Rainbow Dash sat in one of the smaller rooms inside Fortress Umbra, alone save for a single lit candle casting its flickering light across her.

Rainbows crystal short sword lay naked on the table, the light catching on its razor sharp edges, splitting the light just as easily as it would a skull. She had spent the last several hours simply staring at her blade, in that time she had memorized every curve and point all the while her mind attempted to make sense of her feelings.

Applejack is dead, killed by Sombra. At least, according to Luna.

"Why did this news bother her so much?" Rainbow thought to herself, her eyes tracing the edge of her sword for the umpteenth time. "Because one of your closest friends was killed and you now serve under the one who did it." She answered, reaching forward and gently touching the hilt of her sword. "Maybe Luna was lying, after all both her and Celestia have been manipulating Twilight all her life, lying would be easy for her."

"And who told you that?" She thought angrily, pulling her hoof back from the sword in revulsion. "Sombra." The name slithering through her thoughts like a snake. "We know next to nothing about him other than the fact that he ruled the Crystal Empire a thousand years ago and was defeated by the Princesses." She leaned her head back to gaze upward at the dancing shadows on the ceiling. "But Twilight trusts him, shouldn't that be enough?" Her gaze dropped back down to her sword, almost wishing to find the answers in its crystal surface.

Her hoof tentatively found its way back to her swords hilt. "But that's just it isn't it? I follow Twilight because I trust her, she follows Sombra because she trusts him." Her hoof gently traced along the blades length. "I don't know whose lying and whose telling the truth..." She once again retched her hoof back from her sword. "Does it matter? So what if Sombra's lying? Twilight's already murdered Cadence and Shining Armor. Ive killed a Royal Guard in cold blood, and we've both attacked a Princess, leaving her for dead." She placed her head in her hooves as they rested on the table. "I just don't know...."

The candle's flame flicker violently as the door behind Rainbow Dash opened. Rainbow, too occupied with her conflicting feelings failed to notice that she was no longer alone. Rainbow Dash was startled out of her melancholy when two soft forelegs gently encircled her torso along with the feeling of someponies warm breath on her neck.

"Are you ok?" Twilight whispered softly into Rainbow Dashes ear, squeezing her firmly as she did so.

Rainbow wanted to say yes, that she was perfectly alright but the concern in Twilight's voice, the way she hugged her reminded Rainbow that even after everything that had happen, Twilight was still her friend.

"N..No." Rainbow said, shaking her head slightly. She felt Twilight rest her head on her shoulder as she leaned her body against Rainbows back. "Ive just been thinking about what Luna said."

Twilight shifted her head, resting her chin on Rainbows shoulder. "About Applejack." She said softly.

"Yeah." Rainbow hesitated for a moment before continuing. "She was the only one who had gotten sick from the black fog when we evacuated the Crystal City. She had a slight cough but I didn't think much about, I was to concerned about you to worry about Applejack" She finished, feeling her cheeks grow slightly warmer but the sensation quickly passed. "But if Luna was telling the truth and Applejack is dead, then..." She trailed off.

"Now your doubting the choices you've made."

It was not a question and for a moment Rainbow Dash wondered if Twilight was reading her mind.

"I didn't read your mind Rainbow." She said, tightening her embrace."I just know you."

The pressure from Twilight helped calm Rainbows troubled mind. They lapsed into silence, both enjoying the simple feeling of the other. After a time, Rainbow fearfully whispered the thought that had been plaguing her.

"Have we made a mistake?"

Rainbow felt Twilight shift her weight as she moved one of her hooves up to stroke Rainbows mane while leaning her head up against her own.

"Mistakes are only the choices we regret." Twilight sighed resolutely. "I don't regret siding with Sombra, nor do I regret killing Cadence or Shining Armor." She paused. "Do you regret coming back for me?"

Rainbow hesitated, mulling the question over even though she knew the answer already.

"No."

Twilight turned Rainbows head so that they were now eye to eye. "Do you regret joining me?"

The candles light was beginning to die but even in the fading light, Twilight's red eyes shone like rubies, and Rainbow Dash began to feel herself becoming lost in those beautiful gems.

"No." She said, barely a whisper.

"Will you regret following me as we wage war on our home country?" Twilight asked as she leaned in closer to Rainbow Dash, her voice a whisper. "Will you regret cutting down any who stand in our way? Will you regret bathing in their blood, and bringing me their severed heads?" Twilight's eyes flashed red as they burned into Rainbows soul. "Will you regret dragging our friends before me in chains and making them swear allegiance, one by one before cutting out their hearts?"

Twilight closed the distance between herself and Rainbow Dash just as the light from the candle flickered out of existence, plunging them into the waiting embrace of darkness.

"No."