> Broken Swords and Battle Scars
>  by moonblossom131
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Once Her Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Pegasus stared across the wasteland. This place was once her home. A broken windmill was halfway burned down to the ground. Only part of the net-like frame was showing. The grass near the bottom of it, on the once-green hill, was blackened. The mare sighed and took off her helmet. Her rainbow mane was showing, fluttering in the wind. Most of the buildings in the little town were burned. 

She flew down from the high hilltop she was sitting on and walked through the, or what used to be, the town square. Sand replaced the water in the fountain. The bakery smelled of burnt candy. It was nearly burned to the ground, with only the foundation and the steps remaining. Smoke burned off the top of the town hall. The ash crunched under the mare's hooves, and she kept her hoof-guards on. She walked past a most familiar area, with a blackened tree stump in its place. A broken beehive lay on the ground. Small silent tears created streaks in her ash-covered face as she saw the few burnt books scattered around the area. It was all too vivid.

The mare flew to what was once her home. She stood atop the hill just leading to the cloud. Half of her home had fallen. The wind carried the smell of burnt apple wood from then apple acre just north of her home. Little paw prints in the dirt were left from the animals that fled from the little cottage away from the village. The Pegasus had just just passed a boutique. 

Manikins were covered in and torn, burnt, pieces of cloth. They were once beautiful garments, destroyed by war like the country itself. More tears fell down the mare’s face. Her helmet had been left behind on the hill. It, too, was covered in ashes. Torching her own home, torching her friend’s home, was the worst thing the Pegasus had ever done. She thought joining the Royal guard would gain her respect. She thought it would make her loyal to her country. But being part of the Equestrian navy had made her betray and lie to her friends too many times to count. The mare flew up to the remains of her house. The once pure white, breath-taking palace, was burned like everything else. So many lives were lost. She remembered the twins, only foals now, just barely three years old. She remembered her little sister. The Pegasus with unusually small wings. She remembered her friends’ sisters. The little unicorn with the cotton-candy looking mane and the beautiful voice. The intelligent Earth pony with the bow in her mane and the light in her eyes. She remembered the last time she saw them.
A lilac unicorn leading three other mares away from her home, the yellow Pegasus nowhere to be found, in her silver armor and ash-covered helmet. The tree that served as the town’s library. She remembered the betrayal in their eyes. How hurt they were, emotionally and physically. The scars on her sister were the things that scared the mare the most. As the unicorn with the blue-and-purple rainbow mane led the little unicorn and the mare’s sister away. 

“You lied to us, you said you weren’t working for them anymore!” she yelled behind her. “What have you done, Rainbow? What have you done?”

As much as she wanted to run after her sister, to tear her from Twilight’s arms, to fly her back to her broken house in the clouds, Rainbow knew she could not. Scootaloo would not have wanted to go with someone who had torched the only place she had ever called home.

Rainbow pushed all of the horrid memories to the back of her mind. Why did she do it? To impress the princess, who’d gone insane with a mysterious disease? To defeat her dark sister, who was the enemy? Rainbow could not answer her own question. Entering her home, she took off all of her armor. Pillars surrounded by dust had fallen, crushing the tile on the ground. Bloodstains were scattered and smeared onto the paintings on the majestic hallways. In her own bedroom, nothing was left but a pile of ashes. Only a picture, of the mare and a lighter blue stallion, remained untouched. Rainbow couldn’t believe it as she picked up the photo. The glass was broken.

War fought in her own home. The sister of the stallion in the picture leading her troops to destroy her home. She still could not understand why she had obeyed those orders. Why she had lit the match and left the scene. Why her home was covered in bloodstains. 

“Joining the navy was the WORST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE!” Rainbow screamed, smashing the picture onto the ground.

She fled her home, leaving the little village, landing on a nearby mountain where she once laughed with her former-friends about the dragon filling Equestria with smoke. She thought that was the worst of her problems. Rainbow was far from the truth. Her knees faltered and she fell to the ground. She sobbed into her bloodstained hooves. Nothing was worth this much pain. This much suffering. This much death.

Soft clacks sounded as another Pegasus landed beside Rainbow. The dignified mare wiped the tears out of her eyes and stood up. She stared at her fellow soldier.

“It is done,” the mare said darkly. Her pink hair was stained with red, and her yellow coat was covered in mud stains. 

“At what cost, Fluttershy?” the mare screamed at her comrade.

“That’s COMMANDER Fluttershy to you, soldier!”

“What happened to the mare that you used to be?”
“She disappeared when I joined the Navy with you.”

“She didn’t need to disappear!” Rainbow argued, she stomped her hooves on the ground, puffing air out of her nostrils.

“The mare that I used to be was weak and afraid!”

“By being weak and afraid that mare had a soul!” Rainbow yelled. She whinnied and waved her front hooves in the air. 

“By being weak and afraid that mare was only covering and bottling up what she was meant to be!”

“You were never meant to be anything like this!” Rainbow said. “Under your command, under Spitfire’s command, too many lives have been lost. Chrysalis was right when she said that Equestria had more love than any place in the galaxy! Look what it has turned into!”

“And that is not my fault!” Fluttershy growled. Her eyes were no longer blue. She voice was no longer quiet and soft. The eyes were red. The voice was harsh, rough, demanding. This mare was not Fluttershy. “That is our princess’s fault.”

“That ruler of ours has led our country into darkness! Before, with Sombra, Nightmare Moon, Chrysalis, it never came to this! The skies are no longer blue. The foals no longer laugh. The crops no longer grow and the clouds no longer rain! Because of this Celestia you call a princess, a leader, this country is now destroyed.”

“Celestia is a GREAT ruler! Who do you think we’ve been fighting for?”

“We’ve been fighting for the wrong side!” Rainbow yelled. She was so loud that her voice echoed in the canyons. “Luna realized that darkness seeping into her sister’s heart! That’s why she had Lunar guards. That’s why your eyes are red, that’s why all the soldiers have no souls! It is because we are fighting for the wrong princess. She is no princess at all!”

“You will not talk that way about YOUR LEADER!” Fluttershy exploded. The two voices bounced along the cliff walls. “You will not talk that way about our enemy!”

“Watch me,” Rainbow said as she spat on the ground. “this is not Equestria. That excuse for a princess is no leader. This is not a country that my filly will be raised in!” Rainbow shut her mouth only too late.

“What?” Fluttershy growled. “You have a daughter?”

“I am expecting a daughter,” Rainbow sighed. “The father was sent to the dungeons because he realized what this country was turning into! He realized before all of us!”

“He thought wrong!” Fluttershy said. “You no longer wear your ring.”

“That is because you stole it.”

Fluttershy ignored her soldier. “He. Thought. Wrong! That’s why he is in the dungeons, that’s why he is hoof-cuffed to the walls! That’s why his back is scarred with injuries.”

“The Lunar guards are correct to fight against Celestia! Her eyes are surrounded by darkness. The evil in her presence is palpable.”
“Lies!” Fluttershy tried to object. “It is all lies!”

“No, it’s not, and you know it!” Rainbow pinned Fluttershy to the ground. The commander was unsuspecting.

“I’ll have you court-martialed for lack of support!” Fluttershy hissed. Rainbow spat on the ground next to her commander.

“I don’t give a flying feather,” Rainbow said. “I am going to leave Equestria.”

“Where will you go?”

“The only place not touched by this war!” 

“How will you get to Arctic north!” Fluttershy objected. “The train stations were shut down long before this war began.”

“I don’t care if it will take me months to fly there! The Crystal Empire is the only place that shines with light!”

Fluttershy smirked. Rainbow let her up. To her surprise, Fluttershy smiled at her. Not a happy smile. A smile of darkness, evilness. A twisted, cruel smile. And she started laughing. Manically laughing.

“What’s so funny?” 

“You really think that the empire is safe?” Fluttershy continued laughing. “Fine! Go see for yourself, ‘hero’.”

Rainbow narrowed her eyes. “When I come back, I expect the old Fluttershy to be here. And I expect her to stay.”
“She’s not coming back,” Fluttershy said. Rainbow flew away from the mountain, her former-friend’s laughter echoing through the mountains, and across the plains. 

Rainbow would travel to the Empire. And she would find what she was looking for. But she needed to make a little detour. She touched her hoof to her stomach. Three months pregnant, six months to go. No soldier or commander could tell. But she’d have to escape quickly. There was a strict law a newborn foals. They were immediately taken and trained for Celestia’s army. When in the Lunar territory, they were taken and trained for Luna’s army. 

Rainbow shook her head. There was no right side. There was no wrong side. There was no good or evil, moral or immoral… there was just war.
> Why Rainbow Runs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2

Rainbow flew towards the Everfree forest. The twisted, sickly green leaves were plastered on the gnarled, rotting trees. As Rainbow landed at the entrance to the dark, dangerous place, she noticed that there were drag marks and bloodstains on the dirt next to her. She shivered as she saw a golden and blue helmet crushed at the top. One of her own soldiers had ventured to close to a predator. Based off the the twigs on the ground, a hungry timber wolf was the case. Rainbow protectively wrapped her pluming tail around her belly, fearful that her foal might be injured. She could just fly to the top of the forest and go over it, but she knew that tall dragons, Ursa majors, and even unthinkable monsters towered high above the trees. It was unsafe. She could dig a hole and go under it, but it would take too long and, ever since the war, and increasingly large amount of Diamond dogs had moved into Equestria, especially near the Everfree forest. Rainbow couldn’t go around it, because she knew the forest was miles long and wide, plus her destination was straight in the middle of the forest. She couldn’t go over it, she couldn’t go under it, and she couldn’t go around it, so she’d have to go through it. Rainbow smirked at her cliché-like logic. 

Going through the mist proved harder than the last few times Rainbow had travelled into the Everfree. The fog was tumbling and low on the ground. The humidity was overwhelming. Maybe it was because she was pregnant, but Rainbow felt very hot and very tired. She heard a scream from her left, and thunderous stomping followed. Rainbow jerked her head around quickly, her tail instinctively covering her stomach. The bushes and trees rustled and all was silent for a few minutes. But Rainbow felt in her gut that something was going to happen.

All of the sudden, a white stallion with a golden mane and rusty armor ran through the bushes! His eyes were crazed, white, and the pupils were so small you could hardly see them. The veins popped out, bright red, in his dry, insane eyes. 

“Run!” the stallion screamed over his shoulder. “RUN!”

Just as he had left the clearing, an ear-splitting scream cracked through the air. Rainbow squeezed her eyes shut and jumped into the bushes, covering her ears tightly. The screech was a mix between metal-on-metal and dragon nails on a chalk-board. Rainbow had Spike to thank for that memory. 

An ominous shadow covered the hot sun, making Rainbow shiver in the shadows. The stallion’s voice screamed again as the shadow moved away from Rainbow’s hiding place. A blood-curling yelp rang out in the stallion’s voice. Fear washed over Rainbow like a wave, creeping from her ears to her tail. It felt like a colony of spiders were crawling over her skin. The raw fear was so real that Rainbow was crying. Silently crying, trying hard as she could to stay quiet. A sick type of squirting sound echoed in Rainbow’s head. A large thump sounded just outside of Rainbow’s bush. Thinking the creature was gone, and not noticing the shadow still over her, Rainbow uncovered her ears. Tears were still streaming through the dust and ashes on her face. The spider-like feeling was still sticking onto her skin like sweat. There was enough of that from the walk into the steaming forest. Rainbow waited forever. She silently crept out of the bushes and met the body lying just outside her cover. 

The white body of the stallion lay awkwardly on the forest floor. His stomach was touching the ground. Swallowing hard, Rainbow turned the stallion over. She gave a small whimper of pure, paralyzing terror as she saw the remains of the stallion. His whole insides had been ripped out. All that was left was a few bloody guts clinging to his ribcage. His head was at an awkward angle, and his tongue was hanging out. His eyes were glassy and one of them was cut through the middle. A clear liquid was flowing out of it. Rainbow shuddered. His good eye – metaphorically speaking – was slowly swelling as the skin around it turned black. Rainbow suddenly realized that something was moving in his chest. She painstakingly cracked the ribs open one-by-one to see a still-beating heart. It pumped slower and slower and slower. Rainbow gasped with horror and started the hyperventilate. This was all too real. This war had made the creatures even more dangerous.  Rainbow realized the stallions mouth was moving. She tweaked her ear and leaned closer.

“L-l-l-look be-be-be-behind…” he whispered so quietly it was nearly impossible to hear him. 

Rainbow turned around and stood up, looking high into the tree. What she saw was worse than the body. It made her open her mouth and scream so loud that she couldn’t even hear a thing. The monster was too horrible to even describe, but Rainbow tried her best. A giant, fur-covered creature stood above her. It’s grayish fur was matted and stained with brown and red. It had three eyes, one of them huge and unblinking, while the other two seemed glassy, located on either side of the large middle eye. Its hands were pale pink with long, yellow claws nearly the size of a carriage. It was smiling, its tongue hanging out. The tongue was gray and lifeless, twitching every so often. The teeth were long and ingrown, sharper than a knife and longer than the bell tower in Rainbow’s home. Inside its ears was brown and waxy, with little flecks of blood surrounding it. On the inside was fire, licking at the air, white-hot at the base, turning blue, and flaming into burning yellow. Its tail, rising above its head, was scaly, slimy, and green, on the end the skin bulged and out came a vein-covered bone, not touched by skin. Bruises covered the base and popped veins made little red spots, but what was worse was the pointed end. It was dripping red and sharper than the thing’s teeth. It was glowing green at the very end. Poison, Rainbow manically assumed. 
Her eyes grew wide. She was frozen, muttering a prayer to Celestia to save her. She did this for what seemed like forever. 

“If you do not spare me, spare my child, if you do not spare me, spare my child,” she repeated with wide eyes. 

The creature screamed again. It blasted Rainbow’s eardrums. She suddenly realized, with a deep, cold, shuddering fear, that Celestia would not save her. Luna would not save her. Soarin would actually save her, but right now he was chained in a cement room. If no one can save me, Rainbow thought quickly. Then I’ll save myself.

Rainbow sped away, a high pitched screaming making her ears explode. Her vision was blurry, so she could only make out green, brown, and black blobs in front of her. She could hardly hear the thundering, booming footsteps chasing her. She flew faster than she thought possible. The screaming still echoed in her ears, the beating of her own heart was like someone pounding a drum right next to her head, and the whoosh of the air as she flew faster than sound, dodging trees and bushes, branches and birds. It was life and death. It would cost her everything to slow down. The familiar sensation of the air closing in a triangle around Rainbow’s body made her gasp with relief, and even after the exploding boom sounded behind her, Rainbow kept going faster and faster and faster! She suddenly felt something in her gut, telling her to stop. Rainbow paused in mid-air and fell abruptly to the ground. Her head was pounding, giving her a migraine, and the screaming was replaced with the overpowering sound of blood rushing to her head in her ears. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it might explode. Rainbow closed her eyes for a few minutes. She caught her breath. She was sweating so much that she could feel it sliding off of her like she was just done swimming. Her mane was swept backwards, so she quickly fixed it to its normal style. She didn’t bother with her tail. Rainbow spent a few minutes making sure everything was fine. The rushing in her head died down and the beating of her heart was steady enough to stand up. So she did. But it still felt like she was rushing through air faster than the speed of light. She instantly knew that the sonic rainboom was no sonic rainboom at all. It was something even more powerful. Not just faster than the speed of sound, but the speed of light itself. Rainbow suddenly felt like she was falling backwards but she soon regained her composure. She was breathing normally and her heartbeat was fine. The migraine was gone and felt only a little tired, having just experienced the most tormenting, horrifying fear in her entire life. But now she was fine.

It was then when Rainbow looked up to see where she was. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a crumbling, gray, brick wall standing straight in front of her. Rainbow smiled.

“Welcome to Everfree castle,” she muttered to herself.
> Children of Different Blood
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hopefully this wouldn’t take long. Hopefully I could be in and out before sunrise. I had waited all night to get into that castle, and now I needed to get in. The bush that was my hiding place scratched at my bloodied cyan flank. My mane, dull and faded, got stuck on the honeycomb like leaves of the feeble bush, and it caught on cobwebs. 

“Even spiders abandoned this Luna-forsaken place,” I muttered under my breath.

Guards were stationed in front of the crumbling gray castle. They had gray manes, even more faded coats. I could hardly remember the vibrant white of their flanks and the brilliant royal blue of their manes. The guards had bags underneath their eyes and their helmets and hoof-guards were worn down. The war had hit everyone. Battling was not for Equestria. 

I sat silently, breathing slowly. I sat thinking about the old days. The hot sun slowly rose in the sky. Today was especially humid. Probably because I was in the Everfree and pregnant. I was sweating like a pig when I heard rustling in the bushes in front of the main gates. The guards lifted their spears and pointed them at the moving bushes. I wrapped my tail around my stomach. I crouched lower in the bushes, peering through the thick branches. The sun was about halfway in the sky. 

The ponies that approached the guards made me almost gasp! After I regained my cover, I had to look back at the intruders again. 

A lilac unicorn, with a faded, scratched coat. An orange earth pony with a loose mane covered in dirt. A pink earth pony with a matted pink mane. She looked so tired. I had never seen that mare tired in all my life! Another unicorn, with a dull and dirt-covered white coat, no longer radiant, and a faded, frizzy purple mane. But what interested me the most were the three little fillies cowering behind the first unicorn. One had a horn and a faded white coat like the older mare with the purple mane. One had a dusty yellow coat, a red mane, and a drooping bow. 

The other filly with them was a buff orange. Her mane was a dark-magenta, cut almost exactly like mine. 

“Scootaloo!” I gasped! My little sister! I had wondered where she was, how she was doing, if she was surviving. As her name was whispered, the orange filly stared right at the bush. I tried to make my eyes wider and brighter and make my mane more vibrant, but the little filly could not see me.

“Scoots are y’all okay?” the orange earth pony asked in her familiar country twang. “Y’all seem a little bit distracted.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing, Applejack,” Scootaloo answered, shaking with effort as she turned back towards the older mare. “I just thought I heard my sister’s voice…”

Applejack stifled a sigh. “Oh, Scoots, y’all know that I ain’t part of our lil’ family no more.”

“I guess I’m just a little paranoid,” Scootaloo said. She still huddled close towards her same-age friends. 

The other mares had been talking to the guards. I decided to turn my ears towards their conversation.

“So you haven’t seen her?” the lilac unicorn asked. 

“No, we haven’t, mam,” the guard said, grinding his teeth a little.

“Have you heard from my brother? Is he alright?” the unicorn insisted.

“Ms. Sparkle,” the other guard said. “Your brother is still in the dungeons. With Ms. Dash’s husband and a few other outlaws. He is… well.”

“Why was there a pause before well?” Twilight said suspiciously. Her eyes grew wide. “Why was there a pause?”

“Ms. Sparkle, he is fine,” The first guard said with tired, narrow eyes.

“Then are y’all sure ya haven’t seen I?” Applejack asked, holding the yellow-coated filly close to my. She was AJ’s sister.

“No, we haven’t!”

The second guard muttered something to the other.

“Look, look, Ms. Apple,” the second guard rubbed his forehead. “We did see a sonic rainboom – of sorts – in the forest the other day. One of the monsters was after the pony that made it.”

“Only my sister can do a sonic rainboom!” Scootaloo piped up. Her legs wobbled under the effort of standing straight.

“It wasn’t really a sonic rainboom, it was something like it!” the guard nearly yelled. Scoots shrank back behind Twilight.

“Well, how can we know that’s not her?” the pink-coated earth pony spoke. Her voice was hopeful, but it was cracked, sore, and tired. “She is the only pony that can do one!”

“Pinkie Pie, darling, I don’t think we should get our hopes up, it could’ve been any other Pegasus,” the white unicorn’s voice spoke. Though it still held its lavish accent, it was not as noticeable. And, as always, it sounded tired. Where could these ponies have gone in the course of just three days?

“Ms. Sparkle, Ms. Pie, Ms. Rarity, Ms. Apple, and fillies, I know this may be complicated, but since yesterday, we haven’t seen Ms. Dash!”

“Fine then,” Twilight said. “Have you at least seen Commander Fluttershy?”

“She reported back two days ago,” the guard answered quickly. “She left for Hoofington; there was a protest. I think she … took care of the problem.”

Twilight’s eyes watered. I knew what “took care of the problem” meant. I “took care” of Ponyville. Fluttershy had “took care” of Trottingham, Las Pegasus, even Appleoosa, and now Hoofington. Rarity just sighed and gathered the fillies.

“Just let us know if you see or hear from any of them,” she gave a weary sigh. “Now come, children, it’s time to make camp back in the forest.”

“Why can’t we just stay here?” the little yellow filly whined in her faint country accent. “I don’t want to walk all the way back through that forest!”

“Apple Bloom, you’re gonna have to!” Applejack almost raised her voice.

“But what about the Blanks?” Sweetie Belle, the littler unicorn, whimpered. 

“We’re not going to even pass that part of the forest,” Twilight sighed. “Besides, it’s just a legend. I’m pretty sure that the Blanks don’t exist.”

“But Diamond Tiara said-”

“Why are y’all listenin’ to that mother bucker?” Applejack said.

“Applejack don’t curse like that!” Apple Bloom cried.

“I’m sure it’s just the stress-” Rarity huffed.

“Rarity, I don’t want to walk through the forest!”

“Applejack, why did you say those words?”

“Like Rare said, we’re under a lot of stress, so just forget about it!”

“Mams, you’re going to have to leave now!”

“I miss Dashie! I miss Flutters!”

“We all miss our friends Pinkie Pie, so just calm down!”

“Rarity, I was talking to you!”

“Mams, you are going to have to leave! Right now!”

“EVERYBODY QUIET!” Twilight shouted. She grinded her teeth and magic sparked from her horn. Everybody shut their mouths. Never once had Twilight been that harsh, that demanding, that mean. She turned to the guards. “Sirs, I am so sorry for the inconvenience. Give the princess my best. Now, the rest of you, we have to move. Maybe we’ll find Rainbow and Fluttershy tomorrow.”

“You’ve said that every day!” Scootaloo balled, but one glare from Twilight shut her up.

“I know what I said,” Twilight said. “But we will find them one day, whether it be their skeleton, their wing feathers, or themselves, we will find them. Somehow.”

I silently cried again as I watched my friends walk away. They were looking for me. After all that I had done to them, they were looking for me!

“Sweet Celestia, those mares were Drama Queens!” one guard smirked. The other guard just snorted back.

I scrunched up my face in anger. I waited until nightfall, slowly building up the rage inside of my, until I crept out of the bushes to the mindless, sleeping guards. I “took care” of that problem. The solution is called Zecora’s magical potion.

“Or should I say,” I smirked. “Poison.”

I leaned the heavy guards up against the fortress wall. Panting, I smiled. 

“Two down,” I breathed. “Who-knows-how many more to go.”

I silently entered the fort. I was just a silhouette in the moonlight on top of the wall. The shadow of the wall was so immense that the guards wouldn’t be able to see my coat and mane in the darkness, no matter how colorful they were. 

The guards were all shivering by a campfire. They all had their rusty golden armor on, shining in the silvery starlight. The fire crackled, hissed, and spat. Sparks flew into the air but they died out quickly. I didn’t feel like seeing fire. The only thing I actually ever enjoyed about fire was the smell. It was like burnt firewood roasting something delicious, emitting a bitter sweet smell like a campfire would. I had always loved camping. Ever since I was little, my parents would take me down to the ground from their home up in Cloudsdale, and they would sleep under the stars with no tent at all. When my parents were snoring (my father quite loudly), I would sneak away from the camp and take off into the air. I loved the cool night winds tugging at my mane and tail. I loved the crisp air hanging still until my beating wings stirred it. I missed how the lavender-looking clouds would gently swirl into nothing as I puffed through them with my wings, flying backwards and upside down. I missed the starlight swirling and twirling into muddy, pretty designs underneath my eyelids. I missed how cool and clean and fresh and peaceful the air tasted. I missed how I could relax and fly without knowing where I was going, or caring for that matter. I missed when I didn’t have a battle to fight, a commander to obey, or a princess to fight for. I missed when I could laugh, and fly, and play, and just smile without any particular reason.

A cold wind stirred my thoughts. I knew that the path of a rebel soldier was long and lonesome. I could not survive with my fellow comrades. Nor could I survive with my former-friends. As I crouched in the darkness, a cold shiver ran through my body. I pushed it through me. My eyes turned a desolate cold as my mane fluttered gently in the cold breeze. It fell softly and silently as the gentle wind stopped. I felt ice in my veins, but like every other time the evil came seeping into my body, I pushed it away. I knew that in just a few short months, I would have a child to take with me on me lonesome journey. There were no allies for a fighter like me.

Then why am I rescuing my husband? I thought. Why am I here now?

The ice had melted. I found myself focusing on the soldiers around the fire. They were talking about a recent battle.

“In all my years of serving with Celestia,” one guard with a deep voice spoke. “I have never seen so much blood on one battle field.”

“I wish that I didn’t have all these scars to remind me,” a younger, inexperienced female voice said. “I wish that I never joined the navy at all.”

“I’m with you on that one,” I said. 

“Did you guys just hear something?” the younger voice said, her ears perked.

The moonlight acted like camouflage on my coat as I walked calmly out of the shadows. The pale firelight lit up the faces of the other soldiers as they gazed at me.

“Rainbow!” a young male voice said. He sounded excited! He was a light yellow stallion with a wavy purple and flame-like orange mane. 

“Spectrum Fleet!” I gasped! It was Spitfire’s son in the flesh. I quickly sped over to him and hugged him tightly. Ever since Spitfire became the top commander of the army, Spectrum had been on his own. I took him under my wing, though. He was like the son I never had. 

“Oh my sweet Celestia!” Spectrum gasped again. “Oh, my sister will be so glad to see you!”

“Spectra Harp is here too?” I said, pulling away from my tight hug with Spectrum.

“Spectrum? Have you seen Sundrops?” a painfully familiar voice said. Out of the corner of the castle came a light blue mare. She had a long and wavy red-and-light-pink mane. “Spectrum?”

The mare came to the campfire and gasped, breathing in, before she saw me! Harp giggled and ran towards me at full canter! She knocked the breath out of me as she hugged me.

“Rainbow!” she squealed. “Oh my Celestia, you’re here! I never thought I’d see you after Spitfire sent you to… oh never mind you’re here now!”

I hugged Harp back.

“Oh, Harp! How have you two been?” the two twins smiled at me as they answered my question. 

“I’ve been amazing!” Spectrum said. “I’ve been learning how to do magic just as well as my Father did!”

My smile faded a little. The twins’ father had gone to fight in Fillydelphia just as they were born. He did not return.

“I’ve been just fine,” Harp answered. “Oh, I also met a new friend. His name is Sundrops and-”

“Harp!” the younger male voice from the campfire said. The stallion came running towards Harp.

“Sundrops!” Harp gasped. She hugged him, tight. I raised my eyebrows. Spectrum rolled his eyes. “I was so worried when you went into battle!”

Sundrops just hugged Harp tighter. I could see tears beginning to form at the edges of his eyes. I noticed black scars on his pale white coat. His shaggy orange and yellow mane was faded and covered in ashes like mine. 

“I got a little bruised up, but I’m fine now,” Sundrops said, letting go of Harp. She smiled gently at him.

“Sundrops!” the older soldier from before called to him. “We need to discuss our next battle plans! You’re going to present them to Celestia this time.”

Sundrops shrugged and smiled gently at Harp. He ran back to the campfire. Low mumbles started as the soldiers planned their battle. 

“Oh, Rainbow, can we talk in private?” Harp said, her cheeks getting a little red.

“Sure,” I laughed. “Hey, I’ll catch up with you later, Spectrum.”

“No problem.”

Harp led me into the castle. My coat prickled as we walked down the hallways towards the sustainable, non-crumbling shelters. I knew that Harp worked here as an apprentice to the doctor who treated soldier’s wounds. We walked down the silent hallways. Well, silent all but the clip-clop of our hooves on the broken stone floor. We soon came to a corridor. There were three doors. One had a rainbow painted over it. The other one had a sword. And the last one had a pure white plus sign on it. 

“This is where me and my two siblings live,” Harp explained. 

“You and Spectrum have another sister?” I said, surprised. Spitfire had been so hurt about her husband’s death. It’s what drove her to get revenge on Luna’s soldiers for his death. I simply couldn’t imagine her with another stallion.

“You could tell by the rainbow, huh?” Harp chuckled. “She’s not blood-related, but I was out in Everfree, searching for the poison joke that could cure some form of insanity. At least according to my mentor. Anyways, I found her hiding in the bushes. I asked her what her name was, but she seemed too frightened of me. Maybe she recognized my eyes or something. I think her village was one of those small, nameless ones around Canterlot. They were of the first few to be… well, you know. I guess she’d been roaming the Everfree for years. So I just decided calling her Raindrop Sparkle.”

“Oh,” I said, somewhat dazed. There was a pit at the bottom of my stomach. It lurched a few times and I had to ask Harp- “Where’s the bathroom?”

“In my room to the left, why?”

I didn’t answer her question. I just entered Harp’s room, the one with the white plus sign on it. I took a left as she had directed and my stomach lurched one more time. A foul odor entered my nostrils. A sharp neigh sounded as Harp entered the bathroom.

“Oh… dear, what did you eat?” 

“Nothing,” I answered. “At least not for a day or two.”

“That’s not very healthy!” Harp speculated. Her mouth was twisted in a frown. “Come on, let me put you on my spare bed.”

My adoptive daughter led me to a little bed right beside her own. 

“Sometimes Raindrops has nightmares of when her village was attacked, so I got her this when she gets scared,” Harp explained. 

I sat down and sighed. I wiped off my mouth with my foreleg. I had feared this since five months ago.

“If I didn’t know any better,” Harp laughed, standing next to me. “I’d say your pregnant!”

I just stared at her through cold, pleading eyes. 

“Wait,” she breathed. “You’re not, right?”
I closed my eyes and turned my head to the side. 

“Oh dear, how many months?”

“Five.” 

“Then what were you doing settling a village on fire?”

Her loud voice echoed through the hallways. I realized the door to her room was still open. Harp quickly raced to the gaping door and slammed it shut.

“Please, you can’t tell anyone!” I begged. “I don’t want my daughter being trained for Celestia straight away!”

“Of course I won’t tell anyone!” Harp gasped. “But you were near smoke! And you haven’t eaten for two days! What is wrong with you?”

“Sorry, but I couldn’t let anyone know,” I sighed. “For the safety of my daughter.”

“Well, with these six months, you’re going to have morning sickness, your stomach is going to get larger, it won’t stay a secret for long!”

“I’m not staying here for long.”

Harp fell silent. I could see her eyes were troubled. She paced around the front of her room, in the space where the bed weren’t. Her bright orange eyes were wide and sharp. She was intelligent, but I could see that this was troubling her.

“I haven’t seen you for nearly a month, and you’re not even going to stay here for a week!” Harp cried. “I need to spend some time with the only pony that’s ever treated me like a daughter. Not even Spitfire loves me, I don’t think. That’s why I call her Spitfire and not Mom! I should be calling you mom!”

“Listen, sweetie, I only revealed myself because your boyfriend and his troop are not the bad ponies. I used to think that all the soldiers were bad, and that they were the enemy. But it is Celestia who needs talking to,” I admitted. “The only reason I came here was to break Soarin’ out of prison and escape to the Arctic north. I didn’t know that I’d be seeing you and your brother here.”

“So you were just going to break into the most heavily guarded prison in Equestria and leave without even saying hi?” Harp looked like she was about to cry.

“Originally!” I emphasized. “But I’m glad that I’m seeing you. I’m glad that your boyfriend convinced me otherwise.”

“Mom,” Harp said without even thinking over it. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“What?” I said. Now, we were getting a little off topic. Thank Celestia, I thought. “But- you- why?”

“We’re just best friends,” Harp said. “I don’t think he really loves me. I think he likes the other doctor’s assistant in that way.”

“But you love him,” I reasoned. “Does the assistant like Sundrops?”

“Well, the last time we had to get some more supplies, she asked me to ask Sundrops if he like her.”

“This is why I got married while I was still young,” I laughed. Talking about crushes seemed to make Harp forget that her “mother” was leaving in just a few days after not seeing her for a month. 

“What do I do?” Harp complained. “Why is this so complicated?”

“Welcome to marehood, enjoy the ride,” I sighed. “Growing up ain’t easy, that’s for sure.”

“How do you feel around Soarin’?” Harp whispered. 

I had to think for a moment. After all, it had been awhile since I’d seen him. “Well, when I first started hanging out with him after I was drafted, I was all dizzy, confused, ‘bit by the love bug’ as they say. After we got married, the first few months I never stopped smiling. Luckily, I wasn’t on battle duty then. After it was my turn for the battlefield, every time I saw him, even when he was covered in blood from being whipped, I would feel so much hatred for whoever tortured him. I knew it was pure love that made me feel this way.”

“That’s exactly how I feel!” Harp said, jumping up. “But him the assistant are getting even closer now! I feel like I’ll never get a chance with him.”

“Have patience, Harp. I’m sure he’s just playing hard to get.”

Harp was about to say something when a knock came on the door. 

“Coming!” Harp shouted. She raced to the door once again and opened it a little. After seeing who it was, she turned to me with alarm in her eyes. She stepped back and opened the door fully. There stood Spitfire and Sundrops. 

“Hello, Spit- I mean Mother,” Harp stammered. “I thought you were in Hoofington.”

“Well now I’m not,” the former-Wonderbolt said coldly. “Spectra Harp, I need to talk to you. Rainbow Dash, there is someone waiting for you in the hallways.”

“How could that pony know I was here?”

“There are no secrets in Everfree that I don’t know.”

I left the room, and the door was shut behind me. I could hear muffled yelling coming from the inside. I sighed and exited into the hallways. 

“Hello?” I said, the hallways mocking me.

Hello? Hello? Hello?...

“Is anyone there?”

Is anyone there? Is anyone there? Is anyone there?...

“Spitfire said someone wanted to talk?”

Wanted to talk? Wanted to talk? Wanted to talk?...

Silence greeted every word. I was confused, Spitfire had said someone was waiting-

A soft blowing sound. Pain in my neck. Closing darkness. Soft hoof steps. And then cold. 
> Sonic Lightboom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 4

“Mom?” a muffled voice. “Mom?”

“I don’t think she’s going to wake up.”

“I can’t believe Spitfire did this!”

The two male and female voices bickered with each other. They grew from nearly inaudible to clear.

“Oh my head,” I groaned, trying to stand up. 

“Wow, Mom, hold on!” the male voice said. I opened my eyes to see the two foals of Spitfire.

“Spectrum? Harp? What are you doing here? What am I doing here?”

“Oh, good, you’re awake!” Harp’s voice rang sharp and clear. “I’m sorry, but Spitfire needed to get some answers out of you.

“Whaddayoumean?” I said, my words slurring. 

I opened my eyes and blinked a few times to see where I was. Cold, metal walls stared silently at me. There were no windows. Just a steel door at the end. The ground was hard and see through. There were ponies moving beneath me. I felt like I would fall through the air, straight down onto those ponies, but I pounded into my head that it was the floor. I noticed a little gray box with wires running from it to the floor. I realized the clear plastic retracted. The steel door opened and Spitfire, wearing sunglasses, walked into the room. With her was a unicorn levitating a notepad and a quill. 
“Spectrum Flash, Spectra Harp, leave now,” Spitfire demanded, not even looking at them.

“But we-”

“NOW!”

The two teens left the room. The unicorn, with his lifeless gray coat and drooping gray mane, shut the steel door. A new energy rushed through me at Spitfire’s nagging words.

“How dare you talk to your own children like that!” I said in a dark voice.

“I need you to answer some questions,” Spitfire said, taking off her glasses. She ignored me completely. “You were due back here two days ago. Where were you?”

“Answer my question first!” I shouted.

“I won’t listen to you unless you are answering my questions,” Spitfire spat, her voice like poison. “Where. Were. You?”

“I was navigating through Everfree,” I said coldly. I sat down in the cold metal chair and scooted closer to the cold, metal table.

“It shouldn’t take you two days to do that.”

“Fine,” I said even more coldly. My veins were filling with ice again. Yet, like always, I pushed it away. “I was going to the Arctic north.”

“Why?”

“To check for weaknesses,” I lied. “So we can take them over.”

Spitfire placed her two forelegs on the cold, metal table. “I can tell that you’re lying.”

“I’m not lying.”

“You are lying.”

“I’m not lying.”

“You are lying.”

“I’m not lying.”

“You are lying!”

“Nope.”

The unicorn stared at Spitfire, who’s cheeks were burning red, with bored, narrowed eyes. “Mam,” he said in his dull, monotone voice. “This isn’t getting anywhere.”

“Okay then,” Spitfire grinded her teeth. “Onto the next question.”

“Bring it,” I smirked.

“Are you or are you not pregnant?”

My face ran cold. I started to sweat. My ears twitched. It was a few tense moments before I said – “No comment.”

Spitfire muttered something inaudible. 

“The answer is yes, or no. So what is it, Rainbow?”

“No.”

“Then why were you vomiting in my daughter’s bathroom?” Spitfire challenged. I shrugged.

“I guess food poisoning.”

“Oh for the love of-” Spitfire just broke off with a heavy breath. “Okay, listen, every time that you answer a question wrong, we are going to retract the floor a little bit. By the time that it is retracted fully, you will fall to the ground.

I smirked. “Okay,” I said. I had a trick up my sleeve. “Try me.”

Spitfire cleared her throat. “Are you or are you not fighting for Celestia?”

“I am not.”

“Okay,” Spitfire had the unicorn pull the lever beside the gray box. The floor retracted a little and I just smiled. Are you or are you not fighting for Luna?”

“I am not.”

“What but- pull the lever, Horace!” The unicorn pulled the lever.

“Are you or are you not a soldier?”

“I am not.”

The floor retracted again. I looked down to see guards clearing the area. A dark hole was opening where the ponies used to walk. It seemed to go down for miles. I smiled at this. 

“Are you or are you not a rebel?”

“I am,” I said with a smile.

Spitfire grinded her teeth. Horace pulled the lever. The chair beneath me tipped dangerously. I just walked away and sat on the ground.

“Are you or are you not a citizen of Equestria?”

“Depends on what Equestria you’re talking about.”

Horace pulled the lever. 

“That’s not an answer, Rainbow Dash,” Spitfire said coldly. Her voice was dripping poison. But I just smiled.

“Well, I just wanted clarification,” I smiled tightly. “Are you talking about the Equestria before Celestia went insane? Before you started torching villages? Before you orphaned countess foals?”

Spitfire’s cheeks grew cherry red. She opened the gray box and pressed the red button. She and Horace left the room. A loud (and rather annoying), gravelly beeping sound went off with a female voice counting down from ten. I just examined my hooves as the voice reached five… four … three… two… one.

A loud metallic scraping sounded as the whole floor fell from underneath me. I fell instantly. The air was rushing on my skin and it blew my mane upwards. But even as I fell down into the deep, dark hole, I just closed my eyes and enjoyed the cool prickle of my coat and the wind in my mane. I smiled and opened my eyes suddenly. I spread out my wings and made my body as straight as a board. I twitched my feathers so that the friction slowed me down. The rushing of the wind stopped in my ears as I fluttered my wings gently and touched the ground. It was cold and sticky. But still, I stayed where I was.

“Mom!” Harp’s voice came echoing down to me. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” I said.

I heard a loud gasp from the ponies that must’ve watched my leap of faith. You can’t kill Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, thank Celestia!” Harp breathed.

“Do NOT thank Celestia,” I screamed. “Thank me for saving myself. I don’t need someone to save me. I don’t need someone else to take credit for what I did. The first rule of a rebel: You are alone.”

“But-”

I spread my wings and flew upwards as fast as possible. I was flying so fast that the colors around me were no longer dark and crumbling. They were streams of white slashing through the vibrant blues. The air once again made a tight triangle around me. A rainbow burst from behind me.

“Come on, come on!” I grit my teeth. “Let’s go already!”

I smiled a Pinkie Pie smile as I heard the second blast from behind me. I looked back to see a brilliant white explosion, with sparks flying in every direction and a fire-like comet tail blazing from behind me. It was amazing! It was even more beautiful than I would’ve thought it to be. I blasted through walls and doors and even metal without getting a single scratch. I flew high into the night sky, going higher and higher and faster and faster, almost touching the stars with my hooves, but I realized that might not be the best idea. So I directed my wings downward at an angle and fluttered gently. I caught my breath and looked down. The castle was a little square smidge from way up here. Looking closer, I saw some Pegasus flying up to me. 

“You can’t catch me now, Spitfire!” I yelled.

“Not… her…” a voice panted.

Oh dear, I thought. 

I quickly flew down to where the Pegasus was, in only a matter of seconds. Spectra Harp stared at me with wide eyes, full of fear and concern.

“Mom, I didn’t know you could do that!” she said once she caught her breath. 

“Until a few days ago, neither did I,” I informed her. “Now, I need you to tell Spitfire that I will leave her sight forever and not cause any more trouble for her if she lets my husband go.”

“I don’t know if she’ll even listen to me-”

“Please, Harp.”
“Okay,” she sighed. “I’ll at least try.”

I smiled at her and flew onto a branch of one of the rather large trees around the fortress. I watched Harp as she tried to reason with Spitfire. Harp’s body flew upwards a little in anger, and Spitfire’s body rose higher. I saw Sundrops try and interfere with their conversation, but Spitfire shooed him away. Harp just turned to him, and then flew up to me. Her orange eyes were exploding with anger.

“She won’t agree,” Harp said angrily, landing next to me. “She’s about to fly up here herself!”

I rolled my eyes. “Leave it to me.”

I zoomed away from the tree branch and Harp struggled to follow. I swirled around tree branches but eventually crossed the wall and landed face-to-face with Spitfire.

“I’m willing to bargain,” Spitfire said. “But I need something more than just you silence.”

“I’m listening.”

“So are we!” Spectrum said awkwardly. I took a quick look around and realized that there were a lot of other ponies just watching our half-argument. I shrugged and stared Spitfire down. She returned the gesture. 

“I don’t mind,” Spitfire said.

“And neither do I,” I said directly afterwards. “Now, tell me, commander. What do you want?”

“I will let you and your husband go if,” Spitfire smiled. It was a smile like a snake: malicious and cold. “You give me the remaining elements of harmony.”

“Excuse me? That’s kind of impossible!” I said, backing away. “Last time I checked, the Elements were supposedly transported in the only running train left in Equestria to the princess herself. But everyone knows that the train crashed! The elements were either stolen or destroyed!”

“I didn’t mean the necklaces,” Spitfire said coldly. She still had that sick, twisted smile plastered on her face.”

“You want me… to turn in my friends?” I said slowly.

“Last time I checked they aren’t your friends, Rainbow,” Spitfire stated, examining her hooves casually. She flashed me a grin. “So what will it be?”

I paused and thought for a long time. The soldiers (plus my “kids”) stared at both of us, waiting for my answer. My eyes were pointed at the ground. I stood completely still. With either choice I made, I would be sacrificing everything. I suddenly jerked my head up. Spitfire stared at me, eyebrows raised. 

“No deal.”

The ponies around me gasped. Spectrum tugged at my shoulder.

“But what about Soarin’?” he pleaded. I sighed lightly.

“I don’t know.”

“Rainbow, do you know what this means?” Spitfire said. She was clearly disappointed. “If you do not accept this deal-” 

“I will be put in the dungeons,” I finished. I lifted my hooves. “Do your worst.”

*   *   *

A loud scraping sound echoed in the cold catacombs beneath Everfree castle. I was forcefully thrown into a cold room. Dust flew up around me, and I coughed, even though I could not see a thing. The stiff, strong guards took off my blindfold and unlocked my hoof-cuffs. I smiled at them, dusting off my shoulders with my hooves. 

“Thanks,” I said, shaking my head to get the hair out of my face. 

“Don’t push it,” one of the guards responded with a deep voice.

The door creaked again and clanged shut as the loud hoof steps echoed in the dimly lit, cold, and creepy catacomb tombs. I took a quick look around my cell. Rusty, old, and isolated. I shrugged. Typical. 

A low, wheezy coughing sound startled me as it sounded from the dark, shadowy corner of the cave. 

“Who’s there?” I asked. After receiving silence as an answer, I tried to see through the shadows. 

I only saw a dark shadow. I took a few hoof steps closer to the dark corner of the cell. I was able to make out the shape of hooves cuffed to the wall on silhouetted chains. More coughing sounded. I walked closer and more slowly towards the pony sharing my cell. I gasped as I saw who it was. 

“Hey honey,” the light blue stallion shakily smiled. 

“Soarin’,” I whispered. 
> Husband and Wife; Harp has a Dream
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So what are you in here for?” Soarin’ coughed. His voice was harsh and rough.

“Oh, that doesn’t matter now!” I said. My head was rushing. “But I need to tell you something.”

“Oh, yeah? What, are you pregnant?”

“Uh, yeah,” I said simply. Soarin’ just stared.

“Oh,” he said. “Well, the necessary father stuff. The baby is mine right?”

“No, it’s your cell guard’s kid. Yes, of course the baby is yours!”

“Okay then. Is it a colt or a filly?”

“It’s a filly,” I answered proudly.

“How many months?”

“Five.”

“Okay, so we’re safe from those despicable laws?” Soarin’ sighed happily.

“Thank the stars,” I said. 

“And what about where the foal will be born?”

“Not in this rotting hellhole, that’s for sure.”

Soarin’ laughed at me. I felt like I was finally where I belonged, here with Soarin’. If only we weren’t locked in a death hole underneath a crumbling larger death hole that spiders didn’t even want to live in. What the hell is the world I was living in?

“What went wrong, Dashie?” Soarin’ said. “After all, I used to be one of the most infamous Pegasus ponies in Equestria! Now I’m famous because I realized the disease.”

I may not have wanted to think about that disease two days ago, but I think I needed to now. After all, it was my country. I would ALWAYS be loyal to it! 

“Spitfire wanted me to bring her the Elements,” I said softly, sitting down in front of my husband.

“But weren’t they destroyed in that train wreck they tried to cover up?”

“No, she wanted the living, breathing Elements.”

“Wait, but do you even know where your friends are?” Soarin’ said. 

“They passed through here a couple of days ago. I’m so sorry Soarin’!”

“For what?”

“I told Spitfire that I would become invisible if she let you and me go,” I said. I pushed my head into Soarin’s stiff shoulders. “But she said that for our freedom, she didn’t want just my silence. She wanted the Elements! So, I really really wanted to let you go, but I said no!”

“You said… no…” Soarin’ said. I could tell he wasn’t tolerating this, nor was he disappointed. He was just thinking. 

“I said no.”

It was silent for a few moments. I walked to the other side of the cell. I didn’t like seeing my husband like this. He was usually the happy-go-lucky, bake-me-a-pie-everyday type of stallion. But now… the war. 

Freedom. I scoffed at the word. There was no such thing as freedom. Even most of the birds that flew through the sky were used for Celestia’s secret messages! You couldn’t fly without being questioned. You couldn’t walk down the street with twenty bits to go to the market without being questioned! To be called free here, to be called free now, was nothing short of an insult. If I found a filly hiding in the bushes, like Harp did with Raindrop, then I wouldn’t name her something like Freedom, or Justice. To be named something that was non-existent here in this war-torn, hell of a country, that would be the most offensive insult.

I lifted my hooves. I stretched out my wings. What was the point to this? I would just sit here and do nothing. Even if I had escaped from the Everfree with Soarin’, I would’ve just gone to the Crystal Empire and sat there and done nothing. I might as well be accepted into Tartarus. After all, being forced to do an eternity of labor was still better than sitting here and doing nothing. I took one look at the sharp metal lock on the cage doors. There was no getting out of here. Soarin’ had accepted that long ago. He had accepted his fate and then just sat here, waiting for his life to die out, without anything to say about it. 

“It’s true what they say,” I said softly. “That all prisoners rot their life away in prison. I mean, just look at us! All this time, for at least until our middle ages, we’re going to be sitting in this rotting hellhole doing nothing!”

“Just learn to deal with it,” Soarin’ sighed. “After all, we could’ve been freed.”

“I’m sorry Soarin’!” I yelled. “I love you, but I betrayed my friends too many times. Maybe they were looking for me, but what would happen if I just go and say ‘hey friends, why don’t I just go and turn you in to the most dangerous enemy out there so she can use your elemental powers to take over everything?’ I’m so sure that they would agree to that. I wanted you to be free. I wanted us to be happy again! But with that Celestia ruling over us, we don’t have a chance of escaping, surviving, and living free again! Freedom is an insult here.”

“Well… can’t we wait before she just dies?” Soarin’ meekly suggested.

“She’s an alicorn,” I said harshly. “She’s lived for a thousand millennium! She can probably live for a few thousand more, and by that time even the elements will be dead!”

“Good point, honey,” Soarin’ sighed. “You were always right.”

“That’s because I have a brain,” I teased lightly. But the weight of the situation just made everything even more depressing. “Listen, there’s no point to even living this out. Sure, maybe Spectrum will grow up and have kids. Maybe Harp and Sundrops will finally sort it all out! I don’t know. But there’s no point to our lives.”

“What are you suggesting suicide?” Soarin’ yelled. Tears formed in my eyes.

“Maybe I am,” I whispered. 

“Oh, Dashie, come on!” Soarin’ said. “We don’t need to do that. Maybe we can find something to fight for, and we can escape!”

“What, with the Elements of harmony?” I said. “Yes, I’m so sure that all my friends, who are immensely weak and tired as it is, would just love to use the Elements to break down an old, crumbling castle that will fall apart anyways in about a week! Or- OR- we can just use some rocks! Yes, we’ll use the tiny pebbles on the ground to break the stupid lock to this place! Oh, here’s a bright idea, we can have Harp and Spectrum come save us! But we’ll have to yell to get them down here. I’m SO SURE that the guards and Spitfire would not become suspicious of us yelling ‘Oh, Spectrum, Harp, why don’t you just come down here so we can plan our escape!’ There’s nothing we CAN do, Soarin’! All of the options are ruled out. My pet TURTLE will live longer than us if we wait for the chance of escaping! He’s probably a hundred years older than me as we speak!”

“Well, those are all good points.”

“NO KIDDING!” I exploded. “Our only hope is my friends hearing about this and letting us out of here as they turn themselves in! Oh, I forgot to mention, they aren’t even my friends anymore! THEY HATE MY GOOD-FOR-NOTHING GUTS SOARIN! And also, I’m sure Spitfire would just let her brother and her sister-in-law out of jail because she has such a kind heart. DO YOU SEE WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! THERE’S NO POINT TO THIS! NO. POINT! And I’m sure little Miss Fluttershy would just LOVE to waltz in here and open that life-taking lock just out of the kindness of her heart. THAT Fluttershy is LONG GONE. She bucking LAUGHED at me when I told her that I was escaping to the Crystal Empire! What do we have to live for?”

“What about our daughter?”

“Yes, I’m practically jumping for joy and getting out Pinkie’s party cannon at the idea that our daughter will be trained in the bucking Equestrian navy, not even KNOWING that she’s the daughter of a Wonderbolt and an Element! Hell, what are the Elements anymore? Remember Discord? We couldn’t work together because WE WEREN’T FRIENDS ANYMORE. Even when the rest of the Elements were friends, I was all Discorded-out so I didn’t want to help save Equestria! A freakin baby dragon was the element of loyalty! How does that even make sense? Last time I checked, a dragon, at least in Equestrian terms, is the most selfish creature to have even roamed this country! I bet that there are dragons just dying for fresh pony blood! I don’t even know where Spike is! He could be halfway across Griffonia by now! And, oh yes, bribing the Griffons to tear down Luna’s castle sounds like a lovely and fair war! Maybe Luna is bribing the dragons! THERE’S NO LOGIC IN THIS BUCKING MESS!”

“Calm down, Dashie!” Soarin’ rolled his eyes. “How many months pregnant are you again?”

“Five.” I said with a huffy sigh. 

“Well I am simply looking forward to six months with this.”

“Ugh, whatever,” I said. “So, let’s go over my logical rampaging: First off, escape. Elements, kids, Spitfire, Fluttershy, and rocks are all out of the question. Second, our daughter. We don’t want her following the stupid laws here, nor do we want her breaking them. My third point. I think dragons shouldn’t be involved with ponies, and Luna and Celestia are dirty, cheating, son-of-a-guns.”

“I am loving your language, Dashie,” Soarin’ said. “When the filly is born though, dial it WAY down a bit please.”

“Should our filly even be born?” I exploded. “Because, like I said, I am LOVING the fact that she will be trained in the bucking EQUESTRIAN NAVY!”

“Wait, what were the methods of escape again?” Soarin’ said over my rambling.

“What? Okay,” I said, confused. “We ruled out Elements, our kids, Spitfire, Fluttershy, and rocks.”

“Rocks… rocks…” Soarin’ said thoughtfully. “Rocks… ROCKS!”

“What are we going to make little dollies for our daughter with them or something stupid like that?”

“No, just give me that big rock by the water dish!” Soarin’ yelled with excitement. I rolled my eyes.

“I am also loving the fact that we’re being treated like bloody dogs!” I grumbled as I walked over. I was still mumbling even with the rock in my mouth. “Great, now I have an Across-the-pond Accent!”

“Goodgoodgood!” Soarin’ said. He took the rock in his mouth. 

“I don’t see the point of this,” I said with tired, narrow eyes. I reminded myself of Horace, the unicorn with Spitfire in the metal room I incinerated. 

Soarin’ ignored me. He jerked his head, with the rock still in his mouth, and slammed the rock against his hoof-cuffs. I watched, my mouth wide open, as the left hoof cuff broke in two. Soarin’ then slammed the rock against the last hoof cuff, slamming again and again and again. It was so loud; I was surprised that the guards weren’t getting suspicious. Come to think of it, why didn’t they have any guards in the catacombs? 

Probably all sent out to war, I thought. 

But finally, Soarin’ broke the right hoof cuff. He stared at me with wild, happy eyes!

“Well that’s better than a rock dolly,” I said. 

Soarin’ stood up on his legs. They wobbled a bit, but soon he was prancing around in circles like a school filly with fancy new ribbons! I just watched as he ran towards me and kissed me on the lips. 

“What was that for?” I said, blushing a little. I was happy that it was dark in the rotting death hole underneath the larger rotting death hole.

“Just for being Dashie! Your rambling saved me!” Soarin’ said happily. He was still prancing around. Normally, I would have made him stop if we were in public, or even at home, but I didn’t really care because we were in the rotting death hole underneath the rotting death hole. 

“So being annoying saved you?” I said. I wondered about that. “Never heard that one before now… anyways, let’s see if that rock can be stronger with two ponies slamming it against hard metal.”

“‘Rocks’ is now officially un-crossed off our list of things that would fail epically when trying to escape.”
Just as I was about to say something, hoof steps came down the old stone staircase leading down here. Soarin’ and I both froze and couldn’t move as the pony came closer.

Way to go. I knew that the slamming-the-rock-against-the-chain thing would attract the attention of SOME pony! I scolded Soarin’ inside my head. Though it was partially my fault.

The pony coming to check on us came into the view of the firelight. He had a shaggy orange and yellow mane and a pure white coat with black battle scars.

“Oh, Sundrops,” I sighed. “I thought we were really in danger!”

“Just be thankful that it was your daughter’s best friend and not a real threat,” Sundrops sighed. He took out a key from the armor he was still wearing. “Hey Soarin’.”

“So?” Soarin’ said, raising his eyebrows three times.

“So… what?” Sundrops said.

“What’s new with the situation,” Soarin’ said teasingly.

“Really, do we have to talk about this in front of her?” Sundrops pointed his eyes at me.

“Whatever you have to say to my husband, you can say in front of me,” I said, pushing closer to Soarin’.

“Well, you see, I like this girl and I really want to ask her out, so I’ve been getting advice from Soarin’ here and-”
I burst out laughing. Sundrops blushed. I tried to cover my mouth, but I was laughing too hard. Soarin’ backed away from me.

“What’s so funny about a stallion liking a mare?” he asked me.

“No, no, it’s not that,” I said. I was still laughing hard. I turned to Sundrops. “You’re really taking advice from Soarin’?”

“Uh, yeah, why?” Sundrops said anxiously.

“The first time he asked me out, we were flying mid air,” I started.

“Oh pony feathers,” Soarin’ muttered.

“And-and,” I had to stop for a minute, I was laughing so hard! “So he asked me if we could go out to lunch at one of the cafes in Ponyville, but right as he said that, he flew into the bell tower! And there was this loud clanging noise, and it was just so hilarious I just had to say yes!”

Soarin’s cheeks were burning red. Sundrops just stared at Soarin’. 

“Dude, really?” Sundrops said.

“Unfortunately, that is true,” Soarin’ said awkwardly. He nudged me with his wing. “And my wife here just can’t go a day without reminding me about it.”

“Oh, my stars, it would’ve been more hilarious if you had been there to see it!” I was still laughing. “OH- oh! You should hear about the time he proposed!” I said. I was laughing so hard I was crying and I needed to calm down a little first. Meanwhile, Soarin’ smacked his hoof into his face and shook his head. “Okayokayokay, so we had been dating for like a year, right? And so and so we were just eating lunch in a café, right? Right? Okay, so then he pulls me out onto the streets and the weather is all cloudy, and so right as he’s about to say ‘will you marry me’, he pulls out the black ring box and then BOOM! It’s raining! The little rose he was going to give me was all soggy and everything, and the little note he wrote got all wet, and it was so funny, but he just knelt down on the ground and said ‘Will you marry me, Rainbow?’ And it was just so romantic despite the rain and everything, and it was just so magical, and I was kind of unsure since we’d only been dating for like a year, right, but then” –I started to get a little emotional- “Soarin’ said ‘You’re the love of my life! I’ve dated many mares before, but when I’m with you I just feel like I’m in the stars!’ and so I started crying and I had to say ‘YES!’ because it was just so romantic-” –I was bawling at this point- “and I just couldn’t say no to him because I felt the same way. Oh, my stars, I’m so sorry!”

I started crying into Soarin’s shoulder. He didn’t look amused. Sundrops was just staring at me.

“She’s five months pregnant,” Soarin’ explained. 

“Oooooooooohhhhhhhhhh,” Sundrops said. “Okay, back to the real problem though.”

I sniffled and regained my composure. “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry about this, because I am just loving the hormones here. Okay, so carry on.”

“So, I want to ask out this mare but I don’t know how,” Sundrops explained. “Oh, and I don’t think there are any bell towers around so I should be fine.”

Soarin’ blushed again and I smirked. 
Soarin’ cleared his throat. “So, you need to get to know the mare first.”

“Done.”

“Okay, so now you just need to find the perfect time! When you think everything is perfect, everything is in place, then BAM! ‘Mare, would you like to go to dinner some time?’”

“But, how do you know that the moment will be right?” Sundrops asked.

Soarin’ just shrugged. “You just know.”

“Okay, now who’s the mare?” I said teasingly.

“Wait, I have one more question!” Sundrops said, blushing. “I don’t know if the mare even likes me. What if she says no?”

“I’m sure she’ll like you,” Soarin’ said reassuringly. “And if she says no, it’s not the end of the world! There are plenty of fish in the sea.”

“Soar-rin!” I nagged. I pushed him hard with my wings. I turned to Sundrops. “Listen, sweetie, there’s always going to be another mare that you will like, and someday you’ll find one who likes you back! Maybe you even know her now,” I hinted.

“Well, okay,” Sundrops smiled. “And if you really must know, I actually know two mares. One I kind of like, and the other one I really do like but I think she thinks that we’re just friends.”

“Oh, okay,” I said. I had figured out who he was talking about just as the conversation began, but now with the second mare, I wasn’t so sure. I hoped he wouldn’t turn into one of those stallions, like Prince Blueblood. Once his two marefriends found out, he was in for a boatload of trouble. Princess Celestia even disinherited him from the Royal fortune and disowned him as part of the royal family! Last time I saw him, he was selling rotten strawberries on the street in Trottingham. 

“I really like the one mare who thinks we’re just friends, but I also kind of like the other mare, but I think that with that mare we should be just friends.”

“I’d go with the mare that you really like,” I said. “But what’s her name!”

“You already know her,” Sundrops said, staring at the ground and shuffling his feet. “Her name is Spectra Harp.”

*   *   *

Spectra Harp moved through the crowd of new recruits. She always hated the training part of the year. The new recruits were so immature. She was just trying to get an apple from the vending machine. She especially hated all the stallions. For just getting an apple, the mess hall had turned into a desperate race to the finish line: the vending machine.

A whistle from her left. Another one from her right. Harp just rolled her eyes and tried to bear it. She hated all these stallions. Hate, hate, HATE! She usually kept her eyes on the ground, as to avoid eye contact, but it appeared that tables were now in the middle of the isle. Harp accidentally bumped into a light brown stallion with a messed up black mane and two silver swords for a cutie mark. He turned around, his face full of anger, but he stopped when he saw her face.

“Hello beautiful,” he said, raising his eyebrows so unskillfully it looked like they were twitching. “Care to sit down with Buffy?”
“Buffy sounds like a filly name,” Harp rolled her eyes and tried to push through.

“You know, I like ‘em feisty,” Buffy laughed stupidly. “And now that you know my name, what’s yours?”

Harp still tried to push through the barrier of Buffy. “Do you know who my mother is?”

“No, but I’d like to meet her someday,” Buffy did the twitchy-eyebrow thing again. “After we, uh, get to know each other a little, eh?”

“Buck off!” Harp shouted. She managed to get past him. She rolled her eyes and hurried through the crowd. She could still hear the horrific whistles of the “attractive” Buffy behind her. 

“Hey, sweetcheeks,” another male voice sounded.

“Oh for the love of wing feathers,” Harp muttered under her breath. She turned around to see a golden stallion with a blue and gray mane. “What?”

“Would you like to go out sometime at one of those fancy Hoofington cafés?” the stallion tried to be attractive. 

“Were you born without a brain or something?” Harp said, her voice like fire. “Because Hoofington was torched just a few days ago.”

“Ooh, you know we like them feisty,” he laughed. He was another eyebrow-twitcher. 

“And I like them keeping their distance,” Harp said.
The arrogant stallion just wouldn’t leave though. Harp actually liked Buffy better than this guy. “Listen, babe, I think that maybe a stroll through the ashes would be romantic.”

“Sorry, but I’m taken,” Harp smiled tightly. She started to turn away.

“So am I, babe,” the stallion smiled. It was dreadfully unattractive. “But who’s counting?”

“Ever heard of a toothbrush, bucking Blueblood?” Harp said as she ran off. Annoying “oh!” sounds came from other stallions around the golden one. 

Harp sighed with relief as she FINALLY reached the vending machine. She took out a few bits from her saddle-pack and pushed them into the machine. She didn’t look as she pressed a random button on the side. It was all the same thing: apples.

“Hey, Harp!” another male voice came from behind her. She sighed a huffy breath.

“I thought I told you arrogant stallions to buck off!” she said, turning around to see someone.

“Well, hello to you too!”

“Oh, sorry Sundrops!” Harp blushed. “I didn’t know it was you, it’s just that all the annoying stallions…”

“I completely understand,” Sundrops scoffed. “Newbies.”

Harp smiled. “Oh, hey, want me to buy you an apple?”
“Sure,” Sundrops laughed. 

The two headed back to the private room in the west wing. It was like a mess hall for apprentices only. Although Sundrops wasn’t allowed in here, most of the seniors didn’t mind because he was such a good part of the navy. 

“I am so glad that we have this place all to ourselves,” Sundrops said before taking a bite of the apple. 

“No kidding!” Harp laughed. “Ugh those new recruits can be such a pain.”

“Oh, yeah,” Sundrops said through a mouthful. “Hey, I was just talking with your mom and Soarin’ down in the dungeons.”

“Oh yeah, how was that?”

“I learned a lot,” Sundrops said. “Particularly that Soarin’ is amazingly clumsy.”

“Oh, yeah, no really?” Harp laughed. Sundrops stared at her with a… look in his eyes. “What?”

“Listen, Harp,” Sundrops said. “Would you maybe like to go out sometime?”

“Oh, sure,” Harp said. She maintained her calmness, but on the inside she was exploding. “Where to?”

“Maybe in Hoofington?” Sundrops said. “Oh wait! Never mind. Spitfire was just there.”

“Unfortunately,” Harp rolled her eyes. “Hey, maybe we can go to dinner someplace nice in Canterlot?”

“Sounds awesome!” Sundrops said. He was just barely containing his excitement. “Does next Thursday sound good?”

“Sure, why not?” Harp shrugged. Just as she said that, a little knock came on the door. “Oh, excuse me.”

Harp opened the door to a rainbow-colored mare. She looked tired and was breathing heavily. Her eyes were full of desperation.

“Mom?” Harp said. She turned to Sundrops, her eyes wide with concern. “I thought you were in jail.”

“I was,” Rainbow said. “But you need to come back.”

“Back where?”

“Where you were really born.”

“And where would that be?”

Rainbow just smiled and turned around. Harp looked past her to see shining crystals in the background. 

“But-why would I need to-”

Harp felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Sundrops there and suddenly he kissed her!

“Wait, is any of this real?” Harp said, breathless.
Suddenly, her vision was replaced with the darkness of her covers. She lifted them off of her face. Her mane was frizzy and her whole body felt tired. She sat up in her bed. 

“Sissy what does buck mean?” a young voice made Harp jump. She turned around to see Raindrop in the bed next to Harp’s. “And what is the Crystal Empire? And why did you say ‘what was that for’? And what’s next Thursday? And why is your mommy in prison?”

“Oh, Raindrop, calm down!” Harp said. “Oh, and a) don’t repeat that. B) It’s a pretty place with a pretty palace. C) Something in the dream. D) She’s not my real mommy. But she’s in prison because she’s loyal.”

“Why is she loyal?” Raindrop asked with wide eyes. Her light purple coat shimmered in the dim light as Harp lit up a lamp. Her mane was pink and dark purple. She realized that Harp was going to tell her a story, one of her favorite things that Harp did for her little sister! “Yay yay story time!”

Harp giggled. “Do you want me to sing the song?”

“Oh yeah!” Raindrop’s filly body bounced on top of the bed! She was grinning nearly a Pinkie Pie smile, which Rainbow had to explain to Harp many times over. 

“Daisies and tulips
All bloom to hear
A story from Harp
So gather near!

Story time’s fun
Story time’s glad!
Raindrop loves it!
There some fun to be had!
Story time! YAY!”

“YAY!” Raindrop shouted! Harp loved writing that song. It was her second talent, rather than her band-aid-and-thermometer cutie mark talent of being a doctor. “What’s the story this time?”

“The Elements of Harmony!” Harp said. She set the lantern on the ground between the two beds. Raindrop held her head in her hooves, her eyes literally full of stars. “Once, long ago, an evil creature ruled Equestria. His name was Discord. But two sister alicorns realized his evilness, and soon turned him to stone. The two regal sisters ruled with equality. The elder rose the sun every day, and the younger rose the moon every night. There was only one other incident of evil recorded. The evil King Sombra had to be defeated as he had taken over the Crystal Empire. He was soon defeated by the two sisters again. But with him, the Crystal empire disappeared! And so Equestria was peaceful for a thousand years. But as time went by, the younger sister grew jealous. The ponies played in her sister’s days, but they ignored and slept through her very pretty nights. As time went by, the younger sister grew more and more reclusive, until she became an evil mare of darkness known as Nightmare Moon!”

“No!” Raindrop shouted, jumping up! 

“Yes!” Harp said. She continued the story Rainbow had told her many times over. “So, Nightmare Moon threatened to shroud Equestria in eternal nighttime! Princess Celestia could only use the Elements of Harmony against her sister. Nightmare Moon was soon banished to the moon. But it was said that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars would aide in her escape! Twilight Sparkle, personal protégé of Celestia herself, saw the signs of her return. She travelled to Ponyville and soon found five other friends. They watched as the Princess got kidnapped by Nightmare Moon! They had to travel into the Everfree to harness the Elements of Harmony and use them to defeat Nightmare Moon once again! Each challenge by the evil mare was overcome. They soon found the Elements and harnessed them, turning them into necklaces using the magic of friendship!”

“That sounds cheesy,” Raindrop said.

“I wouldn’t be so sure on that,” Harp laughed. “Anyways, Nightmare Moon turned back into the loved Princess Luna! And the two ruled again. However, a year later, Discord was reformed! The friendship of the Elements was torn apart, and it was Twilight’s friendship lessons that led them to harness their elements once again to defeat the evil Emperor of Chaos! And then, another year later, Twilight’s brother was getting married to Princess Cadence! Yet only Twilight could see that she was not Cadence! After being banished under Canterlot Castle, Twilight found the real Cadence and together they exploited Queen Chrysalis of the changelings! They were banished from Equestria using the magic of Shining Armor and Cadence’s love, with the help of the Elements! And soon afterwards, Sombra returned to the Crystal empire after it reappeared! Once again, it was up to the Elements to save Equestria from darkness. But it ended up being Cadence and Spike the Dragon who saved the Crystal Heart, the only thing powerful enough to save the Crystal ponies! Equestria was peaceful for many years, despite a few other incidents. But then, disease struck. Celestia went insane and became more of a dictator! War was unleashed on Equestria as sister fought sister using their immense armies. This war is still going on now! The elements were to be transferred by train to Celestia herself, but the train was wrecked by Luna’s forces. The elements, at least the Necklaces, were either destroyed in the crash or stolen afterwards. They lived on in Twilight and her friends. But the friendship was torn apart as two of the elements became destroyed overtime by the war. Maybe the Elements can save us now. But the friendship will have to mend long before that can happen.”

All was silent for a few minutes. Raindrop just stared with awe-stricken eyes at Harp. The little filly was quivering and Harp was a little scared of the reaction she was going to get.

And suddenly the filly burst with excitement, bouncing up and down with a goofy smile plastered on her face! 

“Whoa, oh my gosh, Harp!” Raindrop said as she bounced up and down. “I think you just figured out how to save Equestria!”

“I think you’re right!” Harp said with slow comprehension. A smile spread across her face. “Oh my gosh, you are right! Stay here, because I need to go talk to my mother!”

Harp raced through the dark labyrinth of the crumbling castle. Torches were lit every so often. She raced through the hallways, everything becoming a blur, going so fast that she felt the need to fly. 

Crash!

Into another pony. Harp’s eyes rolled around in her head from dizziness, but she shook her head and helped the stallion up. 

“Harp?” he said.

“Sundrops!” Harp gasped. “Funny how we keep crashing into each other.”

“Listen, Harp, I had this dream, the weirdest dream ever!” Sundrops started.

“Can this wait until tomorrow?” Harp said, looking past the stallion and into the dark hallways.

“Um, sure I guess,” Sundrops said. “Why?”

“Equestria needs saving!” Harp smiled brilliantly and she pushed through Sundrops and into the hallway, leaving the stallion confused and concerned. 

“Kay, tell me how that goes,” he yelled after her in a worried voice. 

Harp sped past torches, flying through the hallways (literally), and she went out into the courtyard. Soon, she found the tower that became the entrance to the dungeons. She raced down the steps and to the very last cell.

“Mom! Soarin’!” Harp said urgently. “WAKE UP!”

“What?” Rainbow’s voice came from the dark corner. The mare stood up and walked to the entrance of the cage. Her eyes were filled with fatigue, but Harp couldn’t wait. “Harp? What are you doing here?”

“I know how to save Equestria!” Harp said in a serious tone, her eyes wide. “I know how to save all of us!”
> Nice to See You Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 6
I stared at my daughter with my wide magenta eyes. She knew how to save us? But there was no possible way!

“Harp, we can’t be saved!” I said hopelessly. “We’ve ruled out everything but rocks, and those weren’t helping us at all!”

I jerked my head towards the several dents in the lock to the cell.

“Eventually, we just gave up!” I said, sighing. “And we fell asleep. We came up with a new plan.”

“Which is?” Harp waited.

I didn’t have the heart to tell her.

“I’m waiting, Mom!”

“You don’t want to know, sweetie,” I sighed. “But I’ll tell you this: we ain’t escaping. We ain’t being rescued. There ain’t no point. So there isn’t a point to life.”

Harp stared at me silently for a few moments. And then, understanding dawned in her eyes. The understanding soon grew to sharp fear.

“But you can’t leave here!” she whispered. “What will I ever do without you?”

“Harp, honey, you got to understand that sometimes this is how ponies work,” I tried hard to explain. “Listen, it may mean that you will be without a mother and a father, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be without us.”

“Wait, Soarin’ is leaving too!” Harp cried. “I don’t have anyone anymore!”

“You have Spectrum!” I argued.

“No, I mean I don’t have someone like you in my life anymore,” Harp whispered. She crashed to the ground, crying like crazy. I tried to reach her a hoof through the cell bars, but she just pushed it away and turned her head.

“What’s going on down here?” a strong female voice yelped. “I was sent here to check on my prisoners. But why do I hear crying this early in the morning?”

Spitfire’s orange coat glistened in the moonlight and her flame-like mane still held its regal styling. Her face had a look of harshness on it. Harp cried and ran into Spitfire’s shoulder. She cried into it and held onto her biological mother.

“What have you done to her?” Spitfire said. Her gaze was ever-slightly softened. “What the hell did you tell her?”

“I said-” –breathing a weary sigh- “That I was going to kill myself.”

Spitfire’s eyes were now blazing with fury. “Why do you think that a young mare would like to hear that? Especially the mare who looks up to you like her own mother?”

“Because she said that she knew how to save Equestria,” I said, my eyes faltering. I looked to the ground. “I told her it was a lost cause. It was all a lost cause. Which is why I’m going to kill myself. Because it’s all worth nothing.”

“What about your unborn foal?” Spitfire said suspiciously.

“Why would any mother want her unborn child to be taken away and trained for the bucking Equestrian navy? IT’S THE BUCKING EQUESTRIAN NAVY.”

“Because there is a point!” Spitfire said. “Fighting against Luna!”

“And what is Princess Luna doing that is so wrong?” I whispered. “Have you ever thought that you’re losing because you weren’t supposed to fight?”

Spitfire just patted Harp’s back. “And have you ever thought that maybe obeying orders before now was never an option? You don’t know who I am, Rainbow Dash. And you won’t know exactly why we’re losing.”

“What,” I said, my eyes screaming bloody murder. “Are we losing because of you? You’re working for Luna? You’re troops don’t have the brainpower to wrap their minds around a simple battle tactic?”

“You don’t know me, Rainbow Dash,” Spitfire said with eyes colder than the Arctic North. “And you don’t know why my husband died. You don’t know who. No one does. No one except me. Because I was there. And you weren’t. So DON’T tell me what I am. And don’t tell me what I’m not.”

I stayed silent at Spitfire’s words. They hit me harder than a thousand bricks. I was speechless. I couldn’t open my mouth. I could just stare at Spitfire with cold eyes.

“Oh,” Spitfire said as she walked away with Harp still crying into her shoulder. “There’s someone here to see you. Again.”

What, did they upgrade to POISON darts now?

As Spitfire clip-clopped up the stairs, more hoof steps echoed down the staircase.

“Rainbow Dash, I need to talk to you!” the harsh, hoarse voice sounded. It was hushed, but severe. “It’s more than important.”

“Fine then, talk,” I said, trying to look through the shadows to see who it was. “But first I need to see you?”

The pony coughed and hesitated a little, but soon stepped out of the shadows.

My eyes widened so much I felt like they would pop out of my skull!

The pony before me had a matted pink mane. Her pale yellow skin looked sickly and her bones were showing through it. Her eyes were the same blue they had always been, but they were tired and concerned. Her stomach was bulging a little. Too little that I hardly noticed. Her voice was harsh for many years, but now it was weak and failing.

“Did you get hit by a bus or something?” I yelled at the mare. She stared at me with the huge, round, blue eyes. They were bulging out of their sockets because the skin was so tight. “Fluttershy, what happened?”

“I need to talk!” she said in that scratchy, sick voice. She flew over to me, but it wasn’t flying. It was more of uncoordinated wing flaps lifting her wobbly body into the air and over to me. “I need to talk to you!”

“I’m listening.”

“I’m like you, I’m like you,” the sick version of Fluttershy said, her very presence screaming death. “And the war, and the war, it hit me too. What’s happened to us? WHAT’S HAPPENED?”

The screaming, hoarse, sick voice pierced my eardrums and scarred them like battle wounds. This mare used to be shy and kind. Then she was harsh and mean. Now she was sick and frail? Hell, what this pony had been through. It was worse than what any of us had experienced throughout this war combined!

“What do you mean, ‘you’re like me’?” I said, staring Fluttershy down.

“Hoops… I went to see Hoops!” Fluttershy screamed. My eyes widened even more. Hoops was Fluttershy’s husband. They were married just before Flutters was drafted.

“But, you two haven’t talked in months, maybe even years!” I protested.

“No,” Fluttershy shook her head and coughed violently. “Before we were on top of that mountain… a few months before. I saw Hoops. I saw Hoops.”

“Oh,” I said, understanding now. “So wait, you’re like me… like that?”

“Two months,” Fluttershy coughed again. “Two months.”

“Holy HORSEAPPLES, pony!” I nearly screamed at the sick thing. “Where the buck have you been all that time?”

“Lighting fires, lighting fires,” Fluttershy’s legs wobbled underneath her. “And flying north, and flying. Didn’t know until Doctor… didn’t know until the Doctor in Hoofington.”

“Oh my stars,” I whispered. I stared at the ground for a few moments. Silently thinking. Maybe she laughed at me. Maybe she used to hate me. But I would still be loyal to her. But her being pregnant changed everything. It made me have even more reason to fight. I suddenly came to realize something. I jerked my head forward, towards Fluttershy. “Then what the buck are you doing here, pony? Are you out of your mind?”

“I’m out of life,” Fluttershy said. Her body curled up into a tight ball and she coughed up blood onto the dark cement floor. “Out of… life.”

“Then why aren’t you seeing a doctor?” I protested. “Are you out of your bucking mind?”

“Not just me, to see you,” Fluttershy said through her violent coughing. “But had to be quick and silent… Con Mane-style for them.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Shy,” I stammered. “And what’s with the movie reference?”

“Wait a second,” Fluttershy uncurled herself. She was limping now and her whole, unhealthy, sick, skinny body was shaking like a tree in a hurricane.

She did the fluttering thing with her wings again and she fell at the beginning of the stairs. She let out a hoarse, scratchy whistle.

I rolled my eyes and turned back around into the cell. I was lying with Soarin’, sleeping together like we used to months before now.

Little hoof steps. Bigger hoof steps. More coughing. Violent coughing. Deflated balloons. I stood on the edge of my seat, my curiosity demanding my eyes to see further.

Then they were there. Six of them. They were a little different from the last time I’d seen them. More tired. More scared. But they were there. I had to smile and cry at the same time. They were there for me. To see me. To be with me.

“Twi? Pinkie? AJ? Rare?” I whispered. “Sweetie? Apple Bloom?”

“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said. She was in a similar condition to Fluttershy. Except, of course, she was not pregnant. “It’s good to finally see you.”

Pinkie’s eyes lit up at the sight of me. I reached my hoof through the cage to see her. Applejack smiled at me warmly with eyes that looked like they were going to cry. Twilight was just smiling. A tired, sad smile. But a smile nonetheless.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom huddled close to each other. They smiled at me through their bright eyes.

“I thought you didn’t want to talk to me,” I whispered, retracting my hoof back into the cage. “Not after what I did to your home.”

“What’s friendship without loyalty?” Twilight said, her voice breaking as she started to cry.

Her horn glowed and the lock on my cage broke. “Elements of Harmony” was now uncrossed off of the list.

I raced out of the cage and dived into a tight hug with my friends. We all hugged each other, crying, smiling, and laughing all at the same time. It felt so good to see them. To hear their voices as they laughed with me. I eventually drew out of my tight hug. I sat down and smiled warmly at my friends. I was crying so hard, yet I was silent. I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Soarin’ smiling at me. I pulled him into a tight hug as well. And then he kissed me again. My friends smiled as they watched. Even Pinkie had a husband now, but everyone except Flutters (apparently) didn’t know where they were. Now we were all just sitting in a circle on the rustic floor of the dungeons. Soarin’ had his foreleg around my shoulders. He smiled at the rest of the Elements. I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I had to tell them everything. Everything after the fire.

“I almost turned you in,” I sniffled. My friends faces fell as their laughter stopped at my words. “So Soarin’ and I could be free.”

“But she didn’t,” Soarin’ said, still smiling. I turned my head to him, confusion in my eyes. Soarin’s eyes were troubled, but he smiled at everyone else nonetheless. “She didn’t want to betray you again. And she didn’t want the Cutie Mark Adventurers to be without big sisters. Scootaloo already lost hers.”

“Crusaders,” I corrected him with a laugh. “Hey wait a second where is Scoots?”

My friend’s faces turned from saddened to nervous. Applejack’s ears flattened and she closed her eyes. Twilight stared at the ground. Pinkie’s eyes shifted from me to the ground, finally staying on the ground. Rarity stared at me sadly. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stared at me, huddling close, with quavering sad eyes.

“Well?”

“Ah don’t know how ta say this, but yer sister…” Applejack spoke the truth. “She ain’t with us.”

“She DIED!” I exploded, jumping up, my eyes burning with fire-fiery.

“No no no!” Twilight said. She stood up too, but in a more calmly fashion. “It’s just… I don’t really know how to explain this…”

Twilight at a loss of words? Now I knew it was serious.

“What Twi is trying to say, darling,” Rarity spoke up. “Is that your sister… well… she sort of … disappeared.”

“She was with us in the forest,” Pinkie pitched in. “And we were just walking, just a few hours after we came to the entrance to the castle. We heard this strange BOOM! And all of the sudden there SHE was! RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!”

“Where who was?” I whispered, having a very good idea who “she” was.

“Princess Celestia,” Twilight said, putting a hoof on my shoulder. “She has your sister.”

“That bucking son of a-”

“Hold it, hold it!” Soarin’ said. If this were any more surreal he would have a lightbulb over his head. “I think I know what to do. That is, if you don’t mind taking a risk.”

All of the elements smiled. It’s time for another adventure.