Rainbow Dash doesn't know where she is. It looks like home, but sure doesn't feel like it. How will she survive?
Hey, I'm Rainbow Dash. You probably know me, right? What am I saying, of course you do. Best flyer in Equestria, and all that.
Well, the thing is, I'm kind of in trouble. You probably heard about my friend Twilight becoming a princess, right? Well, she cast this crazy spell and now I don't know where I am. I mean, it looks like Ponyville, but I know it isn't. It doesn't feel right. Ponies are paranoid, and the guards are everywhere.
Worst of all, though, everypony seems to run in fear at the mention of Twilight Sparkle.
It's something only a pegasus can experience, really. Sure, unicorns can cast a cloud-walking spell with their fancy pants magic, but they'll never know the same soft, fluffy feeling beneath their hooves. Something so sturdy it can hold our weight, yet soft enough to be manipulated easily.
I suppose this is why I made my bed out of clouds. No, scratch that, my entire house out of clouds.
It's early in the morning, which, as everypony knows, it definitely not my time of day. Thankfully, there's no weather clearing duties this morning, so I'm free to sleep in. And sleep in I will. Probably until about three o'clock.
Unfortunately, fate would have it that I'm not that lucky. A sharp knock on the door wakes me. I perk my ears up, annoyed at the disturbance. Who in the wide world of Equestria would want to disturb me at this hour? Still, I couldn't just ignore whoever was out there, as much as I wanted to, so I pull myself up and out of bed, yawning and giving my wings a stretch as I make my way towards the front door.
I pull it open to reveal a cheerful looking stallion. The mail-stallion, to be precise. "Good morning, Rainbow Dash!" he exclaims in his unnervingly happy tone. "I have a letter for you!"
Really? The mail-stallion has a letter? I would never have guessed. "Thanks," I mutter, trying my best to smile back at him despite my tiredness. I close the door, as he nods and flies away, and pop the letter down on a table. I briefly consider going back to bed, but I figure it isn't worth it since I was already up and about. I can always have a nap later, anyway.
The letter can wait for now, though. The first order of business is coffee. I don't think I could ever get up properly in the morning without one. I hover into the kitchen and switch on the machine, yawning again as it starts to whir loudly. Is it just me, or does that thing get louder every time I use it? I have had it for years, so I probably need a new one. I add the thought to a mental checklist of things to do as I grab some milk from the fridge. I make the coffee and, in my haste to feel fresh and woken up, nearly down the whole mug of scalding hot liquid down my throat. Luckily, I don't. That would've hurt. A lot.
My coffee in one hoof, I hover out onto my balcony. From here I can see all of Ponyville, and it sure is a sight to behold. Sure, Cloudsdale is where I was born, and where my mom and dad live, so it'll always have a special place in my heart, but Ponyville is the only place I can truly call home. It's where all of my friends are, the ones I love the most.
Well, it's where most of my friends are, anyway.
My thoughts drift towards Twilight Sparkle, the newly crowned Princess of Friendship. Back when I first met her, I just thought she was yet another Canterlot egghead, but she turned out to be one of my best friends. Now she's back in Canterlot, dealing with all the political mumbo jumbo that comes with being a princess. She says she's coming back to live in Ponyville, but with all the stuff she has to deal with, Celestial knows how long that'll be. Still, I'll have a new flying partner when she does. That's going to be awesome!
I stare out at the town for quite a while, just thinking about stuff. The past, mostly, as well as what lies ahead. Then I realise my coffee's getting cold. I down the rest of the mug and decide it's time to get down to today's business. First off, that letter. I trot back into the lounge and pick it up, examining the envelope. It was sealed with the official royal seal, like when Spike receives letters from the princess. Maybe it's from Twilight? I rip it open to find out.
I smile widely and my morning gets a whole lot better as I find out I'm right. Of course I skipped ahead to see who had written it, but now I was actually going to read the thing.
My dearest friends,
I'm sorry that I could not return to Ponyville sooner, but the political implications of being a new princess are a lot to deal with. That, and I now have access to the archives and knowledge in Canterlot that I couldn't before. On that note, I want you all to visit. I've discovered a very exciting spell, with endless possibilities, and I'd like you to see it.
Your friend, Twilight Sparkle.
I put the letter down again, still smiling. Truth be told, I really don't like going to Canterlot that much. All of the snobby ponies get on my nerves. But this was to catch up with my friend, so of course I was going to be on the first ride there.
"You hear that, Tank?" I call out to my pet turtle- uh, I mean, tortoise, who has just entered the room. "I'm off to Canterlot!"
My heart drops a little as I see his face droop. Slowly. Feeling sorry for him, I fly over and scoop him up in the cuddle. "Aw, don't worry little guy, I'll be back before you know it." He rubs his cheek against mine. You better not tell anypony about this, dang it. "Besides, Scoots will look after you while I'm gone." He smiles slightly, looking up at me.
“Come on,” I say, scooping him up. “Let’s get you over there right now.” If I’m not mistaken, the other girls will have the same mindset as me. Heck, I’m not even going to bother packing. Still smiling, I pick up Tank and fly over to where I keep his flying harness. I slip it on for him and lead him out if the house, gliding down into the town below.
***
Of all the places she could have arranged to meet us, I should have known it would have been the castle's library. Twilight may be a princess now, but some things never change.
I roll my eyes but nonetheless smile and hug my friend as I see her again. Geez, it's been way too long. She's not wearing any of her fancy jewellery like she was at the coronation, unlike the other princesses. I guess she doesn't like to make it appear as though she's better than anypony else. Yep, it's definitely still the Twilight I know and love.
The rest of our friends are here as well, all saying hello. We catch up for a while, talking about the little things in our day-to-day lives, before Rarity decides to break the ice.
"So, Twilight dear, what is this exciting spell you were telling us about?" she asks. "The one you were talking about in the letter?"
Twilight's face lights up like a Hearth's Warming tree. "Oh, of course!" The magic in her horn ignites and a dusty old book comes floating over. "Now, the information in this book is technically classified, but Princess Celestia said I can show you girls, so long as you promise never to tell anypony else. Can you do that?"
We all nod eagerly, crossing our hooves across our chests. I don't really get why everything is all secretive, but it's important to the princesses and my friend, and I'm not about to break a promise.
Twilight smiles again and lifts the cover of the book with her magic. "Tell me, girls. What's the first thing that comes to your mind when I say 'parallel universes'?"
Well, that was a weird question.
The five of us look at each other, and then back to her. I don’t think any of us are sure what to say at this point. We stutter for a few seconds, trying to come up with an answer, before Applejack speaks.
“Uh, what are ya gettin’ at here, sugarcube?” She tips back her hat. “Seems like a mighty strange question to be askin’.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, but her brief disappointment was soon overcome with her obvious excitement and enthusiasm. She trots over to a nearby table and opens the book to a bookmarked page, motioning for us to gather round. We surround the table as she starts to explain.
"You've all heard the theories, right?” she starts. “Every single decision that gets made creates a parallel universe, opposite to the choice that you made in this one.” She turns to me suddenly. “Dash, what did you have for breakfast yesterday?”
It takes me a few seconds to process the sudden question. “Uh... just some toast.”
“Then a parallel universe was created the moment you made the decision to eat toast.” She tells us quickly, her excitement obvious in her speech.
“So, what you’re saying is, in a parallel universe, I ate cereal instead or something?”
Twilight nods happily. “Exactly!” She picks up the book again and shows it to us. “The thing is, this spell will allow us to see these parallel universes!” Confused, but curious, I look closer at the page. It’s old, and the text is faded, but I can still make out what it says. There’s a picture of a unicorn, looking into some sort of bright light. The text is written in some old form of language that I can’t quite understand, but I got gist of it. Using the spell, you could look into a parallel universe, but, from the looks of it, you couldn't choose which one.
“Imagine the possibilities of this!” Twilight takes the book back and looks at it again.
“Sounds a might interestin’, Twi,” Applejack says, “But what would you use this spell for?”
“Anything!” she exclaims. “Come on, this is exciting, isn’t it?”
The rest of us look at each other for a second, before smiling and nodding. Twilight always got excited over this kind of stuff, it was hard not to find it adorable, in a way. Still, the whole thing could be kinda interesting, so we decided to press on.
“Of course it is, Twilight,” Rarity reassures her. “Why don’t you give us a demonstration?”
Twilight takes a deep breath, and smiles. “Okay, why not?” She looks back at the book, double-checking every step and procedure, before stepping away from the table. “Ready, girls?”
I grin and nod alongside the rest of our friends. Twilight’s horn starts to glow, lighting up the whole room in a bright purple glow. Wow, this is going to be awesome! Twilight warns us to step back, which we do. The light is even brighter now, and I think I can make out some sort of portal, or window, growing from Twilight’s horn. Squinting through the increasingly bright light, I see what looks like another version of Ponyville, but I can’t see much.
There’s a loud crack, like a clap of thunder, and I immediately realise that something’s wrong. Twilight cries out, and I look over to see her panicking. Maybe the spell went wrong, or she can’t handle it. Either way, I try to gallop over and help her out. Big mistake. She calls out to me, but before I can register it, I’m caught in some sort of invisible force field. What do I do? I’m utterly helpless as I’m dragged towards Twilight, or rather, the portal her horn is creating. Aw, buck it! My friends cry out as I’m flung through the portal, and I black out.
***
“Hey, are you alright?”
Uh, what the hay just happened? I feel as though I’ve been bucked in the head by Applejack. By Celestia, I hate headaches.
I open up my eyes to see a small pegasus colt standing over me. Isn’t that Rumble, Thunderlane’s little brother? Either way, I was in too much pain to really care. I sit up, and look at him. “Hey Rumble,” I manage to mutter. “What’s going on?”
“Not much, RD,” he replies. “I was playing in the park when I saw you sleeping, and I wanted to see if you were okay.”
I manage to stand up and stretch, sighing with relief as my bones crack into place. “Thanks, kid.”
“You know, I haven’t seen you around in a while, Rainbow Dash,” he says, still looking up at me. “Where have you been?”
Huh? I remember seeing him a couple of days ago, when I bumped into his brother. I tell him this, and he looks at me like I've just grown a horn.
“What are you talking about? Me and my brother didn't go out on Tuesday.”
Oh yeah, of course. Alternate universe or whatever. Just great. I apologise and give him the excuse that I wasn't thinking straight before trotting towards the exit of the park. Ponyville looks pretty much the same as I remember. Sugarcube Corner’s still there, and I can still hear the Cake twins wailing inside. I look up at the sky and see my house, still floating there. I notice a tavern out of the corner of my eye, and suddenly realise that I’m really thirsty, so I make my way towards it. The only thing that seems out of the ordinary is that there are quite a few squads of Royal Guards lingering around, but I chalk it down to some sort of incident that happened recently.
The distinct smell of apple cider hits me as soon as I step inside the place. It’s pretty dark, with only a few lamps giving light to the place. Not many ponies are in here either, with only a few lowly stallions drinking in the darker corners of the room. I decide to ignore them as they stare at me and instead trot over to the bar, eager for something to drink.
“Morning, miss,” the bartender says as I hop onto a barstool. “What can I get you?”
“A cider, thanks,” I mumble, wondering what I’m going to do next.
“Hard cider?” he asks, cleaning out a shot glass.
“No, thanks,” I tell him, idly staring off into space.
He chuckles. “Saving it for later, huh? Alright then. That’ll be three bits.”
I reach into my saddlebags, which somehow survived the journey, and toss the money onto the counter. He smiles creepily, and turns around to pour my drink. I stare at my hooves, wondering how I’m going to get out of whatever mess I've gotten myself into. I hope that I can just find this universe’s version of Twilight to send me back, but then I think. What if, in this universe, Twilight isn't a princess anymore? What if I never met Twilight at all?
The glass sides towards me and I catch it almost instantly, lifting the glass to my mouth and taking a swig. I relish the sweetness of it as it rolls down my tongue. Heck, I didn't know I was this thirsty. Still, it's a welcome relief, and it'll give me time to plan on what I'm going to do next.
"There she is," I hear a gruff voice whisper from across the room. My ears perk up, and I put my glass down, ready for action. I'm the only mare in here, so he must be talking about me. What would he want with me anyway?
I turn around to see a group of Royal Guards standing by the door. "You there!" the leader shouts. "Stop! You're under arrest!"
Under arrest?! "What? Why?" I splutter, thinking there must be some sort of mistake. The guards keep moving towards me, surrounding me on all sides.
"Don't play dumb with me!" the leader barks, grabbing me suddenly. "We know what you did!"
What the hay is going on? The rest of the guards form a tight circle around me as the rest of the ponies in the bar look on in fear. I try to struggle, but he just shoves a hoof into my back and forces me forward. Darn it, that hurt! I turn to look up at him.
"Wait a sec. Can't we just talk about this?"
The leader chuckles darkly. "Not a chance. It'll be the gallows for you, traitor."
Oh boy. That's not good. I need to get out of here, right now.
Another one of the guards turns to look at his boss. "These rebels are just dropping like flies, huh captain?" He sounds young, barely old enough to be out of high school.
"Keep your mouth shut and don't speak out of turn!" the captain reprimands harshly, before adding, "You're right though. Damn stupid is what they all are."
That's it, I've had enough. I've got to stand up to this.
The leader seems taken off guard when I slam the back of my head right into his face. He staggers back, clutching his snout, and a see a chance to strike. I leap into the air, forcing my hindlegs as hard as I can into his chest. The powerful kick connects, and the guard is flung back onto a table, which smashes under his weight. The force of the kick pushes me back onto the floor, and I'm forced to scramble away quickly before one of them jams his spear into me.
Another one leaps towards me quickly, but I react quicker. I turn and kick him back, before picking up a nearby stool and throwing it at him. It smashes across his face, knocking him out cold. Even in the midst of the fight, I start to think. How in the world do I know how to do this? I've never been trained to fight before, not like this! The most I've dealt with is a few scraps with bullies back at Summer Flight Camp. Whatever it is, whatever's going on, it has me worried.
There's only three guards left now, and one is still trying to pry his spear lose from the floor after he tried to stab me. I jump at the opportunity, yanking the spear from him and smacking him across the face with it. He sprawls across the ground, but I stomp his face in before he can react. Right, two to go.
In a fit of rage, one of them starts to charge at me with his spear. I'm ready for it, so I sidestep and grab him, throwing him to the floor. He rolls into his friend, also knocking him to the ground. Acting quickly, I stomp my hoof into one of their heads, before swiftly bucking the other one to sleep just before he struggles to his hooves.
And, just like that, it's over.
The tavern is silent for a few seconds, with the only sounds heard being my ragged breathing, and the quiet whimpers of the other stallions in the bar. Slowly, I manage to look away from the unconscious bodes lying across the floor and up at the bartender, who's staring at me with a mixture of what I can only assume is fear and admiration.
"You okay?" I ask.
"I'm fine, just a little shaken up." He peeks over the bar to take a look at the guards. "Thanks for teaching them a lesson. Those louts never paid anyway." Both of our ears perk up as we hear shouting in the distance. Oh no, what have I done? What am I going to do?
"You better get out of here fast, Dash," he says. Wait, how does he know my name? I look up at him quizzically. "I figured it was you," he answers my unspoken question. "No other mare in town fights like that. Anyway, get galloping girl. And say hi to Applejack for me!"
I heed his warning, and sprint towards the door and out into the open air. The shouts are getting louder. I need a place to hide, and fast. I'm confused as to why he mentioned Applejack, but right now my mind doesn't have time to wonder. It's probably just something to do with this whole 'alternate universe' thing anyway.
A million things rush through my head, all at once. What’s going on? How could I fight like that? Why did the guards want to arrest, no, execute me? I’m confused, and, with no other option, I run, not even bothering to look back as ponies look on, both out of curiosity and fear.
I take to the air, flapping my wings and lifting off away from the ground. I need time to figure things out, and, hopefully, the guards won’t think to search the clouds above for me. I climb, higher and higher, until I reach a small, comfortable-looking cloud that gives me a good view of the entire town below me. My breathing is short, and panicked. What am I supposed to do? What would the princesses have against me, if they sent guards after me? Maybe there’s another version of me in this universe. The thought itself makes my head spin.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a bunch of white specks in the town below. More guards, no doubt. They’re probably searching the town for me. Just what did the alternate me do to get on their bad side this much? I back away from the edge of the cloud and sink down, afraid that one of them might spot me. It’s not like I’m hard to miss, after all.
This is a huge mess I've gotten myself into. It certainly isn't how I pictured my day going when I got out of bed this morning. Send to some sort of alternate universe. Heck, that would make some story. Now all I need to do is find a way home, so I might get the chance to tell it. I groan and bury my face into my hooves. Twilight would know what to do. She'd probably have a spell or something that could send us home in a jiffy. As much as I love being a pegasus, I can't help but envy how useful it must be to have the magical powers of a unicorn.
An idea sparks in my mind. Maybe Twilight can help me after all. Maybe she's back in the library, reading a book or something like the good old days, before the whole princess thing. It's as good an idea as any, but I need to be careful. The guards will still be looking for me after the damage I dealt to their friends, no doubt. I peek over the side of the cloud, making sure the coast is clear, before dropping silently towards the library.
I land softly, hurrying over to the front door. I try to spy in through the front window, but I can't see anypony, not even Spike or Owlowiscious. The room looks empty. Strange. I take a deep breath, and push the wooden door open.
There's nopony in the front room, which is strange. Twilight's usually in here, sorting books most of the time. Concerned, I call out. "Hello? Anypony home?"
"Coming!" sings an unfamiliar voice from the next room. Seconds after, an old mare comes trotting in, a warm smile on her face. "Hello, dearie. What can I do for you?"
Who is this mare? I've never seen her before in my life. "Who are you?" I ask. "What are you doing here?"
"Why, running the library like always, of course!" she answers, still smiling. "Most ponies just call me Page, dear."
"What do you mean, run the library?" This is getting frustrating. Everything I know is getting turned on its head. "What happened to Twilight?"
"Twilight?" She looks at me as if I'm a little filly. It's annoying, no doubt about it. "Why, I don't know a Twilight, dear. Are you sure you're not talking about the princess?" She pauses for a second, furrowing her brow. "Or, was it queen? I can never remember..."
So Twilight is a princess here! Without another word, I turn and exit the library quickly, flying back up to the cloud that I came from. If Twi's a princess still, then she's undoubtedly in Canterlot. Now I just need to figure out how to get there. I could fly, but it would take too long, and I wouldn't get there before nightfall.
I sit up on the cloud for at least another ten minutes, going through the same things over and over in my mind. Everything that’s happened in the last hour or so has sent me into a state of shock, and now I can’t figure out what to do. But then I realize the answer, something that’s been staring me in the face the whole time I’ve been up here.
“Sweet Apple Acres,” I murmur to myself, having been sitting above Applejack’s farm the whole time. If there’s anypony I can depend on the most, it’s Applejack. Sure, we have our scraps every now and again, but even then, she’s one of the best friends a pony could wish for. She’d know what to do, or how to help me out, for sure.
I spread my wings, giving them a good stretch as always, and leap from the cloud. The guards seem to have given up their search, since I can’t see any of them around any more. The ground below rushes to greet me, getting closer and closer. Still, I fall, enjoying the sensation; the wind blowing through my ears. At the last second, I snap my wings open, pulling up sharply towards the farm, mere yards away. I drop onto the ground, digging my hooves into the soil as I slow down sharply. Still anxious of anypony else watching, I hurry and knock quickly on the door.
“Come on, come on!” I mutter to myself impatiently at the lack of response. After what seems like forever, the door to farmhouse swings open, revealing my friend, a worried expression on my face.
“AJ!” I begin, but don’t get a chance to continue as she pulls me inside quickly, locking the door shut behind her.
“There ya are, RD!” she exclaims, breathing what looks like a sigh of relief. “Where in the heck have you been? Why, I reckon half the guards in all of Equestria are out looking for you right now! What did you do?”
“How am I supposed to know?” I ask back. “Since when were there guards stationed in Ponyville anyway?”
“Since Queen Twilight ordered them to, don’t ya remember?” she says, looking back at me strangely. “You know, after she...” She trails off, looking away.
“Queen?” Alright, now I’m lost. Did Applejack get bucked in the head or something? “AJ, last time I checked, Twilight’s a princess. Don’t you remember? We were at her coronation and everything!”
My friend turns around sharply and glares at me. “This ain’t no time to be making jokes, Dash!” she hisses. “Especially not about her!”
“AJ, I’m not joking!” I raise my voice slightly, hoping to get some answers. “Last time I checked, Twilight Sparkle, my friend, was a princess, and that was before this whole ‘alternate reality’ stuff!”
Applejack continues to glare at me, but her expression changes to that of curiosity once I finish. “Wait just a darned minute. What do you mean, alternate reality?”
I sigh, and look away. “AJ, this is gonna sound crazy, but I’m probably not the same Rainbow Dash you know.”
She narrows her eyes. “What do ya mean? Are y’all some sorta spy, or something, is that it?”
I look back up at her, and shake my head in silence. I’m in a corner right now, and the only way I’m ever going to get out of it is if I tell her the truth, no matter how insane and crazy it might sound. So I do. I tell her everything. She’s sceptical at first, but then again, who wouldn’t be. I’m glad that, even in this crazy, strange version of Equestria, Applejack and I are good friends. She listens as I explain the spell, the tavern, and the rest. When I finish, she sits there for a few seconds in silence.
"Why should I believe any of that?" she tells me. "Seems like you've been knocked on the head, Dash."
"Because we're friends, and I wouldn't lie to you," I reason, before adding, "and we both know I've taken more than enough hits in the head to have been crazy years ago, so it's not like I'm suddenly gonna start now."
That makes her chuckle, and I smile. "You're serious, ain't ya?" she asks.
I nod, and she shakes her head for a few seconds.
“Didn't even think that kinda magic was possible,” she says finally. “Ain’t that something?”
“So you understand?” I ask.
“Not in the slightest,” she admits. “But I know you, Dash, and I know when somepony’s tellin’ the truth, no matter how crazy it is.”
I chuckle slightly, smiling at her. She smiles back, but it looks pained, and forced. “Now it’s your turn,” I tell her. “Please, tell me what’s going on.”
She nods and leads me into the kitchen, gesturing for me to take a seat. “Well, while you and Twilight were becoming the best of friends in, well, wherever you’re from,” she starts, “things were different here. Twilight Sparkle never came to Ponyville. Nightmare Moon never returned.” I listen intently, wondering what she could have done to earn the fear of ponies everywhere.
“A few months ago,” AJ continues, “she murders Princess Celestia, her own darn mentor. Now don’t ask why, ‘cause I don’t know. I don’t think anypony does. But somehow, she managed to get the entire royal guard to serve her. Something’s fishy about that, but I can’t figure it out.”
“Murdered?” Now that couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t. Twilight would never do that.
“She ain’t the same Twilight you know!” Applejack snaps suddenly. “So don’t get all sympathetic or try to defend her. I don’t care what kinda pony she was before, now she’s a darn tyrant.”
I gulp and shrink back in my seat. “AJ... what happened after? After she assumed power?”
She sighs and looks away. I noticed a tear begin to well in her eye. “Somepony had to stop her. It couldn’t go on. So me and my big brother, we started a group. A rebellion, I guess you could call it. You joined up too, but I guess that was a different you.”
I noticed that Big Macintosh was absent. I dread to ask, but I need to know. “What... what happened to Big Mac, Applejack?”
“He went to Canterlot,” she explains. “Said it needed to be stopped as soon as possible. But one pony wasn’t a match for a whole army, even a pony like my brother.”
She pauses for second, taking a breath. The tears are obvious now, as is the answer to my question, but still she continues. “He went there alone, and they killed him. Even dumped his body in the street. ‘A message to the rebels’, she said.” Applejack looks up at me, and I notice a certain fire in her eyes. “But we ain’t stopping, you hear me?”
I nod, but I start to think. Twilight may be the last hope I have of getting home, if what Applejack says is true and Princess Celestia is dead. How the heck am I supposed to convince her to transport me back if she’s corrupted like this? “AJ,” I say, looking back to her. “We- I’ve killed, haven’t I? Here, in this world?”
She nods. “We all have. That’s how you knew to fight so well back at the tavern. I trained ya. I always knew how, just hoped that I never needed to put them to use. Apple Family tradition.” She stands up. “Come on, I’ve got something to show you.”
“What is it?” I wonder, following her as she trots out of the room and to a painting hanging underneath the staircase.
"I guess you could say it's where the magic happens," she explains cryptically, tilting the painting to the side slightly. The wall beneath staircase slides backwards and to the side, revealing a secret cellar hidden away from unsuspecting visitors. Since when was this here? I've been to Sweet Apple Acres countless times since I met Applejack years ago, and not once have I noticed something like this. She walks inside and beckons me in, so I follow.
The hidden room is massive. The first thing I see is the large variety of cloaks and hoods adorning several mannequins near the back wall. All made by Rarity, by the looks of it. I'm no fashion expert, but I know her work when I see it. The centre of the room is completely open, with no furniture. No doubt for the training that AJ mentioned. As we reach the bottom of the staircase, I see a decidedly more grim sight. Adjacent to the outfits is a large rack of weapons; knives, swords, spears, and much more. I didn’t want to believe it, but it seemed like killing was a harsh reality here that I was going to have to get used to. The thought made me feel queasy, but I ignored the feeling.
“This probably ain’t the same in your ‘alternate reality’, Dash,” Applejack speaks up, diverting my attention away from inspecting the room. “But here, the Apples were always more than just farmers. Back long ago, before even Granny Smith was born, we were part of an influential group.”
“A group dedicated to killing ponies, by the looks of it,” I reply, not bothering to hide the discontent in my voice.
“Only those who deserve it,” she counters.
“No one ever deserves to die, AJ,” I scorn. “There’s always another way.”
“You sure? Because I don’t think the almighty queen would agree with ya.” Her sarcasm is bitter, but she makes a point. “My ancestors were Assassins; they’d kill ponies who abused power, the ones that made everyone else’s lives miserable. We kept the tradition in the family going, even after we were no longer needed. Training, all that kind of stuff. Looks like things have changed now though, right?”
“So that’s how you trained everyone to fight?” It’s all starting to make sense now. Well, as much sense as possible right now, anyway.
“That’s right. Got a whole bunch of ponies to join up. They all got something against the queen, so they were more than eager.”
A full-fledged rebellion, huh? I had to admit, no matter what, Applejack was a great leader. But something didn’t add up. “AJ?” I speak up.
“Yeah?” She turns around from the outfit she was inspecting and looks at me.
“What did I do?” She gives me a quizzical look. “I mean, back at the tavern, one of the guards said ‘we know what you did’. What did he mean?”
Applejack stares blankly at me for a few seconds, but snaps out of it. “A few days ago, you went to Canterlot yourself. Tried to steal the queen’s crown. We think it’s what gives her all the power, ya see. Thing is, you didn’t succeed. Heck, you barely made it out with your life.”
“Her crown?” What kind of crown could give a pony more magical power? Then it dawns on me. Her Element of Harmony, the tiara. Could it be? I thought they didn’t work unless linked with the others. It didn’t make sense.
“Hey.” Applejack calls out to me, and I look up at her. She’s standing above a box sitting on the table. “I got something to show ya.”
“What is it?” I wonder, trotting over to her.
“Have a look and see.” She takes the box in her hooves, and lifts the lid off. Lying inside are two immaculate, leather hoof bracers. I didn’t understand what the fuss was about, but then I took a closer look. On the underside of each one was a small, sharp blade. Before I could inspect any closer, Applejack takes them both and gives them to me. “Put ‘em on,” she says. “Get a feel for ‘em.”
I do as she says, slipping both of them onto my two front legs. They fit easily, and are quite comfortable.
“Give your hoof a little flick,” she instructs, watching me.
I do so, and the blade springs out of it’s hiding spot. With a little spin, the left one turns on a small pivot, and I’m able to clutch it with my hoof like a knife. I perform the same motion again, and it retracts. I hear Applejack trotting away from me, but I’m too busy inspecting the design of the blades on my hooves that I don’t notice what she’s doing.
“Hidden blades,” I hear her call from the other side of the room. “Get used to them Dash, I reckon you’ll need them.” I look up, and see her standing next to one of many outfits down here. I notice that they’re all long, hooded robes of different varieties. The one my friend is standing next to is some sort of hooded long coat. It’s white, like most of the others, but with dark blue highlights on the front, near the chest, and near the tail area.
“Now, ya see, as Assassins, we need to move around quietly; seen, but unseen,” Applejack explains. “That’s why we wear these robes. The hood conceals our identity, but it ain’t outlandish enough to divert attention to us.”
“So that’s what I’m going to be wearing?” I ask, finally pulling my attention away from the blades on my hooves.
“You betcha.” She pulls the outfit from the mannequin, and gives it to me. “Why don’t you try it on?”
I had to admit, the outfit did look kinda cool. “You got one of these too?” I joke, trying hard not to laugh at the thought of AJ running around in a robe and hood. Unfortunately, I fail, and snicker slightly.
She chuckles too, pointing to the outfit next to mine. “Sure do.” It’s pretty similar to mine, but has more of a creamy colour than the brilliant white of the robes that I’m putting on right now. “Rarity made ‘em all, as I’m sure you guessed.”
The coat, like the bracers, fit almost perfectly. “Jeez, did she size me up without me realising or something?” I pick up a pair of dark brown boots, and slip them onto my hindlegs. They’re pretty long, almost reaching my flank, but their length is mostly hidden by the tails of the coat.
“She has a way of telling, I guess.”
I finally get everything on, and trot over to a nearby mirror to see how I look. The whole thing actually looked awesome, but I had one final touch to add. I lifted my hoof to the back of my head and pulled on the beaked hood. There. Now I looked awesome. I look back at Applejack, and see her smiling. “So, I’m an Assassin now, huh? Is there some kind of creepy initiation, or something?” I joke.
She laughs, and rolls her eyes. “Well, once upon a time we held ceremonies for these kind of occasions, but I don’t think either of us are the type for that.” She walks closer to me, and puts a hoof on my shoulder. “We both know what we fight for, and we both know that, no matter what, we’ll never give in, right?”
I nod determinedly. “Right.”
Satisfied, she pulls me into a hug. “Then welcome to the brotherhood, Dash.”
Everything is quiet. Nothing is stirring in Ponyville at this late hour, probably because of the curfew the guards had enforced at some point before my arrival. The only sounds I can hear are the soft chirp of the crickets, and the conversation between the three guards standing outside a house across the street.
"How long do you reckon he'll be in there?"
"I dunno, but I've heard rumours that this one's a tough nut to crack,” one of them replies. Peaking over, I can see him shivering slightly in the chilly night air. “He'll probably be a while. We’d best settle in, I think."
He's referring to Thunderlane. I know him as just another buck on my weather team, and a fellow cadet at the Wonderbolts Academy, but here it seems like he's another of Applejack's rebels. Or assassins. Or... well, whatever they truly are. Either way, he’s a rebel that was busy being interrogated, if their conversation was anything to go by. I don't want to think about what kind of methods of "interrogation" they're using down there, given how the rest of the guards have been behaving. I have a sneaking suspicion that, whatever it is, it isn't pleasant.
I need to get inside, but I can't go anywhere without the guards out front noticing me. Even if I try to fly over and get in from the roof, they'd see me take off and alert their buddies. I need to drop down quickly and take them out quietly. My eyes drift down towards the bracer on my forehoof. I give it a flick, and the hidden blade pops out. Despite what I had said to Applejack earlier, I don't think I'm ready to take the life of another pony so easily.
I sigh. I've wasted too much time already. Like it or not, I have to move. Silently, I hop off the rooftop and onto the street below. As I predicted, they take note of me almost instantly. I hear one of them murmur "What's with the hood?" before he steps forward and calls out to me.
"Halt! Who goes there?"
I give him no time to react as I close the distance between us. I rear up, planting one forehoof on his shoulder while driving the other into his stomach. Winded, he can do nothing as I throw him onto the ground and stomp on his face, knocking him out cold.
The other two are rushing towards me now; one on the left, and the other on the right, both with spears raised. Without stopping to think, I grab one's spear mid-thrust and push it upwards into his face. He's disorientated, and helpless as I manipulate the spear in his hooves, impaling the other guard charging towards us. Pulling the spear out of his chest, I yank it from the stunned guard's hooves whilst simultaneously kicking him to the ground, before swinging it across both of their heads, knocking them over. Dead or unconscious, it doesn't matter right now, but that doesn't stop me from feeling momentarily shocked.
Both of them are bleeding kind of heavily now, with small pools of blood forming underneath each of their bodies. I have to take a second to catch my breath and avoid vomiting. Now I realise this whole assassin stuff is going to be harder than I thought.
Trying my best to focus, I turn my head to the door of Thunderlane's house. Perking my ears up, I can hear the faint sound of voices coming from inside, and they didn't sound particularly friendly. I pray to Celestia that, even in this wacky alternate universe, Thunderlane's little brother still lives with his parents, and not with Thunderlane himself. I don't think I could handle it if these guards got to Rumble too. A part of me wanted to believe that they wouldn't be capable of that, but, at this point, it was probably wishful thinking.
I creep up to the door and give it a gentle push. Thankfully, it isn't locked. I cringe as it creaks, but, thankfully, it looks like nopony hears it. Breathing a sigh of relief, I sneak inside.
Peering into the main room, I see two soldiers standing over Thunderlane, who was bound to a chair. As they talk, I move slowly towards them.
"For the last time, I don't know anything about the rebels!" Thunderlane protests. He's lying, of course, and the soldiers 'interrogating' him seem to think so too.
"It seems that this course of action is getting us nowhere," one of them says, turning to the other. "Perhaps you can persuade our dear friend to tell us what we want to know, Cutter."
The other stallion, a dirty, evil-looking unicorn, smirks uncomfortably. "I reckon I’m gonna have to," he says in a deep, rough accent, floating a knife towards Thunderlane with his magic. At this point, I'm only a few hoof steps behind them both. Thunderlane has noticed me, but is smart enough not to react to me else I be detected.
"Maybe I take his wings," the soldier continues, floating the knife closer. "Put an end to his flyin'. Maybe I take his ears, put an end to his-" He's cut short as I jam the hidden blade into the back of his neck, not wanting to hear another word. The other guard tries to react, but I've already spun around and stabbed him with the other blade. They both fall to the ground, unmoving. In one swift movement, I've taken two lives. I feel sick, even when I think about how vile those two could have been.
“Rainbow Dash!” Thunderlane calls out to me, sighing in relief. “Thank goodness you’ve come. I don’t want to think about what that bastard would have done to me.”
I barely hear him. I stare down at the bodies of the two stallions beneath me. The one called Cutter looks up at me and coughs painfully, before the life drains from him completely. I look away, heaving slightly. By Celestia, what have I done?
“Dash!” Thunderlane’s voice, more desperate this time, snaps me out of it. I shake my head quickly and hurry over to him, using the blood-stained hidden blade to cut him free of his binds.
"Thanks," he tells me, getting to his hooves slowly. I notice a large gash on his cheek bleeding, and look around for something to help, like a piece of cloth. Unfortunately, there isn't one at hoof. Truth be told, I'm not really looking properly anyway. I'm still trying to get the shock out of my system.
"We have to get out of here," he mutters, peeking through a window to look outside. I stare at him blankly, still not feeling well. He looks back at me. "Hello? You still with me?" he calls out.
I shake my head rapidly, bringing me back to my senses. "Uh, yeah, right. We gotta go."
Looking at me grimly, he says. “That was your first time, wasn’t it?” I look away, not giving him an answer. He sighs and looks out of the window again. "Yeah, thought so. Trust me, it doesn’t get any easier. Just gotta suck it up and get over it.”
‘Suck it up and deal with it’ wasn’t exactly great advice, but I don’t feel like making any snide remarks right now. Instead, I just stay silent.
“We should be alright if we make it back to Sweet Apple Acres,” he finally speaks up, looking away from the window and back to me. “Is AJ okay?"
I smile slightly and nod. If there was anything I could count on, it was the fact that Applejack knew how to keep herself, her family and her friends safe, even in the toughest of times.
He breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank Celestia. I thought that if they got to me, they would have gotten to her and you, too." He trots over to the front door. "Guess you proved me wrong, cap."
I smirk at the nickname. Somehow, it's reassuring to know that, even here, I'm captain of the weather team. Or, at least, I was. I walk up behind him, peeking over as he opens the door to check outside. Thankfully, there are no guards around. Doing our best not to break the silence in the street beyond, we step outside and take to the sky.
"Where's Rumble?" I ask as we fly silently over the seemingly-deserted town, keeping a keen eye out for any patrolling guards. I notice a few, but they are on the ground, and far enough away that they weren’t likely to notice two pegasi flying silently above them.
"At my parents, where else?" he answers, and I inwardly breath a sigh of relief I didn’t realise I was holding. "Why do you ask? You weren't worried, were you?"
"I dunno," I reply, evading the question. "Don't think he should have seen his big brother all beat up like this, that's all." Truth is, I think the poor kid’s terrified. No one should have to be living in fear all day, every day, and especially not a foal. What did they ever do to deserve this? What did anypony?
Thunderlane thinks about that for a second, then nods. "They did do a number on me. I guess you're right." Now that I've overcome my earlier shock, I notice that, besides the gash on his cheek, his whole body is covered with small cuts, and one of his eyes is swollen. I feel slightly less bad about doing what I did to Cutter now.
"I'm sure AJ will let you lay low for a while," I tell him as we fly closer towards Sweet Apple Acres. Like the rest of town, there isn’t a pony in sight. "It probably won't be safe at your place anymore."
He frowns and curses under his breath. "Damn, you're right." We start to bank sharply to the right, approaching our destination. "I hope we can sort all this crap out, but for now, I think I need to rest."
"I hear you there." In the midst of everything that's happened, I've hardly noticed how tired I am until now that it's all caught up with me. If I could, I would just crash onto AJ's sofa the moment we touched down, but I had a feeling I wasn't going to be that lucky.
The moment my hooves touch the ground I hurry over to the door and knock twice, wary of anypony who might have followed us. I glance over my shoulder almost every moment, paranoid that somepony was going to leap out from somewhere to ambush us both. After an agonising wait, Applejack opens the door and lets us inside.
"Oh my," she says as she lays eyes on Thunderlane. "You look like you've been dragged through Tartarus and back." She helps me prop him up, since he's having trouble walking, and we move inside quickly. “What happened?” she asks as we lay him down gently on a sofa in her front room.
“What the hay do you think happened?” Thunderlane snaps, before coughing slightly. “Bastards ambushed me. In my own home, no less!”
“You didn’t say anything, did ya?” Applejack’s tone becomes more severe as she moves towards him.
“No, of course I didn’t.” He looks over at me. “Thankfully, RD showed up when she did.” He tries to sit up, but groans in pain and lies back down.
“Darn, you’re hurt real bad,” Applejack says to him softly. “Dash, I think I have some bandages somewhere in the kitchen. Could ya get ‘em for me? We need to patch up some of his wounds.”
I nod, pulling back the hood on my robe now that I no longer have any need for it. “I got it, AJ.” I look over towards Thunderlane, in his bloodied, broken state, and give him a smile. “Don’t worry pal, we’ll get you fixed up.”
“Heh. Thanks, cap,” I hear him say weakly as I trot into the kitchen, throwing back my mane now that it’s no longer confined by the hood. If I remember properly from all the times I crash landed on Applejack’s farm, she keeps her medicine and bandages in a cupboard above the stove. The one with the annoying, squeaky door. Sure enough, when I look in there, I see what I’m searching for. Satisfied, I start to turn around and return to the two of them when a familiar young voice pipes up from across the room.
“Rainbow Dash? I didn’t know ya were stayin’ the night.”
I turn to face the source of the voice, and, sure enough, Apple Bloom is sitting at the table, glass of milk in hoof. I silently curse myself for not paying attention, like always. “Oh, hey, Apple Bloom,” I greet her awkwardly. “What are you doing up so late?”
“I couldn’t sleep, and I was thirsty,” she explains, taking a gulp of her milk. “Anyway, what are you doin’ here, Dash?” She pauses, and gives me a weird look. “And what in tarnation are y’all wearin’?”
Oh boy, was this awkward. “Oh, this?” I chuckle nervously, looking down at my outfit, which, come to think of it, made me look pretty ridiculous right now. “I’m just... uh, testing out a new project of Rarity’s! She wanted me to test run some of her new outfits for a while.”
I cringe as she raises an eyebrow, but sigh inwardly with relief when she smiles again. “Oh, I see. That’s mighty kind of you to do, RD, seein’ as we both know you’re not the kinda pony into all that frou-frou stuff.”
“Well, what else are friends for, huh?” I tuck the bandages, which the filly thankfully hasn’t noticed, under my wings and trot back towards the front room. “You better get on up to bed, kid,” I tell her. “Your sister won’t be too happy if she finds out you’ve been up this late.”
Apple Bloom grimaces. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Well, g’night, Dash!”
“Heh, goodnight,” I call back as she trots out of the kitchen and upstairs. Well, that went a lot better than expected. I half expected the filly to ask a ton of awkward questions that I didn’t have decent answers to. Questions like “why do you have blood on you, Rainbow Dash?”
Wow, did it take me that long to notice? I pause, and look down at the front of my robes. Sure enough, they’re spattered with dried blood, as are the bracers on my hooves. I shudder, and try to focus on the task at hand. Getting these bandages back to Thunderlane. C’mon, pull yourself together, Dash!
I trot back into the front room, where Applejack is still tending to Thunderlane. He’s conscious, but barely, by the look of it. I walk over to him and sit down, giving the bandages to AJ in the process. She wastes no time in getting straight to work, quickly but effectively wrapping up some of his more serious wounds.
“Were ya talkin’ to somepony in there, RD?” she asks, still focused on her work. “I heard voices.”
“Yeah, your little sister.”
She smirks and rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I coulda guessed. Apple Bloom’s a curious little filly, but, then again, I guess we both were once too.”
“Does she know anything about what we’re doing right now?” I ask her. “This whole rebel, or assassin, or whatever business?”
“Nah,” she replies, tying off the end of one bandage and moving on to the next. “Though I think she knows something’s up. She’s not stupid.”
“Are you gonna tell her the whole story someday?” I wonder.
She ponders this for a second. “I dunno. Do you think she’d understand it all?”
“You said it yourself, AJ: she’s not stupid.”
She shrugs, tipping back the trademark hat on her head. “You got a point, I suppose. Still, I don’t know. All she knows right now is that her big brother was killed for being ‘a danger to all of Equestria.’” She finishes wrapping up the last of Thunderlane’s cuts and wounds, and turns back to me, a frown on her face. “This tyranny has been going on for far too long, Dash,” she says grimly. “It’s time that we stepped up, do something proper about it.”
“Well, I guess I’m here for a reason,” I tell her, though not feeling exactly enthusiastic. “What would you have me do?”
She thinks for a second, no doubt going over some carefully laid plans in her head. I look over towards Thunderlane. He’s dozed off, no doubt as tired as I am, and now he’s snoring like a little colt. I can’t help but smirk a bit.
“Two things.” Applejack suddenly speaks up, bringing me back to attention. “We need to cut off their supply lines. Namely, the trains from Canterlot. There are garrisons of royal guards stationed in almost every town from here to Appleloosa,” she explains. “We destroy the rail lines, and they lose their main source of supplies, and lose easy access in and out of the capital.”
“Sounds tricky,” I think aloud. There was no way I was going to be able to do all that by myself.
“It is tricky, but I know somepony like you could just about handle it,” she says confidently. “I still have some things I need to set up before we can get down to doing that, though, and there’s something a little more urgent that requires our attention.”
My ears perk up. “Oh? What’s that?”
Applejack pulls out a map from a nearby table drawer and sets in down, planting a hoof on the east coast of Equestria. “In two day’s time,” she explains, “a diplomat from the Griffon Kingdom is arriving in Horseshoe Bay. He’ll stay there for one night, before catching a train to Canterlot to discuss sending griffon soldiers to help Queen Twilight’s troops take over the dragon lands in the south.”
“Wait a minute, she’s trying to invade the home of the dragons?” I can’t even begin to think about how she could have thought that was a good idea.
“Yes. Doing a half-decent job at it too, last I heard. Most of the soldiers down there are elite troops.” She looks up at me. “That’s not the real problem though. There’s no doubt that Twilight will use some of the griffon soldiers to beef up security around towns like Ponyville. Naturally, that can’t happen. Which brings me back to this diplomat.” She points a hoof at me. “I need you to make sure that he never gets on that train.”
“You want me to kill him?”
She sighs and looks away. “We are assassins, remember?” She looks up at me again, a softer look in her eyes this time. “Look, I know it ain’t nice or easy, but it’s a reality here. Best get used to it.”
“Yeah, okay,” I say to her, looking away. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant experience, having to kill somepony. I certainly didn’t want to do it again.
There’s a brief silence for a few minutes, before Applejack speaks up again. “It’s been a long night, I know. Your train to Horseshoe Bay leaves tomorrow morning, so I recommend that you get some shut-eye. I’m gonna go hit the hay myself.” She yawns and gets up onto her hooves. “I can set up the guest room, if you like.”
I shake my head, yawning as well. “Nah, I’ll take the couch,” I tell her, moving over to wear she was sitting and lying down. “Guess I’ll keep an eye on Thunderlane here, just in case.”
AJ smiles and puts a hoof on my shoulder. “If that’s what you want.” Looking me in the eye, she says, “We’ll get through this, and find a way to get you home. I promise.”
I smile as well, watching her as she leaves me and trots upstairs. “Thanks, AJ,” I murmur quietly as she goes, before laying my head back and finally falling into the embrace of sleep.
The seaside market of Horseshoe Bay is one of the town's main tourist attractions, even in this freaky alternate Equestria. Until now I'd never been myself, but ponies always spoke of how tourists came from all corners of Equestria to bask in the sea air and get the chance to buy some fresh local produce. The crowd, however, is the exact opposite of a hindrance right now. It's serving as a hiding spot while I discreetly keep an eye on one of the ships that has recently docked.
To the untrained and unattentive eye, it looks like I'm simply looking at some of the stuff for sale at this particular stall, like about a dozen other ponies. On the contrary, I'm keeping a lookout for the griffon ambassador's ship, waiting for the diplomat himself to show his face. By Celestia, I hate waiting around like this. I want to just take to the skies and watch from a cloud somewhere, but doing so will surely attract attention, and, besides, some of the diplomat’s griffons are patrolling in the air anyway. Still, I’m blended in with the crowd, so none of the ponies, or more importantly, guards nearby pay any attention to me whatsoever.
He still hasn’t appeared from his ship, but I can see two griffon guards standing alert on the pier where it has docked. Not once does my eye waver, but the wait gives me time to think. The past day or two has gone by so quickly, and I still have no idea how I’m going to get home, and see my friends. My real friends, at least. The ones I know and love. Sure, Applejack’s here, but she’s not the same. I can tell; there’s a look in her eye. She’s out for Queen Twilight’s blood, no doubt about it, and, if she succeeds, I might not have a way of getting home at all.
How in the hay am I going to convince this wacko, evil version of Twilight anyway? If she’s as crazy and horrible as everypony says she is, then I have no idea how I’m going to convince her to help me. Oh, I know I killed some of your soldiers and assaulted your palace, but could you please cast a spell to send me to another dimension? The only thing that will probably get me is killed.
I look down briefly at the bracers on my front hooves before looking up again. I’d killed around five ponies in the space of a few hours, and was, in all likelihood, going to kill even more. Why was I okay with this? I feel like there is blood on my hooves, and it needs to be cleaned off. I feel like screaming and diving into the sea to make myself feel clean again, but another part of me accepts the fact and moves on. Is this something my alternate self has done before? How can she cope with it so easily?
I sigh and shake slightly, trying to snap myself out of it. I have a task at hoof, and, like it or not, it needs to be done. I need to kill this griffon, otherwise she’ll gain even more control over these already miserable ponies and I’ll lose any chance I had at being able to talk some sense into her, or even get near her at all. Minutes go by, and still no sign of that damn ambassador, or diplomat, or whatever he is. I frown and fidget slightly. Celestia knows I’m not the most patient of ponies, that’s for sure.
Wait, something’s happening. Finally! It seems like I’ve been waiting by this stall for hours. The owner must think I’m crazy. Or just really, really picky in my choice of food.
I breathe a silent sigh of relief as I see what must be the griffon ambassador emerge from the cabin of his ship, flanked by two guards. He’s tall, and quite well built. His jet black fur contrasts with the white feathers on his face and on his wings. His admittedly intimidating look is only enhanced by a large scar that I can vaguely make out, running down from his eye and across his beak. No way has this guy been a politician his whole life; he must be a former soldier. If I was going to end up taking his life, I definitely didn’t want to take him head on. Even if my dangerously combat savvy alternate self could easily wipe the floor with a few guards, this griffon must have years of combat experience. Experience I definitely don’t want used against me.
Still covered by his two guards, he steps off his ship and out onto the pier, heading straight towards me. Thankfully, none of the other griffons follow him, instead staying behind to guard the ship. I whisper a silent prayer to the heavens, because I have my work cut out for me already. As they pass by the stall I’m standing next to, I catch a snippet of their conversation.
“There’s news just in from Canterlot, sir,” one of the guards says to the diplomat.
“Hmm? And what’s that?” His accent is thick, and reminds me of that uppity griffon chef that competed against Pinkie in the National Dessert Competition a year or so ago. I always thought the accent was kind of funny back then, but this one has a significantly darker, more serious tone.
“Queen Sparkle requests that you see her as soon as possible,” the guard replies. “Which means, unfortunately, that your overnight stay in Horseshoe Bay is cancelled. We’re to catch the royal train to Canterlot immediately.”
Wait, what? Oh, horseapples! I had planned to wait until he had gone to sleep, then slipped in through his hotel window and silence him quietly, or something. Well, that whole plan was completely ruined now. I had to get to him before he reached the train station. Even if I got to him on the train, it probably wouldn’t be the best outcome if Canterlot guards found him dead when the train rolled into the station. I haven’t got much time, either. Horseshoe Bay is only a small port town, so I’ve got ten minutes, at best, until he’s gone.
Cursing under my breath, I finally step away from the market stalls and follow the three of them, making sure to stick to the crowd to avoid detection. While the crowd worked in my favour, it most definitely worked against them. Even as the guards shoved ponies out of their way, the sheer number of market goers around them was too much, and the diplomat was getting impatient. If things kept on going like this, they would probably split off into a deserted side street or alley, which would be the perfect place to ambush them.
“Gah, all these damn tourists!” I hear the burly griffon complain. He growls in anger and starts to look around, no doubt looking for an alternate route. Well, maybe I might be able to pull this off after all. Sure enough, after a few moments, he barks something to his guards and breaks off from the crowd, heading towards a secluded alley. I hear him say something about cutting through to the station, but don’t pay attention. Instead, I glance around, making sure no guards are watching, before breaking off from the crowd as well and silently taking to the air, heading towards a nearby rooftop above the alley.
I land deftly on the roof and peek out into the alley below. The griffons are all alone down there, and nopony in the crowd is able to see into the alley properly. Now’s the time to strike; I might not get another chance at this. I take a deep breath, and leap from the building into the alley below.
Rapidly falling towards the unaware guards, I flick my hooves and the hidden blades pop out from my bracers. I brace for impact, shoving my front hooves into the backs of the two guards behind the diplomat as they cushion my fall. To my knowledge, they’re killed instantly. Still, I don’t have time to mourn or regret, as my impromptu landing alerts the griffon diplomat, who turns around and gasps in shock.
“What is this?” he asks, glaring at me as I approach. I don’t answer, instead leaping towards him, blade still extended. To my surprise, however, he jumps up and knocks me back with a powerful kick, before hovering idly above the ground. Winded, I stagger back to my feet and assume a combat pose.
“Ah, I see what is going on,” he muses, his sharp talons raised towards me. “Your queen warned me of these little rebel movements. In all honesty, I didn’t expect you fools to be so bold.”
“She’s no queen,” I snap. “Not one I’ll ever bow to, in any case.” Not here, at least. Without another word, I charge towards him, hoping to catch him off guard. No such luck, however, as he swiftly dodges the swing of my hoof and promptly backhands me across the face. I stumble back, dazed, and he uses the opportunity to launch another assault, punching and clawing at me as I struggle to regain focus. A sharp, stabbing pain overcomes me as he continues his relentless assault, backing me against the wall. His sharp talons dig deep into my side, drawing blood, and I yelp in pain, bringing one of my blades down onto his arm.
He cries out and steps backwards, cradling his wounded arm. I move in to pounce once again, but he parries my attack, but with a lot more effort than before. I throw a few swings again, but he blocks them and pushes me back, still clutching his wound. Deciding to capitalise on his weakness, I duck down and slash at his ankles before he has time to react. Falling to his knees, he desperately struggles as I shove one of the hidden blades into the back of his neck, before reaching around with my other hoof and slitting his throat to finish the job.
“You fool...” he gasps, struggling. “You rebellion is hopeless.” He gasps and gurgles for a few more seconds, trying desperately to breathe, before slumping over face first, the life finally drained from him.
I take a breather and step back, looking down at my hooves again. They're covered in the griffon's blood. I look away and into the griffon's cold, lifeless eyes, staring at nothing in particular as he lies there in a rapidly expanding pool of his own blood. I look behind me and see his guards, similarly unmoving a few feet away. Feeling a twinge of guilt, I reach down with one hoof and close his eyes as a sign of respect. Damn it, I feel sick again.
The sound of a rapidly approaching voice makes my heart drop. I knew I wouldn’t be able to pull this off without attracting attention. "Hello? What's all this racket going on down here?" I take to the skies in a panic, but just too late as the approaching guard spots me.
"What's this? Murder! Guards!" he turns and shouts to his nearby comrades as I cringe. "Assassin! Quick, she's up there!" He points a hoof in my direction as his friends come running, and a few pegasi rapidly take off to pursue me. Seeing them approach, I turn tail and fly away, keeping low in an effort to lose them in the alleys and backstreets. Unfortunately, these guys aren’t amateurs. They stick to me like glue, matching my sudden twists, dives and turns and keeping up with my speed.
Running out of options, I start to head towards the train station. If I remember right, a train back to Ponyville is due to leave at any moment. It’s not too far away, and, soon enough, the soon to depart train comes into view. Desperate to lose the guards chasing me, I dive down and bank sharply, heading straight for an open window. Landing inside the house, I quickly slam the window shut with my rear hooves before galloping towards the other end of the room, leaping over a table and diving out into the crowd around the train station. Thankfully, no guards on the other side saw my little stunt, so by the time my pursuers catch up, I’ve already disappeared into the crowd.
Still hidden in the mass of ponies, I pass by a group of oblivious guards as we head out onto the platform. The train is only a few feet away now, and the conductor is calling for the final passengers to board. My heart is in my mouth as I feel the scrutinizing eyes of every guard in the area pass over the crowd. I expect one of them to shout out and grab me at any moment. In a stroke of luck, though, I manage to slip onto the train just as the conductor slams all of the doors shut.
I take a secluded seat near the back of the train and sigh with relief as the whistle blows and it starts to pull out of the station. Feeling tired and weary, I pull back my hood and give my mane a shake. I would like nothing more than to just curl up and nap for a while, but I need to remain alert for any kind of threat, just in case. I wasn’t out of the woods yet.
Still, after about half an hour on the train with no consequence, I decide that I’ve definitely eluded capture, and settle down to get some rest. The train ride is a few hours long, and the sun while have almost set by the time we arrive in Ponyville. Having finally calmed down after the thrill of the chase, I yawn and stretch before settling in for the long haul.
***
I jerk awake to the sound of the train’s whistle blowing. Wiping sleep from my eyes, I wearily glance out of the window. Darn it, we’re almost at Ponyville station! I need to slip out before we arrive, since the guards will surely be checking all passengers. I make sure that nopony is watching, before pushing open the window and diving outside. Suddenly hit by rushing wind, I spread my wings and start to head towards Sweet Apple Acres. I had briefly considered heading back to my cloud home, but the place was surrounded by pegasi guards, no doubt rifling through my alternate self’s belongings. So, it was Sweet Apple Acres or nothing.
The sun starts to disappear over the horizon as I approach the farm, and I wonder. If Celestia and Luna are dead, then who raises the sun and the moon? Does Queen Twilight raise them? Do they move all on their own? No, don’t be stupid, Dash. You know that’s impossible. Still, the question, trivial as it may seem, plagues me. I don’t think I could imagine a world without Princess Celestia and Princess Luna ruling over Equestria. It didn’t seem right.
Gliding over the rows upon rows of apple trees in the orchard, I spot Applejack and Thunderlane trotting towards the farmhouse, probably coming back from some sort of exercise or training. I call out to them as I hover towards the ground. “Hey, you guys!”
Thunderlane looks up as I land next to them softly. “Oh, hey cap. AJ told me where you went. How’d it go?”
I look away and nod slightly. “Yeah, it went fine.”
“So the griffon’s dead?” Applejack asks me bluntly.
I nod again. “Yeah, he’s dead alright. Guess there won’t be any griffon soldiers coming over to Equestria after all, huh?” I find myself glancing down at my front hooves again. I tried my best to wash them off, but there are still a few patches of dry blood down there.
My friend smiles and puts a hoof on my shoulder. “There ya go, girl! I knew you could do it.” She pulls me into a hug before pushing open the door to the farmhouse, inviting us both inside. She glances around her farm for a few seconds, before shutting it behind us. “That’s half of our problems dealt with, then.”
We continue into the front room, and I flop down onto the couch next to my fellow pegasus. He gives me a smile, which I return, and for the briefest moment I see a blush appear on his face before he looks away. “I’m guessing the other half is that supply train you mentioned before, right?” I ask AJ, looking over to her.
She nods. “Right you are, Dash. It doesn’t come through Ponyville for another two days, though, so we got plenty of time to prepare.” She sits down on the chair across from us and removes her hat, wiping sweat from her brow. “Right now, though, I’d say we’ve all earned a little relaxation time.”
“What have you two been doing?” I wonder aloud.
“Making sure Thunderlane keeps in shape,” she answers, nodding towards him. “His injuries weren’t severe, so we were just doing some exercises to make sure he stays properly fit."
The pegasus next to me chcukles and nods. "Yeah well, it'll take more than a few cuts and bruises to keep me down, right cap?"
"Darn right," I agree. "I've seen you crash land and get up like it was nothing so many times, it's like you run on sheer determination or something. Kinda like me, I guess."
Applejack smiles. "I hope so. After all, ambushing this train ain’t gonna be easy.”
Well of course it isn’t. “Have you got a plan?”
“Almost,” she says, getting up. “Like I said, I’m finalising the details. For now, though, we should settle down for the night. Cider anyone?”
The two of us nod, and I slouch further down into the couch, removing the stained bracers and setting them on the coffee table. I stare at them for a few moment, before groaning and looking away. With everything that’s been happening right now, a nice, ice-cold cider is exactly what I need.
Seriously, I should not be up this early. It’s not even seven in the morning yet! Celestia- sorry, Twilight, or whoever does so in this crazy world, hasn’t even raised the sun yet! I swear, this is madness. I can’t be at my best unless I’ve gotten a decent night’s sleep, and, well, recent events haven’t afforded me the luxury of pleasant dreaming. I stifle a yawn, and try to shake myself out of my tired stupor. I’m not sure if it works. Probably not.
“Hey Applejack,” I call out as both Thunderlane and I follow her along the train tracks, where we were supposed to meet with more of her rebel friends. “I’ve been wondering about something.” It’s a question that’s been gnawing away at the back of my mind, and I need something to do right now to distract myself from my own lack of sleep.
“What’s that, sugarcube?” the farm mare asks, casting a glance back my way as we continue to trot along.
“Well, you know how I killed that griffon diplomat, right?” She nods, and I continue. “How does that change anything? Can’t they just send another?”
She shakes her head. “I can see why you’d think that, but no. I guess I must have forgot to tell you that relations between Twilight and the griffons were already kinda strained. This would have been a mutually beneficial deal,” she explains. “The good queen gets griffon soldiers, and, in return, they get some resources that ain’t available in the Griffon Kingdom.”
“So, when I killed him, that was the final straw?”
AJ pauses for a second, then shrugs. “I guess you could put it that way. The griffons aren’t going to trust some of their best soldiers to Queen Twilight if she can’t even protect them from one measly rebel, are they?” She smirks over at me, and I chuckle.
"Heh, I guess not." I look over at Thunderlane for a second, who smiles and nods, but remains silent. I smile back and find myself blushing slightly again, so I turn back to Applejack. "So, what, is this supposed to be the final nail in the coffin or something?"
"Not quite," she answers, hopping over an exposed tree root beneath her hooves. "But she'll feel it, that's for sure. Hungry soldiers ain't fighting soldiers, that's for darn sure."
"This is a supply train carrying food for the soldiers, then?" I ask, casting a glance at the train tracks we were following. “How does taking it out help us directly?”
“Well, to be exact, we’re killing two birds with one stone,” the farm pony begins to explain. “This is one of the biggest supply routes in Equestria. Not only does it carry supplies, but this line is the only major route in and out of Canterlot by train, seeing as Ponyville is pretty central.”
I nod, beginning to understand, and motion for her to continue. “Uh huh.”
“So we’re not just taking out the train, we’re taking out the entire line as well. After we’re done, there ain’t hardly gonna be any guards or soldiers coming in or out of Canterlot for the foreseeable future.” She looks back at me and smiles. “That bitch ain’t gonna know what hit her.”
I frown and pick up my pace slightly, trotting forward so I’m side by side with her. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but ‘that bitch’ is my only way of getting home. How am I going to get to Canterlot if we’re blowing the train line to smithereens?” I turn and glare at her.
“Ya got wings, haven’t ya?” She replies bluntly.
Are you serious? “What, you expect me to go up there alone?”
She stops and sighs, before turning to me. “Look, sugarcube, we just don’t have enough ponies to launch an attack on the Royal Palace...”
“Save it!” I shout, louder than I probably intend. “I’m going up there as soon as I can, okay?” I point a hoof up towards the city on the mountainside. “So are you going to help me, or let me end up like your brother?”
AJ gasps, and scowls at me. “Don’t you even think of bringing my brother into this!” she yells, flaring with anger. “We can’t go to Canterlot now, there’s still work to be done here! We can’t take the fight there if it ain’t done here!”
“This isn’t my fight, Applejack,” I remind her. “I don’t belong here. Please, I just want to get home. To see my friends again.”
The farmpony goes to shout something back, but pauses, and sighs. “Yeah... I know, RD.” She looks at the ground for a few seconds, thinking, before looking back up at me again. “I might have an idea, but it ain’t exactly ideal.”
Any idea is better than nothing. “Well, okay, let’s hear it,” I say to her as we start trotting again. Thunderlane gives me a concerned look, but I ignore it.
“Well, if one of us can, uh, requisition one of the guards’ chariots, we might be able to get a small group into Canterlot undetected,” she explains. It doesn’t sound too bad, I guess. “Sneaking through the castle is gonna be a lot harder, though, but the odds are better than trying to storm in through the front door.
I feel a hoof tap me on the shoulder, and I look back to see Thunderlane smiling at me. “Just wanna let you know I’ve got your back, cap,” he tells me. “And that I’ll come with you to Canterlot. I got some, well, issues with the current monarchy as well, just like everypony else.”
“You know it’s probably gonna be a one way trip, right?” I warn him, looking up into his eyes as we trot along.
“Maybe. Maybe not,” he muses. “Either way, I don’t care. Besides, it’ll take more than what they can throw at me to keep me down.”
Chuckling, I give him a friendly punch on the shoulder. Yep, that’s still the same cocky weather colt I know. “Heh, I guess not. Thanks, Thunderlane.”
“Any time.”
“Are you two done?” I hear Applejack call out to the two of us, smirking slightly. “‘Cause I reckon we’re just about here.” Sure enough, the three of us trot through some thick bushes close to the train tracks to see about ten ponies waiting around for us, most of which I recognise. The twin sisters on my weather team, Cloudchaser and Flitter, are here, alongside Applejack’s forgetful farmhoof, Caramel, and a mint green unicorn. Lyra, I think her name was. I always thought she was kinda weird, but hey, we need all the help we can get. The rest of these ponies, I don’t recognise, though I’m sure I’ve seen them around Ponyville at some point, tucked away in the background.
“There you guys are,” Cloudchaser announces, gliding over towards us. “You took your sweet time. We’ve been sitting on our flanks for over half an hour waiting for you.”
“Well someone decided it would be a good idea to oversleep,” Applejack says to her, casting a smirk my way. I roll my eyes and chuckle slightly. What can I say? A mare has to get her sleep, right?
"Ah, you know me, AJ," I tell my friend, punching her in the shoulder lightly. "Besides, I'm here now, right? And don't worry, I'm not gonna doze off or anything."
"I should hope not, Dash." The farm pony turns and smiles at me, before looking back at the pegasus in front of her. "Are the explosives in place?"
Explosives? Really? Well, come to think of it, I really shouldn't be surprised. After all, we're not going to take out an entire train line by stabbing it with tiny blades, or by glaring at it moodily. So much for discreet assassins, though.
Cloudchaser nods. "Sure do. If you can believe it, Caramel didn't forget about them!" She receives a glare from the stallion, and sticks her tongue out playfully in response. “They’re all pretty much set up by now.” She points towards the tracks, and I spot quite a few sticks of dynamite, all wired up to a detonator hidden behind the bushes next to us. “All we gotta do is wait for the train to roll through, and ka-boom!” She flaps her wings and leaps into the air to emphasise. “The whole thing should go up nicely.”
Applejack inspects the set-up, before turning back to the pegasus and nodding. “Well, everything seems to be in order, by the looks of it. All that’s left now is to play the waiting game.” Trotting away from the tracks, she rolls up a sleeve on her coat and checks a watch wrapped around her hoof. “It should be coming through any minute now. To your positions, everypony!”
The ponies scattered around nod, with a few giving mock salutes, before jumping out of sight behind bushes or trees, away from the explosives laid out on the track. Taking one last glance at the tracks, I pull my hood down over my head before following Applejack behind a large rock where the detonator is located. She gives me a knowing nod, but returns her gaze to the train tracks, never once averting her eyes from the corner that the train was due to come around at any moment.
“This isn’t going to be easy, is it?” I murmur, making sure that I stay out of sight. “I mean, there’s bound to be security on that train.” I look up at my friend, who casts a brief glance my way before returning to staring down the tracks.
“Yeah, there probably will be,” she admits. “And it probably ain’t gonna be easy. Hopefully this explosion will take out most of them, though. The rest of ‘em should be easy pickings.”
“Should be?”
“Good gravy, girl, will you relax?” AJ snaps, before calming herself a little. “I think you’ve proved yourself more than capable, wouldn’t ya say?”
“Doesn’t make it any easier,” I retort, glaring up at her.
“Never said it does.” She pulls her hood down as my ears perk up. In the distance, I can hear the train, approaching rapidly. “Look alive, everypony, this is it!” Applejack whispers, just loud enough for everyone else to hear. I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths, trying to keep myself calm. I’ve been getting into way too many life or death situations in the last few days. It felt like only yesterday that my only worry in the world was whether I was going to be able to beat my previous flying record. Oh, how things have changed.
I hear the train’s whistle blow as it comes barreling around the corner at full speed, smoke billowing from its engine. Well, here we go, I guess. I look towards Applejack, who gives me a determined nod, before she sets her hoof on top of the detonator. Dear Celestia, what in the hay are we about to do?
It’s way too late to back out now, though. Like it or not, I’m in this for the long haul. I duck down and brace myself as the train passes us. Applejack waits for a few brief moments, before slamming her hoof down on the detonator.
“Take this, you no good sons of bitches!” she screams, as the laid out explosives all go up. There is a deafening roar, and screech of metal, and the train derails catastrophically, almost flying completely off the tracks. The engine and a few front carriages flip onto their sides, sending some of its occupants flying into the dirt. I peek out from behind the rock to survey the damage, and gasp in shock as I see an injured stallion, screaming in pain, get crushed by a toppling train car.
“Come on!” I hear AJ bark through a ringing in my ears. “We ain’t out of the woods yet!” She grabs me by the shoulder and heaves me onto all four hooves. “The back carriage wasn’t as damaged as I expected! The guards in there are only gonna be shaken up. We need to take them out before they realise what’s goin’ on!”
“Y-yeah, okay, alright,” I mutter, probably more shaken up than the guards are. This is getting too much. “Come on, you can do this,” I whisper to myself as AJ leads both me and the rest of the assassins to the back of the train.
“Be ready for a fight,” the farmpony warns as we reach the back of the last carriage. “No witnesses, okay?”
Thunderlane smirks and takes to the air. “Oh, I was born ready. Bring them on.”
“Here we go, then.” Applejack climbs onto the back of the train car and turns around. She leans forward, before kicking backwards with her powerful hindlegs. The power of her hooves are enough to send the door flying off its hinges, and, if the pained yell from inside is any indication, right into one of the recovering guards.
“We’re under attack!” I hear one of them shout as the rest of us charge into the carriage. Unfortunately, it appears to be some sort of barracks, so there are about ten ponies in here, not counting us. It’s way too cramped to even move, let alone fight, so I decide to engage one of these guys on my own terms. I find the nearest dazed stallion and tackle into him mid-flight, sending us both through one of the train’s windows and out onto the glass outside.
He has quicker reflexes than I thought, though, and manages to push me off of him before I can get a hit in. He shoves me to the side, sending me sprawling onto my back. He rears up, intending to kick my skull in, but I roll to the side as he brings his hooves down. Springing up, I use one of the hidden blades to stab him in the leg. He yelps in pain and staggers, so I quickly jam the other blade into the back of his neck to end his suffering.
Looking back up at the train, I’m treated to the sight of Thunderlane kicking another guard through the window that I just, well, opened. He nods towards me, shouting, “Here’s another one for you, cap!” I go to shout something back, but just gasp as another guard tackles him out of sight. I’m worried about him, but he’s the least of my worries right now as the guard he sent my way staggers to his hooves. I dive towards him in an attempt to surprise, but he sidesteps and I almost crash to my hooves. He tries to kick me while I’m down, but I grab his hoof and throw him into the side of the train. I go to buck him into the train to finish him off, but he rolls out the way and comes at me again. Unfortunately for him, it’s a lazy swing. I block it easily with one hoof, before slashing my blade across his throat with other. I wrap one foreleg around his neck, before shoving the blade into his chest about four times. As the last breath escapes his lips, I throw him onto the ground.
I take a breather, before turning my attention back to the train. Hopefully we should have thinned out most of their ranks by now. I give my wings and flap and take off, diving through the broken window I created. In a stroke of luck, a guard that Applejack is fighting moves in front of it at the last second, so I tackle him to the ground and stab him before he even realises what is going on.
“Heh, thanks for the backup there, partner,” AJ compliments. I smile slightly, before frowning as she gasps in horror. A pained scream, in a voice that’s all too familiar, attracts my attention to the other end of the train carriage. I’m not sure if I want to see, but I look anyway. What I see only makes my heart sink like a stone.
“Thunderlane!” I scream, looking on in horror as he is impaled through the back by one of the guard’s spears. In a fit of rage, Flitter tackles the stallion into the wall, but it’s too little, too late. My pegasus friend falls to the floor beside the bloodied spear, coughing and gasping for air in a pool of his own blood. I feel tears begin to well up in my eyes as I dash over to where he fell, paying no attention to the final, lone guard that Flitter was beating to a bloody pulp.
I land next to him gently, lowering my hood as Flitter finally finishes off his attacker, stabbing the guard through the eye while letting out an anguished scream. He looks up at me, fear evident in his eyes, as I cradle his head in my hooves.
“Hey, cap,” he manages to murmur, trying his best to smile despite the fact that we both are crying. “Looks like that son of a bitch got lucky, huh?” He coughs violently, before spitting out blood.
No, this isn’t happening. “Please, Thunderlane,” I mumble, looking down at him. “Please don’t do this. It’s not fair.”
He looks me in the eyes, and smiles silently, before going limp. A final breath escapes his lips, and his eyes lose focus, forever staring towards the sky, completely lifeless. I sit there, completely numb, for a few seconds, before gently brushing his eyelids closed with one of my hooves. Oh Celestia, why is this happening? What did I do to deserve this? What did anyone do?
I can’t take it anymore, and completely break down, openly weeping over my lifeless friend as the rest of them look on in silence. This world, dimension, reality, or whatever the fuck it is, I just can’t take it anymore. There’s too much death, too much destruction. I never asked for any of this madness. I just want to go home.
I can’t believe it. I won’t believe it. It’s not fair. Thunderlane can’t die. Oh Celestia, I can’t handle this. This poor weather colt didn't deserve any of this bullshit, did he? Did Applejack deserve to lose her brother? Did I deserve to be here in the first place?
I sit there in shock, still cradling the lifeless body of my fellow pegasus, as AJ trots over, looking on grimly. She says nothing, but I know what she's thinking. 'Darn it, Rainbow Dash, we gotta move on. Ponies die, get over it. You think I ain't lost somepony?' Right now, I don't care. She can think what she wants, I just can't go on right now.
"Thunderlane..." I hear Cloudchaser sob as she steps tentatively towards us. She puts a hoof on his chest, and breaks down in tears. Her sister walks over and holds her gently, but remaining silent as we grieve.
Applejack decides that this is the moment to speak up. "Come on, y'all. We gotta get moving, there will be more guards coming for sure."
"Applejack, give them some time," I hear Caramel murmur to her. I look up, and see the mare glare back at him.
"We ain't got time!" she hissed. "If we stay here, we'll all be dead. We gotta leave him!"
What? No way! "Leave him? Are you kidding me!?" I say to her, laying him down gently as I stand up. "We're not leaving him here, he deserves better than that!"
"I'm sorry, Rainbow, but we just can't take him!" she retorts, stepping forward. I want to say something to interrupt, but she won’t let me. "Hauling him along will just slow ya down, and I don't want to lose anymore of y'all today!"
I really don't want to make an argument, out of this. Not now. I take a quick look back at our friends, before returning my attention to the earth pony in front of me. "Won't you at least let us try?" I reason. "Or do you want to leave him to be thrown in some unmarked grave somewhere, completely forgotten by everypony? He deserves some respect, and his family will need closure."
Applejack considers my plea, and finally relents. "Okay, okay, we'll get him back to the farm. Just make it quick, and don't haul him by yourself, alright?" I nod, and motion for Cloudchaser and Flitter to help me out. "Now let's get movin'."
I still feel my hooves shaking as we lift Thunderlane’s bloody corpse off the ground. I’m not going to be getting over this in a hurry, that’s for sure. Seeing a friend die in my hooves while I’m powerless to do anything. It’s a scenario that doesn’t need thinking about. It’s something I had never thought about, up until all of this crap that’s been going on, and even then, it was only a nagging fear at the back of my mind. Now it was a reality. A horrible, unfair reality.
“Damn, I think I hear more of them coming,” Cloudchaser warns, and I perk my ears up. Sure enough, in the distance, I can make out the shouts and cries of reinforcements as they hurry to make their way over here. Applejack’s right: it’s high time we got the heck out of dodge. Grunting, I flap my wings even harder in an effort to fly faster while still pulling Thunderlane along. Thankfully, we make it behind the cover of some treetops before the guards are able to spot us, leaving us home free.
“This is getting way out of hoof, don’t you think?” I mutter tiredly towards the two pegasus twins helping me as we approach Sweet Apple Acres. The morning sun is still rising. Funny, I forgot it was still morning. Everything that’s happened in the last half an hour makes it feel like an entire day has gone by.
Flitter grimaces, and contemplates what I said. “Maybe you’re right, Rainbow Dash,” she replies. “What other choice do we have, though? It’s either this, or just roll over and let that tyrant tread all over us.”
“I know neither one is exactly desirable, but I think I prefer this to the alternative,” her sister agrees, nodding. “Even if it does mean losing somepony close to us.” She looks down at her fallen friend, and I notice tears start to swell up in her eyes. She doesn’t cry though. Instead she wipes them away and puts on a brave face. I sigh and try to do the same. I hope that it worked, but it’s anypony’s guess as to whether it actually does.
Beneath us, I see our earthbound friends galloping through the apple orchards. Thankfully, none of the guards ever patrolled around the farm, so it was safe. For the time being, at least. I groan slightly as we start to descend, the weight of Thunderlane’s body finally getting to me. Pegasi have lighter bones than the other races, which helps to walk on clouds and, well, fly, but even still. Besides, he was pretty muscular.
I feel tears begin to well up again, and I have to remind myself to focus on the task at hoof, and not on the tragedy that had just happened. Applejack and the rest of the group lead us towards the barn behind the farmhouse itself. Flitter, Cloudchaser and myself drop down to the ground, carefully laying Thunderlane in front of them. I pull my hood up, letting my mane flap in the wind that swept across the farm. Nopony says anything for a few moments. Perhaps they are silently paying respect, or saying goodbye. Me? I’m just bitter; tired of everything that’s going on.
“Well, what are we going to do with him?” Caramel asks abruptly, looking up at the rest of us.
AJ turns to him, having pulled up her hood as well. “We bury him. Properly,” she answers. “Go and find his family and bring ‘em here.” The stallion nods and turns to go, but she stops him. “After this, we make a move on Canterlot. I know what you’ve been thinking, Rainbow,” she says to me. “This has been goin’ on far too long. And you’re darn right it has. It needs to stop.”
“Thanks, AJ,” I mutter, managing to smile slightly up at her.
“Don’t need to thank me, RD. We shoulda done this long ago, before any of this nonsense with you ever happened. I guess it just took you to kick me into gear.” She nods finally at Caramel, who dashes off towards Ponyville, before turning to Cloudchaser and Flitter. “Prepare Thunderlane for the funeral, please. Tidy him up, and find something to bury him in.” They nod, and pick the dead pegasus up again.
Applejack trots towards another two pegasi that had helped us. I didn’t know these guys, but I’ve probably seen them around town at some point. “You two, I remember seeing a royal chariot somewhere near the east edge of town. I want you to go and get it, and bring it back here,” she orders. “And try not the bring it with every guard in her service on your tail, neither.” The two of them also nod and take to the skies, heading towards town.
I watch them go for a second, before they disappear behind the rows upon rows of apple trees out in the orchard. Only Applejack remains with me now, and she looks up at me, before putting a hoof on my shoulder.
“Rainbow, I just want to say I’m sorry,” she says, pulling me into a hug. “I know I’ve been inconsiderate towards you, putting your needs on the back seat. This ain’t your world; ain’t your fight, I know that now. Even if you fight like my Rainbow, I know that you ain’t.” I hug back, partly thankful for her apology, and partly thankful for having someone to share my grievances with. “We should have held off attacking that train,” she muses. “It’s my fault Thunderlane got killed. I underestimated them.”
I pull out of the hug and look my friend in the eye. “Applejack, what happened to Thunderlane wasn’t your fault at all. Please, don’t ever tell yourself that it was.” I hug her again, and we start to walk back to the farmhouse.
“I know, RD, but I can’t help but blame myself. After all, you were all my responsibility. This is my silly rebel cause, after all.” She sighs, and looks to the sky, up towards the city on the mountain. “I keep thinking, Rainbow. If we manage to pull this off, and it’s a pretty big if, then what? Who’s gonna lead Equestria if all the princesses, or queens, or whatever, are dead? Heck, who’ll move the sun and the moon?”
I follow her gaze and stare at Canterlot as well, far, far above Ponyville. “I don’t know what will happen, AJ,” I admit. “But you’re a smart mare. Smarter than me. You’ll figure something out.” We trot inside the farmhouse, and sit down in the front room, finally getting some time to relax. “Besides, the unicorns raised the sun and the moon long before Celestia and Luna did. I’m sure it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to find some powerful ones that could do it again.”
“Yeah, but half of ‘em are in the service of Queen Twilight, remember?” she points out.
Oh yeah, good point. I put a hoof to my chin and think. Wait, I remember something. “You said before that something was fishy about that, AJ. About how Twilight could just waltz in, kill the princess, and not have any of the guards bat an eyelid. There’s got to be more to it. Maybe she found a way to control ponies? Found a way to turn every guard to her cause.”
“There’s all sorts of dark magic that hardly anypony knows about,” my friend says, sitting up. “Maybe she uncovered something?”
An idea sparks within my mind. It was an idea that I didn’t want to believe was possible, but it probably was. “Applejack, have you ever heard of the Elements of Harmony?” I ask.
“Sure. They’re just an old legend though, right? The two regal sisters used them to banish evil from Equestria, until Celestia had to banish her own sister.”
I shiver slightly. To hear Applejack, one of my best friends and the element of honesty itself, dismiss the Elements of Harmony as nothing but a legend was unnerving, to say the least. “What else do you know about the tale, AJ?”
She thinks for a second. “Well, I ain’t really heard it for a long time, not since Granny Smith told me bedtime stories about ‘em, but I think I remember something else. The elements together create harmony, hence the name. But if an element is used without any of the others, it has side effects. Nopony knows what kinda magic it can produce, but it ain’t harmonious, that’s for sure.”
“Do you... do you think Twilight could have gotten her hooves on one of the elements?” I wonder.
“If they’re real, maybe,” she agrees.
“They’re real where I come from.” I don’t want to elaborate any more right now, especially while she’s so skeptical. My story is hard to believe from her point of view as it is, I probably shouldn’t tell her that I’m one of the bearers of some mystical artifacts she doesn’t believe to exist. Besides, it’s not exactly relevant anyway. “So, if we stop Twilight, or at least break her spell over the element or whatever, then I’m guessing most ponies will come to their senses.”
Well, hopefully, at least. It’s just a theory. Though it makes more sense than everypony in the royal guard willingly converting to the cause of their princess’ killer. Applejack seems to think so, too, as she nods. “I guess it makes sense. Doesn’t change the fact that we need to get up there, though, and fast. Do you think you’ll be able to make a move tomorrow night?”
I smirk and nod. “Oh, definitely. No offense, but I’m just about ready to get out of the crazy world.” I pause, and add. “But I’ll try and make sure the fight’s won before I do.”
AJ reaches down towards the table and picks up her trademark hat, which I noticed had been lying there, and puts it on her head. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash. You’ve helped us so much in recent days, so I’m willing to repay the favour. I promise that I will do everything in my power to see that you can get home, to your own world.”
Looking into the eyes of my friend, I nod in appreciation. “Thanks, AJ.”
“Don’t thank me, it’s the least I can do. Now, you get yourself some rest,” she advises. “I gotta go and dig Thunderlane’s grave ready for the funeral.”
“Okay. See you later.” With that, she nods again and trots outside, leaving me to wind down.
***
I can’t help but feel horrible. Well, that’s a given. Okay, I can’t help but feel guilty, or responsible. I know Thunderlane’s death wasn’t my fault, but seeing his parents and little brother openly weep as Applejack lowers his impromptu coffin into the ground makes me think that I should have done more to prevent it. I can feel the tears welling up once again, but I push them back. These tears should have never been shed in the first place. His mother is crying into the chest of her husband, but Rumble is standing there alone. Still feeling that I have a degree of responsibility, I move across and wrap a hoof around him, letting him cry into my leg.
Everything has been said and done by now, so the group of mourners slowly start to move away as a few of Applejack’s farmhooves start to fill in the grave. Rumble is still clutching onto my leg, making it a bit awkward to walk, but I’m not exactly going to push him away. He’s not openly crying anymore, instead quietly sobbing, so I take the opportunity to stop and kneel down to his eye level.
“Hey, Rumble,” I say gently. “You okay?”
He sniffs and wipes a tear from his eye, but nods. “Yeah, Rainbow Dash, I’m okay.” He doesn’t sound it, so I try to smile. “I wish my brother were still here,” he continues.
“I know.” I pull him into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, Rumble.”
“Did it hurt?” he asks suddenly, pushing me away slightly. “Did it hurt for him?”
I wipe another tear from his eye. “I promise you, he didn’t suffer. It was quick for him.”
Looking up at me, he says, “That’s good... I guess.”
I hug him again, before hoisting him up onto my back and covering him with one of my wings. “I promise they’ll pay for this, Rumble. We’ll avenge your brother.”
He doesn’t reply, instead choosing to remain silent as we walk back towards Applejack’s farmhouse. His parents glance back at me, and manage to smile for a second as they see their remaining son tucked comfortably under my wing. I smile back before they look away, and sigh. I don’t want to know how much I’ve changed since this whole ordeal started. Will I ever be able to adjust to normal life in normal Ponyville again? Will everything that’s happened drive a wedge between me and my friends? Of course I’m going to strive to make sure that doesn’t happen, but the idea remains at the back of my mind all the same.
Applejack invites the mourners inside for something to eat and drink, but they decline. Rumble and Thunderlane’s parents shake their head and say that they have to be getting home before it gets dark, and I can’t fault them for that. Reluctantly, I usher Rumble off of my back and towards his family. He gives me a thankful, yet weary, look as I bid them farewell as they trot away into the distance.
“What a day, huh?” Applejack exclaims, trotting next to me to watch them go. “Let’s hope things go better in the future. I don’t want to make this a regular occurrence.” She motions towards the freshly filled grave on the edge of the orchard.
I shudder, and turn away to walk inside. “Me neither,” I agree. “I just want this all to be over and done with.”
“Don’t we all, RD. Don’t we all.” She pats me on the back and steps inside, before swiftly shutting the door behind us. “Thankfully, you’ll be glad to know that we... requisitioned that royal chariot from the guards. Heh, they weren’t using it.”
I manage to crack a smile despite everything. I imagine that the guards were less than happy to find their transport missing.
“Which means we’ll be definitely able to infiltrate the Canterlot Castle tomorrow night, under cover of darkness.” She moves towards the window and looks up at the city again. “You sure you ready for it? It ain’t gonna be easy.”
“I know it won’t. But you know that I’m ready for this.”
AJ sighs and looks down. “I know. I just hope the rest of us are.”
I stay silent as I step over next to her, hugging her gently as we both look up at the city on the mountain. There’s no avoiding it. This is going to be the big one. I have to succeed. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I have to convince Queen Twilight to send me home, and to give up whatever is giving her the immense power that she wields. But, for now, it’s time to rest up properly.
I’m not the same mare I used to be. That’s a fact that I just can’t hide from, and I’m not sure how I’m going to deal with it. If I somehow manage to get back to my version of Equestria; back to my true friends, I’m not sure how they’ll react. I trust that they will still love me for being me,but that’s just the thing. I’m not sure if I’m me anymore. At least, not the me they know. Being forced to become a killer tends to change a pony, you know?
Damn it, I’m weirding myself out. I need to focus right now. I can’t let my mind wander, especially when there’s so much at stake.
The sun has just set behind the mountain that looms over Ponyville, upon which the grand city of Canterlot stands. I find myself staring up at it once again, pondering just how I’m going to go about this. I need to somehow convince Queen Twilight to use her magic to send me back, but I also want to make sure that she ends her tyrannical ways, one way or another. After all, I can’t just leave the ponies living in this version of Equestria to continue suffering while I get away clean. That’s not the kind of burden I’d like to bear.
“Kinda beautiful, just lookin’ at it, huh?” I hear Applejack comment, as she trots around the stolen royal carriage and towards me. “But some beautiful things have a rotten core, I guess.”
I think on her words for a second. She’s right, of course. Looks can be deceiving. For example, I never knew that one of my best friends could belong to an ancient group of killers and freedom fighters. But, hey, it’s an alternate universe, so I guess everything is par for the course. “I guess so,” I finally reply, after a few seconds of silence. “Then again, we’re about to strike right at the core of it all, aren’t we?”
Applejack nods. “Ya darn right we are, RD. It’s do or die, I reckon.”
“Well, that’s reassuring,” I deadpan, tearing my eyes away from the regal city and back towards my group of assassins. Applejack is here, of course, along with Cloudchaser, Flitter, and Caramel. We have to keep the team small, otherwise there’s a higher risk of us being spotted. “So, am I hauling this thing along?”
“You and Cloudchaser,” AJ elaborates.
The pegasus smirks. “Because we’re the best fliers, of course, Rainbow Dash.” Her twin sister shoots her a glare, and she giggles. “Oh, calm down, I’m just playing.” It’s nice to see her trying to have a bit of fun, even in our dire situation, and after everything that’s happened. I know it’s just a cover, and that she feels as bad as the rest of us inside, but it’s nice to see nonetheless.
“Is there a plan once we’re in?” I wonder, stepping towards the harnesses at the front of the carriage.
Applejack pulls her hood over her head and looks towards me. “Well, the theory is that the Element of Harmony, or whatever it is she used to brainwash the guards, is what’s giving her power. Heck, might have been what corrupted her in the first place. So, the plan is to get it away from her. Destroy it, if necessary.”
Oh, a total walk in the park, then. “That ain’t going to be easy,” Caramel says, voicing the concerns of everypony present. “What happens if the theory is wrong?”
“Then I’ll see you all at the Gates of Tartarus,” she tells him, getting a worried glare from the rest of us. “Don’t worry, okay? O’course it won’t be easy, but if we pull it off, everything will be fine. I swear.”
Shit, this is a suicide mission, isn’t it? There’s no way this can work. We’ll all be cut down trying, or executed at the gallows. I’m never going to get to go home, or be able to see all of my friends again. I’ll die here, and they will never know what happened to me.
No, stop it, Rainbow Dash. You can do this. You know you can. And, if you can’t, then you’re damn well going to try. It’s your only chance. You are going to get home, and you will see your friends again, okay?
I take a few deep breaths, calming myself down and psyching myself up. I can feel my heart pumping in my chest, and the adrenaline kick in, as both I and Cloudchaser strap ourselves into the harnesses on the carriage and prepare to take off. This is it.
“You three ready?” I call back to AJ, Caramel and Flitter as they clamber inside. I adjust a few of the straps on the harness, making sure it’s fitted correctly, before turning back to hear their answer.
“As ready as we’ll ever be, I guess,” Flitter murmurs, glancing up at the city above us again. “It’s dark now, we should get going, right?”
Applejack nods determinedly. “Yeah, come on. Let’s get this mess over and done with.”
“Alright then, here we go.” I nod towards Cloudchaser, and we both begin to gallop forward, before taking to the air, hauling the carriage behind us. It’s a strange feeling, having to pull something along behind me as I fly. Not something I’m used to, at any rate. Too restrictive, you know? Besides, I’ve never really had any reason to. Not since I moved from Cloudsdale to Ponyville.
I wonder what happened to Cloudsdale in this alternate reality. Probably the same as everywhere else, I guess. Oppressed by the new regime, with pegasus guards roaming the streets at all hours of the day and night. Hopefully my parents are okay, or the parents of this world’s Rainbow Dash, or whatever. I’m confusing myself now, great. Still, I realise that I miss my parents, since I can’t remember the last time I actually saw them. Heck, I think I miss just about everypony.
Come on Dash, you’re getting off-topic; losing focus. The city on the mountain is growing closer, and Applejack is about to start giving me directions on where to land, as close to the castle as possible. There are a number of guard towers scattered throughout the city, but, as long as we don’t get too close, we’ll look like any other royal carriage going in or out. The cover of darkness works to our advantage too, of course.
“Alright, RD,” Applejack calls out above the noise of the wind. “We’re getting pretty close now. There’s a specific place we can land in the castle gardens that ain’t too watched. I’ll point you towards it once we’re above the city.”
Okay, seems like a plan. One thing doesn’t quite add up though. “How do you know all of this, AJ?” I ask her, glancing back at the carriage itself. “It’s not like you have any blueprints of the castle, or anything.”
She chuckles for a second, before replying, “That’s a simple one. I’ve got you.”
Huh? “What do you mean?”
She chuckles again. “Don’t ya remember, RD? I told ya that you tried to steal Twilight’s crown-thingy before. It gave you a golden opportunity to keep an eye out for anything that could help us when this day came. Obviously, you told me about it before this whole “alternate you” thing went down.”
Oh, right. “Huh. Alright, I guess that makes sense.” Actually, now that I think about it, I can recall things about Canterlot I haven’t seen before. Not the regular version of me, at least. Does that mean I have the life and memories of two different Rainbow Dashes inside my head. I don’t really like the sound of that. Hopefully it all goes back to normal when I return to my world; to my body. I think I’ll have enough problems to deal with as it is.
We’re passing over the city walls now, and our target is getting closer. “Okay, everypony!” I hear Applejack say in a hushed voice as we guide the carriage above Canterlot. “Keep your cool, and we’ll get through this fine, alright?” I can practically feel the tension shared between all five of us right now, but we all do our best not to show it.
I keep an eye on each and every guard tower as we pass by them. Each have a few guards stationed on lookout duty at the top, but none have raised the alarm, or seem to have noticed anything out of the ordinary at all. This is good. Maybe we can pull this thing off after all. The castle gardens are fast approaching, so the two of us begin to descend closer to the ground.
“Here goes nothing,” I hear Cloudchaser mutter, as the ground rapidly approaches. With a deep breath, I plant my hooves down, slowing down the carriage behind me as fast as possible as we touch down in a quiet area near the back of the castle. Thankfully, it looks as though we’ve gone completely undetected. How long that will last for is anypony’s guess, but I’m not about to go ruining it now. We all need to tread carefully. Having every single guard in the royal palace on our case would be very, very bad. Obviously.
Applejack wastes no time in hopping out of the carriage. “Alright, time to get this thing out of sight,” I hear her murmur as she rears up and plants her front hooves on the front. After Cloudchaser and I unhook ourselves, and the rest have climbed out, she begins to push the stolen carriage into a hiding place, behind a nearby shed. Well, there will be no gardeners about at this time of night, so, hopefully, nopony will see it.
“Okay, listen up, everypony,” Applejack announces in a hushed voice as she trots back to the rest of us. “Here’s how things are going down. We keep quiet, and make our way towards the throne room. If what Dash told me before is correct, the queen holds court until around nine o’clock, so we should have plenty of time to take it slow and steady.”
“That’s still a few hours away,” Caramel points out. “Yeah, we shouldn’t need to hurry at all.”
Applejack nods, then turns to me. “Alright then, Dash. You know the way, so lead on.” Memories of my alternate self trying to steal Twilight’s crown a few days ago spring to the front of my mind, and I find that this version of the castle is largely the same as the one I’m familiar with back home. Well, that works to my advantage.
“Okay, everypony,” I whisper, as we set off. “Keep yourselves spread apart, and make sure to quietly take out any guards you think might be a problem.” The fact that I’m ordering the rest of them to kill with impunity is kind of jarring, to say the least, but I guess it’s just my other self shining through. Now that I think about it, what exactly happened to the mind of my alternate self, if I got dumped into her body? Did she get dumped into mine? Did we merge somehow? The latter seems more likely.
As we leave the quieter areas of the gardens, we manage to spot a few guard patrols up ahead. Thankfully, there are plenty of places to hide. Bushes, large patches of vegetation. Heck, even the odd cart filled with flower petals, leaves, or, oddly, hay. Still, I wasn’t complaining. Slowly, I crept up to one of the carts and, glancing back at my friends, hopped inside, waiting for the opportunity to strike. The others had similar ideas. Peeking out, I saw Caramel spring out from a patch of vegetation and, while nopony else was looking, drive his blade into a guard standing nearby, before quickly dragging him down and laying his body out of sight.
One of the guards was getting close now, but not quite close enough. Furthermore, he seemed to have noticed hoofprints left in the dirt by one of my friends, and was getting suspicious. In a desperate attempt to divert his attention, I let a small whistle escape my lips, loud enough for only him to hear.
“Huh? What was that?” I hear him mutter to himself, turning to face my hiding spot. He decides to investigate, so I draw myself further inside, making sure I am completely hidden. I can hear his hoofsteps, growing ever closer. After a few seconds, I can practically feel him right outside, about to prod and poke his spear through my hiding spot and, if I didn’t do something about it, me as well. In an instant, I pop out of the pile of leaves and lunge forward, stabbing him quickly and cleanly in the side of the neck. Nothing but a surprised gasp leaves his lips as I drag his body into the cart with me, hiding it from sight.
To say sharing a cart full of leaves with a dead body is unnerving would be a massive understatement. Thankfully, I notice Applejack take out the last of the patrols in the area. Somehow, she managed to haul herself up into one of the trees, and is using a length of rope to hang the last guard by his neck. Grim, but effective. She always was good with a lasso. He struggles for breath, but, eventually, goes limp. Now that her prey has been finished off, my friend pulls on the rope, hauling him upward and tying his body to the sturdy branch she had been standing on before dropping down. Huh, pretty smart. Nopony ever looks up. Now that the coast is clear, for the time being, I gladly hop out of the cart and trot towards her, making sure to keep an eye out, just in case.
"Wow, AJ, that was brutal," I comment as she hops down from her hiding place up above.
"Got the job done, quick and quiet, didn't it?" she shoots back, glancing around and over her shoulders.
She has a point. Still, it is creepy to see my friend so coldly efficient like this. I resist the urge to shiver, either from the chilly night air or the thought that just ran through my mind. "I guess so," I say weakly as we press onwards, further through the gardens. Thankfully, by the looks of it, those were some of the only guards patrolling around here, since we can’t see many more, and the ones we do are far enough away to not be a problem for us. Slowly but surely, we make our way towards one of the castle’s entrances.
We’re nearing the main throne room now. Looking up, I notice that the stained glass windows, depicting all of the major events throughout Equestria’s history, even before me and my friends used the Elements of Harmony, are gone, replaced with generic windows instead. That’s strange. Did some of those things never happen here, or did Queen Twilight just erase all trace of them, replacing it all with her propaganda instead? With all the stories and rumours I’ve heard, it was certainly possible.
Unfortunately, since we’re so close to the throne room, where Twilight is still holding court, there are loads of guards around. For now, we all stick to our hiding spots around the garden, watching for any patterns in their behaviour. Unfortunately, it’s hard for us to pick any of them off, since they all seem to have each other’s backs covered. Being so close to the windows, however, I can make out a conversation going on inside.
“Good evening, your highness,” I hear a stallion say. “I regret to inform you that the Griffon Kingdom has refused to enter into any kind of diplomacy with your ambassadors, following the incident earlier this week.” His voice is stuttery, as if he’s scared being in her mere presence. That doesn’t bode well.
A reply comes a few seconds later, which fills me with dread. “Gah, fools!” I hear the queen exclaim. Yep, no doubt about it. That’s definitely Twilight Sparkle. Even if she’s not the same one I know, I’m having second thoughts about the idea of having to kill her if things go south. “Everything is falling apart!” she continues. “First this, that train debacle in Ponyville! I thought you and your soldiers were handling this ‘merry band of rebels’, captain!”
“R-rest assured, your majesty, my soldiers and I are doing everything in our power to ensure that they are brought to justice.” Yep, he’s definitely scared out of his skin. Strange, for somepony under some sort of mind control spell.
“I hope, for your sake, that you’re right, captain,” the queen replies, in a menacing tone. “Because if you can’t, you can be assured that I will dispose of you, and find somepony who can! Am I making myself clear?”
I hear him whimper slightly, and feel a soft pang of guilt for the poor guy. “Crystal, ma’am!” I guess, by the rapid sound of hooves clopping against marble, that he’s making a quick retreat. Can’t really blame him.
All out of ideas, our best bet is to just sit here and wait, until court finishes and, hopefully, most of the guards disperse. Thankfully, our hiding spots are not being investigated, since the guards have no reason to be suspicious, so we can just sit out the next hour or so, planning our moves.
An hour passes, and only a few guards remain. Looking over at AJ, we can both tell that it’s the time to strike. Judging by the conversation going on inside the throne room, court is over, and Queen Twilight is preparing to retire to her chambers. As much as I dread to think about it, she needs to be stopped, maybe even killed. No matter what, though, I need to get that crown away from her, and convince her to send me home.
I notice Applejack nod to Flitter, who has a guard patrolling nearby her hiding spot. The pegasus nods back, and whistles out loud, attracting the nearby stallion’s attention. Must be a universal assassin tactic, I guess. Confused but suspicious, he decides to investigate the dense bushes that my friend has hidden herself in. He edges closer, and the time for her to strike grows nearer.
In an instant, she strikes, though not without a fatal mistake.
In her desperation to kill her target quickly, Flitter accidentally neglects to cover the mouth of the stallion as she stabs, leading to him yelling out in pain as she does so. He dies quickly, but the damage has already been done. Another guard, attracted by the sudden and loud noise, turns to face it just in time to see his friend’s corpse dragged out of sight. His stern demeanor suddenly changes to one of panic.
“Alarm!” he yells out almost instantly, and I cringe. Well, so much for subtlety. “Assassin! Raise the alarm!”
He starts to sprint towards Flitter’s hiding spot as one of his comrades runs off to raise the alarm. “I’m torn between stopping him from getting to my friend or making sure the other stays quiet, but I figure almost everypony in the castle heard that yell, so I break from my hiding spot in a burst of speed. Thankfully, he doesn’t see me as I leap forward and drive my hidden blade into the back of his neck, sending him sprawling to the ground.
I hear the sound of hooves rapidly approaching. Okay, time for a fight. One guard soon reaches me, and holds his spear menacingly. I hear one of his friends fast approaching, weapon raised, from behind. Thinking fast, I kick the first stallion hard, sending him toppling to the ground, before turning around and grabbing his friend’s spear mid-swing. Unable to pull it from his iron grasp, I resort to a second option. I rear up onto my hindlegs and lift the spear over my head, throwing the guard over me and onto his dazed friend. Before they can react, I drive the spear straight through both of them, killing them.
More of them keep coming, managing to split us all apart into individual groups. As I hold my own, I can see Flitter and Cloudchaser fighting back to back, while Caramel and Applejack have their hooves full. I don’t have time to pay much attention to them, though. The attacks keep coming, and it takes all of my effort just to block or dodge them, much less counter them. Still, I manage to whittle them down, until two remain.
One of the final two, a unicorn, lunges forward with his spear. I sidestep the attack and grab his weapon, managing to snap it in half and knock him back in one quick motion. As I go to fight his buddy, I notice the infuriated guard pick up the sharpened end of the spear with his magic and throw it at me. Thinking quick, I thrust forward and grab his friend, yanking him around to block the spear. Luckily, it works, and he goes limp in my hooves as the spear impales him. Capitalising on the final guard’s shock, I jump forward, blade extended. He does nothing as I bury it into the side of his neck, killing him instantly.
Now that I’m done with my share of the guards, I go to move across the garden to help my friends. Only I can’t. No matter how much I try, I can’t seem to move a muscle in my body. What gives? This must be some kind of spell.
Oh no.
All I can do is watch as Queen Twilight Sparkle effortlessly teleports in front of me, in a flash of bright light. She looks just like the Twilight I know and love. She’s still a unicorn though. Guess usurping the throne doesn’t automatically make you an alicorn. Like we predicted, her element of harmony, the tiara, or crown, or whatever it is, sits atop her head. Not exactly harmonious right now, though.
“You,” she hisses, lifting me into the air with her magic. I try to struggle, to do something to break free of her grasp, but it’s no use. “It’s been you, and you little group of assassins causing me all of this trouble.”
“Twilight, please,” I manage to gasp, looking down at her pleadingly. “Please, stop all of this.”
The queen glares at me for a second, before throwing me against the wall in a fit of anger. “That’s Queen to you!” she bellows, her voice amplified with magic. The blow knocked the wind out of me, leaving me defenceless as she lifts me up once again. “All of you have been a thorn in my side for too long,” she continues. I look to the side, and see my friends still caught up fighting, in no position to help whatsoever. “The griffons, the train line. I didn’t forget you, by the way.” She draws me closer, bringing us directly face to face. “I remember that you were the one who tried to steal my crown.”
By Celestia, this is bad. She continues to scowl at me, and I suddenly find it difficult to breathe. Oh, shit. She’s choking me! I try to struggle, to somehow escape from her spell, but I can do nothing. She pays no attention as I cough and splutter, and simply continues her rant.
“Now you have the audacity to make an attempt on my life?” she yells, tightening her hold. “Have no doubts, assassin. That was a fatal mistake.”
“Just... want to... go home...” I manage to say, feeling faint.
She smirks for a second, before resuming her usual glare. “Is this all it takes to reduce your kind to begging and pleading?” My vision is fading now, and I look to the side just in time to see all of my friends get overwhelmed by the sheer number of guards fighting. One by one, they fall. Caramel is taken by surprise, getting tripped onto the ground from behind and subsequently run through with one of the guard’s spears. Another guard gets a lucky hit on Cloudchaser, and Flitter, distracted with grief, goes down quickly as well. I can’t bring myself to shout, or cry. All I feel is a single tear run down my cheek as I look on.
As for Applejack, well...
Wait, where is Applejack?
I try to look around for her, but just can’t find the energy. This is it. I failed. I’m going to die, just like everypony else. I want to fight, but I just feel so tired. So very tired.
Maybe I’ll just rest my eyes for a bit...
All of sudden, I find the magical hold on my body lifted, and I topple to the ground in a winded heap. I’m dazed and confused. What’s going on? Then, I hear a familiar voice cry out in anger, and look up to see Applejack, who had just tackled Twilight to the ground.
“No, AJ, don’t kill her!” I try to shout out, but end up coughing instead. I’m still too tired to move, so all I can do is watch. My friend raises her hoof, and I see the glint of her hidden blade as it extends from her bracer. Twilight, however, kicks her off, growling with rage. I manage to climb to my hooves, but it takes some effort. I see Twilight’s horn light up, and her magic envelops Applejack’s head. What is she doing?
Then it dawns on me. The very idea makes me feel sick to the stomach. I’m too far away, and too weakened, to help. All I can do is close my eyes. I don’t want to see this.
A sickening crack echoes through the air, and I peek open my eyes just in time to see my friend fall to the ground, stone dead. Just like the rest. Without thinking, I dive forward, giving a feral cry. In this fit of rage, all I can see is red as I dive onto Queen Twilight, instinctively plunging my blade into the side of her neck. It takes all of my self-control to only stab her once, and not to repeatedly shiv her until I’m sure she is dead.
Just like that, it’s over. The unicorn falls to the ground, and the crown tumbles from her head. By Celestia, what have I done? I may have just ended any hope I had of getting home.
Twilight coughs painfully, looking up at me. Behind us, I can hear all of the guards crying out in pain for some reason. I pull my blade out and cover her wound with my hoof, in an effort to stop the bleeding. Maybe there was still hope.
She looks around, at all of the bodies that surround us, then finally towards the crown that lies a few feet away. “Oh no,” she whispers. “What have I done?”
“Twilight? Why did you do all of this?”
“The Elements of Harmony,” she tries to explain. “I found one: the Element of Magic. Tried to study them. But one without the rest only corrupts.” She winces, and coughs up some blood. “It gave me power. Unlimited power. Corrupted me. I wasn’t myself.”
I can feel myself crying openly now, as I look down at her. “I know,” I tell her simply.
My friend struggles for breath, before staring into my eyes one last time. “Please... forgive me,” she whispers, before going limp, her eyes staring up into nothingness. Shaken, I remove my blood soaked hoof from the side of her neck, and use it to close her eyes out of respect. Then, I turn around, and gallop over to Applejack's fallen form.
"AJ?" I whisper, kneeling down beside her. Her eyes are widen open in shock, too. Her last moment, completely mortified, forever etched upon her face. Pushing back the urge to just sit back and wail, I lower her eyelids as well, giving a moment of silence as I cry for my friend. All of this was for naught. Twilight's dead, I can't get home now. At the very least, I hope things get better here.
Shit. What am I going to do? Everypony’s fucking dead.
I glance over at the fallen element. The crown is shimmering, with tendrils of white light magically extending out from it and towards me. “Huh?” I murmur, looking at it closer. It starts to shine more brightly as I get closer, until loads of tendrils burst out and into me, blinding me with a white light.
What’s going on? Is the element sending me home? An idea runs through my mind, that perhaps this alternate world was merely a projection from the elements themselves. A warning about what might happen if one is separated from the others, or used for chaotic purposes. Maybe Twilight’s spell was just a projection spell, instead of a gateway to other universes.
I don’t get any more time to think about it, however, as the light completely envelops me, and I pass out.
After all this time, it might be finally happening. After all the death, and destruction. After all the mayhem, and the crazy alternate universe, I might finally be going home.
Or, I might be dying. I might be being dragged down to the depths of Tartarus for everything that I've done. All the ponies I've killed, who were likely just following orders out of their own fear. Does killing them make me a monster? I mean, it's not like I wanted to. The whole time, I didn't have a choice.
Did I?
The light here is blinding, It's all I can see; all I can feel. No matter where I look, all I can see is this bright, white light. Maybe this is some sort of Purgatory, and I'm doomed to rot away here forever. It's a very real possibility at this point, but I try not to think about it. I just sit and pray that the Element of Harmony is, somehow, finally sending me home.
My friends. That's what I've been fighting for this whole time, I realise. My friends are important to me, and I know that I am important to them. Even in Queen Twilight's world, it was Applejack who helped me along. I would have probably been caught the first night had she not been there. In the end, what are we without our friends, right? We support each other.
Heck, if I am getting home, I think I'll need quite a bit of support, as much as I hate to admit it. Everything that's happened has been too much. All the killing, all the death. It's scarred me.
Something catches my eye, just at the corner of my vision. A blotch of colour, in this never ending, depressing sea of white. I have no idea what it actually is, though. It's like a drop of paint on a blank canvas, but moving, expanding, and getting closer towards me. Is this some sort of portal to take me back home. By Celestia, I hope so. The... whatever it is, is changing. I think I can make out some sort of image, but its too blurry to see exactly what it is. By now, however, I don't even care. I force my broken body to move, galloping towards it with all of my effort. Praying to Celestia that this will work, I leap forward, and brace for impact.
My ears flatten back against my head instinctively as a deafening screech pierces them. I cry out in pain, barely noticing that I tumble across the floor in the process. My ears are still ringing, and my vision is fuzzy. But I'm definitely somewhere now. I can feel the floor beneath me. It's... carpet, I think. Could it be?
"Rainbow Dash? Is that you?"
Despite the biting pain, I roll onto my back, recognising the familiar voice. I blink a few times, and my vision clears. I'm back. Back at the castle library. How long I've been gone here is anypony's guess. I look up, and see an orange mare standing over me, concern and worry all but written across her face.
"RD?" she repeats. "Can ya hear me?" She pauses for a second, noticing the state I'm in. "And what in tarnation are you wearing?"
I try to say something, anything, but no words come out. I only look up into the eyes of my friend. Sitting up, and with tears welling in my eyes, I give in. I lunge forward, clutching my friend in a fierce embrace, finally releasing the tears I've been holding for so long. I bawl and cry, hugging her as she returns the favour, albeit confusedly.
"Gracious? What's gotten into ya, girl?" she wonders, looking to the rest of my friends for some clarification. Unsurprisingly, they're as stumped as she is. "What in the world happened to ya?" I don't say anything, and simply cling to her like a foal clinging to its favourite stuffed toy. Though the tears blur my vision, I can make out the rest of our friends surrounding us, each as confused and worried as the next. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Spike, and...
Twilight.
The newly-crowned princess takes a step towards me, and I flinch backwards without thinking. She pauses, a hurt look spread across her face, and I manage to look up at her.
"Rainbow Dash," she says, soothingly and gently. "You've only been gone for a few hours. What happened to you in there? Where'd you get that costume?"
Taking a deep breath, I manage to stop blubbering and shaking and sit up properly. "I..." To be honest, I have no idea what to say. I look up at her again, and find myself overcome with an irrational fear once more. "By Celestia, you killed her!" I spurt out, clutching Applejack once again.
My mind wanders back to my final moments in that horrifying alternate reality. They were all dead. The final stab that fell Queen Twilight was an exclamation mark to everything that had led up to that point. I know I shouldn't be scared or upset with Twilight here. I know that she's not the same pony. But still, I can't help it. I'll have to tell them all about what happened, at some point. I can't just leave them in the dark. Having calmed down slightly, I release AJ once again, and look up at Twilight. She looks mortified, and on the brink of tears, no doubt over what I just said. I quietly apologise, and hug her as well.
After releasing her, I notice her horn light up with magic, and the old dusty book containing the spell comes floating over. "I don't know what happened in there, Dash," she says to me quietly. "But it can't have been good. Perhaps it's best to leave this spell alone for a while." I nod slowly, and she levitates the book back onto one of the bookshelves.
Sighing, I look down at myself. I'm covered in dried, flaking blood, no doubt that some of it is my own. Despite this, however, my eyes fall to the hidden blades strapped to my forehooves. I stare down at them, contemplating all that I've done, before pulling both off, one at a time. I inspect them for a moment, thinking about all of the lives I've taken with nothing but a pair of tiny blades. Then, I simply let them fall to the floor.
No more.
***
You know, Ponyville looks a lot better when the ponies living here can move around town freely, without fear of oppression.
No, Dash, stop it. Remember what they told you. You can only move past it once you stop thinking about it, okay? That's what Twilight said. Now get a grip.
Still, I think it's going to be pretty hard not to think about what happened only a few days ago, considering what I'm doing right now. I try not to think too much about it, though, and instead try to relax. Not at all hard to do, when you think about it. Ponyville's back the way I love it. The sun is shining in the mid-afternoon sky, cheerful ponies are greeting me as I glide past them. Everything's finally back to normal, and normal is exactly what I need right now.
The chirpy sound of a young colt's voice draws my attention. "Rainbow Dash!" I glance to the side, and see Rumble galloping towards me, having broken away from playing with his friends. "I heard you were looking for my big brother," he informs me, smiling as I set down in front of him.
"Heh, sure am," I say, ruffling the kid's mane. "Just need to talk to him about a few things to do with the weather team." I'm lying, of course. If Rumble could tell, he didn't show it. "Is he at home?"
The little guy nods earnestly. "Yeah, he's just lazing about." Heh, no real surprises there. "Said he didn't have anything to do today so he was going to lie in. Maybe his captain can make his lazy flank get out of bed." He giggles, and I roll my eyes and smirk.
"Why, that lazy little buck!" I announce, smirking towards Rumble playfully. "I don't have time for pegasi who sit on their flanks all day!" He giggles a bit more, and I find myself joining him. Huh, haven't done that in a while. Glad to see I'm lightening up a bit. "Heh, alright, kid," I say to him, ruffling his mane again. "Catch you later!"
He waves goodbye, and I flap my wings, waving back before taking off back down the street.
It's only been a few days since I got back, but its still taking some getting used to. I was only in that alternate reality for... what was it? A few days? A week, tops. Even so, its hard adjusting back to regular life in regular Equestria. I find myself getting jumpy, freaking out over the slightest noise. I know its not the same, and I keep trying to tell myself that, but its still hard.
Right now, though, I'm not worrying about that. I'm off to see that cocky stallion on my weather team, Thunderlane. Since my most recent memory of the guy is of him bleeding out from a stab wound, I think its best that I catch up with him. Maybe get to know him a bit better. Sometimes you take things, and ponies, for granted, you know?
I soon arrive at his house. Briefly, I remember the lifeless bodies of the guards I killed here, in alternate Ponyville, but I quickly push the thought back. It's all behind you now, Dash. Instead focusing on the future, I move forward and, with a deep breath, knock on the door.
"Ugh, gimme a minute," I hear him groan from somewhere inside. Yep, Rumble wasn't lying. I snicker slightly, and wait patiently. I give my wings a stretch, and sigh contently. I think everything's going to be just fine from now on.
The door opens suddenly, and I'm greeted by the dark gray pegasus, completely disheveled and ungroomed. In other words, the universal look of "I just crawled out of bed" was standing before me. He notices me, and his eyes widen. He runs a hoof through his messy mane in an attempt to tidy it, and chuckles nervously. "Oh, hey cap," he says, smiling sheepishly. "Did we get a new weather schedule for today, or something?"
I chuckle at his nervous reaction, and step forward. "No, nothing like that," I tell him, relaxing him a little. "I just wanted to stop by and say hi."
My reply throws him off a little. "Oh, okay." He steps aside. "Come in, please. Sorry, the place is kinda messy."
He's not lying, that's for sure. I thank him anyway, and step inside his house.
"I heard something happened when you went up to Canterlot the other day," he comments as he closes the door. I stop dead in my tracks and sigh, before turning to face him. "Did you want to talk about that?"
I go to reply, but instead step forward and hug him. Harder than I really intend to, I think. He's obviously surprised by the sudden display of affection, but quickly returns the favour. "Yeah, something happened," I murmur, pulling back. "But I've talked enough about that with all of my friends. No, I just wanted to..." I pause, and look up at him. He looks me in the eye, waiting patiently for me to finish, and I blush slightly. Maybe he noticed, but I don't care. "I just wanted to talk."
The stallion nods and smiles silently, before inviting me to sit down on the couch. Yeah, I doubt I'm being very subtle at this point. He doesn't seem to mind, though.
Heh. Yep, everything's going to be just fine.
***
"Are you sure you're okay, RD?"
I snap out of my inner thoughts, and look up. Applejack is staring back at me, a bottle of Apple Family cider in her hands and concern all but written across her face. I stay silent for a second, and she continues.
"After what you told all of us, I can't help but think that you went through Tartarus itself."
I smile, and nod slightly. "I'm fine, Applejack. Really, I am. It's been a few weeks now, after all, and you've been here for me."
She chuckles, sitting back and sipping her drink. "Don't y'all give me all the credit now, ya hear?"
I raise my hooves and shrug. "Okay, you and everypony else. Honestly, though, thank you."
My friend grins and claps me on the shoulder. "Don't you mention it, Rainbow Dash, Heh, what else are friends for, anyway?" I grab her hoof and pull her into a hug, and she giggles. "Darn, you goin' all sappy on me again?"
Pushing her away playfully, I roll my eyes and say, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Excuse me for pouring out my heart." I stick out my tongue, and she giggles again, before offering me a bottle of cider. I gladly accept, popping off the lid and taking a swig.
"So, I gotta know." AJ leans in closer to me. "Just what was I like in that crazy reality you visited?"
Oh, you don't even know the half of it. "The same mostly," I tell her. "You were angrier, though, on account of some..." I pause, thinking for a way to put her brother's death lightly. "...family losses."
She grimaces, and sits back. Yeah, I think she got my point. "Oh. On second thought, I don't think I want to know," she mutters, looking away. I kind of feel bad for merely putting the thought of losing one of her kin inside her head. I know how the Apples appreciate family, above all else.
All this talk about the Apple Family in alternate Equestria reminds me of something, though. There's something I need to go and check out. I tap Applejack on the shoulder and make up some sort of excuse to go and use the filly's room, before trotting out of the living room and through the kitchen. The idea I had was unlikely, but I wanted to check anyway. Making sure nopony else is around, I make my way past the staircase, stopping to face a familiar painting hanging on the wall underneath. It's the same painting, that's for sure. An old, tacky piece of art, probably a gift from some distant family member.
Tentatively, a reach out with my hoof to touch the fading picture. I'm almost scared to touch it, for some unknown reason. I trace my hoof along it, before gripping onto the frame and tilting it to the side.
The painting tilts, and promptly falls off the wall and onto the floor. Well, that was anti-climactic. Feeling kind of stupid, I pick it up in my hooves carefully, and hang it back on the wall quickly, before anypony else notices. No, Rainbow Dash, this painting is not a hidden doorknob to a hidden basement for a group of secret Assassins. Not in this universe, at least.
I take one last look at the old thing, before turning and walking away, ready to start anew. No more Assassins. No more evil, crazed queens possessed by ancient artifacts. No more psychotic alternate realities. Just life. Regular life, in Ponyville, with my friends.
