“No!” Dr. Negative cried, scrambling backwards on the ground as his own groaning servants began to swarm him. He managed to get a short distance across the courtyard before he backed into a wall. “What have you done? Wha-what have you done?” He fumbled through his satchel and seized a small vial with his hoof.

His triumphant cheer was cut short though, as the vial was knocked out of his grasp and  beneath the horde of drugged ponies. Frantically, he reached for his bag again, only to find it crushed beneath the hooves of a large red stallion; multicolored fluids coated the ground around it. “No!” He cried out, his eyes wide with fear.

“It's no use, Doctor,” Daring Do called out in a cold, unfeeling tone as she watched the physician's struggle from her perch on the balcony above. “You did this to yourself.” She hopped off the railing and started for the door, walking past a fedora-wearing Earth pony.

“You're just going to leave him?” he asked, following her back into the manor. “Seems a little cold for you, DeeDee...”

Daring paused as the door shut, canceling out the screams of agony now echoing about the place. Her gaze fell to the floor with her wings. “It’s not like he doesn't deserve whatever happens to him down there.” She shuddered. “Brainwashing ponies like that... It's... It's just wrong.”

When no response came, Daring's eyes shot up. She could handle danger; give her a crazed doctor with way too many drugs or an ancient temple filled with traps and she couldn't care any less—but him? She needed him. If she upset him—scared him off or ignited his righteous fury—she'd never forgive herself. A quivering desperation seeping into her tone, Daring asked, “You... You don't think I'm a horrible pony for this, do you?”

A brown hoof settled on her shoulder as Manehatten Silver looked her straight in her watery eyes. “No,” he said softly, pulling her into his embrace. “Negative's the monster here, not you.”

Daring choked back a sob as she nuzzled deeper into Silver's chest. “Wh-when he had you—back at the lab... You... a-and the syringe... When you... When you...” Her words failed her and turned into incomprehensible sobs. Gently, a hoof patted her back. Soft words were whispered into her ears, causing her to only hold on tighter to the stallion she'd so nearly lost.

“I was so scared,” she whimpered. Her whole body trembled in his forelegs, but he only held her tighter. “I wanted to kill him—I wanted to rip his throat out and stomp it into the dirt! I-I—”

“Shh,” Silver whispered, running a hoof down the pegasus's gray-scaled mane. “It's over now,” he said. “It's all over.”  

“All I could think about was that night in Fillydelphia,” Daring continued, “And how stupid I was for walking out and... I'm so sorry...”

Biting his lip, Silver shifted his weight and looked away from his long-time friend and rival adventurer. “Look, Dare, you don't have to—“ A tan hoof interrupted him and jarred his face down towards Daring Do's. Her eyes shone like rubies in the dim light of the hall.

“Just shut up and kiss me,” she whispered, pulling him closer. Her wings flared as their lips furiously collided in a passionate—

“What?” Rainbow Dash cried indignantly, raising her hooves in the air."WHAT?" She exclaimed, venting her rage at the book before her with furious distaste. “That's... that's... What!?!” she sputtered out, her hooves flailing about in the air as she tried desperately to process this obvious insanity.

“So sweet,” Twilight sighed dreamily, utterly oblivious to Rainbow's complete loss of composure. She closed her eyes and smiled lazily, her tail lightly sweeping across the wooden floor of the library. “Don't you think so, Rainbow?” she asked in a cheerful sort of voice, turning her head to regard the pegasus bemusedly.

“So not!” the pegasus retorted, batting the novel aside. It flew across the room and was stopped short of the wall by an enveloping magical glow. Paying no mind to Twilight's irritated stare, Rainbow hurled herself to her hooves and began to pace around the pile of cushions on the floor. “What about Rosetta?” she demanded, flapping her wings in obvious aggravation and letting out a huff of breath. "What about her feelings, huh?!" She demanded again of Twilight, shaking her hoof firmly.

“What about her?” Twilight asked, slightly amused at Dash's reaction. Her eyes traced over the cover that read Daring Do and The Dastardly Doctor before she gently floated the book back to its proper place on the shelf, alongside its numerous cousins. “She's still back at the college, right?” Twilight said with an arched eyebrow, wondering idly just what mad thought had buried itself in Dash's brain this time.

Dash huffed and blew a stray bit of her mane out of her face, fixing Twilight with a steely glare. “So?” She spat out angrily, tossing her mane firmly over her ears. "SO?" She continued with incredulity, planting her flank on the ground and turning her head away with a huff.

“Sooooo...” Twilight drew out the word slowly, rolling her hoof in the air in a gesture for her friend to explain further. When Rainbow didn't turn around, she sighed. I don't want to know, I don't want to know... Oh, ponyfeathers. “What's the problem?” Twilight asked, her voice thick with dread, really wishing her curiosity wouldn't keep getting the better of her

“What's the problem!?” Rainbow roared, spinning around. Twilight stumbled back in surprise as Dash's hooves slammed into the floor and shook the picture frames on the walls. "Can't you see this is all wrong?" Nostrils flared, Rainbow began prowling around the room, her head lowered and her voice a low growl. “How can Daring just... Why would she... He's totally wrong for her!”

Twilight felt a migraine coming on, but she was beginning to get worried about her friend. “Rainbow?” she said slowly, watching Rainbow curse and rage at the heavens, feeling as though she'd missed something. “Are you okay?” Twilight asked tentatively, trying to soothe her angry friend.

“No!” dash yelled, burying her hooves in her face as she sank into a sitting position on the cushions again. “Yes!” She half sobbed at the floor as Twilight stood up and stepped closer, Dash's voice cracking under the strain. “Ugh! I don't know! I don't get it! It doesn't make any sense!” Dash wailed, throwing her hooves up in defeat and then dropping them down into her lap.

Now Twilight was thoroughly confused. She placed her hoof at her temple and slowly began to rub there, feeling a headache coming on. “What don't you understand?” she asked again, still trying to remain as patient as she possibly could.

“She kissed him!” Dash said bitterly, glaring at the book on the shelf in accusation “That's what doesn't make any sense!” Once again her hooves came up, in righteous indignation. "How can you be so smart and not see what's wrong with that?!"

Twilight gave her friend a patient look, frowning in concentration as she tried to follow Dash's convoluted chain of logic. “What is wrong with that? I think it's a very sweet conclusion to the story.” she remarked, her face a study in puzzlement.

Dash stared at her for a moment, then facehoofed. After a few moments of awkward silence, she said in her most patient voice, “But what about Rosetta?” she asked, as though she was trying to explain the concept to a filly.

Twilight brought a hoof to her head and rubbed her temple, feeling that headache definitely coming on now. “I don't think I understand where you're going with this, Rainbow,” she groaned. “What do you mean?” she enunciated every word, hoping her impatience would finally bleed through to Rainbow's ears.

Dash rolled her eyes, signaling that she'd heard Twilight's exasperation, but obviously not ready to give it up yet. . “I mean that Daring totally belongs with Rosetta—not stinkin' Silver!” She finally snapped out, smacking her forehoof into the ground.

Twilight stared at Rainbow for a moment, obviously trying to process that statement. “What?” she said flatly, her tone incredulous. “You're joking. You've got to be joking. Right?” Twilight plead quietly, sending up a little prayer to the princess that Dash was not about to start an argument over this.

Rainbow's face went stony, dashing all of Twilight's hopes on the subject. Her wings ruffled and she said in a just as flat tone of voice. “No, I'm not.” She re-folded her wings back behind her and crossed her hooves, practically pouting now.

Twilight gave an eyeroll, her voice taking on a pedantic tone. “But there's been no evidence that Rosetta and Daring feel anything more than platonic friendship at all, Rainbow,” Twilight giggled despite Rainbow's steadily growing scowl, finding this whole conversation immensely funny. “Not a single scrap in the whole series!”

Dash's eyes drifted down to the floor and grumbled something non-committal, her wings displaying her agitation quite spectacularly as feathers and down fluff shed out of her rapidly flapping wings.. Without thinking, her gaze shot back to her friend and she protested, “They got milkshakes in the beginning of the book!” She said, and even before it left her lips she knew it was the lamest excuse ever.

“Oh,” Twilight said, smirking, “Then it must be true love!” she said in a voice absolutely oozing with false sincerity.

“It was a date!” Rainbow stuck her tongue out, having decided that - lame excuse or not, she wasn't going to back down from this one. “And that's way better than some stupid kiss!”

“It was not a date!” Twilight countered, her tone exasperated but still obviously amused. “Daring Do has never gone to her for more than advice or to hang out!” she pointed out with ruthlessly logical efficiency, neatly skewering several of Dash's next few points.

“That's not dating?” Dash huffed, glaring at Twilight in slight anger. Why couldn't Twilight just accept it! Dash knew, knew right down to her bones that she was right. “Daring's totally crazy for her! She nearly lost it when Rosetta got kidnapped in The Maltese Griffon too!”

Twilight sighed. "Dash, just because somepony gets a milkshake with somepony else doesn't mean that they're romantically involved.” Twilight said, a hint of annoyance seeping into her tone. She wanted to put a capstone on this argument, and fast. “And don't you think that I'd freak out if any of you girls got kidnapped? I'm hardly in love with Fluttershy, Dash!” She reminded her, trying to firmly put her hoof down here.

Dash's wings flared and her ears slicked back behind her head as she turned to the side to stare out the window sullenly. “I-it wasn't about the milkshakes, Twi...” she mumbled to the floor, feeling the setting sun warming her cheeks as she shuffled her hooves together “I mean, I could totally see that... that they were happy together...” She finished, wishing she was better at this arguing stuff.

Twilight shook her head sadly. Geeze, she's really gotten this thing built up in her head.. “Rainbow, I'm sorry. I don't know how you got the idea that Rosetta and Daring love each other—let alone the fact that they are both homosexual—but it just isn't there.” Twilight tried - she honestly did! To keep her tone gentle and conciliatory. It was clear this was important to Dash, even though Twilight couldn't fathom why.

Rainbow's eyes never rose from the floor. There was a crack traversing the length of one of the boards on the far side of the room, she followed it with her eyes across the floor to Twilight's hooves. She didn't want to look up at Twilight right now, so this would have to do. “But... but it has to be...” she whispered so low that Twilight didn't manage to catch it. “Daring... Daring totally loves her...” her voice cracked a little on those last few words, wishing this sort of thing was easier.

Crap. She's losing it... I've got to find a way to snap her out of it. Arguing seemed to help. Twilight thought, then took a deep breath. “Besides,” Twilight said, tapping her chin with her hoof as if in thought. “Daring and Rosetta would make for a very strange couple—don't you think so, Rainbow Dash? I mean, Rosetta's a professor at Canterlot University—it'd be awful hard for somepony as adventurous and free-spirited as Daring Do to stick around and be in a real relationship with her.” Twilight injected considerable doubt into her tone, hoping it would light the flames of Dash's passion again.

Dash jumped to her hooves, her eyes blazing in determination.  “She could do it if she wanted to! Daring Do could do anything she put her hooves to, no matter how tough it might be!” Her voice rang with the kind of conviction Twilight rarely heard out of dash.

Twilight raised her hooves. I wonder why this is so important to her? She thought, as she continued to speak “I'm not saying that she couldn't,” she reasoned calmly. A scroll on a shelf on the far side of the room lit up in a purple light. It floated over to the duo and presented itself to Twilight, who opened it. An illustration of a pretty unicorn mare with bright green eyes, wearing glasses and a lab coat adored the back. “And I guess I don't see any major flaws in their dynamic...” She said slowly. I've got to try to calm her down without completely crushing her spirits, but... Twilight thought, biting at her lip in thought.

Rainbow's face lit up for a second, a big brilliant smile on her face. “See? Even you gotta admit they'd be great together!” Dash enthused, practically prancing in place with excitement.

Twilight rolled her eyes a little, before continuing where Dash had cut her off. “But there's still the complete lack of anything beyond friendship exhibited in their actions, Rainbow,” Twilight sighed, setting the scroll down on her desk. “Just because they get along doesn't mean that they'd make a good romantic couple. Daring Do has often been shown to have a soft spot for Manehatten Silver—she is obviously in love with him if she asked him to kiss her, after all.” Twilight tried to keep her voice even, gentle. It was clear reason wasn't going to work on Dash this time.

Dash’s smile faltered. Her eyes narrowed as she opened her mouth to say something but before she’d even started to speak, the door to Twilight’s bedroom burst open and a little purple dragon ran through it at top speed. He tumbled to his knees, huffing and puffing as he tried to catch his breath, his claw gripping at his chest dramatically. "Twi... Light.. Trouble...Help..."

“Spike?” Twilight cried out in surprise, rushing over to try and help him up to his feet. The dragon continued to wheeze, but looked up at her when he heard his name called. His eyes went wide and he gripped at her

“Twilight!” he gasped, clutching his chest harder. His other claw came up to grab at her mane firmly, his eyes wide with panic. “She... they... help! It’s horrible!” His voice came out in fast pants. "Rarity... Sweetie Belle... magical accident at... boutique! You gotta... Gotta go help her!" He collapsed then, next to the door, his need for air forcing him to give up his desire to speak and his eyes closing as his body focused entirely on that task.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash both threw a look at each other. Dash nodded quickly, and ran at top speed into the kitchen as Twilight grabbed her emergency saddle bags. "Spike, can you hear me?" Twilight asked, and Spike nodded in understanding. "Good. As soon as you can, go tell the mayor what's happened and send a letter to the Princess."  Spike nodded slowly, still wheezing softly. "Dash and I are going to go and see what we can do in the meantime." Twilight finished, tightening the band of her saddlebags around her midsection.

Dash came galloping out of the kitchen a moment later, with Twilight's insanely comprehensive 'Emergency Aid' kit over her shoulders - complete with medical supplies, food, water, shelter and everything else you might need in an emergency.  The thing was stunningly light for how much stuff Twilight had crammed into it, but Dash was pretty sure magic was involved anyway. "C'mon, Twi!" She yelled as she made for the door. "We don't have time for horsing around!" She said, still a little angry from their argument.

Twilight rolled her eyes and followed closely on Dash's hooves, hoping that Spike was going to be okay. Stop worrying, Twilight. Rarity needs you right now! She lowered her head and picked up speed, trying not to think too hard about exactly what the words 'magical accident' could mean...

The pair of ponies rushed across town at remarkable speed, given that Dash couldn't fly with the damn pack on her back, and Twilight was worried about teleporting next to a magical anomaly. Still, being prepared was more important than speed.... or so Twilight kept telling herself.  Rarity isn't that strong, but if Sweetie Belle is involved the variable gets more complex. Two unicorns, both acting on a single spell with different intents, oh dear, oh dear... Clovers sixth transmuted theorem all over again. She felt her lungs ache a little as they rounded the last turn and sprinted towards the Boutique at top speed. First thing is first, a containment shield around the boutique - then message glyphs so the Princess can follow us in...

Twilight's thoughts came to a crashing halt as they rushed up the stairs - and found the boutique door broken open. "Unhoof me, you ruffian!" Rarity's voice screamed out, and the sounds of a physical struggle came from inside. Dash didn't even hesitate - she threw the pack off her shoulder and with a single flap of her wings went off like a cannon shot through the doorway. Twilight was right behind her, already summoning up a fleet of offensive spells... Only to be stymied by the scene in front of her.

The Boutique was always a little disorganized, but right now it was a complete wreck. Bolts of fabric had been hurled across the room, the two sewing machines Rarity favored had been upturned and now lay in heaps across the ground. In the very center of the boutique, a grotesque spill of purple and silver magic hung in the middle of the air. It rippled and sparked, sending little flashes of lightning across the ceiling and ground and causing burn marks as it did so, the thing resembling nothing so much as some kind of proto-portal... but that didn't make sense! Rarity was not even remotely powerful enough to open a portal of any kind, much less one of this size! "I said, Unhoof me!"  Rarity's voice cried out again, and Twilight's attention snapped around, noticing the now three figures engaged in a struggle on the other side of the portal.

If Twilight Sparkle had been anypony else, she might have frozen in total shock. As it was, she was still momentarily stunned. Rarity was being held firmly around the neck by a crazed looking unicorn stallion wearing a white lab coat and heavy, brass rimmed goggles. His mane was a wild frizz of red and accompanied a similarly frizzed out mustache across his lips. Rarity looked angry and scared in the same breath, and was desperately trying to fight the seemingly mad strength of the strange unicorn - while Rainbow Dash stood in front of them in an aggressive pose. "Stay back, you multi-hued ninny! Or I'll give your little friend here the closest shave she's ever had in her life!" The unicorn spat, and Twilight then saw the shining steel scalpel in his hoof, pressed firmly up to Rarity's horn.

Dash was blowing steam out of her nose in frustration as the madpony slowly backed his way up to the portal. "Keep your distance...And don't you think about using your magic, my sweet." He growled in that same half-crazed voice. "I really do owe you for pulling me out of that jam, and I'd rather... repay you suitably." He growled in a half lustful voice at Rarity, and Rarity wailed in obvious fear.  She was moving, but only at the pressured insistence of that blade. Twilight's mind raced as her horn lit to magic... and she could not come up with a single safe spell to use. Damnit! There's no telling what that portal might do if I cast anything with a real chance of helping her, and if he cuts her horn with that thing... Twilight didn't want to contemplate that possibility.

Rainbow Dash, however, was clearly not thinking on the same logical level as Twilight was. The madpony's eyes darted towards Twilight - giving her the impression of a combination of genius and total insanity... Just long enough for Rainbow to rocket off the ground at an incredible speed. She barreled into the both of them, wrestling with the madpony's hoof. "What!? LET GO YOU NINN-" and then all three of them - Rarity, Rainbow Dash and the madpony tumbled through the wriggling mass of portal magic. Twilight's mouth half opened in dying words of denial... only to fall silent at the sight. Oh no. Oh no no no no no no no... her thoughts began to run, her anxiety kicking into high gear...

"SIS!" Screamed out a younger voice, and a little white form barreled into the portal before Twilight could so much as register that Sweetie Belle had gone charging in too.

There was no more time for thought - No time to get help. Twilight's horn lit up and she quickly scribbled the most short-handed and badly hornwritten description of what had just happened that she dared leave before turning towards the portal with a pained grimace. This is a very, very bad idea! Her thoughts wailed... But she did not hesitate. Her friends were in danger, and she wasn't going to let that slide. She charged at top speed, hoping that momentum would give her the courage to pass through the thing...

The tip of her horn hit the portal and sent Twilight spiraling through some bright nether-plane of color and light and sound. She would have screamed, but she had no voice. She would have cried, but her body was nothing more than a spiraling blob of pure energy. On and On and On she went, tumbling down the rabbit hole, and more confused than she had ever been in her entire life.

Worlds seemed to pass her by - strange worlds, frightening worlds. Worlds of danger and worlds of peace. Twilight was aware of the fact that something impossible was happening, and she had no idea why. Perhaps because it was impossible. Was this the kind of place Discord came from? Or was his madness a product of a terrible place not unlike this where his mind could not escape from the never ending explosions of light and sound.

Being made of energy gave a pony some weird perspectives on things. Like how bodies were really awfully inconvenient, and how thinking was so much easier without having to worry about over stressing a brain. But perhaps the biggest perspective shift was her concern for Rainbow Dash. Sure, she could be painfully vain and pushy and occasionally a bit lazy at times... but she was more than just incredibly loyal.

Dash the only pony in town who had come to enjoy reading as much as Twilight did, even if her tastes were awfully specific. Even then, she'd broadened her horizons lately, and while she'd never find pleasure in Twilight's academic books, she was coming to enjoy more and more forms of fiction and even a few bits of non-fiction when it related to her passion for flying. Of course, it was that passion that so often amazed and thrilled Twilight to the core, that fierce desire with which Rainbow dash threw herself at every possible problem. Just as she had thrown herself at that crazed madpony...

Who was he? What did he want with Rarity? Where would Dash be and if she wasn't immediately there, how would Twilight find her? And when would she finally exit this nauseating vortex? The last question was answered first, of course, as she felt her body, now back to it's normal corporeal state, hit a solid and cold stone floor with a slightly audible thump and a gentle grunt... a few moments of waiting allowed the diziness to subside, and Twilight slowly pushed herself up to her hooves and exhaled a deep breath.

Where am I? she wondered as she began to open her eyes. Next Chapter: Chapter 2 - If Adventure had a name... Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 11 Minutes