Rainbow Dash was always a loyal Wonderbolt, but she was also a loyal marefriend to Applejack. When an old enemy returns from Rainbow and Equestria's past, will she be able to keep her marefriend out of danger, or will danger find them?
Rainbow Dash was probably the most loyal pony in all of Equestria. She was not only a great Wonderbolt, but she was also a great marefriend. When she and Applejack first went on their date she had never looked at Applejack quite the same, and she knew immediately she was the perfect mare for her. Nothing could possibly go wrong for Dash. But when an old enemy from flight camp returns and joins up with an old enemy from Equestria's past, Rainbow Dash will have to face the danger that awaits her. But it's not the danger that scares her, and it's not the fact that all of Equestria might be in her hooves: what scares her the most is losing her marefriend.
Rainbow Dash knew today would be a great day, she could just feel it in her stomach. That sense of happiness and pride within her was boiling. After all, today she was planning on doing the most important thing in her life, bigger than when she joined The Wonderbolts, and bigger than all the times she saved Equestria. Today she would propose to her marefriend Applejack.
As she got out of her bed, she looked to her left and saw Applejack sleeping in the messy bed that she had just gotten out of. She looked outside and recalled that while she had a lot of planning to do for tonight, she had Wonderbolt Training to do and she did not want to upset Spitfire again. She had already missed five practices in the last month for "personal time with her marefriend," but she knew if she needed to be prepared and—above all else—on time.
As she went down the wooden stairs of the Apple family barn, she could hear the jukebox playing in the living room.
"Granny Smith and Big Mac must be already up and about," she thought to herself. As she passed the living room, she made her way past the two relaxing ponies. As she opened the door she saw that the sky was dusk orange. Closing the door behind her, she took off and headed toward the Wonderbolts Flight Camp.
Wonderbolts Flight Camp
As Rainbow Dash landed on the runway, she could see that things were out of the ordinary. Usually around this time Spitfire and the others would be out doing laps around the camp, warming up for today's lessons, but today the only things she could see were royal guards surrounding the place left and right.
"I didn't think the princess would be coming here; they usually only come here when there are changes to royal performances,” she thought to herself. As she walked towards Spitfire’s door, a royal guard stepped in front of her.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Dash," the guard said, "but Spitfire is in the middle of an important meeting."
Spitfire opened the door and spoke to the guard in a concerned yet commanding voice, "It's ok, she has clearance." As the Royal Guard stepped out of the way Dash made her way into the room. She was expecting Princess Celestia or Luna to be at the door, but to her surprise, it was neither of them.
"Rainbow Dash, I'm glad that you showed up. In fact, I would say that your timing is perfect, " said Princess Cadence.
"What's wrong?" Rainbow asked. “Is there another threat to the Crystal Empire?”
"It's about an old friend of yours," Shining Armor said as he came around the corner with what appeared to be a hidden dagger in his left shoulder hoist. “̈We were hoping that you could shed some light on her for us.”
"Who are you talking about?" Dash asked.
Spitfire sighed. "It's about an old friend of yours, Rainbow. Do you remember Lightning Dust?"
"A little?" Rainbow Dash replied. She hadn't seen the mare since she'd been a recruit, but considering the havoc she'd caused that week, it was hard to forget her. "What happened?"
Shining Armor pulled out the dagger from the shoulder hoist; it was covered with blood. "My head guard, Flash Sentry, was killed last night. We gave chase but the culprit got away. However, a royal guard claimed the pony who did this had a light and dark yellow-colored mane."
"When the suspect took off, they did so in a takeoff style that suggests training, so it looked like a Wonderbolt may have been the one who committed the crime," Princess Cadence said.
"So we came here to find out if any Wonderbolts were in the Crystal Empire yesterday," Shining Armor said.
"That's why they came to see me," Spitfire said. "When they told me the color of the suspect’s mane, I immediately knew it was Lightning Dust."
"Do we know why she is now deciding to come back?"
"We were hoping," Spitfire said hesitantly, "that before she was kicked out, she told you something that might tell us why she would murder a royal guard."
Rainbow Dash got up and started pacing around the room. "She didn't really say much about her past. The only thing she said is that she grew up with her uncle, and her mom left after her dad was arrested." Rainbow said. “Besides that, not much, I'm afraid.”
Shining Armor grabbed the dagger and showed it to Rainbow Dash. "Do you by any chance recognize the weapon she used to kill the guard?"
As Rainbow Dash Analyzed the weapon very closely, she noticed a very distinctive feature on the weapon. "I don't know where she got this weapon, but I do recognize the symbol on the front of the dagger. It's a symbol representing the Shadowbolts."
Princess Cadence and Spitfire were both hesitant as soon as Rainbow Dash said those words. "How do you know who the Shadowbolts are?" Spitfire demanded.
"When I first met Twilight," Rainbow explained, "Nightmare Moon sent three Shadowbolts to see me. They said that they were better than the Wonderbolts, and they asked me if I wanted to join them. I later found out from Twilight that it was just a test to see if I was worthy of the Element of Loyalty. I didn't really think the Shadowbolts meant much. How do you know who they are?"
Spitfire took a long deep breath. "Only the Captain of the Wonderbolts and Princess of the Crystal Empire know who they are," she said. "They were created by King Sombra when he ruled the Crystal Empire. He wanted to make sure that if he ruled Canterlot, he would have ponies to defend the kingdom just like the Wonderbolts. Except they played dirty and weren’t afraid to do things that were dangerous.”
“However, after Sombra was defeated The Shadowbolts disappeared. They only resurfaced when the Nightmare Wars started, when they decided to join Nightmare Moon because she had bigger ambitions than the former king,"Cadence said. “̈After Nightmare Moon was banished they completely died out, and until now have not been seen since.”
Just as Rainbow was about to comment on that, a guard knocked on the door.
"Your Majesty, news from the Empire. It's urgent."
Princess Cadence got up. "I'm sorry, I have to go. If you have any more information on the Shadowbolts, please tell me immediately." Princess Cadence and Shining Armor left, closing the door behind them.
"You don't think Lightning Dust would be stupid enough to join the Shadowbolts, do you?" Rainbow asked with a concerned tone.
Spitfire stood up. "I know Lightning Dust was always a daredevil, but I don't think she would be angry enough to do something like joining the Shadowbolts. They’re dangerous." She thought to herself, and then continued, "But what I want to know, though, is if she did join them, how she found out about them in the first place."
Spitfire walked towards her desk and pulled out two golden pieces of paper. "On to something less concerning. I have those Grand Galloping Gala tickets that you requested. They were hard to get, so you're lucky I was able to. Princess Celestia doesn't just give them to everyone you know."
Rainbow quickly grabbed the tickets out of Spitfire’s hoof and was practically flapping her wings with joy.
"Yes, finally! I've been waiting for these for like a month! I haven't waited that long since the last Daring Do book."
“So I take it this is a special ocasion? You’re not the Gala type, Crash.”
"Yeah, let's just say I’m planing really important stuff." She pulled out a box and opened it. Inside was a golden necklace with a diamond shaped like an apple in the center of it. It gave off a sweet and sour kind of feel.
"Well well, looks like Rainbow Crash has a soft side." Spitfire snickered.
"Yeah yeah, whatever," Rainbow said, blushing a bit. "Rarity almost fainted when I told her I wanted her to find a red diamond for a necklace."
"Just remember Rainbow," Spitfire said, "since the Grand Galloping Gala is tonight, we're going to have to double the guards and send in some secret Wonderbolts. If Lightning Dust has teamed up with the Shadowbolts, I want the Grand Galloping Gala to be perfectly safe."
"Understood ma’am, but if I may ask something of you?" Rainbow said.
"What is it?" Spitfire asked curiously.
"This is supposed to be a special night for me and Applejack, so I don't want any of the Wonderbolts to intrude on my night," Rainbow said.
“I understand, Rainbow, but know that if something happens that we cannot control, you and Applejack will have to fend for yourselves.”
“Understood ma’am,” Rainbow said, then closed the box and put it in her coat pocket. "I'm doing this for her."
Spitfire nudged Rainbow in the shoulder. "Hey, I'm happy for you. But make sure I’m the mare’s maid," she said jokingly.
Rainbow laughed. "This is going to be the best day ever!"
"I hope so," Spitfire said. "For hers and your sake."
Applejack was growing impatient. She had been working all day, and had yet to see her marefriend. Rainbow was disappearing more often lately, and it was aggravating. Applejack and Rainbow had been living with each other for four months now, and with the zap apple harvest coming close to season she needed her more than ever. When she woke up today she had found the pony was missing, and that a note had been left for her.
Hey Applejack,
I’m sorry I haven’t been home for a while today. I have to head to the Wonderbolts camp today for training, and because I will be gone for most of the day today, I have a surprise for you.
Around 5:00, I will come to the house to pick you up for a special date night, so please look at your best. Trust me.
Love, Dashie.
Applejack smiled at the note. She always found it funny that the only ponies to call her Dashie were herself and Pinkie, and how Rainbow has gotten used to her being called that, she even blushes still when called that.
It was already 4:30, and Applejack was looking the best she could make herself look. As she walked down the stairs to the living room, she could hear Applebloom talking with Rainbow’s daughter, Scootaloo. Since Scootaloo was living with her as well now, she knew they would be talking for a while. Granny Smith was out with Big Mac, and they would not be back for a couple of hours.
Just then there was a knock at the door. As Applejack opened the door she saw Rainbow Dash, wearing what appeared to be a tuxedo, which caused a chuckle out of the farm pony.
“Stop Laughing!” Rainbow said, a blush coming to her cheeks.
“̈Sorry, sorry.”Applejack stopped chuckling and looked at the still blushing Pegasus. “it's just you don't normally wear stallion clothing.”
“Applejack, I have told you a million times, I don't do dresses,” Rainbow said. “Besides, I rock a tux.”
"So you ready to go, Mr. Dash?" Applejack asked sarcastically.
“Oh shut up, you,” Rainbow said, nudging Applejack in the shoulder.
"You still haven’t told me where we’re going yet," Applejack said as she closed the door behind her.
"It’s a surprise," Rainbow said, a smug look on her face.
As Rainbow and Applejack walked towards Ponyville, Applejack was suddenly struck with awe at the sight of their transport. It was a royal chariot, just like the one Twilight had arrived in when she moved to Ponyville all those years ago.
"Rainbow Dash... how can you even afford this?” asked Applejack, her breath taken away.
"Hey, being in the Wonderbolts has its perks," Rainbow said with a smile on her face.
The royal stallion then asked Rainbow Dash, "Where to, Mrs. Dash?"
"The Royal Castle," Rainbow Dash said, and with that, the chariot took off for the Royal Castle. Unbeknownst to Applejack and Rainbow Dash, this would be a night they would remember for the rest of their lives.
The Royal Castle/Grand Galloping Gala
As the chariot landed on the ground, Applejack and Rainbow proceeded to walk to the Royal Castle. "Rainbow, since when are you a fan of going to The Grand Galloping Gala?"
"I'm not!" Rainbow said. "I just wanted to have a fun time with my Marefriend, and the Gala happened to be this night, and since the last time we went was hectic what with the Smooze and Discord, I thought that we could have a redo. Just the two of us?"
“Well then, shall we?” Applejack said with a warm smile.
“We shall.”
Two Hours Later
So far, the date had been going exactly as Rainbow had planned: Applejack was having the time of her life, and frankly Rainbow was as well. The band had played good music, and the food was delicious. Now all Rainbow had to do was pop the question. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had been sitting at the table for quite some time now, to the point where Applejack was wondering what else Rainbow was up to. So far the night had been going perfectly and frankly, she wanted to know what was going to happen next.
"So... how's it been at the Wonderbolts for you so far?" Applejack said, wanting to start up a conversation.
"Oh, it's going great so far. I've made a lot of friends that are all nice. But to tell you the truth, none of them can really fly as fast as me. Not to brag, but I think I’m probably the fastest flier there."
"So why did you have to leave so early today?" Applejack asked. "It's getting close to Zap Apple season and I could really use your help."
"I’m sorry Applejack, it's just that I have been taking too many days off, and I don't want Spitfire to get upset with me," Rainbow said. "Plus, today was kinda important."
"Are you all going on another tour?" Applejack said bluntly.
"No, it's actually about something serious," Rainbow said.
"What happened? Did somepony get hurt?" Applejack said, worried.
"The Wonderbolts are all fine, it's actually about the Crystal Empire. Apparently an assassin came and killed the lead guard."
"You mean that Flash Sentry Twilight use to date?" Applejack said.
"Yeah, he was found dead, and the culprit is somepony I knew," Rainbow frowned. "It's hard to believe she would do something like that anyways. Sure she was reckless, but enough to kill somepony?"
"I'm sure whatever is going on in the Empire is being taken care of," Applejack said. "Besides, I did see a couple of Wonderbolts here, so we’re not in any danger."
"Yeah, that was Spitfire’s doing. She wanted most of the guards to come here to look after the gala," Rainbow said. "Most of the popular bolts are back at HQ. Spitfire said that she needs her best at HQ so we can supply backup if anything happens."
"Well, as long as everything is ok. I'm sure we have nothing to worry about," Applejack said.
Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. "Uhh Applejack, listen there's," Rainbow stuttered, "there's been something on my mind recently that I had to tell you."
Applejack was curious where this was going. "What is it, Dash?" Applejack said "You feeling ok? you look worse then Winona after she ate that sour apple.”
"Listen Applejack, you and I have been dating for over five years now, and I have had a blast, You are the most honest, kindest, and loyal pony someone like me could ask for, and I kind of want to take our relationship up a notch," Rainbow said nervously. She got up and bent on one hoof to ask the question.
"Applejack, will you make me the happiest mare of my life and marry me?"
Applejack was in tears. "Yes, Rainbow, I will!"
Everyone in the room was clapping, and Rainbow was just about to put the necklace around Applejack’s neck when all of a sudden, all the windows in the room broke at once, and a giant tornado started forming in the middle of the room. But that wasn’t what scared Rainbow; it was what was standing in the middle of it was what scared her. There, in the middle of the tornado, was a pony wearing what appeared to be a Wonderbolts uniform, except the colors were wrong: instead of the casual blue, yellow, and white of the Wonderbolts uniform, they were black, purple, and yellow. She wasn't wearing casual goggles either; instead, she was wearing what appeared to be fancier versions of them. That's when Rainbow noticed the mane and tail.
"No, it can't be!" Rainbow said, shocked.
"All right," Lightning Dust said, "tell me where I can find Rainbow Dash and Princess Celestia, and no one will get hurt!"
Right then and there, Rainbow went from the happiest mare in the room to the angriest mare in the room. And she knew if she and Applejack wanted to leave… they would have to fight their way out.
Lightning Dust was growing impatient; she had come all this way, and she was not going to leave empty-hooved. She walked over to the edge of the band stage and grabbed the microphone.
"I won’t ask again!" she shouted in an impatient tone. "Where are Rainbow Dash and Princess Celestia?"
Rainbow was hiding under her table. She knew that she and Applejack would have to fight Lightning Dust to escape the Gala, but she did not want innocent people to get hurt.
"Rainbow," Applejack said, "I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to get out of here."
"No way, you need to help everyone else!"
"Excuse me?!" Applejack said. "Rainbow, we have fought the likes of Tirek, Storm King, King Sombra, and much more. I don't think a regular pegasus will be any trouble."
"Applejack listen, I completely agree with you..."
"That's a first,” Applejack muttered under her breath.
"Hey, listen," Rainbow said, "I’m trying to say that this is my fight. Lightning is here for me and Celestia, and unless Celestia decides to do something, which I highly doubt, I need to take her myself."
"Fine… I understand," Applejack said. "But if we are going to escape, we need a distraction."
"Well..." Rainbow said with a grin on her face. "She came looking for me." She took a deep breath, came out from under her table, and headed toward Lightning Dust.
"Lightning Dust," Rainbow said. "It's been a while!"
"Lightning, what in Luna's name are you doing here?!" Rainbow said.
"I came looking for you, Rainbow," Lightning Dust said. "Me and you have a score to settle."
"Is this about the academy?" Rainbow asked, baffled. "Lighting, that all happened six years ago!"
"And after all these years I would never forgive you for what you did to me!" Lightning yelled.
"And now you think joining the Shadowbolts is a good idea," Rainbow demanded. "Lightning, those ponies are evil!"
"After Spitfire kicked me out of the Academy, I was heartbroken, I had nothing left," Lightning said. "I went home to tell my uncle the bad news. But then I was approached by a group of ponies who claimed to be part of a group called the Shadowbolts," she explained. "They took me to their base and introduced me to their leader. As soon as I saw them, I knew that I had found my calling."
"But why, Lightning? I mean, out of all the things you could have done, why join the Shadowbolts?"
"So I could have my revenge on you, Rainbow Dash! You took everything I was hoping to become from me! Not only did you get me kicked out, not only did you practically replace me, You became a Wonderbolt, something I was suppose to become!!!" Just then, Lightning Dust realized something she and Rainbow Dash were the only ones left in the room. "Where....Where did everypony go?!"
"Wow, I'm impressed," Rainbow said. "I thought you would have noticed that everyone was gone by now, but I guess your ego hasn’t changed." Then a blast of wind hit Rainbow and sent her flying across the room. Rainbow hit the wall.
"You took everything from me Rainbow Dash, so I think it's only fair to return the favor." Lightning bucked one of the stone pillars, causing it to crack, and the stone fell right on top of Rainbow Dash.
"GAHHH!" Rainbow screamed. "You bitch!"
"Oh, such harsh words, Rainbow, Lightning said. She pulled out a dagger and slashed Rainbow’s eye.
"AHHHHH!" Rainbow yelled, bleeding heavily from her eye.
"Now I'm a generous pony, so I’m just going to do you a favor...."
"When I get out of this pillar, you are dead!" Rainbow screamed.
"And how will you be able to do that unconscious?" Lightning bucked Rainbow right in the head, causing her to black out.
causing a pillar to fall on top of her. She was knocked out as soon as she hit the floor
Three Hours Later
Rainbow was trying to open her eyes, but the only thing she could see was a crystal ceiling. She could hear what sounded like a heart monitor. At that moment, she was shocked with a blast of magic from Twilight. She saw all of her friends around her, but what caught her eye was her fiancée with a bunch of flowers. She was immediately struck with a big smile.
"Oh my god, Dashie, I’m so glad you’re okay! When I found you, you were unconscious, and I was so worried about you," Applejack said before being interrupted by the others.
"Oh, darling, are you okay? You took quite a beating your eye says it all" Rarity said.
"I was worried you weren’t going to make it," Fluttershy said.
"Dash, we are all glad you’re okay. When Princess Celestia found you, you were badly hurt and unconscious, but she said you were going to make it," Twilight reassured her.
Rainbow smiled at all of her friends. She was for the most part feeling better. A bandage was around her left eye, and she felt something poking her abdomen. As she was about to get up she noticed something odd: she couldn’t feel her left wing.
"Why can't I feel my wing?" Rainbow said.
"Dash," Twilight said, "when Princess Celestia found you, your body was trapped under a column. When they pulled the pillar off, your wing was practically crushed. I'm afraid.....we had to cut it off.”
As soon as Dash heard that, she looked immediately to where her wing should have been. She realized right then and there that she would not only have to quit being a Wonderbolt, but would have to quit flying forever. As she looked at the metal wing attached to her, all she could do was cry.
"Dash, please don't cry. It's not your fault," Twilight said.
"No, *sniff* you're right. It's not my fault; it’s that bitch’s fault," Rainbow snarled, "and I'm going to make sure I return the favor."
Rainbow Dash looked to Applejack. She could see that Applejack was feeling the same pain she was. She leaned over to her fiancée and kissed her on the cheek.
"Dash, please, you need to rest. You’re in no condition to move," Applejack said.
"How long am I going to be here?"
"The doctor said you need to stay in bed for three days, but that was two days ago. I would say that you can get out of bed today, but you need to undergo wing therapy," Twilight said.
"Wing therapy?!" Rainbow groaned. "That's going to take forever!"
"Don't worry Dash, I got somepony to help you," Applejack said.
"It's not Pinkie, is it?" Rainbow said. "Because that would explain her absence."
"Dash, Pinkie and Starlight are in Yakyakistan, remember?" Applejack said. "And it's not Pinkie, it’s Doctor Whooves."
"Oh, that guy?" Rainbow said. "Are you sure he’s qualified?"
"Well, he is a Doctor," Fluttershy said.
"It's not exactly like that, but yes Rainbow he said he can definitely help you," Twilight said.
"Well then, it looks like everything is looking ok," Applejack said. Looking to Rainbow. The pony would look back to her, and would hope that what she said would be true. For she needed to fly if she was going to face Lightning Dust
"Long ago," Princess Celestia said, "there were four Princesses of Equestria:, Myself, Luna, Cinch, and Rosedust. One day, Princess Cinch went to the Tree of Harmony, She thought if she could use the Tree of Harmony to her own advantage, she could become the most powerful princess in Equestria.
“Are you saying that there are actually four origanal Princesses?” Twilight said
“Yes, Cinch however is the reason that there are now only two”
“What happened?” Fluttershy said
It wasn't until Luna, Rosedust, and I stopped her did we notice that there was in fact element missing from the tree: a seventh, hidden element," Princess Celestia explained.
"What was this Seventh Element?" Twilight asked.
"The Element Of Empathy," Celestia said.
"It is presumed after she took the Element of Empathy that she went beyond Equestria's borders," Princess Luna explained. "But it seems our old sister has returned, and she is not happy.”
"Wait just an apple-picking minute," Applejack said. "You just said that Cinch disappeared, so what about the other Princess, Rosedust"
"Rosedust I am afraid, died shortly after Cinch disappeared" Luna said "Cinch put some kind of curse on her, and she died a couple of days later"
"Celestia, If she has the Seventh Element of Harmony, she can only use it if she is an Element’s Bearer, so to her its it's useless… right?"
"You are correct about that" Twilight, however that is why I asked you to bring the mirror here with you," Celestia said.
"Why the mirror?" Twilight asked.
"Because we need you to bring the Seventh Element of Harmony Bearer here," Luna said.
"But who is the Seventh Bearer?" Rainbow asked.
"Sunset Shimmer," Celestia said.
"Sunset Shimmer was an Element Bearer?" Twilight said.
"I had no idea she belonged to the Seventh Element when I first taught her," Celestia said. "After you got back from your last adventure and told me what happened with her, I knew she was the next Element Bearer."
"So we need you to go through the mirror and ask her to come back to Equestria for a while," Luna said.
"I can try," Twilight said, "but there the other version of me is there with her, so It might be wired" Twilight explained
"We understand," Celestia said.
"We just want you to do it and fast, so we will send you there now," Luna said.
So doing as she was asked, Twilight went through the mirror and was whisked away to another dimension.
Ponyville
"While we wait for Twilight to get back, let's relax," Applejack said.
"That's easy for you to say," Rainbow said with a frustrating voice. "You did not just lose your wing and get it replaced with a metal one!"
"I understand your frustration, Dashie," Applejack said, trying to calm her down, "but we can’t focus on that right now."
"Why shouldn't we?!" Rainbow asked "Lightning and Cinch are out there somewhere and they could attack at any given time"
"I understand Rainbow but If you want to defeat Lightning Dust, then you need to be at your best!" Applejack said with a confident tone. As Applejack and Rainbow Dash walked towards the Apple family barn. Rainbow was thinking about her and the many things she wanted to do now that she was going to marry Applejack. She was also wondering what she was going to do now that she had a metal wing, and most importantly, would she be able to fly with it?
Apple Family Barn
As Rainbow was lying in her bed, she thought to herself how she might not ever be able to fly now that she had a metal wing, she knew that her life would be really different with all that had happened.
"Hay, you okay?" Applejack said.
"Yeah, I’m okay," Rainbow said. "Just thinking."
"About what?"
"It’s just..." Rainbow explained, "so much has happened in just a couple days. First, I get engaged, then I lose my wing" Rainbow said, trying not to cry. "What am I going to do?"
Just then, Applejack climbed on top of her Rainbow, held her against the bed, and would not let go. "You listen to me," Applejack said. "No matter what happens, I will always be here with you. I don't care if you lose your hoof or wing; you will be now and forever my wife." Applejack kisses Rainbow on the head.
"But what about Lightning Dust, she is out there. And I don't want you to get hurt" Rainbow said "I...I don't want to lose you"
Applejack looked at Rainbow, she almost never shows her soft side, for as much as she brags about herself, for as much as she looks out for others, she was still a normal pony, with fears, and emotions "Rainbow, I promise as long as I live I will always be with you"
"Thanks Applejack" Rainbow said. Then Rainbow realized the position they where in and a smirk grew on her face. "You know...this is really kinky," Rainbow said.
"Oh shut up you" Applejack laughed, she then got off the bed and walked to the door, I'm going to make some dinner, I expect you to be there"
The sun was shining from the window into Rainbow and Applejack’s room. They were both in bed and in need of a shower. As Rainbow got up, she saw Applejack was still sleeping. She walked over to the bathroom quietly then took a nice cold shower. As she walked towards the mirror, she looked at the stump that used to be her left wing
"Ugh...Why does life have to be cruel sometimes?" Dash groaned she walked into the shower and turned the water on. As the water hit her fur, she stood there thinking about all that had happened. With Spitfire in the hospital from the attack, she could not rely on her for backup, Twilight was not back from the Mirror Dimension yet, and Luna and Celestia were busy finding Princess Cinch and the Shadowbolts’ hidden base.
Once she got out of the shower, Applejack was waiting for her in the bathroom. "Hay, are you ok?" Applejack asked.
"I'm just going through alot" Rainbow said
"Rainbow, please I cant help you out if you dont tell me whats wrong"
"Applejack...I just..I dont like this" Rainbow said
"What?" Applejack said confused
"I am Rainbow Dash, the best Wonderbolt and Marefriend in the world, and here I am Depressed and Crying"
"Rainbow its ok to have emotions.." Applejack said
"But it hurts so much" Rainbow said "I haven't felt like this sense..."
"Oh Rainbow, what happened to you all those years ago was Horrible, but you can't let that ruin your life" Applejack said
"I know, but it still hurts" Rainbow said "And I realized long ago that what happened was not my fault"
"See what I mean?" Applejack said "You are such a brave pony Rainbow, I know that, Scootaloo knows that too"
"Thanks Applejack" Rainbow said As Applejack got into the shower, Rainbow Dash then went to put her metal wing on. While it would take some getting use to, she could live with it for the time being. Who knew with a few adjustments and an awesome paint job, it could look as good as new. Rainbow used all her strength to lift the wing onto her back, then attached it to her waist and strapped it on.
She walked towards the mirror and looked at herself. "It's not that bad, is it?"
"No… Not at all, Dashie," Applejack said walking out of the shower. "Now listen I have a lot of work today, Scootaloo and Applebloom are at Rarity's today, and you have a personal trainer to see,"
"Ugh, do I have to?!" Rainbow complained.
"If you want to fly and beat Lightning Dust, then yes, you do," Applejack said
"Okay.,"
"I Love you" Applejack said.
"Love you too," Rainbow said blushing
The TARDIS
Dr. Whooves was a strange pony. While he looked like a regular pony on the outside, he was definitely not one on the inside. He was an alien from a planet called Gallifrey in another dimension like the mirror, except "less cute and more extreme," as Dr. Whooves would say. People knew he was not from around Ponyville, but they did not care: he was nice, funny, and had many fascinating stories to tell from his travels.
As Rainbow entered the police box, she mused, "I know this is not magic, but this is impressive stuff, even for an earth pony."
"Ah...Mrs. Dash, welcome!" The Doctor said. "I presume you’re here for training."
"Yes, Mr. Whooves," Rainbow said.
"Please," The Doctor said, "just call me Doctor."
"Ok… Doctor, where exactly are you taking me to train?" Rainbow asked.
"Well," The Doctor explained, "I was thinking, how about going back in time to the Golden Age of the Wonderbolts, when Spitfire herself was still in camp, So that's where I’m taking you."
"So I’m going to time travel!" Rainbow said, excited.
"Yes indeed," The Doctor said.
Just then, the TARDIS began to make noise, and Dr. Whooves said something that sounded Old Ponish.
As Rainbow exited the TARDIS, she saw the flight camp and was astonished to see what was in front of her: all the buildings looked new, the grass freshly cut, and the runway paved to a perfect coat of black.
"Thank you, Doctor!" Rainbow said, hugging him.
"No problem, Miss. Dash," The Doctor said. "Now remember, there are three things you cannot say to anypony: One, your name; Two, what happens to them in the future; Four....no wait....Three, most importantly, don't change the future by telling people about future events!
"Yes, sir!" Rainbow said. As Rainbow exited the TARDIS she then ran towards the flight camp.
***
As The Doctor entered the TARDIS with Rainbow, he could see that she was all sweaty and exhausted. "And I thought Spitfire was a tough teacher," Rainbow said.
"Well, hopefully, you now know how to fly using that metal wing of yours," The Doctor said.
"Yes, I do," Rainbow said, "and I’m now faster than ever before."
"Good," The Doctor said. "Now let's get you back to your time zone.”
As the TARDIS made that noise again, Rainbow was burning with a question for The Doctor and couldn’t wait any longer to ask it.
"Doctor?" Rainbow asked. "Will me and Applejack make it through what is happening with Lightning Dust?"
The Doctor froze.
"I’m sorry, Rainbow. I’m not allowed to tell you your future," The Doctor said. "I can only tell you this… You will both have great happiness and sorrow, that is yet to come."
"Will… Will Me or Applejack die?"
"I am afraid that is all I can tell you." The Doctor said
The TARDIS grew silent. When the door opened, Rainbow could see Sweet Apple Acres.
"Now usually I would come with" The Doctor said, "but I can't stay here."
"Why, is something bad about to happen?"
"No, not at all… Well, you will see, or rather you will hear."
"Okay then… Well, I hope to see you soon, Doctor," Rainbow said.
"Oh, trust me, you will see me very soon," The Doctor said.
As Rainbow Dash exited the TARDIS, the box slowly began to disappear, until just like that, it was like it was never even there.
"Wonder what he meant by that?" Rainbow Dash thought to herself as she headed to her loving wife waiting for her at the barn.
Twilight’s Castle
As the Main 5 stood in front of the Mirror, they were expecting Twilight and Sunset to come through it any minute now. It had been two days since she had gone into the mirror, and they all were getting worried.
"Do you think she was held up?" Rarity asked.
"This is Twilight we are talking about! I think she can take care of herself," Applejack said.
Just then the Mirror started to light up and Twilight and Sunset walked through
"Hey, girls!" Sunset said.
"Umm, hay," Applejack said.
"is everything ok darling? you where gone for some time" Rarity said
"Sorry it took so long, I was helping Sunset with something personal, I do however have something to tell you all" Twilight said said. "According to Sunset, Princess Cinch lived in the mirror dimension for quite some time under the name Principal Cinch."
"She was?" Luna said
"Yes… she even took the Twilight of my dimension and turned her evil for a couple of minutes, but I beat her," Sunset said. "After that, we never saw her again. I assume she came here afterward."
"If this is true, then we can use this to our advantage," Princess Celestia said.
"And do what?" Applejack asked.
"Make a plan," Luna said.
"As far as we know, she is unaware that Sunset is the Seventh Element Bearer, and furthermore that she is even back in Equestria," Luna said.
"So when do we get to kick some flank?" Rainbow said.
"For now," Celestia said, "we have to wait for them to make their move. Only then we can make our own."
"Oh, I hope it involves a party!" Pinkie Pie said as she walked in the room with Starlight Glimmer following behind her.
"We're back," Starlight said.
"Starlight, Pinkie, how was your trip to yakyakistan?" Twilight asked.
"It was okay," Starlight said smiling. "So what did we miss?"
"I think it's best if you tell them what happened, Rainbow," Twilight said.
As Rainbow Dash explained what had happened so far--the attack at the gala, the proposal, they were quiet the entire time. "I'm so sorry, Rainbow. It must be so hard for you to..." Starlight said before getting interrupted by Pinkie who had frozen with a giant smile on her face ever seance Rainbow had told them about proposing to Applejack.
"Oh my gosh! You and Applejack are getting married! I’m so excited!" Pinkie Pie blurted out before realizing she was interrupting a serious conversation. "Oh, sorry."
"So do we have any plans of attack?" Starlight said
"At the moment im afraid not" Twilight said "However we are open to ideas"
"So Rainbow you have that metel wing forever now?" Starlight said
"Yah, It sucks" Rainbow said looking down
I dont know why but seeing that metal wing is familiar" Starlight said.
"What do you mean familiar, Starlight?" Applejack said.
"Well remember when I tried to rewrite the timeline by making sure Rainbow Dash wouldn't win that big race?"
"Yeah, I remember," Twilight said in a sarcastic tone.
"Yeah, well, when I traveled in time the first time and came back, I came across an Equestria at war with King Sombra. During that war, you had lost a wing, and it had been replaced with metal. You were also fighting alongside the Wonderbolts," Starlight said.
"I was?" Rainbow asked.
"Yes... you were even fighting a stranger who kind of looked like you," Starlight said.
"Did this mare happen to have a lightning-colored mane and a light blue coat?" Princess Celestia asked.
"Yes, actually; why?"
"Then our worst fears have come true," Luna said.
"Why, what’s wrong?" Twilight asked.
"I'm afraid that wasn't an alternate dimension you saw," Celestia said. "Instead you accidentally traveled into the future, and what you saw was the future."
"But I went to this future as well," Twilight said, "and when I approached the Applejack from that future, she said she had no idea who any of our friends were."
"Most likely a side effect from time traveling," Luna said. "There was most likely a time quantum loop from when you traveled there, and so pieces of her memories were probably gone. Did she remember any familiar names by any chance?”
"She said the only name she remembered was Rarity," Twilight said.
"If she even remembered at least one of The Element Bearers, that means it was definitely a quantum loop," Celestia said.
"So if what I saw was true, that means..." Starlight said.
"King Sombra is going to return, and there will be a war."
It had been about five days since the meeting, and so far the Shadowbolts had been quiet. Rainbow Dash, wanting to take the stress off her shoulders, had gone with applejack to look around Equestria for good wedding spots. As she quietly walked through Ponyville and into the castle, she noticed Applejack waiting for her.
"Hay, sugarcube," Applejack said as Dash came walking in through the castle door.
"Hay," Dash replied. "Any luck finding a place?"
"Not yet," Applejack said. "It’s harder to find a wedding place than it is to round up a bunch of cattle on a hot summer morning."
"Where’s Twilight?" Dash asked.
"She went to the Crystal Empire to be with Flurry Heart," Applejack said. "Cadence and Shining Armor said they found a lead, so they’re going to investigate."
"Really?" Dash said excitedly. "We finally caught the bastards!"
"I said it was a lead," Applejack said. "We don't know if they’re even there or not."
"I hope they find them," Dash said. "I’d like to give Lightning Dust her own metal wing."
"Rainbow, I know that she took your wing, but doing to her what she did to you makes you no better."
"Sigh I just want her to be caught, that's all," Rainbow said.
Just then, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie came bursting into the door, followed by Starlight. As they came running in, Dash and Applejack could see that they were panicked.
"Rainbow, Applejack!" Rarity said. "Twilight just sent us a scroll, Shining Armor and his royal guards found he Shadowbolt cave, and she wants us to head over to the Crystal Empire!"
"Well then, there’s no time to waste," Applejack said.
The Outskirts of The Crystal Empire
As the cold wind blew through Rainbow’s fur, she knew that this would be a tough battle. She saw Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Sunset Shimmer, and Starlight Glimmer in the royal chariot, followed by at least twelve guards; behind them was Shining Armor and his 1,000 royal guards for Crystal Army: 500 pegasi, 400 unicorns, and 100 earth ponies. Behind them was Princess Celestia and her royal guard. Rainbow had put on her Wonderbolt uniform to symbolize that the Wonderbolts would not give up that easily.
"So this is where The Shadowbolts are hiding," Rainbow said.
"Listen up, everypony," Shining Armor shouted. "Earlier today we got a message from Princess Cinch. She told us in detail where her base is. This is no doubt a trap, and we know that she has a large army of ponies. Some of you may not come home today, and some of you may return home a different pony, but what happens here will make history. We do this for Equestria, and for those who lost their lives to the Shadowbolts." The army then stomped their hooves and returned to formation, preparing for battle. "We are almost there," Shining Armor said. "When we get to the cave, Twilight, you and your friends will find the seventh element while me and Celestia take on the Shadowbolt army." All of a sudden the sky stopped snowing, and storm clouds appeared in the sky.
"Twilight, run to the cave, NOW!" Just then, an army Shadowbolts came out of the clouds at once and began diving at the Royal Army. Hooves began to clash and the battle had begun. So doing as Shining Armor said, Twilight and Rainbow Dash ran towards the cave with the rest of the group.
The Shadowbolt Flight Camp
As the group went into the cave, they were surprised to find what awaited them was an exact replica of the Wonderbolt Flight Camp standing before them. As they walked onto the runway, they stopped to catch their breath.
"Okay… Now that we are in, let's find the element," Sunset said.
“Rainbow, since you know the Flight Camp well, can you find the captain's quarters?" Twilight asked.
"Yes, I’m pretty sure it should be right where Spitfire’s quarters were in the original camp," Rainbow said.
"Okay, here is the plan," Twilight said. "Sunset, Applejack, and Rainbow, and I will go find the element, while the rest of you look for whatever we can defend ourselves with," Twilight said. "We might not be alone in here, so be careful."
As the gang split up, Rainbow was wondering what Lightning Dust was up to, and if she herself knew what she was doing.
"So why do you think The Shadowbolts have decided to attack now?" Sunset asked.
"What do you mean?" Rainbow replied.
" I think it's safe to say that this entire thing has been planned, and that Cinch has had access to The Shadowbolts for some time. A pony like that can’t get an army that big in over two days."
"Well I think it's safe to say that somepony like Cinch is no one to mess around with, so be on your guard.”
As the group continued to walk around they came across a grassy area, and on the grass were two stones.
"Guys, check this out!" Rainbow yelled.
"What is it?" Applejack said, as she walked over she saw the thing that caught Rainbow’s attention.
"Sky Striker and Nightshade," Rainbow said. "Who are they?"
"I don't know, but if these are what I think they are, then I think it's best to keep going."
Captain's Quarters/Throne Room
As Twilight, Rainbow, Sunset, and Applejack walked to the captain's quarters, Rainbow immediately noticed that it was different from the captain's quarters from the Wonderbolts flight camp; instead, it was an exact replica of what appeared to be Princess Celestia’s own throne room.
"Princess Cinch must have wanted to feel the comfort of royalty after she left," Twilight said. "Sunset, when Princess Cinch was in your world, did she by any chance say anything that might help us?"
"The only thing Principal Cinch did when she was in my world was corrupt my Twilight," Sunset said. "She didn't really reveal anything about Equestria. When you told me she was originally from Equestria, I was surprised."
"Then I'm afraid that's not going to be useful, sugarcube," Applejack said. As Rainbow and Applejack walked over to the throne, they saw something that made Rainbow Dash sick to her stomach, she could have bucked the first person behind her. Above the desk and throne was a frame, inside of which was Rainbow Dash’s cut-off wing, framed like a trophy.
"What kind of sick pony would do this?!" Applejack yelled.
"More importantly, how in Celestia's name did they get this?" Twilight said.
"Cinch must have assets outside The Shadowbolts," Sunset said.
"You mean spies?" Rainbow said.
"It's the only way she could have gotten something like this," Sunset said.
Just then, they heard the door open behind them, and a familiar dangerous pony stood right behind them. "Welcome to my humble abode, Rainbow Dash!" Lightning Dust said. "Enjoying my prized trophy?"
"I’m gonna buck you so hard that you’ll die before you hit the ground!" Applejack said.
"Really? I would love to see you try," Lightning Dust said, "but I don't think you want to hurt me while I’m wearing this."
Lightning pulled out what appeared to be a necklace that looked exactly like the Elements of Harmony, except the necklace wasn't made of gold, but silver, and the shape of the element on her neck was Sunset's cutie mark, only dark blue.
"This is no longer the Element of Empathy," Lightning Dust said. "This is the Element of Apathy, the first-ever Element of Disharmony."
"What did you do to it?" Twilight asked.
"Let's just say you’re not the only one who knows a princess," Lightning Dust said.
"Enough!" shouted a mysterious voice.
A tall alicorn stepped out from behind Lightning Dust. She looked older than Celestia, with a purple and black mane, and her fur was light blue, slightly lighter than Rainbow Dash's. "I will take it from here Lightning," The pony then continued walking forward "You may call me Princess Cinch," she said.
"We know who you are," Sunset Shimmer said, coming out from behind Twilight's back.
"Well, well, well! I'm surprised that you came through the mirror—or were you originally from here as well?" Cinch said.
"I'm not going to let you corrupt this world like you almost did to mine!" Sunset said.
"We would like to see you try," Lightning Dust said.
"Cinch, as one of the four Princesses of Equestria I order you to surrender. Hopefully we can work this out peacefully," Twilight said. "You don’t have to hurt any more ponies."
"Oh you poor, naive pony. You have no idea how to run a country, none of you do," Cinch said. "Celestia and Luna are weak, and sooner or later they will lead Equestria to its downfall. Meanwhile, I have the assets and the will to do the things Celestia refuses to do."
"Please Cinch, we don’t have to resort to violence," Twilight begged.
Having had enough of this bickering, Rainbow Dash emerged from behind the desk. Her metal wing and real wing lifted her high into the air, and then she hurdled herself towards Lightning Dust, bucking her right in the chest. As Lightning fumbled into the wall, Rainbow Dash pulled out her metal wing.
"I’m going to end this!" Rainbow shouted, but Lightning bucked Rainbow in the chest, regaining her stance.
"Oh, so it's a fight you want?" Lightning said "Then it's a fight you will get!!"
The Shadowbolt army descended from the sky and all Shining Armor knew was that he needed to hold the line, he had to do it: the fate of the Crystal Empire and all of Equestria hung in the balance. As he charged into the Horde of Shadowbolts, he and his army battled them, horns blasting, wings clashing, hoofs bashing. It seemed that there would be no end to this conflict. As the Army's continued to battle each other, Princess Celestia and Luna did their best to fend off the battle.
¨It seems that Cinch has outdone herself Sister" Luna said
̈Then we must push harder Luna, let nothing enter the Empire" Celestia shouted, she then shot a yellow blast through the oncoming Shadowbolt Army, causing them to fall instantly, however as soon as that happened more Shadowbolts arrived to take the place of the fallen.
¨It seems that the more we take down, they somehow keep coming back in bigger numbers!!" Luna shouted "Celestia at this rate, our Army will fall, we need to do something to turn the tides"
"Luna, if we are going to defeat Cinch, we're going to need to show them everything we got," Celestia said with a stern tone. "Do you have that spell you've been working on?"
"Sister, are you sure this is a good idea? Once I do that, I may not be able to go back!" Luna replied.
"Do not worry. The Elements will return you back as soon as possible, I know it," Luna looked at Celestia in the eyes, she could see the same emotions she herself was feeling, fear sorrow, and above all determination, she could see that even Celestia wasn't sure about the spell. They'd been practicing the spell for just such an occasion. After the Storm King came, they knew that if anything like him were to ever happen again, they would need to fight with something or someone equally as powerful as the threat. Luna knew this was the perfect opportunity. As she closed her eyes she thought of every other option she could think of, however, all of them ended in them losing. So he whispered a spell under her breath that she hoped she would never have to use again.
"The Blackest Night falls from the skies, The darkness grows as all light dies, crave your heart and accept your demise, By my black hoof, a Nightmare shall rise!" Luna cried out. Then, a giant black magical ball surrounded Luna; as she saw her sister for the last time, she hoped for Celestia’s sake she knew what she was doing. As the black ball consumed her, a familiar voice came out of the shadows.
"You think your princess can rule Equestria?" the dark figure said as she came out of the black ball. "I will show you what true fear is and who deserves to sit on the throne!" Then the sun was shining right on her, and Nightmare Moon had once again returned. "Now the darkness shall consume you all!"
As Nightmare Moon blasted magic into the Shadowbolts, Celestia hoped that her sister could hang in there "Shining Armor, make sure your soldiers stay away from Nightmare Moon, she has no idea who is the enemy" She said
̈Celestia, I am not sure that will be necessary" Shining said, he then pointed to Nightmare Moon who was only fighting the Shadowbolts and not the royal guard. But before Celestia could say anything to her former adversary, more Shadowbolts came out of the cloud, and she prepared to take them down.
The Shadowbolt Flight Camp
While Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Starlight Glimmer listened to the battle going on outside, they scoured around the entire area looking for anything that could help their friends defeat the Shadowbolts. Unfortunately, the only thing they could find was a couple of pieces of armor and swords, which, while helpful, could not help them at a time like this.
¨I do say, whoever provided The Shadowbolts with there wardrobe, has no taste in fashion ̈ Rarity complained
"Its about Camouflage Rarity, their outfit blends in with the Shadows" Starlight said
̈Ohhhh that's why they are called Shadowbolts" Pinkie said "I thought they just really liked playing Pony in the graveyard"
̈Um, not to be a bother, but what exactly are we supposed to be looking for?¨ Fluttershy said
̈ ̈Anything that can help us fight an Alicorn" Starlight said
̈Makes me wish Trixie where here, her amulet would be really helpful right now" Rarity said
̈Yah, that amulet sure was powerful" Pinkie said "All Tho I don't want to end up without a mouth again, so....¨
Starlight then got a weird feeling, as if she was missing something "Guys, we did not forget anything back at the Empire did we?¨
"Not that I can recall" Fluttershy said
̈And even if we did Twilight would have reminded us to double-check before we left" Rarity said
̈ ̈Wow this armor sure is heavy, I wonder how The Shadowbolts deal with wearing it" Pinkie said, as she put on the Armor in question
̈Pinkie put that dreadful armor down, It clashes with your color so much" Rarity said, then Starlight started looking at Pinkie and she then realized something very important.
"Pinkie, do you have a way of contacting Maud?" Starlight asked.
"Of course I do, but why do we need her?" Pinkie Pie asked.
“That doesn't matter! Right now, I need you to contact her, then I need you and her to go outside and help with the battle" Starlight said
"Darling, why do you need Pinkie Pie and Maud outside battling in those ugly uniforms with the Shadowbolts?"
"In my vision, Pinkie Pie and Maud saved Rainbow Dash from a falling boulder! That means we also need Rainbow Dash to be out there right now," Starlight said.
"I don't understand why we need them to be outside," Fluttershy said.
"Remember, my vision is a vision from the future! If Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Maud aren't outside with Princess Celestia right now, then the timeline could be corrupted or worse," Starlight said with a worried tone.
"Okie Dokie Loki!" Pinkie Pie hopped out of the cave to join the battle.
"I hope Rainbow Dash is having better luck than we are," Starlight said to Rarity.
"Darling I'm sure Rainbow Dash can handle herself," Rarity said.
But before she could do anything, the ground started to shake, the caves got dark then black crystals started to form around the three ponies, then giant green and purple eyes came out of the darkness and using an unfamiliar type of magic knocked Fluttershy, Rarity, and Starlight out.
Captain's Quarters/Throne Room
Rainbow and Lightning flew through the air, clashing metal wings and daggers, both seemingly exhausted. One flew left, the other flew right, back and forth over and over again.
"You're not going to win Lightning. Unlike the Shadowbolts, the Wonderbolts know how to fight as a team," Rainbow said.
Lightning spat the dagger out of her mouth "Why do you throw away your life so recklessly, Rainbow Dash?" the pony asked.
̈ ̈That's a question you should ask yourself, Lightning Dust" Rainbow Dash said. Then Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust started clashing again As she did so, she could only think of the things that Lightning had done to her: she had taken her wing, and she’d taken her friends, and now she was going to pay for it all. As they battled in the air, Princess Cinch chuckled, then took her attention off the pegasi and on to the rest of the group.
"You honestly think that you can win this battle?" Cinch said. "With the Seventh Element by my side--”
"Understand this, Princess Cinch: you may have the Seventh Element, but we are never going to give up," Twilight said.
"And that will be your downfall!" Cinch said. "I may have failed taking over the mirror world, but I will not fail to take over Equestria! Soon my Shadowbolts will take care of my sisters and then I will rule over Equestria"
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Using all of her might, Twilight blasted purple magic at the evil princess. In response, Princess Cinch created a giant black and green shield made of dark magic.
"You think that you're the only one who studied magic in the restricted section?" Cinch asked. "Now I will show you all the true power of Fear!" She blasted a giant energy beam at Twilight, sending her flying into the wall.
"Twilight!" Sunset cried out.
As she ran over to Twilight, she saw that she was not severely injured, but she was still bleeding. "It's going to take a lot more than that to beat me!" Twilight said.
Then using the same kind of attack, she sent a powerful purple energy beam towards Cinch, who sent another energy beam at Twilight. Both of the magical energy beams gathered up power into one giant ball of energy.
¨You will pay for that!¨ Cinch said
As Applejack saw the battle unfold in front of her, she could only think about what she could do, but the only thing she could think of was joining Starlight in finding weapons. As she slowly went to exit the throne room, the room became black and dark crystals started spiking out of the floor. Twilight was immediately struck with fear and lost her concentration, then Cinch got the upper hand and knocked Twilight to the ground. Before she could finish Twilight off, she saw what had made the alicorn lose her concentration, and she knew where these crystals had come from and who had made them.
As King Sombra walked over the throne and towards Cinch he looked at the group of young ponies.
"Good.....Good....." He laughed maniacally and stood over the injured Twilight. "You think that your princesses can save you?" he said. "Well...They can't!"
“How are you alive?!” Twilight said. “You were dispelled into the ether!”
̈When your foolish pet dragon defeated me, he didn’t seem to realize that not all of me was destroyed,”̈ King Sombra said, ”and now I have come to finish what I started!” He summoned a sword and stabbed Twilight through the chest.
"TWILIGHT!" Rainbow Dash cried out. Using her metal wing, she formed a fist and as Lighting Dust flew towards her, Rainbow punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground, and then flew towards her friend.
Twilight could only hold on for a little longer; she said weakly, "Don't worry… I’ll be fine." Then she fell unconscious.
Sunset was now running towards Twilight, and she said, looking at Rainbow, "Is...Is she?"
"No, just unconscious," Rainbow Dash said. She got up and turned to Sombra, who was now laughing. "We defeated you once Sombra, and we can defeat you again. We're not afraid of you!" Rainbow said angrily.
"Oh, but you should be," Sombra said, then used his magic to grab Applejack and put her in a bubble. Three more bubbles popped out of nowhere and inside of them were Fluttershy, Rarity, and Starlight.
"If you want your friends to live, you will bow to me!"
Rainbow Dash was thinking in her head every single idea she could, but all of them ended up with all four of her closest friends, including her wife, meeting an unfortunate end. The only thing Rainbow Dash could do was shed a tear down her cheek.
"Celestia help me," Rainbow Dash whispered.
"She can’t save you!" Sombra said. "Not this time!"
Lightning then got up and walked to Rainbow. She picked up the dagger she had in her mouth and held on the side. “You can’t win, Rainbow. Surrender!”
“No one can help you now, the Shadowbolts have won!” Cinch proudly shouted.
"Oh, really?" Princess Celestia said.
As King Sombra turned around, he could only see Celestia walking in. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the sun god herself," he said mockingly. "Have you come to finish me off by yourself, or is your pitiful sister not with you?"
"Oh, don't worry, she's right here with me," Celestia said with a smirk on her face. Just then, the ceiling came crashing in, and Nightmare Moon landed right in front of Celestia.
One hour ago
Princess Celestia used all the magic beams she could——she was shooting Shadowbolts left and right—but she could only watch in horror as one by one her fellow soldiers kept falling. Just then, a giant bolt of magic came shooting out of the Shadowbolt army aiming right towards Nightmare Moon. The magic hit Nightmare Moon and sent her slamming down to the ground.
"Sister!" Celestia yelled.
Celestia cautiously ran over to Nightmare Moon. She was somewhat relieved to see Nightmare Moon was fully well and standing up proudly, but she could see something that was different from the last time: her eyes were not Nightmare Moon's; in fact, they were Luna’s.
"Why did you do this? Why did you help me?" Celestia said.
"We may have been adversaries in the past, but now I know even if I try to overthrow you, even if I successfully take over Equestria, it wouldn't be the same without you," Nightmare Moon said.
Celestia was relieved to hear that Nightmare Moon was on her side. Just then, a giant magical energy blast came from the cavern, and Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia both knew this was King Sombra’s doing. They both flew towards the cave.
Captain's Quarters/Throne Room
"So the Nightmare returns," King Sombra said, impressed.
"Yes, I have," Nightmare Moon replied, "but unlike last time, I'm going to make sure that you are permanently gone!"
Just then, Celestia noticed Rainbow and Sunset standing over something. As she got a closer look, she could only stare in horror as she saw Twilight bleeding out.
"No..." Celestia said. She felt something she had never felt before "King Sombra, this is the last day you will ever see Equestria. Now you will join Tirek in the gates of Tartarus!"
"I would like to see you try!" Sombra said. He used his magic to summon a Dark Crystal Scythe and pointed it to the bubbles ”If any of you get closer, I will destroy the bubbles and kill the ponies inside.”
“You truly are a monster, Sombra,” Celestia said.
̈”There’s no use resisting, Celestia, you’ve lost,” Cinch said.
“How could you, Cinch?” Celestia said. “How could you betray your own country, your own family!”
“I should have been the one in charge. I was the firstborn, but Mother and Father seemed to like you more. I deserve the throne, Celestia, and If I cannot have it legally, then I will take it by force!” Cinch shouted. “Sombra showed me things you couldn’t possibly begin to imagine!”
̈”The only thing he did was turn you into his lackey. As soon as he wins he will dispose of you!” Nightmare Moon said. “̈It is what I would do, after all.”
“I am loyal to my Master! I will be given the highest of rewards, the complete control of Canterlot!!̈”
“Celestia, they have all of us outsmarted, what can we do?!” Sunset said.
“We could send them to Tartarus,” Nightmare Moon said. “All we need to do is use the spell.”
"How? Without Twilight, you can’t use your magic princess spell to send him to Tartarus," Sunset said.
"Then it's a good thing we have you," Celestia said.
“Me?” Sunset said.
“Sunset Shimmer, you have proven yourself to be a noble pony. I have watched you grow up since you where all but a filly, and I know that you are prepared for the next step,” Celestia said.
̈”Enough of your rabble,”̈ Sombra said. ̈”Bow to me or die.”
“We will never surrender!!̈” Celestia said, and she and Nightmare Moon used their magic to form one colossal magic bubble and aimed it right at Sunset. The bubble surrounded her. She could see her life flash before her eyes, and then everything went black. As Sunset woke up, she could see everyone was staring at her. Even Sombra was shocked. Then she looked behind her and saw something that made her gasp.
"I have wings?!" she said.
"No." Sombra turned over to Cinch and Sunset. "STOP THEM, YOU FOOLS!" he yelled.
"Yes, master," Cinch said. She turned over to Lightning, who still had Rainbow pinned. "Give me the Element."
"But...I thought I was going to use it," she said.
"Give it to me!" Cinch demanded. “That is a direct order!”
Lightning Dust did as she was told. As she took off the Element she looked at Rainbow, as to not allow her to escape, then took the necklace and gave it to Cinch, who put it on.
"Now, witness my unstoppable power!" Cinch said. Then, before Princess Cinch could make her move, her horn started to sparkle and zap.
"Now nothing can stop..." A loud explosion shook the cave, causing rocks to fall from the ceiling. Rainbow used this opportunity to quickly do a spin kick and knock Lightning over, then flew towards the now three princesses. The rocks popped some of the bubbles, freeing Applejack and Fluttershy.
“Fluttershy, try and free the others. I'll deal with Cinch.”
“I'm on it,” Fluttershy said asApplejack rushed towards Cinch.
̈”Wait, what are you?!” Cinch shouted but before she could act Applejack bucked the Element and Cinch right in the chest. Cinch screamed as a giant explosion sent Applejack and Princess Cinch against the wall.
As the smoke cleared, Rainbow Dash rushed towards Applejack. She was relieved to see that she wasn’t harmed. Rainbow Dash looked at her wife. “You made a dumb move,” she said.
“She helped to take your wing, so I returned the favor,” Applejack said with a smirk on her face. As the smoke cleared, Princess Cinch's head was zapping and sparkling, and everyone could clearly see her horn had been blown straight off, and Princess Cinch was lying there unconscious.
"Ugh, never leave it to the dumb ones," Sombra said. He turned towards Lightning Dust, who was trying to slowly escape. "You!" Sombra said. "Five years ago, you told me that you wouldn’t let your wish of vengeance get in the way of my destiny."
"Yes," Lightning Dust nervously said.
̈Then prove to me that you still stand by your word! Use the Element and destroy Celestia!"
"As you wish," Lighting Dust said. She turned around to face the group of ponies. "Now I will show you all the true power of...." Just then, a purple beam of energy shot Lightning Dust, shooting her to the wall next to Cinch and knocking her out.
"Take that, motherbucker," Twilight said, then fell unconscious again.
"Now it’s just us four against you!" Celestia said. “Now let's end this, once and for all!”
Then, using all of their magic, the princesses shot a giant magic bubble right at King Sombra, and a giant gate to Tartarus opened. As the air sucked in everything, all the ponies grabbed onto something to hold onto, except for King Sombra who was running for his life towards the door as the air sucked him in.
"You may think you have won, but this is not over!!” Sombra said. ̈”I will return to Equestria one day, and when I do, I will have the Elements of Harmony, and you will fall!" Then he was sucked into Tartarus, the gate closing as soon as he was sucked in.
“Is...is it over?” Fluttershy said as the magic bubbles popped, causing Rarity and Starlight to fall out.
“ ̈Twilight!!” Starlight said, running over to the injured alicorn and looking her over. “We need to do something!”
"We will have to get her to the medical facility in Canterlot right away," Princess Celestia said.
"Guys," Sunset said, “Cinch is gone.” Everypony looked to the wall to see that CInch was indeed gone, the only thing remaining being the broken Element and Lightning Dust.
"She must have gotten away during the commotion," Nightmare Moon said.
"We’ll deal with her later," Celestia said. "Besides, we need to get outside and help the rest of the army.”
“They are still fighting?!” Rainbow shouted.
“It seems as if Cinch has found a way to make her army practically invincible. As soon as one is taken down, three more take its place,” Nightmare Moon said.
“Well then let's help turn the tide,” Rainbow said.
Carrying the injured unicorn and alicorn on her back, Celestia walked towards the exit of the throne room, with everyone else falling behind her. Applejack quickly walked up to Rainbow Dash, who was standing beside Lightning Dust, who had just woken up.
"This is impossible! I was told that I would win!" Lightning Dust said.
Rainbow Dash looked over Lightning Dust: she could see that she was badly bleeding, and she had a giant black eye from where Rainbow had punched her. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't end you right here and right now," Rainbow Dash said threateningly.
"You don't have the guts to do it!" Lightning Dust said. "You will always and forever be a wingpony!”
Rainbow Dash looked over at Applejack; she had a little bit of dust on her head, but it didn't look like she was injured. Applejack was looking at Rainbow Dash with a stern look, and she looked at her and said, "Do what you have to do."
Rainbow Dash lifted up her wing as sharp as she could, and then slammed it down right next to Lightning Dust.
"You... You didn't finish me off?" Lightning Dust said, confused.
"Killing you would just be doing you a favor; where you're going is much worse!"
Rainbow Dash then formed her regular wing into a fist and knocked Lightning Dust out, giving her a second black eye. Then, with a smug look on her face, she said, "That's what you get, bitch."
"You did the right thing, sugar," Applejack said. She grabbed Rainbow Dash by the neck and pecked her on the cheek. Rainbow Dash blushed a little and then put Lightning Dust on her back. They walked out the door to join the Army and help them finish off the rest of the Shadowbolts.
As the group walked outside the cave, they could see that the battle that was going on outside wasn't getting any better. More and more Shadowbolts kept coming, and Equestria was running out of soldiers.
"We need to help them out as much as we can," Rainbow said.
"What can we do? We're too outnumbered—the more soldiers we defeat, the more just take their place. They’re like a regenerating shield," Sunset said.
"Something just doesn't seem right. Soldiers don’t just pop out of nowhere!" Applejack said.
̈”Then we just need to continue fighting until there are none left!” Rainbow said.
"Dashie, take this," Applejack said as she handed Rainbow Dash what appeared to be a broken helmet. "I know it's not much, but please just protect yourself.”
"Thanks, Applejack," Rainbow said as she put on the helmet. “Now let’s kick some Shadowbolt Flank!” Then she went to soar into the air along with her fellow soldiers dived right into the remaining Shadowbolt troops. Rainbow Dash knew that if she was going to win this battle, she needed to use all the strength she could. She flew left and right, using all the aerial skills she had learned with the Wonderbolts, dodging every single attack from the enemy. Punching and kicking the soldiers, she knew that this was going to be one of the finest battles she would ever participate in. Then a couple of soldiers started tackling Rainbow Dash, knocking her helmet off. She used all her strength to knock back all the enemies she could.
"Commander Dash, we are losing ground! We need backup!" one of the soldiers said.
"We need to hold our position!" Dash demanded. "Stay your ground until Shining Armor arrives!"
"Yes, ma’am!" the soldiers replied.
“Where is Shining Armor?!̈” Rainbow said to another soldier.
̈”Ma’am, he and the Crystal Empire division were the first soldiers to enter the field. He is up ahead,” the soldier replied.
̈”Who is in charge of the Equestrian Division?” Rainbow shouted.
̈”That would be me, ma’am!̈” a white pegasus soldier replied, then he slashed at some of the upcoming Shadowbolts with his sword. “Ma’am, you need to find Prince Shining Armor. He needs backup, his entire division is outnumbered.”
”But what about the Equestrian Division!!̈” Rainbow shouted. “They need the backup as well.”
“With all due respect ma’am, we can handle ourselves. Now go and help the prince!!” the soldier said, and with that Rainbow Dash took off into the sky.
“Commander Orion sir, we need backup on the Left Division!!̈” one of the soldiers replied. “We are almost completely outnumbered.”
“I am on my way!!̈” Orion shouted.
As Rainbow flew through the air she could finally see The Crystal Division, and just as the soldier had said, they were severely outnumbered.
̈”Hold your ground, men!!!” Shining Armor said.
̈”Shining Armor!!̈” Rainbow shouted, then speed to the battle and knocked a few Shadowbolts out of the sky. “Shining Armor, I was told you needed some backup?”
̈”Just in time, Rainbow Dash,” Shining Armor said. “I need you to take on the Shadowbolts coming from on top of the cave entrance. It seems that’s where most of them are coming from.”
̈”I'm on it!̈” Rainbow said, then started running to the cave entrance. As she did so she noticed three Shadowbolt soldiers get up onto a cliff, then three more came out and tackled her. She managed to push them off, but the three on the cliff pushed a large rock down right towards Rainbow Dash.
"Oh shit!" Rainbow said.
Before the rock could hit her, Pinkie Pie and Maud came and punched the boulder until it was just a pebble. Then Pinkie and Maud saluted Dash.
"Hey, Rainbow!" Pinkie Pie said. "Some party, huh?"
"Pinkie Pie, I owe you one," Rainbow Dash said, smiling.
"Now how about we finish this?"
"Let's do it!" Rainbow Dash said. She continued to hit and punch the Shadowbolt soldiers.
̈”How in Celestia's name am I going to stop them? They’re coming out of literally nowhere!!”
̈”Rainbow Dash!!!” a soldier shouted. “̈Prince Shining Armor is down, he was just impaled through the chest!!”
̈”NO!!!̈” Like a bullet, Rainbow flew right to where Shining Armor was, only to see him bleeding out with a sword sticking out of his chest. “̈Shining Armor!!!”
Shining struggled to speak, and as he tried to get up he only fell down.
“Your Majesty, please don't move, you’re making it worse!̈” one of the soldiers said.
̈”Rainbow Dash,” Shining Armor said, then started to cough up blood. “Please...tell Twily and Cadence, I tried, I really did.”
“Of course, I promise,” Rainbow said, crying a bit.
̈”Now go,” Shining said. “Finish this!” as if Shining had fueled her, Rainbow got up and sped right back into the Shadowbolt Army. She punched a Shadowbolt right in the face, causing it to fly into a rock. Rainbow heard a crack and the Shadowbolt lay dead, but as she walked past the corpse, she noticed something was popping out of the helmet. She took the helmet off and saw what appeared to be some kind of mechanism.
̈”What in Celestia's name?!” Rainbow said, dumbfounded. “What is this?” Rainbow walked over to another Shadowbolt and noticed that it too had the same thing: gears and metal in the skull, and all around the body. “The Shadowbolts, they’re not alive!!” Rainbow grabbed the head of one of the Shadowbolts and took off into the sky. As soon as she found Celestia she landed next to her.
“Princess Celestia, it's the Shadowbolts. Look!” Rainbow handed her the skull piece.
“What is this?” Celestia asked.
“I don't know, but it looks like every single shadowbolt has them, and that means they’re not real ponies!̈” Rainbow said.
Sunset ran over to Rainbow and saw the skull piece. “Since when did Equestria have Robots?”
“What are Robots?” Rainbow asked.
“They are non-living things that can move, talk, and fight,” Sunset said. “However I didn’t think that Equestria had them.”
“Cinch must have brought them to our world when she returned,” Celestia said, “because according to Rainbow Dash these robots you speak of make up 100% of the army.”
“Then that means all we have to do is short circuit their systems with an EMP!!̈” Sunset said. Rainbow and Celestia just stared at her with a look. “We need to create an electrical surge to make them turn off.”
“How are we going to make an electrical surge?!” Rainbow said.
“I believe that I can handle that part,” Celestia said. “Rainbow Dash, I need you to go and collect as many storm clouds as possible.”
“On it, Princess.” Rainbow sped up into the sky. She sped around and got as many storm clouds as she could find. “̈Princess, what do you want me to do with them?”
“Keep them above me,” Celestia said. “I will do the rest.” She started to charge her horn up with a yellow electrical surge, then shot a beam of magic into the sky, causing the storm clouds to activate, and one by one the Shadowbots started to fall.
“It’s working!!̈” Rainbow said.
“We did it!!̈” Applejack said.
Rainbow flew up to Nightmare Moon, who was guarding the unconscious Twilight and Lightning Dust.
“What do we do with these two?” Rainbow said.
“I will personally escort Lightning to a cell in the Canterlot dungeon,” Nightmare Moon said. “As for Twilight Sparkle, she will be taken to the Crystal Empire infirmary, but we must hurry, my magic cannot hold her in this state for long.”
“Then let's go!” Rainbow said.
Two Hours Later: The Royal Throne Room - Crystal Empire
"With Sombra in Tartarus and Lightning Dust locked up, the only criminal of war that remains at large is Princess Cinch, and we have no idea how to track her," Celestia said.
"The bright side is that the eighth Element is in our possession, so it is not in danger," Nightmare Moon said.
“Sunset, we would request that you take the Element back with you through the mirror, as to avoid other ponies getting ahold of it,” Celestia said.
“Of course, Princess,” Sunset said.
“Sunset, you may always call me Celestia,” Celestia said, smiling.
“Yes, of course, Celestia,” Sunset said.
"So, uh, not be the one to break up this moment, but I do have to ask: why is Nightmare Moon still here?”
"My sister and I have gone over it, and she feels that since I have full control over my Nightmare mode, I may stay in it for a while until the time is right, of course… but please call me Luna," Princess Luna said.
"On to happier matters," Princess Cadence said. "Twilight has woken up, and she is ready to see you girls."
"Really?!" Pinkie Pie said.
"That's awesome!" Dash said.
"Follow me to the medical wing. She should be in there reading some of her books," Cadence said. She slowly walked to the door, however falling behind the ponies, sunset slowly walked up to the Princess.
"Princess Cadence, I'm sorry to hear about what happened to Shining Armor," Sunset said.
"Shining Armor will be remembered for his brave sacrifice, and I will make sure that Flurry Heart knows her dad was a hero," Cadence said. “But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s gone.”
“A wise pony once told me, a pony is never really dead, as long as his memories live on,” Sunset said. “̈As long as people remember his sacrifice, he will always be alive.”
“Thank you, Sunset Shimmer,”̈ Cadence said.
“Now how about we go check on Twilight?” Sunset said.
As Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Sunset, Cadence, Fluttershy, and Rarity walked to the medical wing, they could see that Twilight was sitting patiently inside her hospital bed reading a book titled "How to Heal Bad Wounds." She noticed her guests and immediately was stricken with a giant smile.
"Hey girls!" Twilight said.
"We're so glad you're okay, darling," Rarity said. "We thought that you had..."
"It's okay, I'm here," Twilight said.
"How are you holding up?" Rainbow said.
"It's going well. The doctor said that I will make a full recovery by next month," Twilight said.
“Darling, she wasn’t just talking about your injuries,” Rarity said. Twilight looked down, and quietly said, “I miss him.” She started to cry, and slowly tears started to fall onto her book.
“Come here, darling,” Rarity said, then the Mane Six hugged Twilight, and all she could do was cry.
“It should have been me,” Twilight said.
“Twilight, don't you ever say that,” Applejack said. “Listen here, sugarcube, after I lost my parents, I was the same as you: I blamed myself, I wanted to take their place, but it only made things worse.”
“Then what can I do?̈” Twilight said.
“You can remember him, for everything he has ever done for you, for everything he did to protect you,” Applejack said.
“Thank you, girls, thank you so much,” Twilight said, then wiped away her tears.
"You should stay in bed," Cadence said. “̈You’re still badly hurt.”
"I know, Cadence," Twilight said. "It's just, with Cinch still at large, I feel that I should be helping to find her."
"Sugarcube, with your injury you ain’t fit to go out like this," Applejack said.
"Besides, if we do run into Cinch, we’ll kick her sorry flank," Rainbow said.
"Do we know where she might have gone?" Sunset asked.
"All we do know is that she’s still somewhere in the Crystal Empire, so I’ve asked the guards to double the guard near the palace," Cadence said. “I’ve also sent for guards to search the Shadowbolt cave, to see if we can find anything there.”
“Then all we can do is wait,” Twilight said.
Two Months Later: Twilight’s Castle
As Rainbow entered the room, she was immediately surprised by confetti being blasted in her face.
"Surprise!" Pinkie said.
"What’s this for?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"It’s an engagement party, silly," Pinkie said. "You never had one, so here it is!"
"Aww, thanks, Pinkie!"
"I was just as surprised as you are, Dashie," Applejack said.
"Darling, we are so happy for you," Rarity said.
"Hey, where’s Princess Sunset?" Fluttershy asked.
"She went back through the mirror," Twilight said. "With her becoming a princess, she now needs to maintain the magic contained in her world. Celestia herself said that she wanted her to do that.”
"Well, hopefully, she’s doing good," Applejack said. Then, as she noticed Dash walking up to the buffet, Twilight gestured to Dash, and Applejack knew what she had to say to her fiancé.
"Hey, Dash," Applejack said. "I have to tell you something."
"What is it?" Dash asked. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing’s wrong, Dashie," Applejack said.
"Then what is it?"
"Dashie," Applejack said, "I'm pregnant."
Then everything went crazy; Pinkie Pie fainted, Rarity froze in place, Fluttershy was screaming happily, and Twilight was smiling.
"But...But how? I’m not a stallion!" Rainbow asked in shock.
"You can thank Twilight for that," Applejack said. "She found a spell for it. All I needed to do was give her a piece of DNA, so I gave her a lock of your mane."
"So you’re telling me," Rainbow said, "I’m going to be a mother?!"
"Yes!"
"Ohmigoshohmigoshohmigosh!" Dash said. "This Is awesome!"
"Congrats, guys," Twilight said. "I knew you would be happy about this."
"Thank you so much, Twi!" Rainbow said.
"Yes, thank you, Twi. You just made our lives better," Applejack said.
"So what’s next for you two?" Twilight asked.
"Well, I guess it is just get married, have kids, and live an awesome life," Rainbow said. Then as she hugged her wife she looked out to the horizon and knew nothing could get any better.
The Crystal Empire Alleyway
As Cinch walked through the alleyway, she thought about what had become of herself. She had gone from a princess to a principal, and now a pegasus with an ugly stump on her head.
“I have become nothing but rabble. I swear someday, I will have my revenge on those ponies!” Cinch shouted.
As she walked deeper into the alleyway she could hear that she was not alone.
“Wh-Who is there?” Cinch asked.
“Somepony like you who wants revenge on the Element Bearers,” the voice said.
“Really?” Cinch said. “And who, might I ask, wants revenge on them as much as me?”
“Somepony who was long thought to be captured and defeated.” As the figure walked out of the shadows, Cinch saw he had a dark robe on and shackles. He was a gray color with a hint of red, with four hooves and hands. “I believe you know who I am, Cinch,” Lord Tirek said. “I believe you and I are going to accomplish much together,” he said, smiling wickedly.
