainbow always put on her strong face, because she didn’t want someone who looked up to her to find who she really was inside. “Guess what?” She asked, the excitement evident in her eyes and voice.
“What?” Rainbow struggled to listen. Her eyelids were growing heavier by the minute, and she didn’t want to miss what Scootaloo had said. The little orange filly had always looked up to Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow didn’t want to disappoint her.
“I have a date with Rumble!” Scootaloo squealed excitedly.
Rainbow’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. She could only realize the meaning of Scootaloo’s words. They meant a certain, and a perhaps painful death.
“What’s wrong?” Scootaloo asked, sensing the change in Rainbow’s demeanor.
“It’s just…” Rainbow couldn’t bear to let her face the harsh reality. Love couldn’t exist during war.
“Okay? I guess?” Scootaloo asked. “How about let’s just get some sleep?”
“Sure!” Rainbow grinned, before falling onto the bed snoring. She didn’t want to think of love anymore. It was just too complicated, too much of a luxury, and too fragile… _____________________________________________________________________________________________
“Jeez, are you trying to get laid or what?” Fleetfoot asked, punching Soarin in the ribs. “Is that why you get here so late?”
“Nah. I was just out for a flight.” Soarin didn’t want to tell Fleetfoot anything, considering that if anything got to Fleetfoot, it would spread like wildfire. The entire army of thousands could know in just under a day.
“I just thought so. You are veerrry suspicious.” Fleetfoot dragged out the phrase “very”. “Jeez, you’re such a idiot.”
“Oh just shut up would you.” Soarin glared.
“That means I’m c-oo-rr-ee-ct!” Fleetfoot sung as she trotted away, presumably to “tell-on” Soarin, mostly to Spitfire. When Spitfire got mad, no one wanted to be stuck in her wrath.
Soarin sighed. Occasionally Fleetfoot could be really nice, but the most she did 24/7 was to tease Soarin about various things…having no siblings, no family, a ugly scar, getting Spitfire on his trail, and not being able to handle any sort of situation, especially romantic ones.
“Jeez, why are you such a nutcase?” Spitfire raised her eyebrows.
“I’m not.” Soarin put on an unamused look. “Fleet’s lying. Why do you guys always team up against me?”
“No I’m not! And we didn’t!” Fleetfoot pouted.
“Shut up, will you?” Spitfire deadpanned. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ “Is anyone awake?”
“Jeez, way to get us up.” Lightning replied sarcastically and rubbed her eyes. “Dash, it’s the middle of the night.”
“Truth or dare?” It had been a long time since anyone had played a game of sorts, and Rainbow came up with the idea of getting some fun out of things. If they were going to die, she hoped that at least she would still get to enjoy life, maybe not to the fullest but close.
“Dare.” Lightning’s smug grin was visible in the dark.
“I dare you to…” Rainbow licked her parched lips as she thought of ridiculous dares that she could say. “ask out somepony.”
“No problem.” Lightning smiled. “Rainbow Dash, will you not be my marefriend?”
“Seriously?” Rainbow mentally did a facehoof. “Is that all you can think of?”
“Fine…” Lightning pouted. “I’ll ask Thunderlane first thing tomorrow morning…if he’s alive, that is.”
Another hard day. Another day filled to the brim with pain.
Rainbow Dash mumbled loudly as she sat down at her usual table, slamming her tray down.
“Why does everyone need to die?”
“I dunno. But I’m not dead.” Soarin chuckled.
“I know that, goof.” Rainbow had to smile.
“Just remember that I’ll always be there for you, ‘kay?” Soarin smiled warmly. Rainbow could see the same gentleness in his eyes…the same gentleness she had saw a little over a month ago.
“Sure.” She smiled. “But let’s get eatin’. I’m hungry.”
“Yeah, captain.” Soarin said playfully, nudging Rainbow.
“Sometimes I wonder how I even deal with you.” _____________________________________________________________________________________________
“Fleet, you’ve been scaring the hell out of me. Why are you freakin’ staring at those two?” Spitfire asked.
“I CAN’T HELP IT!” Fleetfoot wailed dramatically. “THEY’RE TOO CUTE!”
“What?” Deep down, Spitfire knew she loved Soarin. And hearing her best friend describe the two as cute was pushing her over the edge. She swallowed the lump and resumed her professional demeanor. “Jeez, that is so not for war.”
“But Spitty!” Fleetfoot continued her acting, until Spitfire shoved a hoof in her mouth, silencing her.
“Just stop it, would you?” Spitfire mentally did a facehoof as she groaned at the gurgled noises Fleetfoot was making. “Ow!” She gasped, as she saw the blood on her hooves. “Are you a foal or what?” She glared at Fleetfoot.
“Nah.” Fleetfoot’s expression turned into one of silliness. “Next time, don’t shove that hoof of yours in my mouth.” _____________________________________________________________________________________________ “Is Thunderlane still alive?” Lightning groaned as she lay on her bunk.
“Obviously. I just saw him at the mess hall. It’s called the mess hall. For a reason.” Rainbow lay on the top bunk, half her body hanging off the bed. “Just go up to him and ask him out! How hard is that?”
“Very.” Lightning muttered. “Considering that we shouldn’t be falling in love anyways in war, why would I ever do such a thing?” A smirk came to her face. “So tell me about that hunk of a stallion. Who was that?”
Rainbow blushed. “Soarin? He’s just my friend.”
“Really?” Now it was Lightning’s turn to mock her. “Are you sure that you don’t go off to let him rut you? I don’t blame you if you’ve done that sometime.”
“Hell no.” Dash glared harshly. “He’s just a friend.”
“We’ll see.” Lightning poorly disguised her amusement. “Now where was that bag of candy again? Oh, and where in the hay are the covers? Talk about messy.”
“Don’t ever ask me.” _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Soarin just wanted to smash himself senseless. He hated paperwork. As if the entire universe was against him, Spitfire had come to him earlier and dropped off an entire stack of paperwork. He didn’t even know where to start.
“Buck.” He muttered under his breath and sorted the colossal stack into three piles: easy, killing, and hell of work. He placed a messy label on each and got to work. Twice he fell asleep, and the day certainly didn’t make things easier. Many of the soldiers had died in the past month, and the recruitment wasn’t going well. It had come to a point that he’d rather jump off a cliff than think of ways to get ponies to join. Being a captain wasn’t easy on him. It was never easy, nor enjoyable.
Somehow his mind wandered to Rainbow Dash.
He wanted to make sure that she was okay. She had received a dangerous mission earlier and he hoped that she would survive. It was strange; Soarin cared more for her than other ponies. He found this strange, but did not question it. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Rainbow arrived back at the camp, disheveled and wounded. The mission had gone far better than expected, but the deaths, the screams, the wounded weren’t something that she could get out of her mind, perhaps for the entire time she had left in this world.
She turned around, and saw two new recruits. Blaze and Harmony. Vaguely, she remembered an explosion, bombs, and injuries, as well as screams. Harmony was sprawled across Blaze’s back, a large portion of a front hoof missing, the blood seeping through the weak bandage the nurse had hastily applied, before having Blaze transfer her over to another section of the camp, where the seriously injured were placed.
Blaze wasn’t looking well either; even though Harmony had shielded him from the bomb, quite a few scars had resulted from the explosion, and his singed mane and coat were only small reminders of who they were fighting against. The duo had gotten lucky; if Harmony had been more to the right, she would’ve lost her life for sure. Instead, she only lost part of a hoof.
Even if her movements were restricted by her injuries, Harmony would occasionally reach up – she was tiny – and brush away a loose strand of Blaze’s reddish mane out of his face, and give him an almost fragile, yet sweet smile at the same time. More than once Rainbow had heard Fleetfoot remark that Harmony was a “absolute hardcore mode” pony, the sight before her suggested otherwise. Fleetfoot had also said that the two had been in a long-distance relationship before, and had finally met on the battlefield.
Internally, Rainbow felt warm and fuzzy. She was touched, perhaps the only normal emotion she had felt in what seemed like ages, by what was unfolding before her. Despite the harsh conditions and the negative prospects, the two were handling it well, and they had hope.
Hope. Maybe she should have her share too.
“Rainbow?” Soarin asked.
“What, Soarin?” Rainbow turned around, her more positive thoughts softening her voice.
“You okay? I saw you staring in the distance.” Soarin’s voice made her feel warm and fuzzy again.
“No…it’s just…” she didn’t know how to explain.
“Blaze and Harmony?” Soarin inquired.
“Yeah.”
“I guess I know what you mean. Harmony’s injury is plenty scary and vicious.” Soarin paused a while. “But she’s got someone that cares for her.”
“She’s lucky. I kinda feel sorry for Blaze though. It must be hell to see someone that you love so much in pain.” Rainbow replied.
“Sure it is.” All of a sudden, Soarin’s voice got quiet.
“Are you okay?” Rainbow’s expression changed to one of concern.
“I guess. It’s just…” Soarin couldn’t bring himself to explain it.
“It’s alright. If you’re not feeling well, you can always find me.” Mentally, Rainbow was punching and kicking herself. She couldn’t possibly let a stallion like Soarin get attached to her – and vice versa. Lightning had been correct when she bluntly described Soarin as a “hunk of a stallion” but Soarin deserved a much better mare than she was. A mare that was prettier and nicer.
Rainbow became so engrossed with her thoughts that she didn’t notice the tiny orange filly with the magenta mane desperately trying to get her attention.
“Dash?” Scootaloo stared, confused. Normally she would only need to say her name once, and Rainbow would happily listen to what she had to say.
“Uh-hun.” Rainbow replied absentmindedly.
“Do you, y’know, like Soarin?” Scootaloo asked curiously.
“No.”
“But, haven’t you seen the way that he stares at you?” Scootaloo recalled what she had seen.
“You don’t understand, squirt. Love is way more complicated than that.” _____________________________________________________________________________________________ “Captain Soarin wants to see you.” Fleetfoot said. Her normally casual demeanor had disappeared.
“Thanks for the message.” Rainbow replied.
Walking down the hallway, she wondered what Soarin wanted to do with her. Soon she reached the door marked with a sloppy “Capt. Soarin Skies”.
Softly, she knocked two times.
“Come on in.” A very familiar, and slurred voice sounded.
Soarin’s office was much neater than expected. Although some of the papers were piled in a messy manner, overall, the office was neat enough.
“What do you want?” She asked, taking a seat.
“Jeez. Is that how you greet a friend?” Soarin joked. “C’mon, I was just wondering if you have time to meet me tonight. Same time, same place.”
Rainbow stared blankly at the photo of Maud, Pinkie and herself on the dresser. It was only a year ago; they were at a camp and as a memory, they took the picture. Now it became the only remainder of their friendship. The Pie sisters had perished earlier in the war, at the hands of Sombra, during a failed assassination attempt.
Rainbow remembered the camp. Pinkie had come up with the idea of taking one of those expensive photos, with all the detail and the editing and the lighting. Now it had become the only way their friendship remained.
If only you were here. Rainbow thought. Lightning Dust and Scootaloo were good friends, almost like two siblings, but she just couldn’t let go of the two Pie sisters. They had been so kind to her – Pinkie when cheering her up, and Maud with her amazing knowledge and comforting abilities, despite being stoic while doing so.
Her thoughts wandered back to the camp that year. She was lonely, having no friends, when Pinkie approached her. The two had developed a close bond with each other, with their shared interests and mischievous nature. Pinkie would always cheer her up with a song, a prank, or perhaps her signature chicken dance, and the duo would spend the next ten minutes laughing and rolling on the floor.
But now Pinkie was dead and gone. Rainbow wondered how much time she had left before she suffered the same fate. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Soarin wondered what had happened to Thunderlane and Braeburn.
The two had always been his best friends, being there by his side, fighting alongside him, and giving him true friendship. The three of them understood each other, to the point that they could read each other’s thoughts before they were spoken aloud.
The last time they had seen each other was the mission to annihilate half of Sombra’s army, or as they were referred to, “helmets-n’-minions”. Thunderlane had gotten off easy, and only part of his mane had been singed off, along with a few stitches. Braeburn had a broken leg from distracting some of the minions, but was able to recover. Yet, Soarin hadn’t seen them around lately.
“Soarin?” Spitfire’s raspy voice inquired.
“Yeah?” Soarin replied.
“I need to talk to you.” Spitfire had a strange look on her face.
“Why?” Soarin was confused.
“Do you like anypony?” Spitfire asked.
“No. But why?” Soarin felt kind of silly. What type of question was that?
Spitfire felt her heart shatter. He. Didn’t. Like. Anypony. Which excluded her.
“Alright.” As calm as she could muster, she stepped out the room.
Why? Why did this happen to her? She had known Soarin for such a long time, since they were in high school. The two had even gone to the prom together. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
It was November already. Six months. Six hard months filled with misery and suffering.
The only comfort they had was that Celestia herself was fighting the minions, and leading the charges, while supplying everything she could to support the war and free the Crystal Empire.
Everyone felt hopeless.
The endless stream of minions didn’t help one bit. If they took down one, somehow ten would appear to take its place. They often wondered how Sombra did it, but the dark king had his ways.
Celestia’s army was battered.
Sure, they had better fighters, and teamwork, but the sheer number of opponents made death a certain fate. No matter how well they fought, they were severely outnumbered.
Sometimes Rainbow wondered how she had made it this far.
She didn’t have much talent in fighting – she was more of an aerobatics flier and a stunt flier than a soldier, but somehow she had survived against all odds.
How much did she wish that this mess would be over.
But she had something to do. No matter how hard things were, a meeting at the cove – their cove would make things slightly better. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ The night was still young.
A small victory had lead to the celebration. In the entire six months, all that had happened were humiliating defeats, deaths of friends and the climate. Yet against all odds they had won a major battle, turning the tide in their way.
The captains saw no use of having everyone in their bunks at 8:00, opting for an extra hour and half for the celebrations. The sounds of laughter, chatting and music were ones that had disappeared from the ponies for so long. The excitement was contagious, and soon even the normally stern Captain Spitfire had joined in, letting a smile escape her normal glare.
Rainbow however didn’t feel so. What should’ve been a victory, half a year ago, had lead to the loss of her two best friends. The event reminded her of the utter defeat of the assassination squad 34 and the gruesome deaths of Pinkie and Maud. She had seen their bodies – somehow they had been retrieved – partially crystallized, and the ugly cuts running through the bodies. It was one of the only times she had cried in public. It didn’t matter anyway, since everypony was crying. Pinkie’s antics could cheer anyone up, and Maud was calm, collected, and a problem solver. They were missed sorely, but no one knew how broken Rainbow felt on the inside.
“You know, Maud and Pinkie wouldn’t want to see you like this.” Soarin knew well what the two sisters were like and the friendship Rainbow shared with them. “It’s a time for celebration. They wouldn’t like it if you keep sulking like this.”
“Yeah?” Rainbow turned around.
“We haven’t won many major victories before. Why don’t we go and celebrate?” He offered a hoof.
“Fine.” Rainbow took his hoof and allowed him to lead her back into the camp.
The camp had seemed to be transformed within the ten minutes victory had been announced. The radiant smiles everyone was wearing gave the place an air of celebration, and the normally grumpy soldiers were happily chatting away with one another.
“Hey!” Lightning said happily, an immediately noticeable change from her normal, somber demeanor. “Have you guys seen Scootaloo anywhere? She’s playing hide and seek with us!” Then she lowered her voice to a whisper. “I don’t want her to beat my record of staying hidden, so do you guys know where she is?”
“Sorry, no.” Rainbow said. “But I could help you find her!” _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Scootaloo ran until the camp was out of sight.
Her excitement had clouded her sense, choosing to be away from the camp in order to win the game. It had been so long that she had forgotten how to hide, and it was humiliating. She couldn’t stand any failure. But now, she knew that she could win the game, if she could stay hidden here.
A small smile formed, one of pure joy, as she hoped that she could finally rejoice.
Lightning was fast asleep, and she didn’t even budge when Rainbow asked her an overload of questions. She just mumbled about a stick and a chicken when Rainbow did. It wasn’t helping.
Beads of sweat rolled down her face, already pale with fear. Where could she have gone?
Rainbow knew she should’ve kept watch; then the circumstances could at least brighter, and she should’ve told Scootaloo the dangers of running off. Especially in a war.
“Commander Rainbow Dash?” Cloud Chaser’s head poked through the tent flaps.
“Yes?” Could Scootaloo be back? If she was injured, it was still better than her fate being unknown.
“Captain Spitfire would like to see you. She says that she needs to finalize the plan for attack.”
“Thanks for telling me, Cloud Chaser.” Rainbow replied, her hopes crashing down low. Why was the meeting, of all times, at such a time like this? It seemed that fate had something against each and every one of them. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
“So squad 108 will be attacking from the north, where the Crystal army’s supplies are located, and the rest will be attacking from directly northeast. Am I correct?” Rainbow asked, gesturing to the map.
“Yes.” Spitfire replied, jotting down her brief notes. “We’ll have to be quick though. That army’s a snake; if you don’t attack it quick enough, it’ll turn around to bite you, and we certainly do not want that happening.”
“And when will that be?”
“Two months after the Winter Solstice.” Spitfire said, flipping her notebook to a page. “Celestia herself said that the army would be the weakest then, since it is before Sombra’s so called ceremony. We will win this.”
“Of course.” Both mares cracked a smile. Either way, they still had a friend. Surprise was long dead, but luckily Spitfire had the good fortune to find a new friend.
Some things were better left unspoken. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
“I swear on it, Scoots, I won’t be mad!” Rainbow called. The single hour of rest they had, was turned into a frantic hour of searching, and the desperation that overtook Rainbow was getting stronger by the second. “How? How is this possible?”
“I don’t know.” Lightning didn’t have sibling either, and had came to take both Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo as sisters. It was heartbreaking for her as well.
“Where could she have gone anyways?” Rainbow wore a look of confusion as she scanned the plains, the rocky landscape, and just about everything. She knitted her eyebrows before sighing. “How?”
“I really don’t know.” Lighting let out an exasperated sigh as she sat down on the ground. “And I have a feeling that it’s not a good thing to know either…” She trailed off, unable to comprehend what their worlds will turn into if the worst happened. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
“Rainbow Dash?” Soarin asked quizzically. He still went to the cove as usual, even with the knowledge that she wouldn’t be there. But why was she there?
“We –” Rainbow couldn’t get another word out, as a flood of tears erupted from her. All day, all night, the pressure was increasing. The pressure was gone, but the awful choking sounds she was making were a testament to how she felt right then. She knew sooner or later she would have to break down, but at what cost? Her reputation, or the heart of the army, as everyone would look to her when they were down, broken or depressed. If she were like that, then who would they have?
Soarin stared in shock. He had witnessed her breakdown more than once, but this was the first time it had been so sudden and almost to the point of being dramatic. His mind blank, he wrapped his wings around her softly and gently, giving her some comfort. It wasn’t the only time, and he did notice how she calmed down a bit after he did that, so it became an automotive response. It was strange, how much he cared for her, when the war had numbed most of his feelings.
Rainbow wasn’t sure how to feel. Part of her wanted to enjoy the warmth Soarin offered her, but the other part didn’t. She had too many responsibilities, too many lives at stake, and if she couldn’t balance everything, she may as well as destroy their chances of victory.
She knew what she was feeling right then.
Love. Destructive during war, but it could bring just about anything in one neat little package. You never knew what you would find with it.
Perhaps, just a little wouldn’t do any harm. Rainbow relaxed, resting her head on his chest, hearing the steady sound of his heart beating, feeling his chest rise with each steady breath. She closed her eyes, the world before her fading, turning into the one she had knew for much longer.
The sky was blue, not gray. The smiles ponies had wore every day were genuine, not just for the sake of reassurance. The ground was green with spring grass, or perhaps dotted with small blossoms of color, not brownish gray. Instead of the few burnt stumps left in the camp, there would be lush forests that she could spend her day in, doing nothing but resting and flying. The air would not be pungent with the scent of blood, sweat, and the dying, instead the soft fragrances of floret and blades of spring grass.
There wouldn’t be any pain, any sorrow, and her wing would be back. There would not be any agony to bear, no one’s screams to diminish. Perhaps, some of these things she held dear would return… _____________________________________________________________________________________________
“Soarin, we need to talk.” Spitfire’s stern voice disrupted Soarin from his thoughts.
“What?” Soarin turned around lazily. He was generally more casual and relaxed compared to most of the others.
“You were back late countless times.” She started. “Do you think we would tolerate this? It is important for all of us to maintain discipline and order. Otherwise, how would we win this war?” Spitfire was glaring very hard unintentionally. “Sombra’s army is loosing, because they don’t have any, but their powers are something to be reckoned with. If we don’t keep what we have, we will lose!”
“Sorry, ma’am, but I have a life outside of this as well. A few minutes is not a tragedy.” Soarin replied.
It was breaking her heart to say those words, but she had a job to do. She did care for Soarin, but her career, and everything at stake, were more important than love. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ “Lightning?” Rainbow whispered.
“Yeah?” Lightning Dust yawned.
“Do you think we can find Scootaloo?” Rainbow asked quietly. A tear slipped and landed on the floor, the moonlight illuminating the tiny trail that followed. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and asked again, this time clearly. “Do you think we can find Scootaloo?”
“I…” Lightning started, her eyes darting around, contemplating what to say, but she couldn’t finish, as Spitfire barged into the room the instant she opened her mouth.
“Rainbow Dash!” She exclaimed, panting. Spitfire hastily ran a hoof through her mane.
“What?” Rainbow was utterly confused. Spitfire was very professional, strict, and her life basically revolved around her job, but what do any of those have to do with her current demeanor?
“We found out Sombra has acquired a new force.” Spitfire finished. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Stumbling, Rainbow could only try to reach the cove as she fought against her worst fears. She kept on reminding herself that it would be better, things weren’t so bad, but the fears had numbed everything else – even her thoughts.
“Please don’t let it be real.” Rainbow prayed, staring at the full moon casting an eerie glow on everything. The bare rocks, the tents in the distance, and the occasional crow that would fly past the camp then disappear in the murky distance.
“It’s real. Spitfire told me.” Rainbow jumped in surprise as Soarin materialized from seemly nowhere. “She said you had run off after hearing it. I thought you might want this, though.” He held out a note.
“I’ll read it later, no worries.” Rainbow smiled, but the strain was evident in her eyes and face.
“You don’t need to hide anything.” Soarin said softly. “It’s okay to feel like that.”
Part of her wished to trust him, to spill out everything that had troubled her since the first day the war broke out, but she didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. She didn’t want their worries. Worries for another pony would mean a certain death.
“I’m fine.” She pronounced every word slowly, as if it would make everything more believable. “I really am.”
Soarin shook his head silently and subtly. His usual gentle smile was replaced with a look of concern and sorrow. He knew he may as well as lose the only pony he loved. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
“Fleetfoot?” Spitfire shook her friend, but she remained silent.
It was strange. A burn wasn’t enough to cause any soldier more than a brief pain, but Fleetfoot had fainted. A shake was usually enough to get their energetic friend back on her hooves, making silly jokes and doing awful imitations of others. As much as it annoyed Spitfire, she would rather hear her mumble every last word in her sleep combined with her sleepwalking, instead of being scared for her life.
“Captain Spitfire?” A brown-coated stallion rushed in.
“What is so important?” Spitfire snapped.
“Sorry, ma’am, but I’m afraid the infirmary is completely full! Do you know why?” He asked.
“I’m not sure.” Spitfire furrowed her brow. “But we’ll have to find out.”
Spitfire debated internally whether to leave Fleetfoot in the tent, or take her with them. At last she decided that no harm would be done if she left Fleetfoot in the tent. She could really use some rest.
A breeze floated in. The windows opened, as the wind grew stronger. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
“Son of a bitch.” Spitfire muttered. “That Sombra’s one son of a bitch alright.” She continued ranting, storming into the infirmary. The infirmary was usually quiet, but it was noisy and loud from all the crying, the tears, and the pleading. Spitfire wanted to run out right then. She didn’t like what she had seen, but she had a job to do.
“Dr. Red,” She began, sighing.
“Yes?” The painful lines of age, strangely, reminded Spitfire that they had next to no time left.
“What…what is happening to everyone?” Spitfire asked, her voice cracking.
“I don’t know.” Dr. Red looked down, her ears drooping. “I’ve never seen anything like this. Before this war I had treated worse, but most of them healed. I don’t know how Sombra could acquire this much magical force in under a week.”
“Wait…” Spitfire’s eyes widened in realization. “Does that mean that he could have possibly used life force?”
“I’ve never studied magic, at least in the unicorn sense, but I’m fairly certain that the life force of a single pony, no matter age, species, or gender, could produce a large amount of power, although that is fairly impossible, given their circumstances.” She paused, jotting down a few notes on her messy notepad. “The crystal minions are devoid of the force, because theirs have already been taken to create the force that controls them.”
Spitfire’s eyes only grew wider. Her suspicions were proving true.
“So if Sombra has gotten hold of any pony, could he produce this force?” Spitfire asked.
After a long, uncomfortable pause, she replied. “Theoretically, that would be a possibility.”
“And what would happen to a pony who had its life force extracted?” Spitfire sensed what she would hear.
“They would be delirious, faint, and most of the time, they would suffer from a variety of diseases that limit everything they could.”
Spitfire knew there was only one possibility now. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
“Scootaloo, are you feeling better?” Spitfire asked, sitting on the edge of Scootaloo’s hospital bed.
Scootaloo was lying down, delirious and trying to shake various sights from her mind.
“I think I’m better.” She said softly, faintly and weakly.
“I hope so.” Spitfire did care for Scootaloo. For a long time she had barely any skills for battle, but it was her persistence that Spitfire admired. No matter the circumstances, she would always go on, choosing hope instead of doubt.
“But where is Rainbow Dash?” Scootaloo said, her ears drooping and her smiled turned into a frown.
“She’ll come soon. She’s busy, remember? I already had Soarin give her the note.” Spitfire assured her.
“Okay.” Scootaloo closed her eyes, turned around and fell asleep, her chest heaving unevenly. She couldn’t see Spitfire’s worried gaze. The description of what happened to victims of the life force spell matched Scootaloo’s current condition exactly, and who was going to break it to Rainbow? Her heart had been torn out of her chest multiple times, and there was no doubt the pain would be comparable to sticking a knife in and ripping her heart out.
How was she going to tell her? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ “Motherfucking. WAR!” Rainbow grunted.
Soarin had insisted upon a visit to the infirmary, because he was growing increasingly worried on Rainbow’s condition. The doctor had later diagnosed her with a variety of problems, so many that she had stopped listening to them after knee strain.
“At least you have it better than me.” A melancholy voice mused. Harmony was lying on a bed next to Rainbow’s, her missing hoof carefully placed on the covers. “They say that once I’m well enough to withstand travel, they’ll take me back.” She sighed, her eyebrows knitted. “I joined the army to escape my parents and see Blaze again, but I never thought I’d lose him again. I love him so much, I don’t want to leave him.”
“At least you’ll heal.” Rainbow tried comforting her, as the tears were sliding down her face and dripping onto the sheets. Her face remained emotionless, as if it was set in stone, but the tears were the bits of emotions that had seeped through.
“I hope so. But this was worth it. I don’t want Blaze to die. I’d rather die than watch him die. I’ve nearly lost him once and I won’t lose him twice.” A look of grim determination crossed her face. “But what will I do? My parents were never supportive of my decision to join the army, and when I return like this, they’ll just berate me for how wrong and idiotic I was.”
Harmony shook her head, a difficult maneuver as she was lying down. “Love means more to me than just an emotion. When you love someone, they’re more important than anything.”
Something in Harmony’s words struck Rainbow. It did occur to her that she cared for Soarin more than herself, how she never wanted him to live with a burden, but a familiar stallion interrupted her thoughts as he entered the room.
“Harmony!” Blaze smiled, tears of joy in his eyes. As not to hurt her, he picked her up while keeping her injured hoof away from anything that could cause pain.
“Blaze.” Harmony murmured, wrapping her good hoof around his neck.
Rainbow stared at the scene unfolding before her. Harmony’s past had always been a shadow, but it was true. Love could switch things around. Her eyes were misty and she smiled genuinely for the first time she could remember.
“Listen, I have good news, and bad news.” Harmony’s expression turned somber, and she took a deep breath.
“What is it?” Blaze asked urgently.
“The good news…I’ll be well soon. Don’t worry.” She smiled, and closed her eyes.
“Sure. I’d love to hear your voice again.” Blaze smiled softly.
“But the bad news is…” Harmony trailed off.
“What?” Blaze’s expression turned into one of concern.
“That I’ll be leaving the army soon.” Harmony couldn’t hold it anymore. Tears flooded out of her like a waterfall. “I’ll miss you, Annie and everyone else! I can’t stand going back to my home! My parents will kill me for this!” She held up her injured hoof. “They’ve never supported me in this! And what about Annie? I’m her only friend left!” Her thoughts all came out as she wept, leaving a shocked Rainbow Dash and Blaze watching her strange breakdown. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
It was a quiet night.
Rainbow tossed and turned in her sleep. Walking, or even moving wasn’t a possibility.
Everyone was probably asleep.
She had no one to talk to, no one to share her thoughts with.
A pang of loneliness hit her. She wished so badly for company right then.
“Why didn’t you visit me?” Scootaloo asked, hurt evident in her voice.
“I’m sorry, Scoots.” Rainbow said, nearly choking on her own words. “I really am. I didn’t know the note was from you.”
“Then why didn’t you even read it?” Shooting her an accusatory glance, Scootaloo turned around and glared at the wall.
“I thought it wasn’t important! I didn’t know it was from you!”
“Whatever.” Scootaloo muttered.
“Please, don’t act like this.” Rainbow pleaded softly. “I care about you. I really do.”
“Then why did you call me a chicken? Why did you just ignore me like that? Why did you…”
“I never did!” Rainbow’s jaw hung in surprise. What was Scootaloo talking about?
“He showed me with the crystal ball! I couldn’t believe it! But why would he lie?” Scootaloo mustered a glare in her current state.
“Who is this he?” Rainbow didn’t know what Scootaloo was talking about.
“The large grey stallion with the dark grey mane!” Scootaloo said as if it was obvious.
“Who?” Rainbow couldn’t put a name nor any other description to this figure, but it had sent chills down her spine.
“He helped me.” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “He’s nice, but you look like you’re scared.”
“No, Scoots, it’s just…” Rainbow couldn’t put an emotion on what she was feeling right then. What did you get mixing dread, anger, fear and hopelessness? _____________________________________________________________________________________________
“Soari,n I already said no, and I wouldn’t do so again.” Spitfire slammed the table. “Get out. I have a job to do!”
“But Sppppiiiiiiitttttttyyyyyy!” Soarin whined.
“I already said no, I and please just listen. I’m not in the mood to deal with your silly games right now.”
“C’mon-” Soarin looked as if he would say something else, but stopped and covered his muzzle with a hoof.
“We have jobs to do, as captains. I hope you understand.” Spitfire said curtly. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ “What has gotten into you? Was it the rutting jokes?” Lightning asked.
“No…” Rainbow murmured.
“Then what? I’m sorry about the jokes I made earlier. You know, I just couldn’t stand the melancholy mood here.” Lightning shrugged. “Besides, we need sleep. Hell, I’d give up a good portion of my life if I get to sleep. That way, the real world is dust.”
“You know, you’re actually right about that one.” Rainbow smiled. “But still, you’ve got it totally wrong with the couples again. One, I am not an item with Soarin.”
“Yet?” Lightning asked, failing to hide her Cheshire Cat-sized grin.
“Ugh.” Rainbow muttered. “Don’t put me in a bad mood, ‘cause I don’t want to scare Scoots again.”
“Why?”
“She…She blew up at me. I didn’t see her. Soarin gave me the note but I didn’t read it.”
“Really? Seriously can’t you see something is up? He obviously likes you! Otherwise why would he do a favor for you?”
“We’re friends.”
“But…”
“No buts.” Rainbow said firmly. “And I still need to work out how to say sorry to Scootaloo.”
“Jeez. Just let her cool down.” Lightning said. “Y’know, Rumble did say that Scootaloo was like a fire. Sorta. He said that she was like a flame in the winter. Basically, comfort.”
“C’mon, are you telling a bad joke or what?”
“I’m not. I overheard him talking to one of the other guys. Specifically, Soarin.” _____________________________________________________________________________________________ “What a way to be introduced.” Soarin grumbled. The new soldier ignored him completely and just sat there sulking. Soarin didn’t even know his name, only that he muttered defiant and angry words no matter what was asked.
Spitfire had come by earlier and asked Soarin to lead the new soldier around for a bit, to get him settled. Instead, the opposite probably happened. The new soldier didn’t move from his stoic stance, nor even speak, if his unintelligible mutters weren’t counted.
Soarin had long since given up on the speaking part. Instead, he just sat there, waiting for their mere hour of rest to come up. Then, he wouldn’t be stuck babysitting for Spitfire.
Then he could meet up with Rainbow Dash.
Why did the thought seem so welcoming, so comforting?
He knew there was a part of his heart, which wasn’t taken over by war, their immense responsibilities, or the time ticking away. The part that he cared for others with. The part that wasn’t seemly frozen solid or cut away, corroded by the casualties and blood.
Rainbow Dash.
He could feel the same warm and soft feeling he did before at the mere thought. He remembered how she had sought his embrace when she was down. Maybe…maybe there was a chance for their friendship.
Maybe the war wouldn’t destroy it, like it did with his family, many friends and life as well as career. Maybe…there was still a chance that war couldn’t get to the strongest of connections.
But could it be possible?
That was the only question floating around his mind. The thought had drowned out the infrequent chatter surrounding him, and it lead him to another thought. One that he knew, but never thought about so much.
War was cruel. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
“Soarin.” The small smile on Rainbow’s face reflected her relief. Her relief to see Soarin again.
“I’m not dead, don’t worry.” He said playfully.
“No, it’s just…” Rainbow trailed off. “I was a bit scared. That you’ll die or somehow get bad injuries.”
“I’m fine. I can take care of myself. I won’t die. I promise.”
“That’s probably one you can’t keep.” Rainbow replied bluntly. “But if you could, keep it for as long as you can. I don’t want to lose another pony I care for all over again.”
“I will keep it. And it’s a promise.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I swear on it, Rainbow Dash.” The use of her full name felt somehow strange. Rainbow was only used to being called by either, but not both. The only times both were used where when they weren’t spoken, written on paper in fancy script that she despised.
Neither knew what to say. It had seemed like words weren’t enough, anymore, to express what they were thinking. Instead, Rainbow buried her head in Soarin’s chest. The familiar smell of dew, pine needles, and a bit of smoke was calming.
She tried to drown out the noise, choosing instead to focus on the warmth that she had preserved. The months had worn down everything else, the land, the tents, and any terrain left, leaving a uniform, dull gray in its wake. It was strange, how their friendship had not suffered the same fate.
Maybe it was meant to be something else entirely. But no one could be sure. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ “Scootaloo.” Lightning Dust said. “Can you just please forgive Rainbow Dash?”
“No.” Scootaloo grumbled.
“Please. She didn’t mean it.”
“But she could’ve at least checked in with someone! It’s not like she has that many responsibilities.”
“Listen.” Lightning said softly. “She’s told me a little something else. Don’t tell her about this, but please, judge her after you’ve heard me.” Lightning pleaded. “There are some things that you aren’t meant to know, but if you don’t, you’ll hate her for everything. She loves you. She really does.”
Scootaloo felt strange. What was Lightning getting at. “Okay.”
“So…” Lightning began. “Rainbow’s not your sister. She is, in fact…”
“Rainbow is not your sister. She is, in fact, you mother. Your birth mother.”
“What?” Scootaloo’s eyes dilated, as she comprehended the information. “Are you kidding?”
“She is, Scootaloo. I’m not kidding.” Lightning spoke softly.
“But…how?”
“When she was only a teen, she made an awful mistake.” Lightning shook her head. “She eloped with a stallion that was a liar, a cheater, and more or less a marerizer. As I said, she was young, somewhat stupid, and simple-minded.”
“What?”
“And then her family found her. Said she was a disgrace and disowned her. Even banned her from seeing anyone in their family. She nearly killed herself. Twice in fact.”
“But why would she tell you all of this?”
“Not all of it actually. I got some of it from Soarin.”
“But how would he know?”
“They’re friends, and he knows her well. Those two have been around here longer than I have.” Lightning paused. “Can you let me finish?”
“Yeah.” Scootaloo smiled sheepishly.
“As I said, that stallion was awful. He became abusive, violent, and pretty much a criminal. He was addicted to gambling. Rainbow ran away soon, and then she found out she was pregnant. She was single, poor, and alone, so she turned to charity. Then after giving birth to you, she couldn’t afford anything, which is why you grew up in an orphanage.” Lightning took a deep breath. “To tell you the truth, she was way too poor at the time to do anything about either of your lives.”
“Wait. She went through all of that?”
“Yes. She sent a lot of money to the orphanage, to have them care for you. Remember how you had joined the army? Rainbow wanted a chance at redemption, because she realized she couldn’t see you without you finding out. She posed as your sister because she wanted you to have someone. She didn’t want her past to become a burden for you as well. I know having you join the army may have not been the brightest choice, but she wanted you to be okay, and with her. I know she may had been absentminded or seemly uncaring at times, ”
Scootaloo could only stare in shock. The sister, the only family she had, wasn’t what she had thought it was.
“So, I’m not an orphan anymore?”
“Technically, you’re right, but please, don’t tell Rainbow about it. She’s already having a hard time. Please. Do it for both of us.” Lightning pleaded one more time, and left.
"And yes, I think there's something up with her and Soarin, but don't expect it to go anywhere soon. She's rather cautious and avoids anything to do with her past."
Scootaloo tried to comprehend what she had just heard.
Her mother…what she thought was her sister?
She had family?
Growing up in an orphanage, she didn’t know any family. The only family she had was Lightning and Rainbow.
Suddenly she had family now.
It was a strange feeling, to realize that you had something you thought you had lost.
But could she keep the truth away from Rainbow?
If Rainbow knew, it wouldn’t end well for either of them.
It would become a distraction.
But that did explain why Rainbow cared for Scootaloo so much.
She only wanted her daughter to stay by her side, without her knowledge.
It was just too much for either of them.
Perhaps, it was meant to be all along. But explanations would be hard. Maybe things were better, staying the way they are.
“It’s okay.” Rainbow replied, smiling. “I understand how you were feeling. I know it didn’t feel good to have someone ignore you.”
“I shouldn’t have held that grudge. I’m sorry!” Scootaloo couldn’t control her tears as they rolled down her cheeks. Rainbow held her gently as the sobs continued to rack her body.
“It’ll be alright. Everything will be. Soon.”
Even if it was a lie, it was one out of kindness. Scootaloo did not deserve the burdens war and Rainbow’s past would put on her.
“Please don’t leave me alone. Dash.” Scootaloo opened her eyes.
“I won’t, don’t worry.” Rainbow smiled softly as she shifted her chair closer to the filly’s bed. “Please get better.”
Seeing that she would not be alone, Scootaloo sighed contently as she lay down, her hooves tucked under the covers and her eyes fluttered shut. Her rather fast breathing slowed down as time went on, the heartbeat steady and strong.
Rainbow couldn’t describe what she was feeling. Being with her daughter, getting to spend time with her, and the mutual bond that they had shared was comforting, perhaps because she still had family left.
And she was aware of that.
But how would she tell Scootaloo? Too many questions would arise, and it would not help during war.
Mentally, Rainbow reminded herself to tell Scootaloo the truth.
But she could keep the façade, at least for now. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ “Soarin, what has gotten into you lately?” Spitfire asked, concerned.
“Oh no I’m fine, I’m healthy, and no bandages, see?” Soarin held up a hoof. “Oh, and no burns.”
“You haven’t answered my question.” Spitfire resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
“Nothing has gotten to me lately. Obviously.” Soarin raised an eyebrow, unsure of what Spitfire was talking about.
“Then why are you acting so strange?”
“Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo’s injuries. And the hell of the nightmare that life puts everyone through.” Soarin listed. “But I don’t think that’s the worst.”
“It probably is.” A sharp pain passed through Spitfire, and was most prominent at the chest.
“We’ll just have to wait and see.” Soarin’s voice was devoid of emotion.
It felt like forever since Soarin had gotten to spend time with Rainbow Dash.
The past few weeks had been a flurry of activity, pain, and hope mingled together, with pain distinguished easily and the others faint, only traces of them in their memories.
As the two of them hobbled to the cove – Rainbow weighed down with the biscuits and soup she brought – and Soarin with his injuries – they were hoping to get to spend a day where it didn’t feel like war. Instead, they hoped they could spend a day as if the war never existed.
Even if it was going to be of next to no use, and cost them time that could’ve been used for training, the normality of the situation was what convinced them to go. Nothing could be normal during war, but they were as close as they could get.
The familiar sight of the cove greeted them, and Soarin felt Rainbow relax at the sight. It was unchanged, save for the dull yellow layer of dust rested upon the shrubs and rocks.
Brushing away some of the dust, Rainbow lay the two spare sheets she had to mimic a picnic she had once had with her friends. But out of the six, two are dead, one is missing, and the other three are struggling. If only it could all be over…
“Are you alright?” Soarin asked, concerned.
Rainbow nodded. She continued setting up the utensils and took out the flask of warm soup. As she was setting up the picnic, a question popped into her head.
“Soarin?” Rainbow asked quietly.
“Yes?”
“Have you ever wished that things could go back to normal?” Rainbow looked down, afraid that the question would awake some distant, painful memory that Soarin had hidden in his heart.
“Yes. More than just once.” Soarin said softly. “I didn’t want to see the grey sky again. I wanted the blue one that we see only in pictures back. And I don’t want to see blood again.” Soarin finished, looking to his side. “You?”
“I…I don’t know.” Rainbow stammered. “There’s just too much that I want back, but even if things go back to normal, nothing will be completely the same.”
“I agree.” Soarin said.
The two sat in silence. Rainbow’s words were harsh, but true.
“So do you want to get started?” Rainbow asked, breaking the silence.
“Sure!” Soarin’s enthusiastic reply stopped their minds from wandering back to the words Rainbow had spoken earlier. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
An hour later, the food was gone. Both Rainbow and Soarin were lying on their backs, watching the golden sun illuminate the sky in various shades of brilliant crimson.
The sight was strangely saddening, as the color of the sky was a reflection of just a fraction of the blood split on the battlefield. But how much more blood would be shed?
It was definitely a question with no certain answer.
Unknowingly, Rainbow leaned closer to Soarin, feeling his wing wrap around her protectively. When the sky faded from a deep maroon to a vivid midnight blue, Rainbow knew it was time to go.
Unwillingly, she stood up, and mentally reminded herself that she had no place in the world called love. She had chosen to stay out of it, to prevent the hurt that would come a time like this.
“Soarin?” Rainbow asked.
Soarin did not reply. Almost as if he could sense her urge to leave, her pulled her closer and rested a hoof at her side.
“Please don’t leave.” He murmured.
Rainbow didn’t know what to do. Part of her told her to leave; yet the other told her to stay. When would she get another chance at this ever? She went with staying, contently leaning against Soarin’s body and the December weather disappeared almost disappeared immediately, replaced with a feeling of warmth.
As Soarin wrapped his other hoof around Rainbow’s frame, she felt a familiar thought nagging her at the back of her mind, the one that told her never to fall victim to love. Ever.
Just ignore it. She thought.
But pesky thoughts were not so easy to drive away.
However, as she allowed her eyelids to grow heavy, she allowed her mind to grow blank as she focused on what she had right then.
She had a friendship at the very least. But was there anything else?
It wasn’t something she really wanted to think about, something that would ruin her mood.
Between the temptation of warmth and comfort, and the temptations of sanity, she knew that she couldn’t have both, but one would always remain for her.
But which one would it be?
It was no time to be thinking of that.
If only the war was over.
Yet as she felt Soarin’s hoof brush her mane gently, she felt a slight twinge of hope. Perhaps not all hope was lost. Perhaps, she still had a chance.
But all such matters were for future Rainbow Dash to deal with.
For the moment, maybe, she had the chance to experience care and friendship that one could only dream about during such a brutal war.
Rainbow allowed the dreams and embrace to carry her away from the harsh reality. Instead the vision of a day with Soarin, his coat smooth, without the scars. Pinkie and Maud would’ve been there for a picnic…
The light of the sun would be brighter than ever, and a swim would be for a casual day out, not for the sake of your life, and the rigorous training would be replaced by short naps and a light job. Furthermore, the smoke would never even cloud the air…
“WRONG TIMELINE! OOPS! Let’s go!” _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Rainbow rubbed her eyes as she opened them.
“What time is it?” She wondered out loud, as she noticed Scootaloo’s bed was empty. Lightning wasn’t in the tent either. “Holy Celestia someone’s gotta be here.”
She stepped out. The sky was still dark.
“Oh well.” Rainbow muttered.
As she sat down on the ground, she started counting the stars for no reason. The tiny dots of light stood out bright against the dark indigo sky.
Maybe they still had hope. With dark, there would always be a bit of light within…Just like the night sky she saw every night.
The smoke from a distance clouded the northeast part of the sky. It had been there, for as long as Rainbow could remember. The swirls of dusty purple and light brown were often cast upon with the telltale neon green of Sombra’s magic.
She didn’t want to think about what it was for.
“Dash!” Scootaloo limped slowly.
“Scoots?” Rainbow was surprised. Not only that her daughter, or sister, as she would refer to her in public and to others, was gone in the night, but now she was back. Strangely, she did not feel relieved.
“It’s…It’s…Lightning.” Scootaloo’s face projected pure horror. The blood running down from her ear dripped from her face to Rainbow’s hooves, and the urgency in voice…the wideness of her eyes.
Before Rainbow could reply, a distraught looking Thunderlane was carrying Lightning Dust on his back.
The feisty, energetic ally she had was lain across Thunderlane’s back, unconscious. The cuts on her hooves, the blood stuck in her mane…it could only mean one thing. Rainbow rushed up to her, with a certain urgency, when a familiar voice sounded. Unlike the other times, his voice was much colder.
“There’s nothing you can do.” Soarin said softly, but his voice reflected a tone of coldness. “The best thing we could do would be to leave her alone.” His voice was much softer, yet his tone did not spread to his eyes.
Soarin sighed.
“I’ve seen so many ponies like this.” He began, but Rainbow cut him off with a feather from her good wing, pressed against his muzzle.
“It’s all right.” Rainbow said, holding back her emotions and fighting off her tears. “Everything will be. You won’t have to see that again.” She said, swallowing the lump in her throat. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
It was back to sleep for everyone – Princess’s orders. Normally everyone would rejoice, but everything that had happened the morning – Lightning and Scootaloo’s refusal to tell what happened, the horrendous injuries, and how they weren’t fighting the day.
It would’ve been nice not to be so worrisome.
No one could have slept, knowing fully well it was war, and war wasn’t exactly relaxing – rather, it was opposite.
Who knew what happened out there? At least, it would be a glad thing that only one pony was injured.
Scootaloo was sleeping soundly. Rainbow thought if she could sneak out, she could find Lightning and find out what had happened.
Making a small plan, she stepped out of the tent, the smoke, dust and bits of gunpowder greeting her. She was going to find out what had happened no matter what. She couldn’t live another day knowing that her best friend – one of her only friends – suffered a curse, a injury, without her knowledge of what it even was.
Days had turned into months and seasons and nearing years. But nothing could change the sense of loyalty she had always felt. Something embedded so deeply even the war could not remove it; something that had always been a part of her that she would never loose; and it was the only thing she could truly keep.
But maybe, it could help her keep her friends as well.
It was certainly worth a try, no matter what. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
“Are you feeling better?” The nurse asked, taking the tray and placing it on the table beside Lightning’s bed.
“I’m fine.” She spoke softly, yet still a trace of her usual gusto remained.
“If you need anything, just call for me.” The nurse beamed. “And you have a visitor. I heard that she’s your friend.”
Your friend. The words echoed around in Lightning’s mind. At least she still had a few left. “She can come.”
Rainbow stepped in as the nurse began to leave.
Her first thought was that Lightning was looking terrible.
It wasn’t a statement to undermine Lightning’s confidence or insult, but she certainly did by pony standards. Her bright orange mane was now a dirty gold, and her coat was matted in various areas, most notably around her neck and injuries. Parts of her coat were shaven off to prevent it from irritating and infecting her injuries.
It didn’t seem possible that a pony could transform within mere hours.
“Are you alright?” Rainbow asked, concerned.
“Yeah…” Lightning tried to laugh, to tell Rainbow she was okay, but it came out as pathetic and forced. “I really am.”
“You don’t sound like it.” The words came out before Rainbow had time to register what she had said.
“I know, I know. But I’ve been worse, haven’t I?” Lightning smiled, despite the pain it caused her. Rainbow knew she was telling the truth. It was something both of them had witnessed.
“Just…well…don’t ”
“It doesn’t matter.” Lightning shrugged it off. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
The patter of the rain echoed against the mud-splattered coats of the soldiers as they trudged around gloomily. No doubt that the events earlier have made their impact on their spirits.
The mud clung to their coats, yet it was almost unnoticeable.
It just seemed that life was always mocking everyone. No matter who it was, what you were, it just seemed that stuck in war was equal to hell.
No one could have a good, or even satisfactory life in war.
It was the perfect mixture of life and death to cultivate hope, yet shatter it time after time.
Perhaps all hope wasn’t lost?
Yet.
No one really knew what to do at times like these. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ The moon was out.
But neither Rainbow nor Soarin were in the mood for anything that contained smiles.
What was the Crystal Army anyway?
To all of the soldiers, they seemed like just “their common enemy”.
But was that all?
Something told Rainbow that what was common, shared knowledge, was not all that had been. So much time had been spent on the defense plans, the attack plans, and they had completely forgotten whom they were facing against.
Plainly put, no one really knew the enemy.
All they knew was what they need to do – to train, to fight, to learn about schemes and carry them out.
It dawned on Rainbow that perhaps, the reason that the months had not produced any real result, was that they didn’t know who they were facing against. The soldiers were equivalent to fighting robots.
Wasn’t that Sombra’s approach? To turn his subjects into lifeless robots, and have them care to his every whim; to fight against the Equestrian Army.
They needed a good change. They needed to know, that they were fighting against schemes most ponies could not decipher. What they probably needed was the ability to think fast and react if anything didn’t go as planned.
She thought back to the earlier times. Each time the news of many deaths would spread was much because the soldiers only knew how to carry orders, take orders, but not improvise should the need come.
As the thought strengthened itself in her mind, she realized it was what they needed.
They had heart, they had loyalty, but they needed the quick-thinking and improvising skills in order to win.
She had a plan, and she would set it in motion.
If she needed, she would change it as well.
It seemed the perfect solution to many of their current problems.
“I think I just found a good way to improve the performance of our army.”
“How?”
“So it’s like this,” Rainbow said, pausing. “The Crystal Army uses the method of making sure every one of their subjects only do what they command.”
“And?”
“We’re doing the same here.”
“So?”
“We need a new tactic. I was thinking that we should train them in combat, but in reacting to danger as well. Most of the soldiers are very bright, and I’m sure it’ll be nothing at all.”
“But when should they train?”
“Sombra doesn’t fight in springtime, because if he can summon a crystal then it’ll be his biggest miracle, so I think we can wait until springtime to train.”
“Why, you’re brilliant!” Spitfire exclaimed after hearing Rainbow’s new approach. “I think it’ll help very much.”
“Thanks.” Rainbow managed a smile.
“Now…” Spitfire dug around her papers. “We’ll definitely need…” ~~~ What was she supposed to do again? Look for a Rainbow Dash?
Silently, she slipped out from the hospital ward; activating the black crystal Sombra had offered her. It would enable her to become invisible, and slip out quietly as not to arouse suspicion.
They did mention that Rainbow would be in ward 23, taking care of Lightning Dust.
Fooling them both was easy, but she found the disguise difficult to maintain, particularly as she couldn’t use magic, and had gained a pair of wings that wouldn’t work.
Brushing the mane out of her eyes, she cursed the disguise. It would’ve been much more comfortable if she was going to stay in her own form, with her short mane and tail, instead of the crazy and messy mane of the pony she was ordered to impersonate.
Perhaps the war would be over soon. Perhaps she didn’t have to go around in disguises, and carry crystals to make her invisible. As much as she hated the Equestrians, she didn’t feel like making war. It was just too bloody for her taste. Not for Sombra though.
Sombra loved torturing ponies and making them scream in pain.
Maybe being bitten by a poisonous snake would be less painful. ~~~ Lightning Dust still wasn’t awake though.
Rainbow buried her head in the blanket, willing herself to just forget the entire ordeal and pretend that everything was alright.
Her best friend was hooked up on a bunch of machines – oxygen tanks, heart monitors, and complex machinery that she couldn’t place a name to.
Scootaloo was still back in her ward, sleeping off the sedation. Earlier then she had a panic attack and the only available method was one that Rainbow did not approve of. It was certainly relieving to stop the screams, but…
She didn’t know what do. Everything had started out simple, but it wasn’t going to end that way. It was plenty obvious that it would be so.
“Rainbow.” Someone had placed a hoof on her shoulder.
“Soarin?” She asked, turning around.
“Spitfire wants to see you.” Soarin said softly.
“It’s already near midnight! Why though?” Rainbow pondered.
“She said something about a plan to attack?” ~~~
“1st Commander Spitfire.” The letter read. “We are very sorry to inform that your suggestion for the Equestrian Army has been rejected. Please do think the resources over before suggesting an improvement.”
“But…how?” Rainbow didn’t get it.
“I think what they are saying is that it’s going to be too expensive. ” Spitfire shrugged. “But both of us can train the recruits and soldiers.”
“I don’t understand.” Rainbow said. “How can that be expensive? We’re not even paid much. Well, at least not as much as you did when you were a Wonderbolt.”
Spitfire made a face between a look of disgust and grimace.
“I told you to stop mentioning it.” She said, a stern look spreading across her features.
“You can be glad I didn’t hear that.” Spitfire said, chuckling. ~~~ “Are you okay?” Soarin asked as the two – Rainbow and himself – trotted to their cove.
“I’m fine.” She grumbled.
“Is Spitfire being too hard on you?” Soarin continued his ‘investigation’. “I know she may seem a bit hard to deal with and indifferent most of the time but she means well.”
“It’s not her. It’s the concept of this entire war. It’s silly, stupid even. It’s a foal’s game.” Rainbow muttered defiantly. “A foal’s game. Celestia is a foal. Sombra is a foal. We are all their toys. They’re fighting over toys. The land are their toys as well.”
“Rainbow Dash!” Soarin exclaimed after hearing her small rant. “Are you being serious?”
Rainbow saw it as her cue to mess with her goofy commander.
“Of course I am, darling…” She smiled, a lopsided, crooked grin that showed teeth.
“Gah…” Soarin groaned. “You’re just as bad as Spitfire. Seriously stop it.”
“Never…” Rainbow raised her head high, a satirical imitation of the posture of Canterlot residents, particularly the high-ranking nobles.
“Cut it out, would you? Sweetheart…” Soarin decided to mess around anyways.
Soon, the two of them were speaking in some sort of Canterlot accent, raising their heads up higher than any normal pony, snorting and laughing as they took turns imitating the snooty noble ponies.
“You know, this is actually fun.” Rainbow said, a smile on her face.
“We should really do this more.” Soarin said quietly. “It’s hard to even have some fun during war.”
“What do you mean?” Rainbow asked. “Do you mean it or are you just trying to get screwed?” She joked.
Soarin pouted. “That’s not funny.” ~~~ Papers, papers, papers…everything in Spitfire’s office was a flurry of paperwork. Paperwork hanging from the walls, paperwork stacked neatly on her desk, and her drawers were full of paperwork as well.
With so many that were enlisting, in an attempt to end the war, she had expected it to happen. But psychologically telling yourself something didn’t always work. Her current state was a testament to that.
Being the captain of the Wonderbolts was much easier. Paperwork wasn’t such a big deal. She remembered having sheets and unsigned papers from commercial programs and companies from years ago, and no one really cared. Here, it was very, very different from what she was used to.
She sighed almost silently. Hiding her emotions during war had gotten useful, and had become her signature skill right then. Gone were the previous flames and smoke and grandeur; instead, there was only a heart of stone left. ~~~ “What do you think life would be after the war, Rainbow?” Soarin asked softly.
“It wouldn’t be the same.” Rainbow replied bluntly, a smug grin on her face. “But maybe the stupid fan mares would come back.”
“Gah…” Soarin grimaced at the thought. “I think I’d hope that doesn’t happen.”
“And the Wonderbolt shows would be back. I think I’ll go and watch to bug you. You seriously don’t focus. I wonder how Spitfire even deals with you sometimes.”
“Shut up.”
“And you’re kinda stupid and over the top goofy. Not Pinkie Pie. You’re close. No offense though.”
I really don’t know what I had been doing the past few months.
Love? Don’t lie to me. That does not mix with war. I know that all too well.
Harmony’s a prime example. Despite everything she wants to hang on to, she still has to leave.
I don’t know how to feel sorry or sad anymore. The war had numbed me for so long, I guess emotions just have disappeared. But why hasn’t pain disappeared? Why haven’t the tears and blood taken their effect already?
Either way, I shouldn’t love Soarin.
Not at this time anyways.
You’d think a pony like me would know better than to give herself over during a time like this? Well, guess what? I don’t. I don’t know when to stop; I don’t know what I need to do.
All I want is just a bit of warmth back.
True, everyone’s been saying that Soarin and Spitfire are together. I guess I’ll just pass.
I hope not, because otherwise my gift, loyalty, would then be my curse.
The rocks are jagged and difficult against my soles. No one can afford anything right now. The war has to be paid for, and we are the prices.
It doesn’t really matter that much for me though. I just hope I don’t get sent to the trenches, because at least half of the ponies sent there never come back, and are never seen.
Either they die of their own foolishness, or Sombra’s wrath.
But in a world like this, who is truly evil? ~~~ “Soarin?” I call out, not bothering to hide the distaste. Rumor has been that he’s been spending the nights with Spitfire. When Lightning had told me, I just labeled it crap.
“Rainbow!” A silly, goofy smile spreads on his face, as he heads towards me. The one I see nearly every day, and the one that’ll be what breaks my heart. The only hope I have is that the rumors are false.
Everything’s messed up in this world. Scootaloo isn’t sweet nor kind anymore; her grouchy attitudes are enough to get me away. She might just be having mood swings, but something tells me it isn’t so.
“I’ve been waiting for you a long time!” His smile is so genuine, I had to smile back. I feel a bit of regret for regarding him so coldly earlier, when had been nothing but sweet and kind and helpful to me.
Soarin wraps a wing around me. And worst of all, I do recognize what I feel.
Love.
Destructive as a bomb planted in a town, dangerous as the darkest magic of the world itself. I don’t want that to happen.
But yet, I never resist.
I’ve always been a stupid mare somehow, always getting tangled up in things I don’t know how to deal with, whereas ponies like Scootaloo and Lightning can do just fine. I can’t. I don’t have their talents.
And I’m not particularly liked.
You’d think a commander would be respected, but oh no, that’s not the case here. I had found frogs, toads, maggots and even fleas in my personal items, and the giggling of students as I walk past. It was only after I broke two wings and at least five legs of ponies that did not obey our – Lightning and my – commands did the troublemakers stop.
Yet Soarin was lying down, and pulling me with him. I didn’t really have a choice – leaving just seemed too hard. I do know that I loved him, but these feelings aren’t meant to be acted upon.
Sometimes I feel like I’m insane. The world spins and I hear things. The screams, the battle cry – anything that had happened recently, but some older. Pinkie’s sobs – although I had never seen it, I could picture it clearly as the day.
I don’t think anyone would loved a mare so insane that she hears voices, or a mare that returns home after months on a battlefield, haunted by the memories of fallen comrades and bloodshed and the battle cry.
But I’m both of them. I am the mare who went to the battlefield. I am the mare who had gone insane. I am the mare that no one would want.
Sometimes some things are better unspoken.
Soarin’s warmth beside me makes me feel much better.
I suppose I can always pretend that he is mine, and I can have him, but at the end, the loser would be me.
“Soarin?” I asked quietly.
“Yes?” His deep voice drifts back, gentle as I had remembered. He had always been kinder than the rest of us. Rumor says that he still has a heart.
“Why are you being so kind to everyone?” Stupid question, I know, but I didn’t want to be stuck in silence ever again. It reminds me of death, when the final breath is drawn and everyone bows their heads in silence, some weeping quietly and the others with the danger of tears. Either way, a stupid question sounds better to me.
“I don’t know.” He seems flustered, and a light blush is spreading on his face. “I just feel like that, well, everyone seems so sad. I feel like they could all use a little kindness. I mean, it’s what we do, right?”
He’s waiting for me to answer. But I don’t know what to say.
“Yeah…” Was the only thing that came to mind. Why did I always act so stupid around him?
“I guess.” He says quietly, staring at the stars. “That’s Orion.”
“Nice.” I felt a bit compelled to show what I could as well. “And that’s the Pegasus, and Capricorn and the Snake. I forgot the term for that one.”
“How do you know all that?” Soarin asks quite suddenly.
“One of my friends taught me. Her name was Twilight Sparkle. She’s in Canterlot, as the Princess’ protégé. She’s a bookworm.”
“Oh…” Something inside Soarin seemed to stir, and he dodged away from my questions.
Suddenly I didn’t want to speak anymore.
Just let the silence take over. ~~~ Scootaloo was still sleeping.
She was much more peaceful during sleep and she doesn’t stir.
I don’t know why I’ve been feeling this guilt all the time now, but I guess Scoot’s problems are partially mine. But this makes no sense why she’s so mad at me now.
How hard is this? I always thought it would be easy, but I was – and still am – rethinking that over and over.
I don’t know. The only answer I could have found with my muddled mind.
War is hard. Love is harder. Seeing someone you love hurt is the hardest.
Everything is just the same, the pain, the screeches, the tears, the blood…I don’t know where to start. It’s all too difficult for me.
I don’t want to see blood, not another drop. But it’s a reminder how powerless we all really are, as the ones who truly have control are the rulers.
We are their pawns, ones they can use for their enjoyment.
I feel like being just plain old ‘us’ still pointless – what’s the point of dying? Even in glory, I still feel the same.
Friendships aren’t the same for me, not anymore. Life and death are entwined between each other, so much that it’s impossible to separate them at all. Life comes with the price of deaths, and deaths bring out new lives. It’s almost impossible, a concept old as time yet complicated as the thousand year puzzles – the ones with absolutely no key.
How…how has it come to this point? Everyone thought the war would end months ago, but it’s now nearly a year, with absolutely no result, except the countless deaths of innocents, attacks on cities – attacks on all, so to speak. But Celestia is not doing anything. Princess – now Queen Celestia, is not doing anything, apart from validating the contracts for foreign traders and visiting our camps every once in a while.
The rulers aren’t doing anything. Any further, they could be the ones ruining our country.
To me, this is all a child’s game. Still the same as how it was before. There wasn’t any change, any difference,
How? How has it come to this point? The point that I don’t even know myself, who I am, what I do, or even simply what is my life? Is my life only a ruse? A sweet dream that’ll open up to the horrors soon?
But haven’t we suffered enough? ~~~ I’m still awake.
It’s already ten; Lightning has a watch now. I always feel as if I should hear more than just one snore – Scootaloo’s as well.
Despite her being in the hospital, being safe, but I still feel as if it was my entire fault. I should have told her not to run off, but I didn’t.
How is she going to deal with the fact that I am actually her mother? I’ve already hurt her enough to last a lifetime. How am I going to explain, that sending her off was for her own good, not for me. I really did wish that I had told her who I truly was, instead of maintaining a mask that’ll crack anytime soon.
Why does this have to happen to us?
Why do we have to live in such a harsh, unforgiving time?
Scootaloo doesn’t deserve all this trouble. But I can’t save her. I can’t save anyone anymore, not even myself. How has it come to this point? It was peace, some faded and damaged yellow paper, and then most of us were standing on bombed plains with no idea how to fight or even live.
How? ~~~ I still do remember those good days, when everything was perfectly fine.
Normally the majority of us would forget them as quickly as possible, to avoid the unnecessary tears and anguish that they were only memories.
I still want to see the blue sky again, to feel the spring breeze against my wings, and to see what the world really is. All I really know is that the world isn’t a cloud of smoke and gruesome injuries. They could be a part, but certainly not someone’s entire world.
Which, unfortunately, was mine.
I didn’t know what was my world anyhow. ~~~ The infirmary is a grim place.
Everyone knows that.
Most ponies don’t get out of there alive; rather, they are wheeled out in a gurney, tucked under sheets of blank plastic, and delivered with expressions as blank as their blankets to the mass grave. It’s been a long time ‘tradition’ to call it the ‘Garden Pit’ instead of what it used to be called: the Grave.
I hate needles and kitten nails and everything that reminds me of them; Fluttershy had adopted many kittens, and they certainly took liberties when scratching me.
As the red blood dripped down, drop by drop, Soarin came in. He was almost silent like a panther, but I knew he didn’t want to disrupt me. I had no idea what was wrong with my temper, but I had the habit of breaking ponies whenever they pissed me off. Certainly not mine – or theirs, for the matter – idea for fun.
Soarin sat down softly beside my chair, holding something behind his back.
“You know,” He whispered softly, “you didn’t have to do that for me. You shouldn’t be the one hurt.”
“Why? Why are you even doing this to me?” I had no idea why he was talking like that.
“I don’t want you hurt.” He said softly, wrapping a wing around me. “I don’t like it when you cry, or look as if in pain.” The hurt in his face was evident as he turned around slightly. “Please. Promise me that you won’t hurt yourself like this for me.”
I heard every last word at least three times as they echoed in my mind.
I knew that it was a promise I could never keep.
If there was a chance that I felt I could fulfill Soarin’s request, it was all gone by the third time the words floated around my mind.
I wanted to scream NO! I can’t! right there and then but I kept my mouth shut. That doesn’t help though. Soarin’s just way too kind in our opinions – Lightning, mine, Thunderlane’s and the list goes on.
I had nothing left to say. ~~~ Being in the hospital totally sucks.
Every time you want to get some sleep, the wail of someone that sounds like a banshee rings through the thin walls. They aren’t actually walls though; the barriers are actually waterproof materials that had been set up so ponies like us could get a bit of peace, but that doesn’t really happen here. Trust me, everyone has a testament to this.
The lights are off, but the patter of the rain outside was a distraction. I couldn’t help but think back to what Soarin was saying earlier. He didn’t want me hurt…but I couldn’t help but think that he meant something else as well.
I told myself I was being stupid.
Soarin would never love me, simple as that. I was being stupid for thinking that love would exist for me in war, and he would be stupid for liking me at a time like this. Both of us would be completely insane and idiotic for having love.
I had no idea what I was thinking.
But when I thought back to how warm his embrace was, how kind he had been to me, I realized that there was nothing I could do about it.
The walls were completely bare and white, not a speck of dust, not anything that could turn her away from the flashes beneath her eyes.
Rainbow didn’t know what to do.
All she could remember was that a bomb or shell struck, and there were large gashes and burns on her legs, as well as her singed mane. She hadn’t had the time to cut it again, and it was flowing past her shoulders again. The worst burns were at the base of her neck, after her mane had started burning. Rainbow couldn’t even turn or move, for the fear of opening the wounds again.
Scootaloo was sitting silently beside her bed, a strangely cold expression on her face. Lightning was sleeping, her head on the desk on the other side of the ward. Spitfire was tugging and biting at the cast applied to her foreleg. The two awake wore an unreadable expression.
“So I guess you’re awake.” Spitfire smiled.
“I guess?” Rainbow murmured.
“Scootaloo, can you please wait outside, I need to have a word with Rainbow.” Spitfire ushered Scootaloo out of the room before turning to Rainbow. “You’ve been hanging out around Soarin for a while, haven’t you?”
“Yeah? Sort of.” Rainbow was a bit fazed by Spitfire’s question.
“Listen.” Spitfire whispered. “I’ve known Soarin for longer than you did. And I do know what he does for fun.”
“What, then?” Rainbow was intrigued.
“He gets with the mares.” Spitfire replied bluntly. “I did thought that he loved me once, but I caught him in a closet with a fan-mare. If it wasn’t for the war he probably would be just as mare crazy as he was when he was a Wonderbolt.”
“WHAT??!!” Rainbow exclaimed.
“It’s all true.” Spitfire sighed. “I don’t want your heart broken, so just leave him. He’ll understand. He’s the type to notice everything. I had never heard so many true compliments from someone, ever, before. He notices everything. Hopefully when you ignore him he’ll take the hint and leave you alone. Celestia knows what’ll happen if the Sergeant gets pregnant with the 2nd Commander’s foal.”
Rainbow had no words to say as Spitfire excused herself, standing up and turning.
But she didn’t catch the wisp of the smile that Spitfire wore as she opened the door and took a last look at her.
“Serves you right for messing with my stallion.” Spitfire muttered. ~~~ Soarin didn’t understand why Rainbow wasn’t there at the cove, and when he went to the hospital, Rainbow had refused all visitors. It was strange.
He lay in bed, Braeburn and Thunderlane chatting about the strange events of earlier.
“How is it possible?” He heard Braeburn’s accent as he whispered the question.
“I have no idea.” Thunderlane’s quiet reply came. “Rumor has that he is harvesting the life force of various prisoners of war to keep up. I have no idea why though.”
“Life force…” Braeburn muttered. “I thought Sombra wasn’t strong enough to do that.”
“I’m afraid he is now.” Soarin spoke up.
“You’re awake?” Both Braeburn and Thunderlane were surprised.
“Yeah…” Soarin replied.
“So I guess you heard all that.” Thunderlane said.
“I did.” Soarin replied.
“Have you heard?” Thunderlane asked.
“Yeah, Rainbow told me a bit after Scootaloo was taken. She thinks Scootaloo might’ve been taken for the purpose.” Soarin said.
Thunderlane and Braeburn exchanged glances. “So are you being sweet on her…” Thunderlane asked slyly.
“No!” Soarin was quick to disagree.
“Then why are you all of a sudden being so nice to her? I don’t recall that happening.” Thunderlane smirked. Braeburn hid his smile and both stared at Soarin.
“Busted!” Braeburn laughed. ~~~ Luna crept along the dark alley. The former Princess was supposed to be on the moon, but it seemed that Celestia wasn’t doing her job of keeping her sister away very well.
The snowstorm that edged towards the small town was fierce, and she realized that she had to be at the Crystal Empire by the next day. Otherwise, the danger would be too great.
How was Sombra even scraping by in weather like this? The fierce winds were enough to blow her back, and she was an immortal princess, second in power only to Celestia. If she had even as much as a mere earth pony’s life force, she could overpower Celestia, but nature was stronger than all of ponykind combined. Winds and other elements of nature were so beyond her control.
However, it was the only chance she had to reach the Crystal Empire, or she would have to wait another year.
Months had turned into years, years had turned into decades. It was her time to show what the truth was. And she couldn’t hold back anymore.
The cold banishment she received had told her everything she needed.
Tentatively, she tested the snow with a hoof. Cold, sharp, and numbing at the same time, each step was an effort with only a cape. How much did she wish to be back were she rightfully belonged.
Yet time was a river. The water would never flow back. The old times were gone for good. Nothing could bring them back.
Luna wished silently that everything would go back to peace and harmony, but nothing were to change. The path of destruction was already built, and what Luna could only do was to destroy the path, and build a new one, filled with hope of a bright future.
As much as she wished, everything were all mere memories.
Could it go back? As much as she wished, it wouldn’t. It was a certainty.
How had it come to this point? For a Princess, no less? ~~~
Spitfire’s words rang heavily in Rainbow’s head, as she sat outside her tent, still awake despite the stars and moon shining bright over her. The eerie, haunting glow shrouded the entire compound. She had been discharged, and the words in her head were not the doctor’s, but rather the words of Spitfire.
She couldn’t stop thinking how honest Spitfire had been with her about Soarin. Was he that awful, or was it just Spitfire’s broken heart? Somehow, she found it slightly hard to believe. Soarin had never asked for intimacy, and he seemed content with just being friends. It just didn’t fit.
The shield around the Crystal Empire was weak, and Luna slipped in easily. The empire was clearly suffering. There was no one, and the castle was covered in dark, dull crystals of varying shape and size. Parts were crumbling and the walls looked as if they had not been tended to for years.
Could it really be…? But how could Celestia have the power? The last time she checked, Celestia was still recovering from banishing her to the moon.
Shaking her head, she entered from the back gates. She had learned the trick from Sombra. The back gates were almost always unlocked, and even if they weren’t, a hair clip could always do the trick.
Luna knew how much Sombra stayed in his study, reading note after note, often not coming out for ages, and brought his meals in with him. She had dozed off many, many times watching him squinting and deciphering the tiny writing on the post-it notes.
Climbing up the staircase, Luna wondered how long it had been the last time she saw the palace. It certainly had changed, and that was the only thing she was certain was that it was the same place, and nothing else. Perhaps, the thousand years were longer than she thought. To an immortal alicorn, a thousand years was nothing. Well, next to nothing. It was boredom and humiliation to be banished on the moon though, to say at the least.
How did Equestria change so much? It wasn’t really understandable to Luna, as she didn’t know what time really was. She was immortal, after all.
Even the interior of the castle seemed different and strange, unfamiliar to her eyes. The banners were completely gone, and the festive air wasn’t there anymore.
The hallways were longer, creepier and shadowed by the growth of dark crystals outside the torn curtains.
At last, after wandering into various rooms, stockpiled with crystals of different colors, sizes and shapes, some she didn’t even know what they were. Finally the study unveiled itself before her eyes, the shelves of crystal towering and the chandelier glittering in all colors of the Rainbow.
“Who isssss it?” That voice wasn’t Sombra’s, Luna thought, but a mangled version of her former love appeared in the corner of one of the many shelves. “Get losssst before I crystalizzzze you.”
“What…” Luna couldn’t believe it.
It was Sombra. It was him.
He wasn’t the same. The green aura surrounded his eyes, and the sinister red glow enveloped his horn. The years – and Celestia – hadn’t been easy on him. She knew what her sister was doing, how Celestia could do anything, but never could she imagine this. The sight before her eyes was too painful.
“How?”
“Luna?” Sombra’s voice was much softer, kinder, and reminded her more of what she had heard in the past. “I…” Sombra dissolved in front of Luna’s eyes, and the next thing she knew was that the study was collapsing. The books rained down on her and the splinters of crystal threatened to skewer her like one of the cotton candy models she had seen sold at fairs. Only the sticks were longer and the cotton candy was meant to be eaten. She certainly wasn’t.
Where did he go? ~~~ “I need to see Sergeant Rainbow Dash. Now!” Lyra yelled.
“I’m sorry…” Lightning barely had time to react before Lyra made a run and headed towards the office. She disappeared, and a cloud of smoke marked where she once stood. ~~~ “Sergeant Rainbow Dash?” Lyra asked.
“Yes…LYRA??!!” Rainbow screamed as the blue powder covered the entire room…or was it magic?
“GREETINGS SERGEANT OF THE CELESTIAL ARMY!” Luna had taken off her glamor potion and spoke with the royal Canterlot voice.
“L-Luna?” Rainbow’s eyes widened.
“THOU SHALT NOT SEE US, BUT WE SHALT BE THERE!” Luna declared before finishing. “THY ARMY IS SUFFERING! WE SHALT PUT AN END!”
“What do you mean?” Rainbow’s curiosity overcame her fear, and she found herself troubled.
“WE CAN SPEAK NO MORE!” Luna proclaimed, her head held high. “BUT WE WILL RETURN WITH OUR FUTURE!” With the final word, she vanished.
“What does that mean?” Rainbow laughed quietly as she found herself talking to no one. The nonsense the Princess had told was almost hilarious, and she felt that it may as well as be a prank, so she found herself willing to forget the strange encounter entirely.
“Rainbow Dash?” Soarin asked slyly, leaning against the frame of the door. She had not noticed his arrival until his voice sounded. Deep and rough as usual, but why the slyness? She remembered Spitfire’s words from yesterday, but she didn’t see any sense in listening to them. After all, she would make sure that she and Soarin were nothing more than friends. Nothing more.
“Goddamn you Soarin.” Rainbow muttered. “What the hell are wrong with ponies these days? Yesterday Spitfire was just outright complaining and today you’re being a idiot.”
“Alright, you caught me.” Soarin slumped slightly. “Spitfire put me on a stupid dare. Said I had to get with you or else…well, she would rearrange my body if she had to, she said. She even made a list of what parts she would, and it wasn’t pretty. I don’t want to be castrated.”
“We can scare her.” The words came out of her mouth faster than she realized. “I have the perfect prank. Just you wait and see.” Rainbow forgot about everything else as she went into full prank mode, the gears in her head turning fast as she thought back to the past, where she would prank the hell out of everyone. ~~~ The duo crept into Spitfire’s room.
“All we need to do is to move everything a few inches, pull down the shutters a little, and hide somewhere so we can watch.” Rainbow was grinning like the Cheshire Cat, which was something Soarin had never seen her do.
Soarin quickly obliged. He had shut the window partially, pulled down the shutters, and moved the furniture, everything a few inches.
Meanwhile, Rainbow had moved everything in the cabinets. Not enough to cause suspicion, but enough to evoke a creepy sense of being watched and manipulated.
As they dived into the closet, hearing footsteps, Rainbow was giggling and Soarin hid a smile. Eventually, Soarin had to cover Rainbow’s mouth with a hoof to prevent them from being discovered.
Spitfire walked in, clearly annoyed by the load of questions shoved at her by the recruits.
“Where is my goddamn coffee?” She mumbled, clearly unhappy.
“There are ghosts in the camp.” Lightning whispered to Spitfire. “That’s the only explanation.”
“But aren’t they fake, you know, like little foal’s tales?” Spitfire whispered back. “Seriously you guys are being irrational.”
“But…” Lightning trailed off, unable to think of any reason.
“No buts. Let’s just deal with it.” As Lightning left, she heard Spitfire mutter.
“Whoever it is, they’re gonna have a hard time walking.” ~~~ It was utmost hell at the infirmary.
Everyone had been notified that one of Sombra’s minions had been slipped into the infirmary. Doctors had examined every patient, but there were not a single trace of glamor magic or its varied form, such as an enchanted garment commonly used by wizards, or a manipulation of pegasi magic. It was very, very strange…
And Scootaloo had seemly disappeared again.
The doctors couldn’t find her during her daily talk with the therapist on what she had been through, since the therapist was more or less sleeping through her hours, and apparently no one had needed her. So when she finally heard that there was someone who needed her, she was overjoyed. She went to visit Scootaloo every day, and they had not talked much, but she finally felt that she had a use.
Now that use was gone.
Scootaloo had been reported missing, for the second time.
A trail of dark magic was found in her room, yet it had led nowhere. No one could even tell whether it was Sombra’s magic or not, nor did anyone know where Scootaloo was.
No one knew, either, how Rainbow was feeling on the inside.
Had it been a few months ago, she would’ve been crying her eyes out at the second time her daughter disappeared. But being in the war had definitely changed her. It was clear to her at the very moment that she wasn’t the mare she used to be. She was different. Entirely. When she looked into the mirror, she didn’t see herself anymore. Rather, she only saw a monster-like mare, half starved, and her eyes dull. Her mane was an absolute mess, and her smile had ceased to exist.
How had the war changed them? Was it more than they had realized? ~~~ “Sombra! GET YOUR SORRY CRYSTAL FLANK!! OVER HERE!” Luna yelled throughout the castle. It was almost her last resort, and Sombra was still hiding. He wasn’t in any room she had found, and she was absolutely tired and frustrated.
It were hours and days that she had stayed in this castle, trying in vain to find her old lover. She wished nothing had occurred, that they could go back to the thousand years earlier, but it wasn’t possible. No one could change it, and she was no exception.
The past was always glory, always wonderful, always beautiful, but the present wasn’t. She could agree that the times had gotten worse over the years, but she couldn’t agree that a thousand years ago, Equestria was better. She felt that their nation was steadily declining and wasting away, the northern mountains flattened for camps and the land completely barren. It wouldn’t end well. At least there were still plants to grow within the snow, but now that the land was equivalent to a desert, she was pretty sure that barely anything could flourish there. The war built on nothing had ruined their homes completely.
The bodies that lay on the ground, some already rotting, were reminders of what Celestia was doing. The protector, their princess…was she even one? She did not deserve the title, as her cruelty had already proved so.
The love that she had held for Sombra, was the only thing she had left, and she had intent on keeping it their. She knew he would wait for her. She knew that he would never hurt her. All she needed to do was to wait, for Sombra to know who it was.
Yet why had he disappeared, the look of panic deep in his eyes, and the shelves falling atop each other and him turning into wisps of smoke. Why?
Why had he been hiding from her? Why couldn’t he just come to terms with the fact that she was back?
Was facing the present harder than facing the past? To be hiding from someone you knew so well, and especially when they know you on the same degree. Why had he done so?
Luna loved him, no matter what. He knew it, and he didn’t deny his equally fierce love for her, so why didn’t he come back for her?
She still remembered how they hadn’t been the best of friends with each other before, with Sombra’s cold demeanor and Luna’s royal voice and tone. Yet soon they had found connections within each other, from all the shadows they had been raised in, the pain they had felt, and the fact that they would always remain shadows to others.
She wished that she could go back and fix everything – her sister’s stubborn mind, her lover’s self-esteem, and her own inability to admit to truth.
If the war continued, she would have to take the fate of Equestria in her own hooves, and have put Celestia’s cruelty behind. No matter how far away they were from each other, the memories would always haunt her. Her sister coaxing her into embarrassing herself, and taking all the attention from their mother for herself, and pretend that she was already Queen. Tia had pretended that their conjoined acheivements always belonged to her, no matter what. She pretended that Luna didn’t even exist.
Luna hated her for it. She was a pony too, and it dawned on her that Celestia had treated peasants better, with her kind words and generous giving. She had never been kind or generous to her.
It was said that the older princess was inferior in looks to the younger princess, and Celestia had hated these rumors. She had believed that the Crown Princess would always be superior to others, no matter what it was, so when Luna began to have suitors while she had none, her jealousy grew day by day until she found that her sister had been seeing the stallion she loved.
Sombra. The only stallion she loved.
She was extremely angry, and her sister had not noticed. She had placed potions, as for the feelings of loneliness and helplessness to amplify them in Sombra. She wanted to see him suffer, to let him see the consequences of loving her dear little sister. Sombra should’ve been hers.
Luna knew every last detail, but still fell for Celestia’s trap of eternal night. Celestia promised that Luna would have a day of eternal night, but as she raised the moon, said that she must take it down at dawn. Luna believed that they had an agreement, but the promise Celestia made was nothing more than a few words spoken casually. And Celestia had poisoned her food, partially as to make her painful. It was her fault that her inner demons had taken over, but Celestia could’ve changed her back. Celestia had the powers to do so. Instead, she had humiliated her the worst way possible, by banishment.
Her hate for her sister had seemed justified, but she felt she would be just like Celestia if she thought this way.
She would hate Celestia, and it would not do her any good. Instead, she might as well as change things back to how they were, but she needed the ponies to recognize who their ruler truly was.
The truth was to be told, yet what about her truths? Her truths would never be believed, for she had always been the ‘evil one’.
The fierce gales had subsided, yet the voice of the Lunar Princess had played over and over in her head. There was no way she could have stopped the hallucinations.
She hated it. Hated being so important. So important to leading ponies to where their deaths lay.
Thunderlane was almost dead. So was Lightning Dust. As for Scootaloo, she was gone again.
She knew their luck would not be as good as last time. Good luck never lasted for her.
Maybe Soarin was still alive and better though. Maybe. The word loomed in her head, bouncing and dulling the voice of the Lunar Princess. Maybe. The word filled with utter possibility and utter lies. It was a lie that anyone she knew could still be well. It was a lie that the war was worth fighting.
Rumors of the Lunar Princess had spread silently. About that her banishment was staged, or she was romantically involved with her sister the Celestial Princess, or the ruler of the Crystal Empire, King Sombra. Another rumor had surfaced that she had returned.
Between the few and their variations, Rainbow was silent about the truth. She didn’t want to be marked a traitor, for she had not known who was their real enemy.
Who was behind all of this?
She wanted to talk to Soarin so badly, but Spitfire’s warning came back.
He is only using you to get what he wants.
It didn’t make any sense. She was only a sergeant, while Soarin was a commander. She had nothing to offer him. She was nothing.
Since he had nothing to want from her, she shrugged Spitfire’s warning off. ~~~ “Soarin?” Rainbow asked softly.
“Yeah?” Soarin replied lazily, stamping a multitude of documents that had piled up on his desk.
“What are all these rumors about?” She asked, staring into his eyes, searching for an answer.
“I have no idea.” Soarin deadpanned. “Stupid rumors that ponies focus on with no use whatsoever. It’s boring.” He scoffed.
“I guess I agree.” Rainbow felt she couldn’t agree more, because although the rumors were believable, it was no use. It would not make anything better for anyone.
“Sure you do,” Soarin muttered. “Look, I just heard something.”
“What? Don’t tell me it’s a rumor.” Rainbow joked.
“No. It’s about your sister.” Soarin said.
The blood in her veins iced over. She was certain it wasn’t going to be good. “What?” She almost whispered, daring not to say it too loud.
“The mare you’ve been calling sister,” he began, “is not your sister at all.”
Rainbow could not fell anything as the tears pooled in her eyes and flowed out uncontrollably. Soarin was visibly affected by her sobs, his face showing the concern that most ponies that went to war lacked. Without thinking, he wrapped his hooves around Rainbow, allowing her to sob into his shoulder instead.
He wanted to let her know that she wasn’t alone. He had always been alone, and it wasn’t a good feeling. He knew that her only friends were gone, and later that her sister was an imposter. Her sister was still in the clutches of a demon.
As Rainbow felt her tears lessen and stop, letting only the sniffles remain, she was still aware that Soarin’s hooves were wrapped around her, an unusually affectionate gesture.
The second time she felt the blood in her veins turn to ice.
Soarin could have wanted affection and nothing else.
It was the one thing that he didn’t have.
It was the one thing she had to offer.
The realization hit her as quickly as it had gone away.
She had a choice to make. But was Soarin as awful as Spitfire had stated? It didn’t seem so in the months they had been friends, or buddies, or pals.
It didn’t seem so to her.
Maybe she could just enjoy a hug once in a while. It wasn’t a sin.
It certainly made her feel better, even if his cares was fake, she would pretend that it was real. She could use a little comfort. And if Soarin ever needed her, she would be there for him. Always.
Mentally, she made her promise.
Little did she know how difficult it would be to keep. ~~~ The numbness cascaded into her body as the spinning lights subsided.
“Quiet, my dear.” Came a mare’s voice, soft, deep, yet rough.
Had she heard that voice before?
She couldn’t recall what it was that reminded her of this pony’s voice, but she was certain she had heard it before. Just a hint of an accent, stronger, and slightly sleeker. She must’ve not remembered it as deeply as she thought.
Maybe she would be safer now.
Maybe she won’t.
There was no such thing as certainty now. ~~~ Rainbow felt the gentleness that Soarin had so often carried with him.
“Are you feeling better?” He asked, concerned.
“I think so.” Rainbow murmured.
“It’s alright to cry. It usually makes people feel better letting out emotions than bottling them up.” Soarin whispered.
“Maybe. Or not.” Rainbow said, as the same feeling of helplessness overtook her.
“Just try to feel happier. Remember a happy time or something.” Soarin said. “Every time I feel lost or something I remember the time where I used to hide in the laundry during games of hide n’ seek with my sister. I would usually sleep there, and sometimes my mother found me curled up in a ball in a pile of underclothes!” He laughed. “But my sister…” He had trailed off.
“What happened to her?” Rainbow asked, already knowing the answer.
“She died during the siege of Cloudsdale.” Rainbow could see the pain in Soarin’s eyes. The bright green they were glittered even more as they held tears in them. “But it’s no use. She’s only a memory now. And I’ll do anything to avenge her. ” The same determination on his face resided as when he tackled a particularly difficult project, or a difficult mission. He was only five years her senior, which meant that he was twenty-six now, but he certainly seemed more mature than anyone could imagine.
Maybe that was the reason that she was in love with him.
She didn’t try to deny it anymore. She felt as if it had meant to be all along. She couldn’t deny what was meant to be anymore, now that even she knew about her feelings.
But why at such a time? Couldn’t there be a better time?
When the better time comes, but if it ever did, who would she be anymore?
As she watched the last rays of sunset disappear from the horizon, Rainbow wondered what it would be like if the war had never happened.
She felt the silent tears pool in her eyes as the thought of Scootaloo came back to her.
Scootaloo. It was all her fault.
If she hadn’t wanted so badly to see her daughter, she wouldn’t have put her in such danger. It was all her fault now that Scootaloo was gone.
“Rainbow?” It was Soarin. She turned around, not bothering to hide the tears in her eyes, and met the same green eyes that she had seen so often. They were filled with concern and worry….and something that she could not place a name to.
“Yes?” She answered back.
“I was just wondering about you. Are you okay?”
“I guess.” Rainbow muttered.
Soarin narrowed his eyes. “I know you’re not.” He began, softly but firmly. “I’ve seen it in your eyes.”
“You don’t have to care about me.” Rainbow snapped.
She didn’t know what she was doing.
“Why not?” Soarin said.
“Because no ones cares about me.” Rainbow shot back, and turned her back to him.
“What?” The tears in Rainbow’s eyes glittered under the moonlight.
“You don’t believe me?” Soarin raised his eyebrows.
Rainbow stayed silent.
Soarin stepped forward, so that he were side by side with Rainbow. He wrapped a wing around Rainbow’s trembling body, and sat there in silence. Rainbow felt a silent warmth envelop her.
Behind them, an angry, almost insane figure stepped out. ~~~ Scootaloo didn’t know where she was.
The walls were silent, the roof was silent, and when she pressed her ears against the walls it was all silence.
Where could she have been? It didn’t seem like anything that she had ever seen or heard of.
She wished that she could see.
If only she knew what she was facing. Everything was unlike what she usually saw.
She yelled as loud as she could, but she found her throat giving away and the yells bouncing back at her. Desperate, she curled up and tried to figure out what everything was.
She was Scootaloo, sister, no daughter to Sergeant Rainbow Dash, and a soldier…
The room was spinning, and she fell with a loud thump, the fall opening wounds on her battered body… ~~~ Two ponies had burst into the room.
Scootaloo found herself surrounded by the duo of ninja-like ponies.
They spoke softly, one after another, “What do you remember?”
“…. I think…my sister is Rainbow Dash?” Scootaloo murmured. “Soarin is with her?”
“I guess you should’ve known.” One of the ninjas shook her head, and commanded. “Follow us.”
“Why?”
“Because we’ll take you to somewhere safe. You’ll be captured soon if you don’t go.”
Feeling that she didn’t have anything to lose, Scootaloo followed. ~~~ “And the genetic material obviously doesn’t belong to Scootaloo.” The doctor finished.
Rainbow sat there, dumbfounded. It wasn’t her sister. It was a monster all along.
And she had been a fool. She thought it was her sister. She didn’t trust her senses.
She had a lot to learn.
She thought she had it. She thought she could do it. But it went all wrong. She had been fooled all along.
“Thank you, Doctor.” She replied curtly, and promptly left.
She had hurt her daughter more than she thought.
Rainbow wanted to protect Scootaloo, but it ended up her being the culprit. Why? What had she done to deserve such a fate? ~~~ “Give it up, Rainbow.” Soarin said. “If you want her back, then you have to find her. Not mope here and sound plain pathetic.” He knew he was being very harsh on her, but he had to provoke her to do it.
“Fine. Get lost with your stupid idioms.” Rainbow muttered, standing up and staring Soarin in the eye. “I will find her, and the next who says I can’t will die. Will be dead. Dead like Sombra when Celestia is gonna be through with him.”
Soarin was secretly happy, but he didn’t show it. His face showed no emotion.
“What?” Rainbow asked. “Do you want to be the first to die with your stinky attitude?”
“No.” Soarin said, emotionless as ever.
“Then you get your sorry flank somewhere, and do something useful!”
Soarin wanted to smile then. At least the old Rainbow, who ordered people around and never stopped without finishing, was back. It was better than seeing her mope around and it broke his heart to see her so.
What was that feeling though? The pangs of sadness and hurt and the joy he felt when he was around her? He felt it, and he knew what they were.
Yet he also knew the risk he was taking. He may as well as have taken a knife and prepared to stab her over and over, until she was a mess on both the outside and the inside.
The consequences of love in war were severe, and there were many examples for him to watch.
He couldn’t let Rainbow end up as another.
He had to protect her, even if it meant sacrificing his happiness and life.
With a newfound determination, he went back to his office.
He would end this, and then he could love without risking death and injury. ~~~ “Commander, may I speak with you for a minute?” The voice of a loud mare rang through.
“Yes.” Soarin answered, not bothering to look up from his plan to demolish the Crystal Army.
“CITIZEN OF EQUESTRIA!” Luna boomed, stepping in, throwing off her hood, and announced. “FOR I HAVE NEWS TO DELIVER!”
Soarin had to refrain from placing his hooves in his ears to lessen the pain.
“IT IS WITH SADNESS THAT I ANNOUNCE THAT MY BELOVED - ” Luna clenched her teeth during the word beloved, and continued “ - SISTER HAS BEEN PLANNING AN UNFORTUNATE EVENT.”
“I don’t believe you.” Soarin answered flatly. “You’re just an imposter. Please refrain from violating the laws of this nation.”
“TONIGHT, YOU WILL RECEIVE A VISIT FROM THE FAMED CELESTIA!” Luna continued, not bothering to answer Soarin. “I SHALT SAY, SHE WILL ASK TO ATTACK ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE, WHERE THE CRYSTAL TOWER IS. BUT YOU WILL BE MET WITH GUARDS, HUNDREDS OF THEM, THOUSANDS EVEN. THEY WILL DEMOLISH AT LEAST HALF THE ARMY, AND WILL BURN THE CAMP. THE CRYSTAL TOWER IS A PLACE WHERE NO ONE REALLY UNDERSTANDS, BUT I HAVE BEEN THERE. I KNOW.”
“So?” Soarin decided to play along. “What’s next?” He asked sarcastically
“I DARESAY THAT YOU WILL NEED A REVOLUTION.” Luna continued. “TO FREE YOURSELVES, FROM HER TYRANNY. I WILL LEAD IT, BECAUSE I KNOW WHO SHE IS. I WILL LEAD YOU TO VICTORY. IF YOU LOSE, YOU CAN DEAL WITH ME ANY WAY YOU WISH.” As she finished, she turned and left.
Soarin understood the meaning of this so called Lunar Princess’ words.
A revolution. A war. Only this time, again Celestia. He wanted to laugh so badly, as the words seemed so ridiculous. Trying to murder her own sister.
Ponies were all kinds of crazy.
Three knocks on the door.
He knew who it was.
“Come in.”
Rainbow stepped in, and shut the door behind her. Her eyes were filled with a strange combination of fear and anger.
“Soarin?” She whispered.
“What’s wrong?” Soarin was worried.
“I’ve been…” Rainbow hesitated. “Seeing things.” She finished.
“What? Like, what have you been seeing?” Soarin asked.
“The Lunar Princess.” Rainbow said softly. “Scootaloo.”
“I don’t know about Scootaloo,” Soarin began. “But I don’t think you’re seeing things with the Lunar Princess.”
“Why?” Rainbow asked, skeptical.
“I ‘ve seen her too. She came here just yesterday speaking of a revolution.” Soarin said. “That’ll rank number one at least in idiotic things.”
“I guess. Stupid things do happen. It’s probably just a joke or something.” ~~~ Luna sat in the hallway of the crystal palace, bored.
Apparently there must’ve been a million ways to get somewhere, she thought glumly. It was too bad she had a bad memory, and she had not been around the castle for a long time.
She wanted so badly to go back to the old times. But it just wasn’t possible. Why did her sister have to be so cruel, so heartless, and so cold? Since a very young age, Celestia had shunned her because she was praised more for her beauty and eye for art. Celestia was much more powerful though – she could move large objects, maneuver, teleport, and destroy and create things in an instant. The professors were often stunned by her raw talent that had beat their years of training.
When had things gotten out of hand? Celestia’s unhealthy obsession had come with her aging, and she wanted youth, and power.
Luna could recall herself, small, shadowed, as Celestia rose the sun for the Summer Sun Celebration and was met with immense applause. No one had noticed her.
They all had noticed Celestia, the sun rising behind her, and her mane flowing in pale pink curls.
That had become the icon of Equestria.
She wished that she had never been born.
To be born a Princess, a member of royalty, yet be shunned when you are like no other.
It was the cruelest punishment for an immortal alicorn.
Then her love for Sombra, a unicorn who had wielded impossibly strong magic appeared.
For once, she thought she was happy. He had studied magic at the top academies at the Crystal Empire, despite being born a lowly commoner. Soon he rose to fame, being the most powerful unicorn prophesied to ever be born to the Crystal Empire.
He had loved her as much as she loved him. She imagined going back, to the sunsets and night skies that she helped create, while they would try to spot constellations and various stars in the sky. She remembered how he would hold her when she was frightened, either threats from other kingdoms, or her sister’s wrath. He had told her to understand, to be fearless, and remember what was most important. Your sister loved you, he had said, but sometimes Luna doubted his words.
Most of the time, actually, since she had been sent to the moon.
At least her time was not ill spent. She had been practicing spells and revising her technique, and her magic proved to be much more efficient.
But she was not Celestia.
She had her limits, and hers were how far she could bear to see.
Celestia simply didn’t. ~~~
Scootaloo silently entered the room.
It was a bizarre arrangement of various shelves, books and broken glass.
She saw a figure at the desk, holding a white quill dipped in black ink. The pony was tapping the quill almost as if she didn’t know what to write.
“I see that you have been well.” The voice said, loud, clear and almost regal. The pony turned around and Scootaloo gasped in shock.
It was the Lunar Princess.
Was she just seeing things?
“We were informed that Ce-we mean Sombra, still has a pony in his clutches.” Luna said through gritted teeth. “But it is not Sombra who had imprisoned you. It was Celestia all along.”
The words shocked Scootaloo. She stood, dumbfounded. “But…why? May I ask?”
“If you are the most powerful, then what shalt you fear?” Luna was reverting back to her royal Canterlot voice again, and had not noticed.
“I don’t know. More power?”
“You are correct.” Luna said, her expression grim. “Had she not turned Sombra to the monster you had sighted.”
“But…why kill all of us.”
“She is not immortal.” Luna said softly. “She can be killed, but I can’t. And that’s what she’s scared of. I can kill her but she can’t kill me. This is why she sent me to the moon, instead of executing me for treason.”
“What do you want?” Scootaloo questioned. “I need to see my sister again.”
“I just wish that you can help our citizens to realize the truth.” Luna sighed. It was too much to expect from a minion and shadow of Celestia’s glory and fame.
“I can.” Scootaloo spoke up.
“How?” Luna raised an eyebrow. ~~~ “Such a bunch of fools.” Luna muttered as she shut out the crowds praising Celestia.
Channeling the looks of a common pony, she watched as Celestia babbled on with lies of how they needed to protect their country and defend themselves against Sombra.
Complete, utter lies.
It was amazing how gullible the citizens really were. She desperately didn’t want to think that they had believed the lies, but what she had saw just confirmed that they were under her spell – her powerful speeches, her good public image, and the charisma she possessed.
Traits that she lacked, or had much less talent in. ~~~ Rainbow wanted to scream, but she had lost her voice.
She wanted to run, but her legs had locked up, and she couldn’t move.
She wanted to fight, but her body was stiffening.
Gasping in horror, Rainbow sat up in her section of the bunk, panting and wheezing and holding a hoof over heart, praying that it wasn’t real.
Of course it wasn’t.
Lightning was sleeping peacefully in the other bunk, but where was Scootaloo?
Everything just seemed like another blur when she looked back.
What was the meaning of this?
It was confusing. What was truly right for everything? Was there even a right or wrong to be separated? Everyone had faults.
The fault was failing to realize that nothing was going right. That could only mean one thing.
They weren’t going the right direction.
If the plans had been right, and worked right, they should’ve ended this half a year ago, only a few thousand ponies might die, and yet, the casualties were staggering. Ponies were running from their home, not wanting to be called up to serve in the army. No one was safe now.
The nightmare wouldn’t leave her.
She wished that she could just wake up and realize that this was all a stupid, horrifying dream that she had no part of, and she would still be admiring the Wonderbolts from afar, but now she was working with their commanders, falling in love with the co-captain, doing stupid things, being stupid, and somehow it seemed right for once. Maybe she was just stupid enough to believe the prettier lies.
Who cared anyways?
She wanted laugh when she thought that Celestia cared. There were too many things that she had to care for now. ~~~ Soarin could still remember, maybe just brief memories, but they were very much real.
He remembered a time where he was too stupid for his own good, but happy. Now he was smart enough to steer away from obvious danger, but unhappy. The only bit of happiness he had was spending time with Rainbow, and she reminded so much of a friend he had so long ago, a friend he lost during the first siege of Cloudsdale.
He didn’t want to remember those times.
Ten years ago, that was nothing, and it was just considered a stupid misunderstanding between the leaders of Cloudsdale and Sombra. Sombra had even sent them money to rebuild everything he destroyed, but he wanted to laugh when they say that everyone lived happily ever after. Life wasn’t a stupid fairy tale that he was stupid enough to believe at times.
Maybe it would’ve been better if he could keep his faith in fairy tales. At least he wouldn’t have to watch other people suffer.
He didn’t want to let Rainbow suffer like this.
There must’ve been more than she was letting on; Scootaloo wasn’t the only person – or thing on her mind.
Everyone thought that Rainbow was strong, able to go through anything without as much as blinking an eye, but he had witnessed on more than one occasion that these things changed her more than others realized. The scars of the past would never heal.
Soarin knew that from how his grandfather had wild fits here and there and then learned he served the Equestrian army barely fifteen. He used to laugh at grandfather’s weird sayings but he wished he could apologize.
Because now his grandfather was dead of cyanide poisoning, they say.
He felt so much guilt thinking about the harsh words he had said and how he had laughed at his grandfather.
Right now, he didn’t want Rainbow to end up the same way. Being laughed at ignorant little foal was one thing, but being laughed at by older foals and younger mares and stallions would be a pain, because they were supposed to be more mature. They were supposed to be sensible
He wasn’t any of that.
He was not even half as sensible as he should be. ~~~ Rainbow desperately wanted to escape, to stop the blood from suffocating her, but she couldn’t.
“What’s wrong with you?” Lightning shook her with such force that the chair she was sitting on was wobbling.
Rainbow shook her head violently. The blood had disappeared. She was face to face with the concerned eyes of Lightning Dust.
“Were you daydreaming again?” Lightning joked, but seeing the withdrawn look, she held herself from laughing and instead hurried off, back a moment later with a cup of warm tea in her hands.
“Had to bargain for this one.” Lightning smiled.
“Thanks.” Rainbow smiled forcefully, and drank it. She didn’t particularly like bitter drinks, but it was comforting. Like how Fluttershy would insist on making tea and having an afternoon snack with her. “How are things going?”
“Not very well,” Lightning rolled her eyes. “Most of them are thinking too much, drawing up too many diagrams, or being plain stupid. Some of them are probably pretending. Thunderlane’s not that dumb.”
“I don’t know.” Rainbow replied sarcastically. “For all I know, I think everyone has some brain damage from those bombs.”
“I don’t.” Lightning pouted.
“But what I know is that we need soldiers.” Rainbow pointed out. “We’re losing them by the thousands.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Lightning said quietly.
“Why?” Rainbow asked.
“Everyone will be dead soon. There’s no point in recruiting for deaths. I wish this could all end.” Tears glittered in Lightning’s eyes, but she refused to let them slip out. “Too many are dying, and the ponies are afraid. They’re afraid, Rainbow! You may not be, but I am! For them!”
“You’re talking of me as if I’m a robot.” Rainbow deadpanned. “I can feel. I still know what’s in my heart.” Tentatively, she pressed a hoof against her chest, where she felt a slight vibration. Her heart beating.
What was in her heart? Soarin? A future with Scootaloo as a daughter, not the sham she had her believing?
“But if we don’t stop this, everyone will be dead.” Lightning drew herself up to her full height. “And if you can’t, I will.” With a strange look of determination, Lightning stepped out, heading elsewhere. ~~~ “I just wonder what she’s up to.” Rainbow said, leaning against Soarin. “She’s my friend, and I can’t have her hurting herself. If the officers wanted someone gone, it’s easy. I don’t think she has the popular opinion.”
“I’m going to be honest. I have no idea.” Soarin replied. “But I don’t want anyone hurting on the basis of the war either.”
“Me neither.” Rainbow said, shrugging. “But I think everyone is hurting on the inside, even if they don’t know it.”
Soarin felt a pang in his heart. He wanted badly to tell her how true it was, but he wanted to be strong. For her.
~~~
Another load of paperwork, imported directly from Canterlot.
Soarin mused on what to do with them. Burn it? Scribble? Feed it to some monster? He hated paperwork.
Knowing that Spitfire would have his skin if he had ever burned it or scribbled on it or fed it to some monster, he got started. Minutes later he was fast asleep, snoring as if nothing could ever wake him up again.
But a bucket of icy water should.
Luckily, no one knew that he was snoozing during work.
Maybe next to no one, as Rainbow had dropped in once during a snooze, and caused him a lot of trouble in the form of explanation.
At least she wouldn’t tell Spitfire.
But he was worried. Something Sptifire said earlier was alarming. She was in pain as well, but he felt that she was another pony good at hiding it.
“We have determined the cause of your pains.” The nurse’s smile faltered, and her eyes were sad. “Stage three colorectal cancer. Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer.”
“HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?” Spitfire yelled. Then she remembered.
Her father had died of the same cancer. Now the same disease that took her father years ago would take her life.
“Is there a cure?” Spitfire asked, not daring to hope.
“Well yes, there is a cure.” The nurse said, but her eyes filled with sorrow. “Unfortunately, there is no way for it to be acquired right now.”
Her words sank in.
No cure. No treatment.
She was going to die.
She had expected tears to flood out of her eyes the moment the words were spoken. But nothing came out. She merely nodded and the nurse left.
Spitfire slumped down in the chair. She wished that it were all just a nightmare.
But it was reality. Bitter, cold, and sad reality.
“Why?” She croaked out. “Father, I wish I could make you proud, but I’ll be dying before I can…”
Her tear filled eyes focused on an image. The image of her father, in full health, flying in the Cloudsdale stadium with the crowds cheering, little Spitfire perched on the shoulder of her mother, holding posters and the medal…
But both of the most important ponies in her memories were already gone.
Could she even hold on until the end? It seemed unlikely.
Could she still assist in the war? That was impossible.
Was there anyone who could save her?
That was a question that she didn’t want to touch.
No matter what, she would put on a brave face for the last of her days. It was her final duty and the biggest thing she could accomplish before her unavoidable death. ~~~ “Soarin?” Spitfire walked in and stifled a laugh at the scene. Before Soarin could notice, she put on her professional face and surveyed the office.
The room was filled with scattered papers, coffee stains, and things she didn’t even want to identify. In short, Soarin wasn’t doing a good job at cleaning up.
“Yeah? WAIT WHAT?” Soarin looked like as if he had seen a ghost. “I meant to clean it up but…” He gave a sheepish look.
Spitfire shook her head. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“Like what?” Soarin stepped back a bit. If Spitfire was going to lash out, he could run for the window.
“I…I have cancer. It’s terminal.” Spitfire couldn’t help it. She collapsed into a pile and started sobbing uncontrollably. “And I need you to manage everything after I’m gone.”
Soarin felt remorse at what he had been thinking earlier. At times he even thought Spitfire was a monster.
Yet he could not but help feel sympathy for her. Anyone dying, especially someone who had helped him into achieving everything he could, deserved all the sympathy they could get. He wished he could help her, but he knew it was impossible.
Soarin knelt down and tried to look her in the eye.
“I know it’s terrible, but please remember that you will always reside in our memories, and you won’t be forgotten. You’ll be remembered as one of the bravest captains that we had ever had.”
The words were a reassurance for her. The sobs faded, and she stood up. “Thank you, Soarin. I’m glad that I have a friend like you.” ~~~ Luna listened on.
She heard exactly three words: terminal, cancer, gone.
Slowly a plan formed into her mind, and she had an idea where she would get her support.
A simple contract, her magic spell. She had all the supplies she needed to make her future a certainty.
For the first time, she knew that she had a future outside of being forgotten.
Celestia’s tyranny was not going to last.
She smiled.
“Sombra, just remember me, okay?”
She hoped that one day she would hear him reply again. A tear dripped down her cheek. She did not know whether it was a tear of happiness or sadness, for her emotions were not clear, even to her.
The one thing she knew was that love was an ingredient. ~~~
Rainbow had felt it again this time. She knew what it was.
Love.
She didn’t want to dwell on it though. It was stupid that she ever thought about liking Soarin.
He was something and she was nothing, which automatically ruled love out.
She wiped all thoughts from her mind and refocused on the conscription material in front of her. It bored her to death.
Row upon row of text blurred from eyes as she fell into a troubled sleep.
She dreamed about the land mine that they had accidentally set off. She dreamed of the grasslands that no longer existed.
Most of all, she dreamed of the future, not the past.
She dreamed of the day she could lie down on spring grass again. She dreamed that every night she would see a sky of stars, and sleep under moonlight.
But that would be in the far future, not the foreseeable future. ~~~
Rainbow opened her eyes and saw the murky shade of orange fade from her window. Muttering, she stepped over to the other side of her office and switched on the lights.
They didn’t come on.
For a moment, she panicked. Then she flicked the switch two more times with the same result.
Their power lines had been cut.
Which could only have meant a single thing…
Eyes widening, Rainbow regained her composure and rushed to alert Spitfire.
Spitfire would know what to do.
She rushed down the hallway as quietly as she could. She did not need an army trailing behind her.
Now that the lights were completely out, the hallway seemed gloomy and almost glowed in a haunting fashion. The walls seemed to lean to a side and the shadows wavered.
Rainbow prayed silently and kept on moving.
There was just something unnerving about the entire incident.
Rainbow had finally found the room in what seemed like a maze.
“Spitfire?” She whispered, knocking on the door.
A moment later, the door opened, with Spitfire grimacing in pain.
“What?”
“There’s been a invasion.” Rainbow got out.
“Get to Soarin and Fleetfoot.” Spitfire said, “They’ll know what to do.”
Better than I do. She thought in her head.
~~~
But Rainbow had no idea where Soarin or Fleetfoot placed their rooms. She wandered almost aimlessly around until someone tapped her on the shoulder.
“Hey, are you alright?” Soarin asked, “I heard something, and the lights wouldn’t come on.”
“It- it must be an invasion.” Rainbow stammered. “Spitfire said you’d know what to do. ”
What did she say? Soarin was shocked. That didn’t sound like Spitfire at all. As far as he knew, Spitfire always did things and dealt with them herself. But he knew the basics.
“Get to the troop leaders. Tell them to go towards the southwest.” He recited the standard protocol for an invasion. “I’ll go too.”
The night was silent, but the scent of smoke was painfully obvious. Rainbow raced down the hill, not bothering to remove the stones lodged inside her hooves. She went to every troop leader and simply told them to go and head southwest with their troops.
Everything was done. But all she felt was a sinking feeling. The world started to spin around her, and she came to a realization.
They must’ve already been here.
She tested out her steps. If she walked quickly enough, she would be able to catch up.
~~~ Luna hoped that her work would not go to waste. She had worked so hard to free Sombra, but she was too weak. She knew that within the force field, she would not be able to break the curse. But maybe outside, she could.
The smoky haze in the horizon proved that the ruse was indeed successful. Sombra’s army had arrived.
Row upon row of soldiers stepped out, the glowing lights on their helmets forming a sea of multicolored lights. Sombra himself was a cloud of smoke and hazy greens and reds.
She recalled the sweet and shy stallion who had amazed her multiple times with complicated magic tricks and surprises. She tried to see the same pony in that haze of smoke.
It didn’t surprise her that she didn’t. For all she knew, the stallion she loved was trapped somewhere within.
She could hear a frantic hissing as she stepped closer. The edges of the smoke were…on fire?
It didn’t make any sense. In a way, magic could bend reality, but she didn’t understand why the smoke was on fire. A tear slipped her cautious mask of disinterest as she recalled a similar spell that Sombra had performed for her.
~~~
The grey stallion’s laughed heartily. “Watch this!” He strained slightly to summon the power to light the fireplace, then he lit only half of the wood. The other half was untouched and the smoke wafted lazily out.
Luna was already impressed. To control fire was a difficult skill to master.
“Now watch this!” Sombra smiled and his eyes sparkled as he lit the edges of the flames on fire, creating layer upon layer of flames. Luna’s eyes widened and she pinched herself to prove that it was reality. She knew Sombra harnessed incredible skills and had astonishing talent, but this was beyond her imagination.
Sombra extinguished the flames and smiled. “So how was that?” He asked playfully.
Luna didn’t say a thing. She was too busy trying to comprehend what she had saw.
“Are you okay?” Sombra’s face fell.
“I’m fine…but…” Luna trailed off.
“What?” Sombra edged closer and pulled her into a hug. “What’s wrong?”
Luna thought of the conversation her sister was having with a diplomat. Someone mentioned Sombra.
That, she was sure of.
~~~
Rainbow finally caught up, but she felt more tired than accomplished. In this state, there would be no one to help her.
Strangely, this reminded her of a recurring nightmare she had.
She would chase her sister – her daughter – around, but every time she was going to hold crying Scootaloo, she would recede into mist.
Then she would hear the screams. Horrid, chilling screams that belonged to a war.
If she weren’t awake by then, she would probably see Scootaloo – but dead.
Then she would’ve woken up, half crying and hyperventilating, while calming herself with the fact that lightning was sleeping on the opposite bunk, and Scootaloo was there as well.
Yet no matter times she had the same nightmare, it was all too real.
But where was Scootaloo now? She was living in the same nightmare that she was dreaming.
~~~
Soarin was very worried.
Spitfire never gave responsibilities to anyone else and did everything by herself, even when she could use help.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rainbow limping by, barely able to keep up.
He was afraid of what would happen if he lost her as well, so he went back and headed for her.
~~~
Rainbow saw Soarin coming over, but she couldn’t find the strength to speak. Her mind was filled with gruesome images of organs scattered over the battlefield, blood seeping into the soil. She couldn’t shut them out anymore.
It was the last straw.
Blood was pouring into her eyes and the ground was shaking. She could see the dead everywhere. Then she blinked and everything was back to normal…but not really. She was still trying to find her balance.
A chill ran through her. She had seen these scenes somewhere, but she couldn’t recall where. She knew what she was seeing.
“Rainbow?” Soarin asked.
“Yeah?” Rainbow faked nonchalance.
“Are you alright? I have never seen you walk like that.” Soarin said.
“Yeah, I’m fine, but you don’t look fine.” Rainbow cracked a weak smile at her own joke. Soarin frowned.
“You can tell me anything.” Soarin said. He knew something was up.
“Well…how do I begin this?” Rainbow asked herself out loud. “Scootaloo’s missing, and might already be dead, and I’m a terrible mothe-sister, yes sister, and I can’t stand the blood anymore. If anything, if I had a single wish and were dying, I would wish to end this war so no one would have to see blood.” She felt dizzy again and stopped to steady herself.
“What do you mean by terrible…mother?” Soarin wasn’t sure he heard right.
“Nothing. I’m just a little dizzy right now.” Rainbow said. “Are you alright, or are you hearing things?”
“I don’t know. The longer I’m here, the less of a grip reality has on me.” Soarin replied with a sorrowful tone. “I wish that everything was back to before like you said.”
~~~
Luna headed quietly for her shelter. Her plan had been a disaster.
What did her sister use? Celestia wasn’t that powerful! And she had lost control of the elements of harmony long ago. Besides, when she could use them, she had to share them with Luna.
She couldn’t kill Sombra, even if it were for his own good. She simply wasn’t cold enough to do that. She had a heart.
Now she needed another plan. But was it worth the trouble? All the efforts, the artifacts, and the distractions and the effects her plan had, would it be worth it?
Even if she were still in love, she would never let it get the better of her. She had learned more than once that the heart and mind had to been in sync with each other, else they would lead to a downfall.
There was a reason both the heart and mind existed.
~~~
Rainbow wanted to slap herself.
Stupid, stupid. How could she have said that out loud? It was good that it was war right then, and Soarin didn’t suspect a thing. What the hell was she thinking? If anyone knew the truth, she would not be living it down for years.
And yet, something inside told her that Soarin could be different. Maybe he would accept her, mistakes or not.
But how would she ever tell Scootaloo she was a mistake?
“Scootaloo, would you like to go back?” Luna asked, her voice slightly softer than her usual royal Canterlot voice.
“Um…yes, your Majesty.” Scootaloo stuttered.
“Wonderful.” Luna clapped. “Would you tell them what you saw?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Scootaloo replied. She must be crazy. Scootaloo thought.
“Well, then we’d better get going. They need to know the truth. ”
Scootaloo wasn’t sure if the Princess was desperate, afraid, or both. She was a mess though. Rainbow must’ve been worried sick.
But now she did have an idea of the truth. And it wasn’t what people wished it to be.
Celestia wasn’t as good as she had let on, and Luna was just painfully misunderstood and in solitary confinement. Sombra was simply a break in Luna’s loneliness, and she had clutched onto him like a lifeline.
Maybe Luna’s choices weren’t the best, but they were the best she could make on her own. She didn’t have a mentor or a figure she could really look up to, because long ago, she already saw her sister for what she were.
But something didn’t fit. How could a bit of love turn a pony into a monster? Or was her love really obsession?
Scootaloo didn’t dwell on the problem. Her mind was filled with too many thoughts. Right now, she had to inform her sister.
No, her mother.
~~~
Chapter 21 Special – Pinkie Party
It was not time for a party, but Pinkamena Diane Pie had had enough.
~~~
As soon as the clock struck twelve, Pinkamena (now Pinkie Pie) put her plan to action. She brought out her party cannons, the streamers that she missed, and lots of balloons.
Lots and lots of balloons, in different shapes and colors and patterns, glowed in the dusky, almost artificial sunset. The normally muted colors were too bright, and the sky was a saturated hue of purple.
It didn’t matter to Pinkie, because she was going nuts over her party, fussing the details, and bringing out appetizers and cakes and candy. Lots of the colorful, crystalline shards of sugar flavored with anything she could find.
Rainbow wasn’t having it thought. At Pinkie’s insistence, she begrudgingly attended. The sour mood she was in disappeared as she gazed at the splendid miracle Pinkie had performed.
It was unlike anything she had ever seen, but it was…beautiful.
A small touch of beauty in an otherwise unforgiving world.
Rainbow felt a single tear slide down her cheek. It was utter beauty. Pinkie’s happiness and talents were utter beauty within themselves. In a world where war had robbed ponies of their joy, she could bring it back.
“Isn’t it splendid, sis!” A very familiar voice sounded.
“SCOOTALOO!” Rainbow turned around in surprise, and embraced her sister. “Where have you been?” Noting that there were no injuries, she assumed that nothing bad had happened, and Scootaloo’s usual carefree expression confirmed that indeed there was nothing to worry about.
“Sis, I need to talk to you. After this, okay? I need to find Spits.” Scootaloo said, and left as quickly as she had came.
Something wasn’t right. Rainbow shrugged it off. She was being paranoid.
“Hello, Rainbow.” Soarin’s cheerful voice resounded against her ears. She turned around and found herself in an embrace. “I was so glad you could make it.” Soarin wore one of his crooked smiles. “Pinkie was trying to have me convince you to come.”
“No doubt she’ll put you up to hell if you refused,” Rainbow smiled. “But she didn’t, did she?”
“I told her that I would be her backup plan, and she was all like ‘I’ll do it, sure but if you don’t hold your end I will curse you with eternal constipation…ETERNAL CONSTIPATION!!!!’” Soarin chuckled at the memory. “But to be fair, as silly as it is, it’s probably a painful promise. I swear, if I turn into a ghost and still have to deal with constipation, I’ll go crazy!”
“Well, count me in!” Rainbow smiled at the total absurdity of the situation, “I would have done anything Pinkie asked if I could avoid that.”
“Hmmm….” Soarin was silent for a while. “How about cursing Sombra with the wretched eternal constipation?” He held back a laugh as Rainbow nearly tumbled over from laughs.
“Sombra? Constipated for eternity?” She gasped between laughs, “I can’t imagine!” Soon they were rolling and laughing, forgetting about the pains of the war.
“We should give Pinkie the idea.” Soarin smirked. “We’ll see the great and mighty and immortal Sombra deal with…”
“ETERNAL CONSTIPATION!” Both of them said at the same time, and returned to laughing fit they were having before.
Laughing until her stomach hurt was something Rainbow enjoyed, and laughing with Soarin…well, who wouldn’t want to laugh with someone they loved?
It felt strange.
Love.
Something she should have avoided for good.
But yet the rational side of her was gone. Probably for good.
A year ago she had been such a rational person, a robot even, who was capable of anything that would help the war efforts.
Now, who was she?
Some mare in love?
She scoffed at the idea, and mentally berated herself.
“Soarin, do you think Pinkie’s back to pre-war her?” Rainbow asked.
“Well, if she’s not, then we’re not either!” He laughed. “I’ve never seen one so happy right now!”
For some reason, his words rubbed her in the wrong way. It seemed that he liked Pinkie…could it be?
“Soarin, do you like Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow asked, trying to mimic Lightning asking her if she liked Soarin, and smirked. “Are you turning red?”
“No, I don’t like Pinkie Pie.” Soarin said, confused. “She’s not the one I like. It’s true she is nice but I don’t like her that way. Besides, why you asking?”
“I just wanted to find some happiness for you…you are, after all, one of my best friends.” She laughed, giving him a nudge in the ribs. She was glad that the sky was dark and he couldn’t see the blush on her face.
“Rainbow, do you have someone on your mind?” Soarin’s tone was teasing, but he meant it and Rainbow could tell.
“Um…” Rainbow’s eyes darted around, trying desperately to find something to focus on other than Soarin and her stupid blush. “Yes…but…I’d rather not tell.”
Soarin frowned. Was it someone he disliked? Rainbow knew very well who he didn’t like and could she be fond of someone he didn’t like?
“Not that it’s someone you don’t like, it’s just I’d rather not say his name…” Rainbow trailed off, unsure of what to say. That conversation was awkward at the very least. “How about I write the name of pony I like on paper, and you write the name of the one you like on paper? Then we exchange them.”
“I’d rather not.” Soarin said, knowing that the name he would have down was Rainbow Dash, but the name Rainbow Dash had down would not be him.
“It’s fine…but I WILL find who you like.” Rainbow copied Pinkie’s signature “detective” stare and went off. “I still need to talk to Scoots. She had something to tell me earlier.”
~~~
“Squirt!” Rainbow smiled, relived to be back in the tent.
“Rainbow!” Scootaloo hugged her sister as tightly as possible. “I missed you so much!”
“Where were you, though? Are you okay?” Rainbow’s voice changed into a concerned tone.
“I’m fine, really, it was nothing.” Scootaloo shrugged.
“What do you mean? I was worried sick!” Rainbow exclaimed, hugging her sister again.
“Well, Luna took me in.” Scootaloo admitted, looking away.
“What do you mean?” Rainbow was baffled.
“She took me in after everything. I don’t know what happened before, but she took me in.” Scootaloo babbled, afraid that her sister was going to be mad at her.
Rainbow sighed. “I would like the whole story, and don’t spare me from any details.”
~~~
After Scootaloo finished her entire tale, Rainbow wasn’t satisfied. She knew next to nothing and what she had told her was extremely vague and useless.
Seated next to the Princess, Rainbow didn’t let the now exiled royal intimidate her.
“We are here to discuss the current condition of the Equestrian Army, and what you do not know about your kind, benevolent ruler.” Luna gestured impatiently at Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash.
“Does she always talk like that?” Rainbow whispered.
“You see, every pony is selfish, whether they like it or not. Their own needs are of more importance than another pony’s needs.” Luna’s expression depicted only nonchalance, but Rainbow could she tears welling up. “My sister loved Sombra, but alas, he did not love her back.”
“Wait, Celestia had a crush on that weirdo?” Scootaloo whispered, stifling giggles. Rainbow nearly snorted but held back.
“You may call him a freak, weirdo, or whatever, but you do not know him. What is written in history is by the victors, or say the victor here. Celestia.” Luna glared at Scootaloo, promptly shutting any sound coming out of her. “He wasn’t born that way. Life made him that way. Celestia’s version of the tale is much different from the truth. You can obscure details and warp the truth without lying.”
Rainbow wanted to believe her, but she sensed that the Lunar Princess was certainly hiding something. “And what is it that you haven’t told us?” She asked.
Luna stiffened. “You do not need to know.”
Scootaloo blinked. “But I would like to know!” She pouted.
Rainbow wanted to slap her own face. This was not the time to be acting childish.
Luna’s gaze softened, but only slightly. “I am planning a rebellion.” It was not what she was thinking, but it would certainly divert attention.
“WHAT?!” Both Rainbow and Scootaloo were shocked.
What kind of plan was that? It was stupid, dangerous, and deadly.
“I am planning a rebellion.” Luna said, as calm as before, repeating the same words. “I am not the only one unhappy. In fact, it is not just me. I already have an army.” She was lying, and she knew it. She had supporters, but not even half an army. “I think you will not be happy under Celestia’s rule. She stirred up this entire war to get rid of enough ponies as to not having the population pose a threat to her. She is not the one immortal. I am.” Luna’s fury had returned. “She turns them into monsters, and maybe you’ll be next.”
With that, she left.
Rainbow was frightened. The prospect of what Luna had spoken about did nothing for her nerves. She reassured herself; that will not happen.
Scootaloo didn’t think too much. She simply left.
But if what if Luna had spoken the truth? Was there any truth at this point?
~~~
How stupid could ponies be? She was stupid, Luna was stupid, and stupid Lightning Dust thought she could end the war. Fat chance.
Stupid as she was, lying down on a hospital gurney without being able to move and cooking up some grand scheme of things. After the entire year of taking shit from Sombra, she was sure she had enough of this so-called war. The prospect had even excited her in the beginning.
She would laugh heartily and mockingly at anypony who said that the war was exciting. It was just an endless cycle of things – blood, death, heartbreak.
But yes, after the war maybe she could love Soarin. After all, wasn’t that her goal to be with him? If only that she could love freely.
The gurney stopped moving. She stopped feeling the bumps and cracks in the ground as the two nurses rushed her to the room without going over the official unofficial speed limit.
Then she was put into the corner, had the medicine going into her through a plastic tube, and the nurses left without a word.
Rainbow was trying again to think of some fun, grand scheme of things that she was so good at a few months ago. Just a few months ago.
But the only thing right now was to stop the painful flow of tears coming from her eyes. All the she had lost was finally catching up. Friends, love, loyalties…the list went on. God knew where it ended. Was it even worth it?
Nothing was worth it, and looking around only reaffirmed her point. Broken, bruised ponies. They had too many in the tiny room.
By no means was the room tiny, but the sheer amount of equipment and ponies and gurneys and beds, as well as the strong, pungent odor of bleach, she wondered how much of the room was actually free.
And soon she saw Soarin looking at her. To her, the sad ironic thing about him right now was the near entirety of his right side being bandaged, but his left wing was equally mangled.
She wondered what stupid sombraminion had done that.
Quietly, Soarin slipped out of the hospital bed, tiptoed and limped around the broken, the dying, and most likely dead that surrounded her.
And soon, he sat down next to the gurney she was situated on, and awkwardly balanced himself.
“The doctors have said that none of us here are expected to live long.” And he was probably right. He was suffering badly, and she was practically being held together by stitches.
“But I want to tell you, if I won’t get the chance again.” He leaned in closer, and held her only hoof that wasn’t bandaged with thick, white gauze and stiffened.
“I want to tell you that I love you. I loved you all this time, but I don’t think you ever knew.” He whispered the last few words softly, and leaned against the metal gurney.
She was too tired to speak, but she did managed a few words. “I loved you…too.”
~~~
Dying was a prospect she had never considered. Ever.
But Soarin’s words made the stupid misconception worse. She wanted to live on now, but how much of a chance she had?
Three bad hooves, a metal wing, skin and fur scraped off everywhere – weapons would do that to a pony –, shattered bones… she would consider herself very lucky to be able to function as a normal pony.
But Soarin’s little confession probably reached further than he realized. He did care for her after all. It wasn’t the end she feared. Scootaloo and Lightning Dust – or maybe not – were not the only ones who cared about her.
The next day, he slipped out after the nurses turned off the lights and the rest of the patients were sleeping. He limped heavily and unsteadily back, and he held a small batch of wild flowers.
Red, blue, violet…small flowers tied together with a piece of tape. He sat down, and placed them in her hoof. They were clamped firmly in hers, and she lifted the hoof up – albeit painfully, and brought them to her nose.
She sighed happily. They still smelled of smoke, but beneath the chemicals there were sure to be the fragrance. And when she searched enough, she found what she was looking for.
“I could die now and be content.” Noticing the look on Soarin’s face, she quickly added the next part. “but I guess there aren’t so many things to be achieved through death. I would only be content, not happy.”
“I would rather you alive and miserable.” He smiles sadly. “Because an embrace with a corpse would be quite weird. Frankly, I would be a necrophile.”
And it was the first laugh neither of them had in ages.
She was finally back, and yet her sister had no way to care for her, seeing as the injuries she sustained during yet another one of those stupid battles.
She might as well as have lost the only one who truly cared about her. And her mother – it was still difficult for her to believe, perhaps even more so now.
There was no one left after all, and she was one of the lucky ones who managed to escape the spells. But was she truly lucky? She lacked friends, family, even more so love.
The so called Lunar Princess was such a sham, being a coward and wanting others to fight for her, instead of fighting for herself. It was rather justifiable, seeing as Celestia used her army to force rivals into compliance.
Luna was so strange though. Sometimes she went mad and acted like a child, sometimes she was afraid and curled up into a ball and refused to talk, and other times she wrote poetry furiously – sonnets, limericks, anything that came to her mind was immediately down.
Scootaloo wondered how messed up she really was. It seemed that her love for the monster was stronger than she thought. Poems entitled “Dark King” “Dark Knight” or other equally clichéd titles were strewn about the room as Scootaloo had to pick them up and make sure that no one would see them in the tent. Throwing them away proved disastrous, as Luna flew into a frenzy and demanded them back and Scootaloo was quick to admit her disposal of said items, and thus she had to keep them, like it or not. It was lucky that she had her own tent, and they wanted to keep it so, seeing that she was supposed to be “traumatized” and thus would not do with company.
Even worse, Luna spoke of a “glorious revolution” and was killing Scootaloo simply out of her madness. The madness of such an act – it was comparable to suicide, and a painful agonizing death was quite likely.
Scootaloo wondered where all the sanity went. And she thought – now such a laughable thought – that the Lunar Princess was going to help.
It looked as if they needed to help the Lunar Princess as well. Instead of what she intended to happen – to somehow find a way to stop the madness of the war – she ended up playing therapist when she had no clue what she was doing.
All was complicated though. There was no solution really, only more problems that they had to deal with. She considered all the possibilities. Another war? How in Equestrian would the ponies fight Celestia? Ending this one? It didn’t really solve anything, and Luna would never sacrifice her lover for peace. Scootaloo knew it was unfair for anyone to expect it to happen – had she been in the same situation, she sure as hell would die defending the ponies she loved.
Luna was once again, busy drawing up plans. Today she was particularly a bit more excited though.
“Scootaloo!” She smiled. It was very difficult to imagine that she was over a thousand years old. “I do know what to do!” She squealed.
“What?” Scootaloo was not in the mood for one of her outbursts. Infiltrating Celestia’s castle in Canterlot was not on her bucket list, and she would rather swallow maggots than risk getting caught. If there was anything Luna taught her, it was to avoid Celestia like the plague. Antique torture methods, the iron maiden…Scootaloo did not know what was real or what was false, but the fact that suspects often never left the castle after being caught did prove something.
Luna probably did not tell the truth – she had her priorities, but her version may have simply been a manifestation of such. Scootaloo was taking no risks.
“The Resistance!” She squealed again, and Scootaloo prayed that no one would hear.
“What resisitance?” Scootaloo asked.
“You think that Celestia has it all under her control, do you?” Luna said. “She doesn’t. I know of resistance teams. They will willingly follow me if I play it right. We just need to convince them to help.”
“How do you now?” Scootaloo asked.
“I have my methods.” The smile that appeared chilled Scootaloo down to the bone.
~~~
Rainbow winced as the nurse took the needle out before stabbing it back in.
She was not getting any better. Her entire body was stiff and sore and she couldn’t even walk. It was humiliating that she had to be taken anywhere and was bedridden for the past couple of days. She would rather fight and watch the blood spill than lie there and think only of the deaths that she would not have been able to prevent. Lightning was not dead but she had not even talked to her in the past month – she was as good as dead if the only way she was alive was through words that spread from Scootaloo to her. She was busy.
Soarin trotted in after a length of time. There was really nothing to stare at, as the roof was completely grey and lacked in any visible pattern.
“Rainbow Dash, there’s someone who would like to see you.” Soarin said, and she noticed a slight amount of resentment. She tried thinking what exactly she had said or done, but came up with nothing. Besides, Soarin rarely got angry and especially not at her. He preferred to talk things rather than glare at someone.
“I think you already know me, so there will be no need for formal introductions now, as that didn’t happen previously on the first meeting.” A tall mare stepped in. An alicorn, and had the cutie mark of a moon.
Princess Luna. The legendary Mare on the Moon, princess of Equestria, or Nightmare moon, depending on who one was asking.
Rainbow definitely knew. She had seen her before.
“Celestia fights this war like she knows who is wrong and right. She will end up killing most of you.” Luna said coldly. “I see you do not want that to happen. You ponies, and love. It does remind me of Sombra and I even if I do not see a future for either of us.” Her features drooped slightly, and she fought tears. “Now, I understand what will certainly happen should be caught, but I would need your help. Your combat experiences are more valuable than anything else. When I am crowned Queen, you do not need to be in my court if you wish, and I will give you a life that you would like.”
“What do you mean?” Rainbow asked.
“I can give both of you what you truly desire.” Luna said. “You’re heart’s desire.”
Rainbow didn’t quite know what she’d wish for. Being a Wonderbolt? Her wings? Health? Scootaloo? Soarin? Friendship?
“And if there is more than one thing you’d wish for, I will give it all to you when we have succeeded. I can give you one item now.” Luna smiled. “As long as you support me. I have my supporters, but I still need more soldiers with combat experience, otherwise for sure we will fail and be tortured and imprisoned.”
“Who else are you recruiting?” Soarin asked.
“You, Rainbow, Scootaloo, Lightning…” Luna recited a long list. “I know who I need, and I will grant protection to all that needs it.”
“And what do I get out of this?”Rainbow shook her head. “Do you realize what might happen?”
Luna simply smiled sadly, “I have the power to protect you and I will use it. Three rules – never follow any pony blindly, never trust any pony, and always stay in places you know. I can protect you well if you do these three things.”
“So what are you trying to do?” Rainbow asked.
“I want you to fight for me and not Celestia. I can save all of you and restore you back to how you were before the war. I know more healing spells and regeneration spells than you would think.”
“And how will that happen?” Soarin asked.
“I can stop the war temporarily, and we will escape then. I will give Rainbow back her wing and you…” Luna trailed off, unsure. She had no idea what she could offer Soarin.
“I want you to protect everyone you recruit. No one will die or be harmed for this.” Soarin said, staring Luna dead in the eye.
Luna was visibly uncomfortable with the stare, but she continued on even as Soarin skeptically raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I can promise you that.” She finally said after an uncomfortable silence.
“Then is it a deal?” Rainbow asked.
“Yes.” Luna answered. “Let me fix you up.”
The trail of indigo followed the shape of the feathers. The sensation was fairly strange, a mixture of pain and itching, intensified by the quick speed the magic possessed. It was something Luna prided herself in – she was effective in casting spells. In no time the aches and pains disappeared and the scar around her eye was soon gone. Her mane was much glossier and neater. She looked behind her, and to her amazement she saw not the cold, slate grey substitute for her wing, but cyan feathers – long and thin and something she had not seen in ages.
She had her wings back.
Her body no longer ached or hurt. She felt as light as air and dizzily she tested them out.
The war nothing with Sombra’s army of robots disappearing as if they had never been there at all. There were none of the broken springs and screws Scootaloo would see often during the fights, or those that were stashed away in Rainbow’s drawers.
It was quite gruesome, for Scootaloo, to come across those while rooting for any proof, any at all, that her sister or mother or whoever was not lying.
She was not a child, and had stopped being one long ago.
There was always a little ache, a slight, narrow wound that remained no matter what she told herself. It was there at both her worst and best. It was the part of her that longed for a childhood, and not only, a place for long forgotten memories, or even a glimpse of who might’ve loved her before. It still hurt more than any other part.
Sometimes she would wonder. Sometimes she would croon in a soft voice.
Are you my darling? It was a mother’s voice, a voice filled with the kind of ceaseless joy of a mother looking at the one she loved the most.
A voice whispered next to a small cradle, with a patchwork blanket covered in silver stars.
And then she would blink back the tears. She would pinch her sides until the kind of ache that would come back with ferocity ceased, when her tears did not mean more than the bruise on her ribs, the swelling mass of black and blue that had the nurses shaking their heads and giving her a pack of ice.
She could take being burnt again. She could take the humiliation of having her hair sliced off. She could take anything, everything, but not overpower the pathetic part that longed to be a child again.
You are being stupid. You are pathetic with your parts for wanting what everyone else has had. Stop it, sweetheart. You don’t need them. Did she care?
She wasn’t surprised to find the answer was a sound yes.
For all she knew, she wasn’t as strong as she’d like to be.
~~~
It was too good to be real.
If only.
Rainbow knew that no matter how much she cared for a certain green eyed baby blue stallion, it would be gone. It would be another memory in the distant past.
Perhaps when she was old and greying, she could tell the children of how once she had loved a Wonderbolt and how he had loved her back.
Or how it was there and gone in an instant.
She decided that the final part she would leave out. Always.
In some selfish corner of her mind, she wished that the threat wouldn’t be gone. Have a soldier or two placed here and there, and scare them into staying. At least keep a few troops.
If only.
She would be another forgotten memory, a distant haze of words, maybe a color or two, and she would be gone.
She wouldn’t resign herself to be another forgotten name, another faceless figure who might’ve or might’ve not shared a few conversations, a few jokes, and a few nights.
And then she realized she was stopping. She wasn’t walking.
There was still a huge commotion and ponies in dense crowds. No one noticed.
That is, until someone did.
“Rainbow? ” She heard a voice too familiar to ignore.
“Yaaaaaaa…” The cracks in her voice wobbled with a sarcastic note.
“What is happening?” He asks, and she finds herself staring again, at his eyes, the circles under them, and the mess of a mane that looked as if he cared only enough to run a hoof through a few times.
Even then, she couldn’t trick herself from thinking that he was handsome. And that he blocked the sun.
“Step out, I need my sun. Thank you, monsieur de la mort…” She drawled out the last syllables and switched to the other side of him.
“Hey, I have a lower kill count than you. Probably.” It was a well known fact that Rainbow was an effective fighter, and Soarin too.
“But I’m still better at screwing.” It was another well known fact that Rainbow never screwed anyone randomly. And she hadn’t screwed anyone, not that anyone else knew of.
“Ha. Ha. Ha.” Soarin said, before picking her up.
“PUT ME THE FUCK DOWN PUT ME DOWN YOU OAF!” Rainbow kicked him once and promptly regretted it when she landed on the ground on yet another patch of gravel.
“I did what you asked.” He wished he could smile and reassure her, but he bent down and offered a hoof anyways. She batted it away playfully.
“Well you shouldn’t have picked me up in the first place. Harrumph.” Rainbow snorted. “I might not be the biggest pony around but I do know how to make the biggest bruises.”
~~~
It was still far from anywhere in Equestria that was habitable, Soarin decided.
He should be thinking about making the transition from soldier back to performer again. He should be thinking about going back and forgetting everything.
But how could he? Not when what he was thinking was not the transition, but a certain mare with snark and attitude and a very colorful mane. Probably more so than the type of words that would come flying out of Spitfire’s mouth if she knew what he was thinking.
He lay down and tried to sleep. It didn’t happen.
He never had an easy time falling asleep. Whether it was night or day, he could not seem to spare his minds painful thoughts.
A lot of memories flooded back. He blinked several times to cast them out, to avoid the little confrontations his mind would always force on him, but nothing ever worked.
You know, Soarin, you’re not even supposed to do that. Don’t make her regret it. Don’t make yourself regret it more. Are you stupid or what？ She’ll disappear and good luck finding her. Someday. Maybe when you’re old and graying. Do you honestly need to care that much? Yes. He would answer every time.
That wasn’t a part of him that doubted any of his devotion, but there was plenty to spare for her. For all he knew, she would probably forget him after a while. And he didn’t want to drag her into the world of paparazzi and listen to their cruel comments.
The only regret he had in nearly thirty years was becoming a Wonderbolt too early. He wasn’t more than a child when he joined, near youngest and an immediate sensation with the media.
Things did not turn out well. They dug up tidbits, little pieces strung together, from the mouths of those who wished him ill.
More than just wishing. They granted their own wishes. More than once.
He turned over and stopped thinking.
He tried focusing his mind on the way Rainbow smiled. The way she would never bow down to any other.
The way she never stopped staying herself.
He found that it was what he always loved about her.
"That's a lot of shit, Rainbow." Lightning shook her head slowly, wrapping a hoof around her. "Don't cry. He's going to be fine."
She told. All the little meetings, the way he embraced her, all those little moments that she had locked away for far too long. It hurt. It pained her far too much to see him gone from her life, ripped away, another regiment, different ponies, maybe even a marefriend. She sniffed.
Soarin. Scootaloo. Everyone that she had once known. Anything that she had ever loved except Lightning.
"And now, what do we do?" Lightning sighed. "There's a crazy princess who's mind controlling the other side and a princess back from exile for revenge. Who also loves the crazy being-mind-controlled guy."
"I love shit. Merda. Merde. Der'mo. Whatever you want to call it." Rainbow could not resist the sobs that choked out as she buried her face in her hooves again. "But I have my own problems. And this is not over. Not over at all. Lightning, you knew that I have a daughter. Nothing can happen to me. I have somepony I love and who I love with my whole heart."
"Well that's nothing. Rainbow, everything is nothing now." Lightning's voice quieted. "Half of our regiment is gone. We all know. Gone. Captured, dead, missing, or anything. Just not with us."
"What do I not? I am sergeant, and this is the most cruel thing I had to do. Those letters of apology, thanking them for the service, with all of us knowing that many of us will not come back."
"This world is cruel. It has always been cruel, Rainbow Dash." Lightning whispered as she realized that Rainbow had fell asleep. ~~~ Luna had another sleepless night. The moon shone far too brightly for her taste, and she was guilt ridden with all those memories of her selfishness.
Had she been evil? But what did the people know of Celestia? They had enough reason to judge for themselves, and Celestia gave nothing but reasons for her kindness and benevolence.
Why, god, why?
Luna wanted to scream so badly and yet she could not. It was never a good idea to reveal yourself to an enemy. When you could escape you did, when you could outwit them you would, and when you couldn't you confused the heck out of the enemy then flee.
Sombra. The one that she loved far too much. The one thing that kept her from ending the pathetic life she had led herself to.
The moon was a prison she could've escaped by death. Yet she didn't. The thousand years she spent were accompanied by escapades in her dreams - trips with her beloved and a distraction from the sting of betrayal. What her sister did, was horrible. It was moreso when she cared. When she still loved her sister far too much to even register her banishment until days had gone and she were left alone, no one to care, completely alone, and then she picked up the pieces.
The little curses. The jokes. The poisons.
It all added up. She ran them through and decided way too late how cruel her sister had been.
Her sister.
How?
Even if she were not the best sister, Luna considered herself a good one. She did everything she had been able to in order to support her sister, even substituting and meeting with all the delegates well into midnight in order to make the best decisions. She had did her best.
Then she was discarded. Maybe, she wasn't supposed to be powerful. But Sombra had taught her many useful things, one of which was escaping and honing her powers. Light was never her strength, but under the cover of darkness, she could do many, many things. Perhaps Celestia was apparently powerful, but Luna had her own strengths, studying with a master, and practicing herself sick.
Love, what was it? She saw the Rainbow mare with the stallion. She wished it were all simple like that.
In another life, Sombra, she wondered, will we meet again?
If I were not a princess and you were no king, would we ever reunite?
If I would give up all the power I hold for you, would you do the same for me?
Enough of the musing, she told herself. The Scootaloo filly is waiting.
Not filly, she corrected. Mare. Except that the poor mare was too undernourished to even look remotely mature. Those wings...she felt the pain of being the incomplete pony.
"Now, dear, do you need anything?" Let yourself go, she reminded herself. Not the royal voice. Neither did the royal we work.
"When do I see my sister again?" Scootaloo asked.
"Sometime. Until this is over. I am protecting you, you see." Was she hostage or a bargaining chip or her client? Luna did not know. The filly was useful, and that made her Celestia more than she ever wanted to be. Still, she reasoned, she would never harm the filly, at least, she wouldn't use her as leverage. Persuasion, she said, but a sense of guilt was there, tugging at her and making it difficult to breathe properly.
Was she too much Celestia? They were sisters, after all.
"A story?" She offered.
"Okay." Scootaloo settled down.
"Once upon a time, there was a mare who fell in love with a stallion." She began, and tensed her face to avoid any reaction. "Except the mare was a princess and the stallion was a king. It was still love."
"And?" Scootaloo thought it sounded oddly familiar, but she couldn't place it.
"The only thing in between this love was the princess' family. She hated the fact that the king loved the princess. It was the Crown Princess, the one all had to bow to. "
"I think I know part of this."
"You may. He was banished and cursed and tortured. She was imprisoned and denied the outside world. It were a millennium before she broke the chains and freed herself, and she came back to see her love mangled and villainized, her sister sitting on a throne, forcing the citizens of the country to fight a threat that she created and manufactured. No one suspected a thing."
"And how does it end?" Scootaloo asked. The tale was all too familiar. Too much like Luna.
"I don't know, little filly, I don't know. I wish we knew. I wouldn't waste my energy if it were a lost cause." Luna shook her head sadly.
"You still love him." Scootaloo said suddenly.
"I do."
"Even if he is a monster?"
"Yes."
"What do you want, then?"
"I want to live like a normal mare, to love who I want to love. I want him to be a commoner, not a king or the prince I knew. I want to love with my heart. I want my love to be celebrated, not the root of mass destruction."
"I guess there's nothing unreasonable. But how?"
"I know not how." Luna shook her head sadly. "I am spent."
"I've always wondered, Soarin, what do you think you can do?" Spitfire shrugged.
"What? About what? Spits, what?" Soarin felt his pulse rush a bit. From that look, he knew.
"I've seen how you look at her." And she chokes back a small sob. Because he isn't hers and she isn't his and there is nothing that will change that. "And don't tell me what you think I want to hell because that can go to hell if it is a lie."
"Spits, I don't want to lie. But I am tempted to right now." Soarin said. "Besides, would you understand? It's never been about us as ponies, or even any emotion. You've never bothered with what we feel, so why does it bother you now?"
"How would I know? It does." Spitfire mentally willed herself to shut up.
"It's always about what the next show could be like. It's never been the same since we joined the goddamn team!" Soarin glared at her. "Why? So this is how you make up for it? This is one thing, Spits, that I want you to let me have. A little love can't hurt."
"Sure it can't..." Spitfire turned around. "Go. I am sick of you."
"Then be sick of me. But our private lives don't interfere with work."
Soarin left.
Now, he knew.
There was never the chance there. He wanted to laugh. Laugh because he was a fool for thinking there was anything that he could've done to have anything.
This was war. And he had put on the rose-tinted lenses by himself.
Now, it was time to take them off.
There was also Luna. After all that he really found, was it a wise idea to trust another princess? A mortal god who had power over his life and death the moment he swore allegiance? Was there any doubt that he was being used by this god?
Did he care at all? The moment he signed up he already made the preparation for his death. Will, casket, plot.
Was it going to be used?
He didn't want to find out. Never ask a question you don't want to know the answer to, they say.
But he sought out Luna anyways.
~~~
"So is it legend?" He asked.
"Yes. Mostly." Luna sipped her drink calmly, and he watched in awe as the full cup disappeared under the hood and came back out as an empty cup. "I, do not possess many powers regarding futures. Do you think of me as a fool? Had I known my demise I would've avoided it. Now I am a fugitive even if I am a princess."
"Then what can you?"
"I can tell you a direction, but that's it."
"Good enough. Tell me when I would die." Soarin stated calmly.
"Not soon." Luna said.
"You did nothing."
"You are too valuable to die." Luna stated simply. "They won't let you."
"Then Rainbow Dash?"
"Ha. Love. I suggest you not. Your love speaks of demise, and there are too many that don't want it to ever happen." Luna laughed coldly. "I thought I could defy the others, but it was too much. And the ones against me had too much power. For you, I doubt there is much difference."
"Then us?"
"You know not to stop. But since you don't, I might as well as tell you." She clicked her hoof, and her horn glowed with a brilliant blue light, pale blue like a sky on the clearest day. "I say, I see loss. I see that you will walk together to death willingly, but I see not your deaths in the near future. And I will have my way. This war will not last beyond the next winter."
"Six months, Princess, you cannot mean that."
"I mean it, and I will have it. No matter the cost. Even my life." Luna's eyes shone. "Tia will not have this victory. No, she will not. She may have my reputation and my life and my love but she will not have this. And because of this I will die."
"Die?"
"Yes. I have searched my books. I cannot save him. I cannot." A tear slid down her cheek. "I cannot."
"Why?"
"Celestia is more powerful than me. She had a thousand years study on me. It is time to accept that despite my aptitude for spells they are no more than party tricks. They work not for what I want." Luna curled up on her seat. "I cannot save him. I cannot."
There was something that almost felt like pity that he wanted to feel. He shrugged it off. She would not want pity.
Then what did she want?
"Now you know. But it's useless for you to not know. There are things that you won't understand either, but I think this isn't one." Luna spoke. "And I know that if this war goes on, your beloved will not live too long."
Soarin froze.
She had lied to him.
Either way, one of her statements were false and he had no way of knowing which one was the lie.
"Then why did you tell me that she would last beyond the war?"
"If the war does not last."
"And what do you say about that?"
"I say I won't let it, and we end that here." Luna settled the cup down. "If you want her to live well, because I doubt she will for long, you best assist me."
"Why would I risk my life for your petty ambitions?"
"Because you know your beloved's life is on the line, and you what Tia did was wrong."
"I agree, but still that does not mean I will risk my life or career."
"Do you think you can go back and live like you did before after all of this? Nothing that affects Celestia's reputation or the image she wants will be gone. You will be forgotten, Soarin, and she will force your demise because your experiences are detrimental to her efforts. You've died the moment you signed up."
That sounded oddly familiar. "I have my casket, I have my will, and I know where I will be buried."
"And? So? Does that really matter? All of you will be gone sometime soon. If this war ends soon enough. The army will rebel against her if they have to, but she's weakened your ranks by putting you through this." She gestured at the barren landscape. "And she holds all the resources. Three days is not enough to overthrow her, and you will die of thirst before then."
"How do you know?"
"I've worked alongside her, what do I not? Some things you can hide, but not with someone who sees your every habit and oversees every part of the execution."
"And?"
"I've seen her cruelty. I've experienced it. That's really it."
Soarin went silent.
There was not much else to be said for him. "I will help you. What do you want?"
"I say I want my freedom, but I also want my throne. Celestia - she is not fit to be Queen." Luna's hoof trembled. "I may not be the best but the citizens will follow me if they know what their Queen is."
"How?"
"I know not. But I will work something out. Take care." Luna left in a small puff of blue smoke.
And meet again they had. Except that now, what did they have to say?
"How is the regiment?" Rainbow asked quietly.
"Same as it was when we left." Soarin's face stayed cold. "Yours?"
"A couple of mines and deaths, but I guess this point we are all used to it, aren't we?" She smiles weakly. "You can't survive this without getting used to it. You have to."
"That changes nothing, Rainbow. It still hurts."
"I agree." She pauses. Then she sees a strange dark glow. "Wait, is that-"
Something smacked her to the ground but there was nothing within her sight. Fragments of metal were littered around the ground.
A bomb.
"Soarin! Soarin!" She called. No response. The only one she was with. Scootaloo - there was no more use in worrying. There was Luna who was much more powerful than her.
And the soldiers. It had been too long.
Glowing horns, metallic bodies, bloodshot eyes.
Sombra's soldiers.
Ambush.
There was nothing she could do but fight.
All she knew was to take deep breaths. The robots had their weaknesses - depending on the build it could be under the jaw, under the wing, or under the hoof. Never easy spots to reach.
Well, I better get on. We have a destination. She thought. And she was not going to be cowardly. A robot turned a back to her, and she managed to reach the hoof and jaw. It fell way too easy.
Turning around, she faced a few others surrounding her.
She had to act. She slammed a hoof into the closest one, ducked the second, and tripped the third.
Altogether, not bad. Except that there were too many for her. And try as she might've, she wouldn't break free. Not until they retreated.
Staring her down, they began to surround her from above, and then she realized.
There were more.
There was no way she would fight all of them. Charging into the center, she knocked a few from the sky and pushed a boulder down as she reached a clifftop, and in her own awe and horror she saw wriggling figures and pieces of scattered armor then Soarin.
Soarin?
She felt herself plummeting down the cliff and screamed.
This had not happened to her.
Why?
She crashed into the rock, and it budged. It was enough for Soarin to pick himself up but then she saw his wing.
The one look was enough to tell her that it needed to be amputated. And they were being surrounded by minions again, more menacing with Soarin's blood splattered on their armor.
"Take the left!" She cried as one pummeled into her, and in the midst her helmet slipped off.
Make good use, she would say. She hurled the metal into the uncovered knee of one of them minions, and it fell.
"Left!" She cried again as she felt a gust of wind bite into her right shoulder, and prayed that Soarin would not be hurt.
There was no one to help, she realized.
Quickly scanning, she ducked below and rock and heard the sound of metal on rock. Then it were the hissing pain on her back and she knew she had been cornered. Too many. Throwing out punches and making use of a knife, she slashed at the helmets and plunged the knife into any part that would cause pain.
It worked.
Using the leverage, she flew back after pulling the knife out, still slick with blood.
Blood.
It wasn't as simple as minions and robots.
How much of it was on her hands?
The hard landing snapped her out of her daze as she slashed her way back to Soarin, who was clearly not well, being surrounded with a crushed wing.
If she could do it again, she could save him.
As fast as she could carry herself, she flew upwards into the clouds, until the blood below was merely a dot of red among the barren landscape.
Survive, Soarin. She pleaded silently.
Then she fell until the resistance started to form. Her wings flapped furiously as she struggled to go on. The heat and electricity in the air caused her mane to stand on an end, and it was pure pain that entered her hooves.
She heard a boom, but she knew nothing else as she landed into the minions surrounding him, dazed.
~~~
"Rainbow Dash?"
Everything hurt like flames licking her bones, burning away any flesh that obstructed it's way.
"Rainbow?" A murky shadow of blues found it's way into her scope of vision.
"S-Soarin?" She croaked. That voice was not hers.
"I still want to tell you, that I still care. And thanks for saving my life." He smiled sadly. "There is no way that I am going to stay after this. They are sending me back. To train new army recruits."
"You're going back." She repeats.
"Yes." Soarin said softly. "Don't miss me too much. I might be tempted to return if you do." He crouched down next to her.
She could see the burns and bruises on his forehead. The rainboom trick worked too well. Most of them were far enough.
"After that, you basically eliminated half of the minions fighting me." He smiled. "Apparently the metal suits don't react as well as our clothing. Most of them got stabbed by the suits. I am in your debt, Rainbow. I wouldn't have survived without you there." A shadow flitted across his features, but it was an instant that it disappeared in.
"No problem. This is what I do. I mean, you are the only one I have left." Rainbow said softly. "Lightning's leading the resistance. Luna told me that much."
"What else?"
"That you are with her."
"I'm not dating her. Jeez, Dashie, thought you'd know."
"I have no words for your profound stupidity." She coughed into a handkerchief.
He saw red.
"I'm not stupid and I'm part of the resistance. And I can't just make more soldiers for Celestia to kill. That's my problem."
"I'm not stupid and you can't wait to get the fuck out of this war." She countered.
"Maybe, but I've had enough bloodshed for a lifetime."
"Celestia has had enough for thousands of lifetimes. How does she not die from the fright?"
"Some ponies don't need a conscience. But do you think Luna is truthful? I mean, what she is saying is not as believable as I'd like to think."
"She has no reason to lie." Rainbow said. "Celestia has every reason to lie, and I doubt she's faking her love for Sombra."
"How?"
"I don't think anyone can stay even remotely as obsessed about freeing a pony that will cause them only trouble. She's going to have a lot of explaining to do even if she succeeds."
"So? That's still enough to rid us of Celestia."
"She's not that powerful, Soarin. I've seen it. She has mortal limits." Rainbow shook her head. "Celestia can fight for much longer and have you seen her attacks? They are vicious." It was a well known fact that Celestia was leading a charge against Sombra, and they were much more successful than any other regiment.
"Now that you say, I don't even know. We aren't unicorns." He smiled weakly. "And I'm no longer a pegasus."
"I won't say about that." They turned around and Luna stood before them. "I can help. If you will, that is."
"Are you sure?" Rainbow asked skeptically.
"I can. Look." She detached Rainbow's prosthetic wing. "Here." A swirl of mist surrounded the stump that was left, and some feathers grew. To their amazement, they saw bone growing. Luna sealed the stump and removed the base of the metal wing. "What did I say?" She smiled. "I studied with the best. I poured my life into these studies. I'd come out decent."
"Do him." Rainbow said. "He won't ask. Too stubborn."
"Not yet. Can't have people being suspicious. He's too high profile." Luna shook her head sadly.
"So you do keep up with what's going on?" Soarin raised an eyebrow.
"Why not? The better to understand this world that I've come back to." Luna laughed. "And don't worry, I sealed the room. No one can come in, and it's best that they probably forgot about us. Remember, this is a war. There is no spare effort. The ones who have another breath are curing the ones who have no skin left."
A small blow hit Rainbow.
Was it just then that she really felt the full force of the war?
How long had she been ignoring what went on around her?
"What is your plan?" Soarin asked.
"I need more resistance. Someone to lead. Someone to help me plan according to this time of yours. I'm still stuck a millennia ago, I'm afraid. And I need my army. I've recruited an army of ten thousand, but that is not even nearly enough. I might be heartless, but my soldiers will not sacrifice themselves to take down Celestia."
"I am tempted to say that you will make a better Queen." Rainbow's voice, although still hoarse, was icy with conviction. "But at what price? This will not happen without blood being spilled."
"It is my life if any must be lost." Luna enunciated the words, one by one, staring into her eyes. "I am no Celestia."
Celestia's arrival unnerved Rainbow, or rather, Luna under glamour.
Beneath the benevolent looks, the motherly exterior, was a murderer. Her eyes didn't lie. Little by little ice replaced the gentleness as her stride quickened and the hooves of the sick became less to greet and more to push through.
Then Celestia stopped. Luna felt a hush flutter over the crowd as they turned, and snapped out of her thoughts.
Celestia's eyes pierced into hers, as if she could see through her disguise. With a jolt, she realized that there was a shadow forming of her original form, enveloping her disguise.
"So be it, sister." Luna cast away the glamour, the cape, until her mane flowed and her crown shined in the waning light of the sunset.
A collective gasp rose from the crowd. With no hesitation, the crowd charged towards her. Before they reached her, a beam of light reached Celestia. Celestia returned with a beam, but it wasn't Luna who was hurt.
Rather, it was the crowd.
A shocked murmur arose. The sheer destructive power Celestia demonstrated at her alleged sister was a little much, a little too much for someone so benevolent and gentle in the eyes of many.
Celestia fixed her gaze on Luna while kneeling down to assist one of the injured soldiers. The position where Luna was, the crowd made a perfect shield. Knowing Celestia's teleportation proficiency, Luna didn't risk the attack. She was right when she prepared a beam. As quickly as Celestia usually was, she was gone. Luna rendered herself transparent and waited.
"Citizens of equestria!" Celestia called. "I must inform you that our common enemy Nightmare Moon has returned. There is more than one front that we must fight on, and there are far more battles left to fight."
Luna couldn't help it. She snorted and called out. "May I say that if you were gone we'd have no battles to fight!" Celestia's demeanor was as calm as Luna had ever known, but she could see the redness at the edges of her mane and she knew. "I hold evidence! Evidence that you've tampered with Sombra's mind and made him so!"
The crowd laughed.
"Little filly, go home! And take some pills!" A voice in the crowd jeered.
"Tia, I don't want to do this." Luna's smile disappeared. "We all know I loved him. Did anyone know who Sombra was before the war? A clever ruler, benevolent, kind. Nothing but magic can cause that kind of change in one pony. He was kind. We all knew him. Diplomacy. He was never out of the public eye except for the time before the war. What happened? We can all guess. Magic messes with one's mind the more you use it." The whispers and jeers quieted and soon the crowd stared attentively at Luna, a quiet acceptance of her statement.
To Celestia's surprise, a touch of assent reached the crowd.
"But how would we know?" Another voice called out.
"The magic in the crystals-" Luna began, but a searing pain caught her wing.
"Enough is enough." Celestia commanded icily. "I will not allow you to plant the seeds for a revolution." Luna gasped, but the crowd did not. "It is all in your head, my dear." Celestia cackled, but the mare stood above the army did not move, staring at her with a kind of frightening combination of twisted sadness in the mouth and muzzle, yet a burning hatred in the eyes.
Luna shot back, unable to control herself. "If you would tell these present half of what you'd tell me, do you think they'd listen?" The crowd commented on her madness.
It was all Celestia's good work. Her madness? Who was mad? It was not her. She was perfectly capable of formulating coherent thought.
Celestia? Sure, but she when she wasn't perfectly calm she couldn't.
Celestia taunted Luna mercilessly. Made up jabs at her legitimacy, cruel comments on her inability to save anyone, and horrid laughs. Luna didn't know the magic or spell for the matter to project those things out, to force Celestia's mouth to open.
She ran, cloaking herself in darkness and disappearing.
The point of this was not to overthrow Celestia, but Luna could still feel the urge to incinerate Celestia until she could no longer make those comments. Was she even worse than Celestia? Luna hoped not. The point of it all was to simply plant the seeds of doubt in the crowd's minds, to assure them what they knew wasn't all, and that there was more. The more digging they did, the more dubious Celestia's motives would be.
It was hard to wait.
In the safety of the tent, Luna reappeared, slightly dazed but unharmed. Rainbow looked curiously at her.
"How was it?" She asked, unsure of what else to say.
"We achieved the aim but not much more." Luna sighed.
"There is always more time." Scootaloo piped up.
The disappearances stopped worrying Rainbow. Her daughter would be safe under the guard of a princess, one of the most powerful no less.
"But what will happen after all this is done?" Rainbow asked.
"We have found a mare who has enough love within her to heal this world. To heal the Crystal Empire, for her, will not be too difficult." Luna said. "And after all this is done, I want to leave with Sombra and never come back."
"Are you not going to rule?" Rainbow was surprised.
"No. I don't want to be worse than my sister." Luna shook her head. "I don't think I am much better than her, and I don't want this country to come to ruin if I am equally selfish."
"That proves already that you are better than her. She isn't aware." Rainbow offered.
"Oh she is. That makes it worse, doesn't it?" Luna scoffed. "The point was to weaken everything and everyone, to bring the country to the brink of desperation, and to gain their trust by offering her assistance in this miserable time. But the seeds will grow. Soon they will find what she has done and what they should do. Soon." Luna smiled weakly. "And then Sombra won't have to suffer again. I will protect all of you, too. I want to set up a government, a government that listens to the will of the ponies and not one that will cause power to corrupt. Power should be used for good."
"Doesn't that prove you are better than Celestia? You know, you're quite selfless, even if you were the poorest and had nothing to spare to help others." Scootaloo stared at Luna with a admiring smile. "You've helped quite a bit."
"I'm glad that I've done some good since my escape." Luna returned the smile. "And both of you have been good allies. Rainbow, after this war is over, what do you want?"
"I don't know." She replied quietly. "The one thing that I want that is even possible, I can't and I won't force. And the other thing is impossible." Turning her face away, she stifled tears before she faced Luna again.
"Wings and Soarin and peace." Luna motioned for Scootaloo to leave. Scootaloo complied, although quizzical. "And your daughter."
"How did you know?" Rainbow's alarm was obvious.
"I guessed. And checked." Luna shook her head. "Point is, you have those things already. You are just afraid."
"I suppose you are right." Rainbow smiled sadly. "But I don't want to cause them more pain than I already have. And this," She gestured at Luna and the scrolls Luna held. "Will not help Soarin. I might damn myself but I won't damn anyone else."
"Selfless. Admirable." Luna nodded. "I did not make a mistake. Keep the conscience in me, for I don't want to be Celestia." She handed Rainbow a knife. "This," She unsheathed the blade. "should be enough to kill me or Celestia. Kill me if I become her. Use it only on normal ponies or me if I become a monster."
"Why?" Rainbow pushed it away. "I can't."
"Take it," Luna insisted. "Keep me in check. Never let me become a monster."
It struck Rainbow as strange that Luna made such a request, but nevertheless, she took it and strapped it onto her belt. Luna was gone as she turned around. The blade was heavy and slightly awkward, but the feeling was unlike any other. It molded and fitted into her perfectly, easily concealed, and easy to access.
"I suppose that'll do." She mumbled.
In the far side of the camp, Luna fought another battle.
The voice in her head.
The shadow of nightmare moon. A monster.
A monster that might be her, if Rainbow ever refused to kill her.
It was another month past that Rainbow had not marked. Two days until she realized she was now twenty three. Years that should have been spent studying and laughing and rejoicing in childlike innocence were replaced with more bloodshed and nightmares that she'd rather forget. Only that she couldn't.
Months since Luna's last broadcast of Celestia's sins. Or weeks. Or days. Time didn't seem to past the same way.
She looked down at the list of soldiers under her command.
The list of soldiers was far too unfamiliar, a blur of names that did not send any sign of recognition.
A tear slipped down her cheek. How many lives had been lost already, and how many more would be? She didn't count the names that she knew were lost and brushed the tear away, yet another one was poised to take its place.
How many of these names would be gone as soon as the fighting started again? She prayed earnestly that Luna was no longer a distraction but a threat that could disarm whatever it was that caused the blood to flow. Her eyelids fluttered shut as she let the dust and grey skies fade into light and warmth.
"Rainbow?" Soarin entered and then stopped in his tracks. He was greeted by the sight of Rainbow napping, a list of recruits scattered across the floor, and a series of loud snores. "You really suck at being a good officer." He muttered to himself, chuckling silently.
"You suck..." She muttered in her sleep. "Whoever you are you suck."
"Yes I do, Rainbow Dash." Soarin sighed. "But will you wake up?"
"No, never, this is just a dream..." she muttered and flipped to a side, a hoof over the remaining exposed ear. “Just a dream...it's all a dream.”
"Rainbow." Soarin shook his head, exasperated. "Will you wake up?"
With a jolt, she sat up, clutching at her chest, wide eyed. He looked closely and saw beads of cold sweat at her forehead.
"What is wrong?" He asked gently, kneeling down beside her.
"Scootaloo," Rainbow breathed heavily, "Is she alright?"
"I believe so. Luna is guarding her." Soarin reassured her.
"I must get back to work." And it was his cue to leave.
"Will be staying here." He grinned. "Just in case I need to wake you up again."
Rainbow shot him a dirty look and raised a single eyebrow. "Say that again and I'll make sure you don't wake up for a very long time."
"But can you?" A small glint reached his eye. "Or," he pinned her against the chair, "are you not capable of it?"
"I'll find a way." She rolled her eyes. "When you least expect it."
"But I will expect it, and I'll do exactly the same." He leaned in. "No matter where it is."
She could feel her cheeks burning as his face grew closer to her. "If you are so bored to corner me, why not go and do some actual work?"
"This," He smiled, and kissed her cheek, "is more important."
By now, if he had bothered to notice anything other than her, he would probably be all too aware of how unnaturally warm her cheeks were, and how red they looked especially against blue fur. Instead, he simply pulled over another chair and sat next to her.
"Do you need help?" She shook her head. "Well, count on me to wake you up." With a contented sigh, he leaned against her shoulder and started faking a a dramatic snore.
She realized she would not be able to sleep through it. Grudgingly, she returned to finishing the papers, although two hours later she thanked him silently for being able to sleep before ten. Even after another meeting with Luna.
"I stole part of the crystal army." Luna declared happily as she sat down, her hood torn and burnt, giddy as a filly with candy. "Since my sister knows of my existence anyways, is there much to do about it all? Sombra will know. In time he will be forced to pass on the knowledge no matter how strong his will is, and Celestia will hopefully divide her efforts to me and halt this war altogether."
"Halt? Do you mean, as in stop?" Rainbow asked hopefully.
"What else, Rainbow Dash?" Luna looked offended. "I am not the liar Celestia is. I will never be that pony. If I do, kill me for it as I will not be able to live with it all. I don't know if you'd say I have everyone's best interests, but I can and will try, and my policies won't harm. I will make sure of it."
Rainbow nodded. "But how would we know if you are telling the truth or just Celestia in another form?"
"You have the power to destroy me." Luna smiled sadly. "It is you who should ask yourself about power now. And I will leave with Sombra and I will not return. We have seen enough of our monarchy. Rainbow, live your life as you want it, with the ponies you love. Cherish them, for many will leave eventually." A tear slipped down Luna's cheek. "It may be too late to save Sombra completely, but I think you and Soarin, you two, will save each other. And that is enough, is it?"
Rainbow nodded quietly. "Princess, what will happen next?"
"Maybe not call me Princess. Not anymore. Just Luna." She frowned. "Luna, I suppose gives it all away, but it is a perfectly fitting name for a normal pony. Not a name for a princess or royalty or queen."
"Alright, Luna." The name felt somewhat unfamiliar.
"I have found and convinced the pony I spoke of earlier." Luna said.
"Who? The love one?" Rainbow asked.
"Yes." Luna smiled softly. "And she will heal if we return the heart of the crystal empire."
"And how will that be achieved?"
"Worry not, I will retrieve it. It is in the possession of Sombra."
"Sombra? How would you convince him?"
"You ask too much, Rainbow Dash." Luna's voice went cold. "It's a matter of his debt for me."