Rainbow Dash walked sullenly through the town. The guard had managed to finally take back control after two days of fighting. But now, half the city was on lockdown, and the other half was burned to cinders.  Scootaloo had been taken by the pegasai, taken to live in Cloudsdale. For how long she didn’t know, but she did know she would at least be safer there.

        Rainbow Dash walked towards her usual spot. A pony stopped her midway, pushing a flyer into her hooves. Rainbow Dash tucked it under her wing and continued to walk to her spot overlooking the town. She was continually harassed by paper pushing unicorns, trying to spread the news.

        Rainbow Dash already knew. A chat with Twilight let her know a day ago. She flew up, leaving the crowds and feeling the harsh sunshine on her wings. She suffered the heat and darted over to her perch. She slammed down, kicking up dust as she landed.

        Rainbow Dash looked out over the scorched town as the sand pony started to form behind her. She knew he would be there, she had talked with him as the riots went on. “Pulvis, things are going to get better.” She dropped the paper from her wing. “Things are gonna be okay.”

        Pulvis formed out of the sand and dust. “Hmm? How so.” Pulvis picked up the paper. “I have decided to turn myself over to Cloudsdale in an effort to convince them to return our water. For those unaware, on a scientific expedition I inadvertently destroyed part of Commander Hurricane’s grave. I knew I would be punished for my accident, but I never wanted things to go this far. -Sharp Quill. Aww, how sad.”

        Rainbow Dash fell to her haunches. “You were right...everything changed.”

        “Did it? It’s still a bit arid out here. I’m enjoying it, but I can’t imagine your friend Applejack is.” Pulvis’ words bit into Rainbow Dash.

        She looked around wildly, she hadn’t realized it before but the one bit of green in the entire town was missing. She scanned Sweet Apple Acres like mad, searching high and low for the large apple tree. She started panicking at its absence. “No, no no no no no!”

        Pulvis put his dusty hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. “The land had its fill of blood, now it hungers for life, and Rainbow my dear, there is nothing you can do.”

        Rainbow Dash felt her heart sink. “What happened…?”

        “I think it’s better if you find out yourself. Nothing I could say would have the same impact as what is to come.” Pulvis started to fade into dust. “Be strong Rainbow Dash, be strong my love.”

        Rainbow Dash shook her neck, ridding herself of Pulvis’ dust and taking a moment to collect herself. She could see a crowd rushing towards Sweet Apple Acres. She flew up and raced passed them, flying to the head of the crowd and running the rest of the way into the farm.

        Her ears were full of low pitched screams, coming from a distant crowd. Rainbow Dash ran over, spotting Applejack and Big Mac arguing. Big Mac was trying to calm her down, but Applejack was yelling angrily and snarling at the growing crowd.

        “Animals, all a ya, damn animals and freaks!” Applejack screamed, running before the crowd. “Every single damn one of ya is an animal!”

        Rainbow Dash stepped forward. “Applejack, what the hay--”

        “You! I told ya don’t show up here again! I bucking told ya, I said stay the buck away, ya freak, you’re just like them!” Applejack screamed, her legs growing weak. “Rainbow Dash...yer a varmint, a rat...you and all yours.”

        Rainbow Dash stood tall. “Applejack, I don’t--”

        “They cut it down! You and your Cloudsdale bucking friends!” Applejack threw her hat off her head and tossed a piece of paper before her. “Scum! Rainbow Dash I trusted you, I trusted ya’ll that stayed, ya buckin’ lied to us all!”

        Rainbow Dash picked up the paper. It was a simple, in bright red ink.

An eye for an eye, you take a filly’s flight, we will take your pride, your joy, your life. -Birds of a feather

        Rainbow Dash was horrified. “Apple jack it wasn’t--”

        “Shut up, just shut up! Ya took my water, ya took my trees, ya took everything! Just go, run away, go back where ya buckin’ belong!” Applejack cried out, falling to her knees as she tried to turn back to the felled apple tree. She reached the trunk and laid her blonde mane against it. “Never come back...ya ain’t welcome.”

        Rainbow Dash tried to walk forward, stopped dead by Big Mac. “Don’t...just go.”

        Rainbow Dash’s anger boiled over. She channeled her rage from the scarred pony, from the riots, from being called a bird and told she doesn’t belong. “Buck you, I didn’t do anything! I did everything for you, I spent hours working my hooves raw to get you water, I gave you my rations, I did everything I could, and you think I would do something like this!?”

        “Rainbow--”

        “Shut up!” She shut down the burly stallion, turning to the growing crowd. “I did everything for you, I bled for you, I cried when I saw what this did to you. I stood by you even when you threw fruit at me, called me a traitor, I trusted you all, I stayed with you because I knew you were scared! This is my home, just like any of you, but you treat me like scum because I’m a pegasus!”

        Rainbow Dash charged over to the downed tree. In a fit of rage she started stomping it, tearing away the bark and inciting the crowd. She quickly found herself at the mercy of a crowd of earth ponies, watching her, a pegasus, tear away the last vestiges of Sweet Apple Acres.

        She flew. She flew as the crowd lurched forward. She flew hard and fast out of the orchard. Her single stupid act had just cost her the last shred of trust the ponies of Ponyville had for her. Thrown away during some childish tantrum.

        She hovered over the town, watching from on high as the crowd swelled around the large stump. She was alone now. She was an island in a sea of angry faces.

        Then one by one, dots started to rise into the air, quickly turning towards her and flying over. Little by little the last remaining Pegasai in Ponyville converged on Rainbow Dash.

        Their faces were grim, their course clear. “Rainbow Dash...we’re here.” Cloud Chaser flew over and gave her a sympathetic look. “We’re here with you.”

        Rainbow Dash looked to the group of ten ponies and shrank. She wasn’t a leader, she couldn’t make a decision like this.

        She turned away from her friends, the dour faces of those now left homeless. She turned towards Cloudsdale, and flew. Silently leaving behind everything she had tried to hold on to. She would atleast be accepted there, she would be amongst friends and smiling faces.

        She flew for an hour, her group trailing behind her. She didn’t know what waited for them, she didn’t know if she could ever go back, but she needed to go somewhere.

        Her group knew where to head and flew on without her, some hesitating as Rainbow Dash lagged behind. But eventually only Rainbow Dash remained, standing alone on the hill outside of Ponyville.

        “Makes you think, doesn’t it?” Pulvis asked, pulling himself together out of the dust. “How fragile the strongest of us truly is.”

        Rainbow Dash fell to her haunches, staring out over her town. “I don’t want to leave...Applejack...I’m sorry...Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, I’m sorry….”

        Pulvis wrapped his gritty hooves around her body, holding her tight. “They will forgive you, even the farmer will come to see her mistake.” Pulvis nuzzled the slowly tearing mare. “Things will get better.”

        Rainbow Dash choked back a tear. “But they always get worse...they always get worse.”

        “Hmm, now you understand. And as much as I love you, there is nothing I can do. Your path is set, and the sooner you go, the sooner this will end.” Pulvis gave her a final tight squeeze before stepping back and falling to dust. “You will always be my love, remember that.”

        Rainbow Dash pressed her hoof where Pulvis had been. Her tears slowly fell to the earth, her resolve crumbling as she realized what was next. She would be branded a traitor, a coward. But she couldn’t go to Canterlot, she didn’t belong there, she couldn’t go to Manehattan or Appleloosa, she could only go one place, one place to fill the void.

        And so she flew.

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