Rainbow Dash flew like a bullet through the sky over Equestria, on the edge of breaking the sound barrier already. The only reason she hadn't was because of her companions.

"Rainbow Dash! Please slow down!"

Blossomforth called out behind her, flying as hard as she could but still not near as fast as Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash pulled up a moment to allow the others to catch up a bit. Cloud Kicker, a light lavender pegasus with a light yellow mane, and Star Hunter, a dark blue stallion with a light blue mane, both flew as quickly as the could to get in a formation with Dash and Blossomforth. Once in Dash's slipstream, all three started gliding just to catch their breath.

"Sorry, guys, we don't have any time to lose," said Rainbow Dash, glancing back with real concern but at the same time with impatience.

"We know, Rainbow," said Cloud Kicker through a few huffing breaths. "Just let us rest a sec then we can speed backup."

Rainbow Dash was grateful for the three coming with her. When she had gathered the Pegasi together and explained what was happening, they had been the only ones to jump forward. Blossomforth and Star Hunter had been no surprise as they were both from Cloudsdale too, but Cloud Kicker had volunteered as well even though she was from Ponyville. She had said something about it was the right thing to do and she wanted to help.

"Is everypony ready?" asked Rainbow Dash after a few moments of gliding. The two mares and stallion looked at each other then nodded in unison.

"Okay, then. Stay in my slipstream, that should make it easier," said Rainbow Dash, and the three complied and formed a lopsided V with Rainbow Dash at the head. Rainbow Dash nearly doubled her speed in a couple of seconds, but took an edge off to allow the others to keep up better, as they streaked through the sky once more towards their cloud-bound home. After a few moments, Rainbow heard Star Hunter speak up.

"Does anypony else smell that?" he asked.

Rainbow sniffed the air, and an unmistakable smell shocked her senses.

"Smoke!" she exclaimed. Rainbow Dash focused ahead even farther than usual, and saw the white clouds of Cloudsdale. Only on one side, some of the "clouds" looked black.

"Hurry up! It's worse than we thought!"

Rainbow Dash increased speed again, and her small team started falling behind but tried hard to keep pace. The closed the distance to the magnificent floating city and flew above, looking for somewhere to be.

"Look, I can see the Wonderbolts over there!" said Blossomforth, pointing off to the far left. The small flock turned sharply and descended towards the uniformed pegasi, whom Rainbow Dash could tell from a distance were Spitfire and Soarin. She tensed at first as the two ponies turned and spread their wings threateningly, but relaxed as they did when they saw who was descending to them.

"Oh, thank Celestia, it's good to see you here, Dash," said Spitfire, sliding up her goggles. Up close, Rainbow Dash didn't like what she saw. Both flyers' uniforms, normally pristine and sleek, were torn in several places. Soarin no longer had his goggles at all, and Rainbow Dash suspected they had been knocked off his head judging from a sizable bump on his forehead. The front, left legging on Spitfire's uniform was nearly ripped off entirely, and the leg was heavily bandaged; the white bandages stained red and clashing with Spitfire's golden yellow coat.

"How can we help?" was all Rainbow Dash could manage. She was so furious that somepony could betray the Princess, but that they could hurt other ponies just to do it. On top of that, hurting great ponies like Spitfire and Soarin. Somepony was going to pay big time.

"The east side of the city is completely out of control. We had to pull back so we could rest a bit and find some more help," explained Spitfire. "Luckily, help seems to have found us."

"So, how do we tell who's on what side?" asked Cloud Kicker, stepping nervously forward and eyeing the damage done to the two pegasi.

"The ones you gotta watch for will be wearing dark blue neckerchiefs around their necks or head," said Soarin, reaching into a saddle bag lying on the ground. "Here, these will tell you guys apart for anypony else out there."

Soarin brought out a hoof-full of golden-yellow cloths, and tossed them in a bundle to the four Ponyvillians. Rainbow Dash quickly grabbed one and tied it around her neck, while the other three started to do the same. Without saying a word, being too angry to do so, Rainbow Dash took off and sped off in the direction of the smoke rising in the East, not even waiting for the other ponies.

-----

In eastern Cloudsdale, the factory district, several pegasi rested or hovered together. Each of them wore a dark blue neckerchief somewhere on their body.

"I think we just about got this area beat!" cheered one green stallion, flipping in a somersault through the air. The others cheered in agreement.

"Who'da thought this would be so easy?" said a pink mare as she lazily took off.

"Well let's keep it going! We're on a roll!" said a black mare with a yellow mane, also taking off. The three in the air gained some altitude while the others spread and stretched their wings.

BOOOOOOM!

All of them spun to attention to the source of the explosive sound. To their astonishment, a shock-wave of rainbow was spreading perpendicular to the ground, like a multi-colored target. They were stunned by the beautiful sight, so much so they didn't even see the rainbow missile speeding straight at them. The green stallion was socked by a supersonic hoof to the jaw, and was unconscious long before he spun out of control into the factory pillar, and flopped to the ground. It hardly mattered that the rest of them were still in shock, because the missile was moving far too fast to react. They didn't get their first good look at who or what was attacking them until she brought a smashing kick down on the right wing of the pink pegasus who had been hovering next to where the stallion had been moments before. Crying in pain she collapsed to the ground, her wing broken in two places.

The black and gold mare finally processed what was going on, and tried to fly away as the rainbow-maned mare charged after her. She made it no more than a few wing-lengths before she felt a sharp tug on her tail, stopping her flat. She didn't have to look to know that the assailant had bitten her tail. The rainbow pegasus then grabbed her tail with her front hooves and spun around like she was forming a tornado, before hurling the mare headfirst into a factory wall. The mare blacked out and slid unconscious to the cloud floor.

Four more blue-wearing pegasi stood on the clouds, snapped out of their stupor but still timid after watching their three comrades get knocked out of the sky. The light blue mare with a rainbow mane hovered several feet above them, her front hooves folded defiantly while she glowered at them, daring them to make a move. Two of the pegasi, spread their wings in unison, and pushed off the floor.

Unfortunately for them they were all too focused on the first attacker that they didn't notice the two Wonderbolts that came streaking in, tackling both of the flyers and pinning their wings down. A third pegasi, a light lavender one, came streaking in from the same direction. The two remaining Lunites braced their muscles, ready to drive off this fourth attacker. But instead of diving at one of them, the mare smashed down into one of the cloud pillars, shattering the bottom, before she shot off to the side and out of the way.

As the pillar fell, the two darted to get out of the way. They hadn't made it ten feet before two more pegasi, a white candy colored mare and a dark stallion, flew in and clothes-lined them both, sending them somersaulting to the floor in a daze. Before the last one finally fell unconscious, she glanced at the six ponies who stood triumphant over their band, and thought just how cool they looked like that.

-----

Rainbow Dash felt calmer now, having vented her anger in the most aggressive way she had ever done. Blossomforth was darting around to each of the motionless ponies lying around and checking them while Spitfire and Soarin both continued to pin the two they had tackled, though neither of the charges were resisting much. Cloud Kicker came to rest next to the pink mare with what was more than likely a broken wing. Rainbow had felt it crack under her diving kick. Cloud Kicker told her to lie still so that she didn't injure herself further, to which the young pegasi said nothing but did not move for the pain.

"I think they're all gonna be ok. Three of them probably have concussions, and I think the green guy and the one that Star Hunter hit have broken jaws, but other than that the rest will live just fine," reported Blossomforth. Pegasi were well known for spotting impact type injuries well just by sight, and could generally be trusted on that.

"That was a nice kick on that pillar," said Spitfire. "What's your name?"

"Cloud Kicker, ma'am."

"Name suits you," Spitfire replied with a grin. "I need you to go back to west Cloudsdale and get a guard unit. Tell them to bring a wagon, and probably a couple of medics."

"Sure thing," said Cloud Kicker, who pushed off and flew back towards the way they came. Rainbow Dash watched her fly off and out of sight before setting down herself. She had practically not stopped flying that day since they had left Ponyville that morning, and was only just beginning to realize how tired her wings had become.

"What's your name?"

Rainbow Dash looked for who asked the question, and saw that the blue pegasus pinned under Soarin was looking at her.

"My name's Rain Flower. What is your name?" she asked again. Rainbow stared at her for moment with an unreadable expression, then her face broke into a mischievous grin as she got a fantastic idea. She stood up to her full height and smiled wide as she said:

"The name's Rainbow Dash, and I'm the best flyer in all the Solar Empire!" Next Chapter: Moonlight Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 20 Minutes