Pinkie awoke with a start, bolting upright as her eyes went as wide as dinner plates.

"RAINBOW DASH!" She screamed, startling five other ponies who were in the room with her. She was in the Library, laying on a couch and covered in a blanket, which slumped to the floor when she jolted to a sitting position. She turned and her eyes found Twilight, who she then launched herself at and tackled to the floor. "Twilight! There's another mean hood pony! She's got Dash! We have to save her!"

"Pinkie Pie! Calm down!" Twilight shouted as her eyes flicked over to the side. Pinkie followed her gaze and saw that Rarity and Fluttershy were also in the room, along with Wayfarer and ‘Sunny Days’. Pinkie locked eyes on Rarity and Fluttershy for a moment, before she shook her head and went back to staring intently at Twilight.

"Please! We have to go now!" She pleaded, struggling with her desire to help Rainbow Dash and her promise to keep what was going on a secret from the only two in the room who were left clueless.

"Go where exactly Pinkie?" Rarity said as she stepped forward. "And what did you mean by 'She's got Dash'?" Pinkie's ear twitched in annoyance at herself, but she ignored Rarity's inquiry and continued to plead to Twilight using only her eyes. Twilight sighed and nodded.

"We'll go right now Pinkie, but first, could you please get off of me?" Pinkie hesitated for a moment, then backed off and sat down on the hardwood floor. "Rarity, Fluttershy?" Twilight said as she got back to her hooves. "Could you... leave us for a bit?" Rarity looked shocked at this request, then disgusted as she turned her nose up and sat down right where she stood.

"No." She said incredulously. "I'm staying right here until somepony explains what is going on!"

"Rarity, please." Twilight started to say. "I don't want you two to get involved with th-"

"EXCUSE ME?!" Rarity yelled, again looking at Twilight as if she'd just slapped her. "How dare you insinuate that I wouldn't want to be involved! Something is most obviously wrong with both Rainbow Dash and Applejack, to the point where they start throwing kicks at one another! Then Wayfarer and Sunny Days arrive carrying Pinkie Pie, who looks as though some ruffians have taken a croquet mallet or twelve at her! And you don't think Fluttershy or I would want to be involved?!"

"I didn't say that!" Twilight shot back. "I said I don't want you involved!"

The two glared at each other for a moment, before Fluttershy took a few tentative steps forward and sat down next to Rarity. Twilight's shoulders slumped as she looked back and forth between the two, her face slowly growing more and more distraught and desperate as she did so.

"Well, WE want to be involved." Rarity said firmly. "So you had better give a very good reason why we shouldn't."

"Because I forbid it." Celestia said suddenly stepping in between the three.

"Really." Rarity said, sneering angrily. "On whose authority?"

"On my own." ‘Sunny’ said as a flash of light enveloped her, and replacing her form with that of Celestia.

"PRINCESS CELESTIA!" Rarity shouted as she and Fluttershy quickly stood back up and bowed low before their ruler. Celestia looked down at the two for a moment, considering them one after the other. Sighing to her self, she took a hoof and lifted their heads up so that she could look them in the eye when she spoke.

"I know you two care deeply for the well being of your friends and your home,” She said gently to the two of them. “The things you all have accomplished on your own within the last year is proof of that. But neither of you are equipped to survive the places where we must travel to save your friend. That is why I cannot allow you to accompany us. I cannot guarantee your safety, and even if you do return home, you may not be the same pony who joined us. I can't even say what state Miss Rainbow Dash will be in when we bring her back."

"With all due respect your highness," Rarity said. "I question what sort of horrid state she's been in for a while now."

"Regardless, I still must forbid you from following us, for your own safety." Silence fell over the Library as Fluttershy and Rarity fidgeted in there spots. Then Fluttershy took in a deep breath and looked Celestia straight in the eye.

"No." She said confidently.

"...No?" Celestia said confusedly as everypony else just gawked at Fluttershy.

"I'm sorry Princess Celestia, but I'm going."

"I've already told you why I can't let you do that."

"And I don't care,” Fluttershy said defiantly. “Rainbow Dash is one of my oldest and best friends. And, I'm sorry Princess, but I care more about her than I do about you." Now it was Celestia's turn to gawk at the mare before her. Fluttershy looked every bit as surprised at her self as everyone else, but she didn't back off or whimper in fear, she just stood there, staring into the eyes as one of the most powerful beings in the world. And then Celestia smiled.

"I think that might be the first time somepony has ever said something like that to me," Celestia said with a hint of amusement. "Did you mean it?"

Fluttershy swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded. "Yes."

Celestia turned her gaze over to Rarity, who looked as if she was about faint. "And I'm guessing you feel the same way?"

Rarity broke into a bit of a sweat at that question as she struggled to find an answer. "I-well, there's- she... I... yes... yes I do princess."

Celestia closed her eyes, still smiling as she sighed and shook her head. "So that's what it feels like. Can't say it's a pleasant experience, but I suppose it had to happen sooner or later." Rarity and Fluttershy traded a perplexed look as Celestia opened her eyes and gave a sad smirk to the both of them. "I hope you can forgive me for what I'm about to do."

Celestia's horn flashed with magic again and suddenly Rarity and Fluttershy's eyes rolled upward as they both collapsed together on the floor. Another flash and Celestia turned back into Sunny Skies before turning around and heading for the door.

"Come along then." She said "That sleep spell will only last a few hours, and I hope that coming back with Rainbow Dash will be a suitable apology."

When the four of them arrived at the castle, the guards didn't even hesitate and they had the gate lifted up just as they passed under it. One of the Guardsponies tried to get Twilight's attention however.

"Princess. I have assembled a detachment of guards. I insist you send them inside instead of yourself."

"That won't be necessary Captain. Send them back to their posts."

"But your majesty it is far to dangerous for you to-"

"Captain Airlift,” Twilight said. “You have your orders straight from Celestia, now have one from me: Stay at your post unless told otherwise." The grizzled Pegasus looked ready to argue before the shield around the castle closed shut in front of him, giving him no choice but to do as he was told.

"I want him found! Do you hear me? Find that no good nephew of mine this instant!"

Luna's voice carried through out a good portion of the castle as at least thirty guard ponies rushed from the throne room and scattered in different directions. Luna started pacing back and forth as her rage started to consume her. Near by, the royal assistant, Kibitz, was looking over a rather long scroll of parchment, muttering to himself about the princess's now ruined schedule.

"I'm afraid this search for your nephew will push back the meeting with the representatives from the Cloudsdale Weather Factory," The elderly specs wearing unicorn said as he crossed off a few items on the agenda. "We'll have to skip dinner in order to make up the time I'm afraid."

"No one has seen that wretch in almost twenty four hours," Luna muttered as she did her best to wear a ditch into the marble floor. "Which means he's either been kidnapped or he's just making trouble for us again. In both cases, I'm going to tan his hide when we find him."

"Well that might take a while, so might I suggest taking care of some of the less pressing matters on your to do list while we wait?"

"Ughh. Very well Kibitz." She sighed as she stopped her pacing and approached her overly strict time keeper of an assistant. "I swear, I'M going to need a vacation when Tia comes back."

"Your Majesty!" cried a guard as he came rushing in. "We found him! He was wondering about the lower corridors!"

"Excellent!" Luna shouted as she made a u-turn away from Kibitz and his mile long schedule. "Get me a cauldron of boiling oil and send for a cook from the gryphon empire!"

The guard's eyes went wide and he glanced between the Princess and Kibitz. "Are- Are you serious your majesty?"

Seeing the dismay on the guard's face, Luna rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No, I wasn't... not entirely." The guard still looked nervous. "Just bring him here." A few minutes later, Prince Blueblood was escorted into the throne room, flanked by four guards, who all turned and left as soon as their charge was presented to the Princess.

"What is the meaning of this!" Blueblood said as the doors swung shut. "Am I not even allowed to roam the castle anymore?"

Luna scowled at the upstart prince for a moment before she started to approach him. "A few hours ago, your servants came and informed me that you hadn't been seen since yesterday morning, when you told them you were going out for a walk. Your bed hadn't been slept in, none of the cooks had gotten any requests from you, and even your friends at the Court of Canterlot Nobility had no idea where you had gone. Where have you been, and why were you down in the lower corridors?"

Blueblood glared at his aunt, then smirked at her. "I guess the idea of a 'One Night Stand' would be a bit foreign to you after being gone for a thousand years."

Luna raised an eye, then turned to look at Kibitz. "What is he talking about?"

"Oh, well uhm. He was probably spending the night with a mare or something."

Luna's eye remained raised for a few moments before the other eye joined it. She turned back to Blueblood with disgust and brought herself to her full hight. "Such debauchery is unfitting of a member of the royal family! You've once again smeared the title given to you!"

"Like it matters anymore," Blueblood sneered. "I'm giving up my claim to the throne."

Luna opened up her mouth to respond before she fully registered what Blueblood had just said. "You- wait, what?"

"I don't want to sit on the throne anymore,” Blueblood said.” You and Aunt Celestia can keep it for all I care." Luna's mouth opened and closed several times as her face contorted in confusion. She looked back at Kibitz again, who just shrugged in surprise.

"You... don't want to be royalty anymore?"

"Oh no, I would very much prefer to remain a Prince, but I see no reason to become a ruler when I already have all I already want: Money, Power, any mare I could possibly want. So why bother antagonizing you and Celestia if it's going to get me nothing but trouble?"

"So you've decided to just be a lazy good for nothing from now on, is that it?"

"Have I ever been anything less?"

Luna's eyes narrowed at that. She scrutinized Blueblood for a moment before snorting and turning away. "Do whatever you please than, but somehow I doubt this sudden change in attitude will last."

Blueblood bowed low to his aunt and made his way out of the throne room. "Thank you Princess, now if you'll excuse me, I have a vacation to plan." Luna scowled at the word 'Vacation' and snorted in annoyance. The doors opened and shut behind Luna's back. She stood still for almost a minute, deep in thought, before she went and rang the bell next to the throne, summoning one of her guards into the room.

"Yes Your Highness?"

"Get someone to tail Prince Blueblood. I want to know if he's up to anything suspicious, so I'd prefer a unicorn trained in stealth and subtlety."

"Yes my lady." The guard left just as quickly as he entered, then Luna took her place on the throne. She continued to stare off into space in deep concentration for a while afterwards, until Kibitz came up beside her seat, his face taught with worry.

"Your Majesty? Is everything alright?"

"No Kibitz. I'm certain that there are a good few things at the moment that are the exact opposite of 'alright'. Get me a scroll and my quill, I need to send a letter to my sister."

Wayfarer lifted his hoof from the door of the Velvet Room. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Celestia and Gnowee in a trancelike state, and Twilight and Pinkie standing nearby. Pinkie hadn't seen what he was doing, but Wayfarer thought that it was unlikely that she didn't know that he WAS doing something. He walked over to Celestia and whispered to her.

"Agero says Dash is on the 50th floor,” he informed her. “That's twenty from where we left off with Pinkie."

"We should have an easier time of it with her here," Celestia said.

"What about Discord? Is he not joining us?"

"No. Twilight was right, he's been almost completely useless to us. At least now we wont have to deal with his annoying quips all the time."

"Yeah, now we just have to deal with Pinkie's."

"C'mon you guys!" Pinkie yelled with a determined look. "Are we going or not?"

"I think she's too serious at the moment to really think of quips for us." Celestia said as Gnowee and her lead the way over to the teleportation gate.

The golden arch shinned green and the four of them disappeared, only to reappear suddenly in the same room they'd found Pinkie in. All the damage done to the room was still there, but at the end of the hall, where the statue of the princess used to be, there was now a stairwell leading deeper into the ground.

Pinkie shivered slightly as she looked at the destruction around her, then she spotted the stairs and burst off into a gallop towards them. "I'm coming Dashie!"

"Pinkie! Wait for us!" Twilight yelled as the others galloped after her.

Rainbow Dash hadn't been there long, but in her dreams it might as well had been an eternity. She was standing on her father's back, her little filly hooves placed on top of his head as she strained to get a better look at the sky where her heroes were zooming to and fro over the vast crowd. She oohed and ahhed with everyone else as Spitfire and her team made the sky explode with colour and lights. Suddenly the fire maned leader swooped down and buzzed the crowd, going right over Rainbow Dash and her father's heads.

"Yeah! Spitfire!" Dash cheered.

Suddenly the scene changed. Dash was no longer with her dad, but she was still surrounded by hundreds of other ponies as they all scrambled to leave the show field, the hum of excitement still there as they chatted about the show. Dash was ducking in between their legs as she struggled to find her way out and get to the tent where the Wonderbolts were staying between shows. A picture of Spitfire was clutched in her mouth, and she desperately wanted the current rising star of the most elite flight team in Equestria to sign it.

The crowd never seemed to thin out though, there was nothing but a mass of legs in every direction. Dash started to panic, she tried to leap into the air and fly away, but there was no room for her to take off. She started to spin in place, knocking into several ponies who started to yell at her and make her even more anxious. She was about to start crying when a pony who didn't notice what he was doing shoved her to the side, right through a hole in a temporary fence set up for the event.

After shaking herself off and getting her bearings, Dash saw that she was now in the VIP section, right next to the very tent she was looking for. Excitedly, Dash ran around the side and saw a group of ponies crowding in around Spitfire and some of her fellow team mates. Camera's flashed as some ponies with notebooks asked questions. Eventually, a couple of burly pegasi started to push the reporters away, allowing the Wonderbolts to retreat toward their tent. Dash took that moment to rush forward, stopping just short of Spitfire.

"Hey now!" she said in surprise. "Where'd you come from?" Then she noticed the picture in Dash's mouth and smirked. "Oh I see, sneaking in just to see us huh. You know we don't do autographs for another hour right?"

Rainbow Dash fidgeted a bit as words failed her, all she could do is murmur and make puppy dog eyes as she held out the photo. Spitfire sighed and rolled her eyes before turning to the skyblue stallion next to her.

"Soaren, go get me a quill would ya?"

"Sgt Gale's gonna have your flank for this." He said as he went off into the tent.

"Like I care what that old wind bag says! I got fans to please!" Soaren came back out with a quill and some ink, which Spitfire took and turned back to Rainbow Dash. "Who am I make'n this out to kid?"

"R-Rainbow Dash Ma'am!" Dash squeeked out.

"Don't call me Ma'am kid, I ain't a drill sergeant quite yet."

"Oh jeez, you as a drill sergeant. I can already see the membership numbers dropping." Soaren joked as Spitfire scrawled her name and a message to Dash on the photo.

"There, now hurry and get out of here before Hail and Sleet come back." Spitfire said as she whipped her head around to see if the two tough looking pegasi were back yet.

Rainbow Dash nodded and started running back to the hole she'd fallen through to get into the VIP area. Before she rounded the tent corner though, she turned back around and shouted back at Spitfire.

"Can I be a Wonderbolt someday?"

"If you're good enough Kid! You'll never get anywhere if you're not!"

Dash nodded again excitedly, then quickly dived back around the tent when she saw the guards coming back. She squeezed through the hole in the fence again to find the show field almost completely cleared, save for a few stragglers, and a VERY frantic looking father searching for her.

"Rainbow Dash!" Her father shouted as he rushed towards her. When she was within foreleg's reach he snatched her up and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Thank the Sun and Moon you're alright!"

"Dad! Dad! I met Spitfire! She signed my picture!"

Her father pulled back and looked at the Photo then back to Dash. "You're not in trouble are you? I mean, yes, you are in deep trouble for slipping away without me, your mom is going to be furious with the two of us."

"But Dad! She said I could be a Wonderbolt someday! She said if I was good enough I could be a Wonderbolt like her!"

He sighed as his daughter continued to get excited. "That's great honey. C'mon, let's go home."

The scene changed again, it was some time later at the Junior Speedster Flight Camp. Rainbow Dash was laying back on the peak of a large cumulous cloud overlooking the rest of the camp. Next to her was a Gryphon with tan fur and white feathers that had a slight purple tinge to their tips. The sun was setting in the distance and the two had their eyes glued to the sight.

"You know we're going to get in trouble for breaking curfew Dash," Gilda said matter of factly.

"Meh, who cares,” Dash shrugged. “Not like that lame-o counselor of ours could even catch us. We'll be back in our bunks before they even call lights out."

They continued to marvel at Celestia's light as the clouds started to roll in over head. Dash looked up and laughed, Gilda looked over with a raised eye and Dash pointed up at one cloud in particular.

"See that? See how the light makes that one look like it's on fire?" Gilda nodded and smirked. "Doesn't it look like Spitfire?"

Gilda's smile fell away as she looked back at Dash. "You're kind of crazy about her aren't you?" she said.

"Am not!" Dash said. "She's the greatest flyer in Equestria! And someday, I'm going to be as great as her!"

"I’m sure you will Dash," Gilda said with a bashful smile, though in a tone that made her sound doubtful of Dash’s boast.

"I WILL! And then Everypony will look up at me and cheer my name! Just like they cheer hers!"

Gilda rolled her eyes and let her head fall back into the clouds. The two went quite as the Sun started to disappear behind the horizon, casting the landscape below them in shadows through a cascade of reds, oranges, and yellows. Soon the light was all but gone, and the darkness of night began to creep up behind them.

"You really think ponies are going to cheer for you?" Gilda asked as the two unfolded their wings.

"Cheer? G, they're gonna build STATUES of me."

As the two leapt from the cloud, it twisted and turned behind them until it turned into a small neighborhood on the edge of Cloudsdale, in the dead of night. The scene had shifted again, only this time it was years later. Dash was strapping on saddle bags packed with everything she owned, then she slipped through the front door and into the night.

"Where do you think you're going?" came a voice from behind her. She turned to see her mother, looking very upset with her.

"I'm going with Fluttershy to Ponyville Mom." Dash said resolutely. "Don't try to stop me."

"I'm not. I already know trying to talk sense into you is pointless."

"I can join the Weather team there, I'll still have the required hours of work for the Factory when I send in my application to the Wonderbolts."

"And what makes you think they'll pay attention to the application of a pony living in a back water town like Ponyville? hmm?"

"Because I'll be the best! By then, I'll be good enough to join! And it won't matter where I'm from!"

Dash's Mom shook her head at this. "You'll never be the best if you keep clinging to groundlings and weak flyers like that friend of yours. You belong to the sky Rainbow Dash, just like the heroes you worship so religiously."

Rainbow Dash stayed silent for a moment before spreading out her wings. "The sky goes where I do Mom." And with that, she took off into the wild dark blue void.

All around Rainbow Dash the Shadows shifted, closing in on her as she slept, sensing that somepony was there.

"45th floor" Twilight gasped. "We're almost there."

To her side, Wayfarer looked on the verge of collapse, and on her other side Pinkie wasn't looking much better. Behind them, Celestia had pulled out three more Mana Crystals for all of them, as well as a bushel of apples.

"We've made it far you three." She said as she passed out the supplies. "There wouldn't be any shame in going back and resting up before trying again tomorrow."

"No." Pinkie said. "We can do it! WE CAN DO IT!" And just like that she was off again.

"Pinkie!" Twilight shouted irately as she galloped after her.

Pinkie led the three down another flight of stairs, which led to a rather large doorway styled around the same sort of aesthetic of Cloudsdale and Rainbow Dash's home. Wayfarer and Twilight gave each other a confused look, but Pinkie didn't so much as bother to slow down and she pushed her way through. Hesitantly, the other three followed.

"...okay," Wayfarer said as he looked at the new surroundings. "Where are we now?"

Gone were the erie castle hallways of before. Now it looked like they'd stepped right onto a fair ground of sorts, though admittedly it was hard to tell. Tents as tall as ten ponies formed long corridors and trying to look in between them was impossible because there were even more behind them. Celestia looked up at the sky and frowned.

"We're still underground." She said. "I don't feel any of the sun's warmth here, and the clouds are impossibly still." She pooled some magic into her horn and shot a bolt at the sky, only for it to hit something just below the tops of the tents. At the moment of impact, the sky seemed to ripple outward, briefly replacing the oddly grayish blue overcast with something more akin to what the four would assume the sky would look like if it suddenly caught fire.

"Well... That's ominous." Wayfarer said as the sky returned to its incredibly dreary appearance.

"Hey look over here!" Pinkie said as her attention was caught by a sign advertising some sort of event. "'Come see Rainbow Dash, High Queen of Awesomeness, as she performs the greatest feats of Arial Acrobatics the lowly failures of her kingdom will ever see in their miserable lives.' ...um, what?"

"'High Queen of Awesomeness?'" Wayfarer questioned, raising an eye at the brightly coloured sign with a depiction of Rainbow Dash adorned in silver armor at the top.

"That... sort of sounds like Rainbow Dash..." Twilight muttered. "Except for that last part... 'Lowly failures of HER kingdom?' it almost makes her out to be some sort of tyrant."

"It says she's preforming at the Museum of Equestrian Aeronautics," Celestia said. "Or what passes for the museum in this place."

"What is all this anyway?" Twilight asked, circling about and scanning the tents.

"It must be an illusion created by the Shadows. Like the voices, it's probably meant to get an emotional response from who ever gets trapped in here."

"So, is this a place from Dash's memories?" Wayfarer asked.

"If it is," Twilight said. "It's from before I met her."

"Me too." Pinkie said as she stared up at the sky. "We need to find Dashie soon so she can make all the gloomy clouds go away, cause they're giving me the willies right now."

"Attention lame'os of Equestria!" Came a voice from over the intercoms, making the four jump. "The show is about to begin! So please make your way to the Equestrian Museum of Aeronautics for the greatest display of awesomeness you will ever see for the rest of your uncool lives!" Everyone looked at each other with confusion, occasionally looking at the intercoms to see if the voice would say anymore.

"Was that... Rainbow Dash?" Wayfarer asked.

"It... sounded like her." Twilight said.

"Well... you heard the lady!" Pinkie Pie said. "She's at the museum. So lets get over there before the show starts!" The other three shrugged and they started to make their way through the maze of tents. Though the surroundings may have changed appearance, the cramped space still made them feel like they were still in the underground labyrinth below the castle. It was unnerving, especially when they didn't see any Shadows wondering about. Eventually though, they found an opening in the tents that led out to a performance field, and they let out a gasp at what they saw.

There must have been hundreds of ponies gathered before them, all of whom were starring intently away from them, towards a large stage in front of an even larger building. None of them moved even an inch, and the air was so still that even the multicoloured balloons and streamers everywhere seemed to be waiting in anticipation for what was to happen. As the four stepped out of the tents, a lightning bolt seemed to strike the stage, casting it in blue smoke. A figure rose as the cloud settled, and the entire crowd remained silent as the object of their attention addressed them.

"Look upon me failures of the land. Am I not the most awesome pony in all of Equestria?"

Rainbow Dash stood on stage, wearing an ornate set of black and silver armor. Her face was uncovered by any sort of helmet, instead she wore a laurel matching her protective garb. For a moment, Wayfarer believed it really was Rainbow Dash, then she opened her eyes and, even at a distance, he could see those horrible yellow pits that had come to signify exactly what they were dealing with.

"It's her Shadow." He murmured, just before the audience began chanting.

"RAINBOW DASH! RAINBOW DASH! RAINBOW DASH!"

"Yes! That's it! Say my name! Remember it! Remember ME! Because I'm the one who fills your life with awe and fascination! I am your queen!"

"RAINBOW DASH! RAINBOW DASH! RAINBOW DASH!"

"Jeez and I thought the real Rainbow Dash had an annoying ego." Twilight said as they watched the Shadow continue to strut about the stage, boasting to her fans about how godlike she was. "Heck, Trixie wasn't even this bad!"

"Who?" Wayfarer asked.

"Not important,” Twilight waved off. “C'mon, Dash has got to be back stage, or in the Museum proper." The four started to push their way through the crowd, trying to get to the side of the stage instead of approaching dead on. Everywhere they went, they heard the shouts of every pony around them as they all but sang praises to Rainbow Dash's name, even when the Shadow was throwing insults at them.

"Yes! Yes! I am the greatest pony in all of the history of forever! You are unworthy of the amazingness I shine down on you failures!!"

"She sure likes to call ponies failures." Pinkie said.

"But even though I am great, there are those who doubt my awesomeness."

The chanting stopped, and once more silence reined over the field. Wayfarer and the others stopped as well, turning to look up at the Shadow, who was starring right back at them.

"They have the gall to call themselves my friends. They think they're on the same level as me!" The Shadow laughed at that before its face went completely serious. "But I don't need friends, especially friends who hold me back!"

"Uhmm, guys?" Pinkie said, tugging at Wayfarer's shirt.

"What is it Pinkie?" He said without looking back at her.

"These ponies don't have faces."

Wayfarer and Twilight both took their eyes off the Shadow and turned to see that Pinkie was right. Everypony on the field save for them only had the vaguest shape of a pony's head and muzzle on their neck, but the eyes, mouth, and nostrils were completely missing.

"Maybe I should show them how much their loyalty and friendship really means to me!"

All at once the faceless ponies all turned into a viscus black goo that barely retained the structure of a pony before they started to melt away. The team of four, nearly jumped out of their coats as the former false ponies began to gather and merge together in front of the stage. The towering shape of a bipedal creature began to rise up, and a deep blue mask with soulless eye holes and expressionless face erupted from the forehead. The creature then solidified into a dark-skinned being resembling a Persona. It wore nothing except gold boots and tights, exposing its muscular legs, arms and torso. From behind the mask sprouted a mane of blonde hair, and on the creatures face was an equally blonde goatee. Wayfarer would have laughed at this Shadow's appearance, if it wasn't also two stories tall.

"Give em' a good pile driving for me won't you big guy? I've got another guest to take care of," Shadow Dash said as she walked behind the stage curtains and out of sight. The large Shadow she left behind immediately started to oblige as it lifted one of its elbows and started tilting over, letting gravity carry the whole thing down towards Wayfarer and the others.

"MOVE!" Celestia cried as the four of them split and ran away from their titanic foe just as it hit the ground and caused the area to quake.

At this point, Wayfarer noticed that the fairgrounds had changed dramatically while their attention had been held by the horrors in front of them. The entire area looked completely desolate now, as if the grounds had been abandon for years, and the sky had taken on that burnt look from before as a more permanent feature. As such, several downed tents were now available for the four to cower behind while the Shadow quickly got back to its feet.

Pinkie and Wayfarer had ended up behind the same cover, and after a moment of trying to catch their breath Pinkie looked over the top of the pile of cloth, rope and wood to get a good look at their enemy.

"Hey Wayfarer!" She said. "Doesn't that thing look sort remind you of that one professional wrestler? Hulk Haygan or something?"

"Not the time Pinkie! Get down before he sees you!"

"But I think I've got an idea how to take him down! If he's anything like the real Hulk, there's one pony he won't be able to ignore!" Pinkie quickly gathered up some streamers from the ground, particularly ones that were red and yellow, then started tying them around her forelegs.

"Pinkie, what are you doing?"

"Getting in touch with my inner Distrucity!" She said manically.

"Your what?"

"No time to explain!" Pinkie said as she tied a few more streamers around her eyes like a mask. "It's time to get Foked!" she cried out with a super intense face, before snorting and laughing at herself. "That means 'focussed'."

"...whaaaaa?" was all Wayfarer could get out before Pinkie leapt out from behind the tent and started running towards the Shadow, who was just about to kick over the tent that Celestia and Twilight were behind.

"HOAK HAYGONE!!" Pinkie yelled out at the monster. "FEEL THE POWER OF THE SUPERIOR SOLDIER!!"

The Shadow quickly turned to look down at the loud mouth pony below him, taking his attention off the Alicorns' hiding spot.

"EXIT STAGE LEFT!" Pinkie continued to shout. "EXIT STAGE RIGHT! THERE IS NO PLACE TO RUN! ALL THE FUSES IN THE EXIT SIGNS, HAVE BEEN BURNED OUT! AND THE NORMAL PONIES, THE PONIES WE COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND, ARE TRAPPED IN HERE WITH US! LOOK INTO MY EYES HOAK HAYGONE! YOU. SEE. NOTHINGNESS! YOU SEE NO REASONS FOR QUESTIONS! YOU SEE NO ANSWERS! FOR THERE IS NO REASONING, IN THE THINKING OF THE SUPERIOR SOLDIER!" and with a mighty clearing of her sinuses, Pinkie's insane ramblings halted.

The Shadow didn't seem impressed by this overblown and incomprehensible speech, but a visible target was more appealing to it than a none visible one, so it started for her instead of Twilight and Celestia.

"PERSONA!" Twilight cried. Tyche leapt out of their hiding spot and jabbed her chakram deep into the Shadow's back. As it stumbled, Tyche followed up with a bolt of lightning, causing it to twitch and spasm before collapsing to the side.

"PERSONA!" Pinkie Pie responded, continuing to yell in that incredibly hoarse voice. Laetitia spun her crossbow around as she too leapt into the air, then dropped herself and the barrel of her weapon down onto the Shadow's head. "LOAD THE PARTY CANNON WITH ESSPRESSO! LOAD IT WITH THE WORDS!!"

Laetitia and the Shadow then erupted in fire, leaving only her as the other disintegrated in the inferno.

"GRRRRRR!!" Pinkie growled even as the field grew quite again. "GRROOOWWLL DESTRUCITY GRAAAAAHHH!!!"

"Okay Pinkie, dial it back a bit." Twilight said as she walked over to her. Pinkie straightened up and started giggling like mad as she took off all the streamers.

"Pinkie Pie." Wayfarer said as he and Celestia joined the other two. "You scare me sometimes."

"As long as its only sometimes." Pinkie said, beaming at all of them. "Now lets go catch up to Not-Rainbow-Dash before she gets away!"

Rainbow Dash's eyes shot open. All around her was this faint blue light, radiating from the stained glass windows all around her. It looked as if she was in the Equestrian Museum of Aeronautics, a place she'd visited many times when she was a filly. The windows here featured the image of the greatest flyers in history, going all the way back to General Firefly, the founder of the Wonderbolts. However as Dash rubbed her eyes and took a closer look, none of the windows were displaying anypony she knew... actually, they were. They were all of her.

The sound of hoof steps grabbed Rainbow Dash's attention, and from out of the darkness she heard a voice.

"Pretty awesome aren't they? The spitting image of Perfection!"

"Who, are you?" Rainbow Dash said as she stood up. "You that creep who brought me here? If you think I'm going to let you get away with hurting Pinkie Pie, then you've got another thing coming!" The voice chuckled as the hoofsteps drew closer.

"Why would you care what happens to her? That's like caring about what happens to an ant. Come on Rainbow Dash, we both know you're so far above her and her stupid party obsession."

"What'chu say?” Rainbow Dash snorted, stomping her forehoof on the cold floor. “I'm not going to take some hooded ghost thing bad mouthing my friends! Come out where I can see you!" The voice burst in to a laugh that echoed all around the room. It was so high pitched and cracked so badly that Rainbow Dash's spine made an attempt to leap right out of her back.

"Friends? Oh that's hilarious! You need friends like a sledge hammer to the wings! Tell me where you think you'd be right now if it weren't for your so called 'friends'?"

"No where worth being! Now I thought I told you to come out and face me you coward!"

"Hmph, so willing to give up your dreams for the sake of others. You ever wonder if that does more harm than good?" A figure clad in black and silver armor stepped out of the darkness. Rainbow Dash took a few steps back as she saw her own face starring back at her with furious yellow eyes.

"Wh-what? Who are you?" Dash nearly screamed as shock, confusion, and rage started to poor into her.

"Me? Well, I'm you. Your Shadow. I am everything you aspire to be, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash's mouth hung open as she tried to process what was going on. She tried to look away from the Shadow, to try and pretend it wasn't there, but she couldn't go even a second without allowing here eyes to stray over her own face. The armor the Shadow was wearing was almost identical in form to the set Rainbow Dash wore last year for the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant in Canterlot, when she played Commander Hurricane, save for the silver laurels. The cold yellow eyes of the Shadow never so much as flinched as they starred back at Dash, and it took her a while before she noticed that the Shadow didn't even blink.

"Am- Am I dreaming this?" Dash asked warily.

"Would it even matter if you were? You'd probably just ignore it for the sake of your friends anyway."

"What in Celestia's name are you going on about?"

"I'm going on about what you truly want most in life. The thing you tried to throw away and ignore, even though deep down it almost killed you to do it. Think hard, and try to remember what it is you've always dreamed of having. It isn't to be a member of the Wonderbolts, that was always just a means to an end, no what you want most is to be loved." The Shadow began to walk around Rainbow Dash, like a hunter searching for an angle on its prey. Dash began to walk in the opposite direction, tentatively trying to keep her distance from the unnerving dopleganger as it continued to speak.

"The sort of love you can't get from just one pony, or even a half dozen ponies. You need the love and attention of thousands of Ponies, you need all of Equestria to turn and see just how awesome you are. Any less and you might as well not even exist. But look at where you are now! Stuck in some back water village, barely getting anywhere with your so called 'Wonderbolt Career', and all because you couldn't listen to mom and stay in Cloudsdale. No, you just had to follow that worthless, ground loving, pathetic excuse for a Pegasus."

"SHUT UP!" Rainbow Dash cried as she launched herself at the Shadow. Her attack proved fruitless though when her armored foe quickly side stepped her. Dash went right past her other self, who then grabbed her by the tail and swung her over head and back down to the floor, hard. Dash's entire right side erupted in pain as her head made contact with the floor, but she barely had time to register it before the Shadow swung her in a wide arch, flinging her across the room, right into one of the stain glass windows. The window cracked, but didn't break completely, leaving Rainbow Dash to fall limply to the floor.

"And you are just as pathetic. See how strong I am? How superior I am? That's from following my dreams, no matter what the cost! And now, all of Equestria will bow down to ME!"

At this last word, the Shadow stomped its hoof down with such force that the floor started to crack. Then the window Dash had been flung into shattered, showering fragments of glass all around her. The other window's followed suit until the floor around the edge of the room was covered in a full rainbow spectrum of sharp edges.

Rainbow Dash picked herself up, wincing at several deep scratches the glass had given her, and thanking Celestia that none of it had actually stabbed her. She looked around the room now and realized that the glow from behind the windows was actually coming from some sort of machinery that looked like it belonged in the Weather Factory.

"You're a failure." The Shadow said, slowly slinking its way toward Dash with malicious intent plastered all over its face. "It's time you payed your toll, and fueled MY success."

"Not on your life!" Came a shout from the end of the room.

Both Rainbow Dashes turned to see four ponies rush out of the darkness to join them. Pinkie Pie led the way in, looking ready to tear the Shadow apart.

"Dashie doesn't owe you anything!" She yelled out.

"Pinkie?" Dash whimpered in fear. "N-NO! STAY AWAY!"

"It's alright Rainbow Dash." Twilight said. "We're here to take you home!"

"You don't understand!" Dash cried, panic stricken. "She's a monster! She... She's not-!"

"NO! Don't say it!" Celestia shouted.

"HEH HEH HA HA!! No! Go right ahead! Tell them who I'm not! I've already proven I'm superior to you, while you've once again proven to yourself, to all of us, that you're not fit to fly like a pegasus!"

"No!" Dash screamed as the machinery in the windows began to turn on, no longer radiating just blue, but every colour of the spectrum.

"You don't deserve those wings anymore! I'm the greatest flyer in Equestria! And I did it without any friends to slow me down. When you stand before a legend like me, you might as well not even exist at all!"

"STOP IT!"

The machines started to ooze brightly glowing streams of solid colour out onto the floor, surrounding all six of them as it lit up the room.

"You're a disappointment! Now admit it to me! ADMIT IT TO YOURSELF!"

"NOO!! YOU ARE NOT ME!!"

"NO!" Twilight and Pinkie howled as they rushed forward to try and get between their friend and the Shadow.

The two were flung backwards by the shockwave however when the Shadow began to rise up, cackling triumphantly as dark energies surrounded her. The cloud exploded, revealing a towering figure in sickly grey armor, riding on a chariot pulled by several very broken, defeated, and faceless pegasi, each a different colour of the spectrum. The figure's helmet was open to reveal a black void with two piercing red eyes staring back at them. In it's right hand was a sword with a sickle like curve to its tip, in its left was the reins to the chariot and a large shield with a mirror like surface that was heavily cracked.

"I am a Shadow, the true self! And no matter what the cost, I WILL be superior!"

"Pony feathers!" Wayfarer yelled as he and Celestia back pedaled to put some space between themselves and the Shadow, only to find out that their way out was blocked by scalding hot pure spectrum goo.

Twilight and Pinkie were getting to their hooves nearby, then together they shot a stinging glare at the Shadow and simultaneously summoned their Personas.

"TYCHE!"

"LAETITIA!"

Both Personas launched themselves at the Shadow, placing a direct kick against the grey knight's shield, which then sparked with energy before blasting outward at them. Twilight and Pinkie slid backward slightly at the feeling of being kicked in the chest, then turned to look at each other.

"Don't attack the shield!" They both yelled at the other. The Shadow then swung its sword down, sending a shockwave of air blades right at them.

"EKCHUAH!" Wayfarer yelled, placing his Persona right in the path of the attack. The spear wielding Persona took a defensive posture, but it didn't help much when what felt like dozens of swords began slicing at it and, in turn, Wayfarer.

"GHHAAAA!!" He cried as the pain hit him. It was too much, he felt as though his very soul was screaming to leave his body and flee the agony inflicted on him. Ekchuah's arms dropped as the assault ended, and everypony watched in horror as the Persona's body fell forward and shattered like the stained glass windows when it hit the floor. Wayfarer legs collapsed beneath him, and he would have hit the floor completely if Celestia didn't quickly rush to him and wrap her forelegs around him.

"Don't you dare!" She cried. "I'm not letting any of my subjects die today! Do you hear me? I ORDER YOU NOT TO DIE!!"

"What a joke, all this fuss over one little worthless pegasus! The flock has no need for mediocre flyers! So why don't you just roll over and die already!"

"SHUT UP!!"Came a high pitched shout. Rainbow Dash, from out of nowhere, leapt up onto the Shadow's back and rapped her hooves around its neck.

"AUGH! Cut that out you dweeb!" The Shadow flung its arms this way and that, trying to reach the rainbow maned pegasus on its back, but the bulky armor kept it from reaching that one spot it needed to.

"You're not me!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "None of it's true! Take it back you faker! TAKE IT ALL BACK!!"

"GRAAHHH!!" The Shadow yelled as it tried a different tactic, slashing blindly at itself with its own sword. "Kill you! I'll kill you! Whatever it takes!"

Realizing the danger she was in if she stayed attached to the Shadow, Rainbow Dash leapt off its back as another sword swing just barely missed her. But then the Shadow flung its other arm around, knocking Dash to the floor with its shield. With its prey now stunned and defenseless, the Shadow raised its sword one more time, ready to end it. But then a bright light flashed in front of it, Gnowee stood before if with her arms spread wide in defense of Dash. The Shadow flicked its eyes over at Celestia, who had laid down Wayfarer's barely conscious body and stepped forward, eyes determined as she looked from the Knight to Rainbow Dash.

"On your hooves soldier." She said sternly.

"Wh-what?" Rainbow Dash

"You heard me Private Dash! On. Your. Hooves!"

"Y-yes Ma'am!" Dash stuttered as she pulled herself up.

"Humph. Soldier, as if." The Shadow smirked before it brought its sword down onto Gnowee.

"AAAHHHHHHHGGGGGGG!!!!" Celestia screamed as her Persona was shattered immediately by the impact.

"PRINCESS CELESTIA!" Rainbow Dash yelled, rushing out of reach of the Shadow before it could aim another strike at her.

"YOU...WITCH!!" Twilight cried as both her and Pinkie sent their Personas forth again. This time, Tyche flung an electrically charged chakram at the Shadow and Laetitia shot a blast of fire that shrouded the chakram, speeding its flight and creating a firestorm of power that buzz sawed right into the Shadow's shield. It held for about two seconds before the mirror like barrier shattered, allowing the wheel of fire and lightning to cut right through the Shadow's arm, torso, and sword, before finally blowing up the rest.

The Shadow made an unearthly wail as the blaze consumed it, then a pillar of light erupted from the center, blasting away the fire, and leaving nothing but the other Rainbow Dash to fall to the floor, its laurel falling off and rolling away. When they were sure the dark part of Dash's mind was no longer a threat, Twilight and Pinkie rushed over to Celestia's side. Rainbow Dash was already sitting there with her head hung low, and Wayfarer had regained enough feeling back in his legs to crawl over to them.

"I'm alright." The downed princess said. "Just a little sore, give me a minute and I'll be right as rain."

"Th-this is all my fault." Rainbow Dash said, trying to fight back tears.

"Miss Dash, please don't lie, it's unbecoming of a pony under my command."

"B-but I-"

"Why..."

Rainbow Dash's head snapped around to see herself standing there, tears freely flowing from those yellow eyes.

"She's a failure... she gave up on her dreams..."

"Rainbow Dash." Celestia said. "Look at me."

Dash, rather reluctantly, tore her eyes away from her other self and looked into Celestia's.

"Few ponies remain sure of their dreams after so many years. There are points when even I question the plans I've made and the goals I strive for. The failure doesn't come from questioning yourself, or from not achieving what you set out to do, nor from being afraid that things might not work out the way you planned." Celestia then gave Dash a warm smile. "The failure comes when you stand still, when you never follow your dreams at all. Pick a heading, and fly Miss Dash. I have a feeling you're pretty good at that." Rainbow Dash sniffed, then wiped her nose on her foreleg. She nodded, and then stood up to face herself.

"You're right." She said. "I wanted to be loved. I felt as if the world was ignoring me. Everything I ever did... I thought for sure would land me where I wanted to be one day. But, my reward never came, and then suddenly, I wondered if it would ever come. I was afraid. Afraid of letting down my friends... my family... myself. Afraid that... I wasn't good enough. It was the worst feeling in the world, and I thought, maybe if I didn't try at all, things would be better." Dash turned and looked at the four ponies behind her, then looked down ashamedly as she returned her gaze to herself. "But that idea sucked, and it made sure everyone was disappointed in me. Friends, Family, Myself, Everyone. And now I'm back at square one, wishing I could take it all back." She smiled and approached her other self, then slowly wrapped her forelegs around the Shadow's shoulders. "I guess I should start right here huh? What do you say? Think we can still be the greatest flyer in Equestria? You and me? Me and you?" Dash felt a gentle nod against her shoulder, and the Shadow began to fade away into light.

A Persona in light blue, silverish armor appeared before her. The armor covered her torso, her forearms, and the bottom half of her legs. Beneath the armor was pure white chain mail, and around her waste was an armored skirt of similar colour to the armor. In her hands was a longsword, and strapped to her back was a flawless mirror shield. Her face was completely uncovered, her hair was short and white as the driven snow, her eyes red not with rage, but a passionate fire as she smiled confidently down at her summoner. After a moment, the Persona disappeared, and the light drifted down to join with Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow took in a deep breath and smiled, but it was a smile tinged with sadness. "We've got a long road ahead of us." Then her strength left her, and she started to fall to her side.

Twilight caught her before she hit the floor, then she and Pinkie lifted her back up and prepared to carry her home.

Author's Notes:

I've been having a rather rough time of it lately, so I haven't really had a chance to work on this until last week. Let it never be said that I'm a quitter though. I know a good idea for a story when I see it.

And before anyone even asks, yes, the miniboss fight with the Gigas Shadow, particularly Pinkie yelling like a crazy person at it, is a reference to the late WWF Wrestler: The Ultimate Warrior. I never much cared for wrestling, but I was highly entertained by the antics of The Warrior. Many Thanks to Linkara and the Spoony One for introducing me to him and his craziness. I'd planned to do something like this since I started writing this story, as I found the Gigas Shadows' resemblance to Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior's greatest rival, to be a source of great amusement. When I heard about UW's death earlier this year, I was a little upset, so to honor his memory and his batshit insane ramblings, I decided to move ahead of schedule and include this fight in the next Dungeon Dive. So long Warrior, hope Parts Unknown are treating you well, you psychotic SoB.