"Congratulations, Ms. Dash. Your registration for the 8th UEAA rank is now complete. If you wish to continue your climb to number one, please transfer the bits into the designated account. Have a nice day."

Of course, they need more of my bits. I can see this becoming a reoccurring theme. Well, at least I don't have to spend bits on food anytime soon. I trotted to my mini fridge and took out a bright green granny smith apple and sunk my teeth into its flesh. Mmmm, juicy.

I then trotted back to my room and stole a glance at the calendar hanging up in the corner. A red circle was drawn around today's date and I almost let the apple I was holding fall out of my mouth. Oh yeah, today is going to be a good day. I quickly got dressed in my coolest attire, grabbed a sack full of bits, and hit the streets of Stallin' Destroy. I trotted giddily to my destination and threw open the doors.

"Good morning and welcome to Spitfire's Gym," the one and only caption of the wonderbolts greeted me. She sat on a black couch and her attention was focused on some paperwork on her desk, so I trotted closer and tried not to squeak in excitement. The greeting room of Spitfire's gym was decorated with black furniture that surrounded a glass table. On the walls hung traditional Neighponese artwork and a few pulp magazines were placed on the glass table. After a few moments of silence, she looked up at me and a knowing grin spread across her face.

"Oh, Dash. Here for 'THAT'?" she asked.

"O-oh yeah!" I replied happily. If I could see my own face right now it would probably be beat red with a goofy grin. Not that I cared, this was bucking Spitfire. I had memorized her schedule as a wonderbolt. As the caption, she got a few days out of every month to take off and relax. During this time, she would usually come to her gym and check out how things were going. The gym opened about a year ago and I'm proud to say that I was one of its first members.

She then led me to the gym and I placed my jacket on an empty coat hanger. Like most gyms, Spitfire's was decked out with the latest workout equipment, only better because it was Spitfire's bucking gym. Lat pull down, hind leg extension, should press, and many other machines were lined up on one wall, while dumbbells and a bench pressing station were set up along another wall. In the opposite corner was a boxing ring where I had fond memories of knocking out stallions twice my size.

"Alright, take the thirty fives," she said as we approached the dumbbells. I nodded to her and strapped the weights on my hooves. She watched my form and breathing closely as I alternated lifting with each hoof. After five sets of ten she seemed satisfied and took the weights from me and put them back.

"Next is the bench press, let's see what ya got filly," she taunted.

"You got it!" I smiled and lay down on the plush padding of the bench pressing station. I tilted my head to the side and watched Spitfire's sleek and toned form as she grabbed a heavy weight and slid in on the bar. I had to turn to hide a blush as she turned around to grab another, giving me a nice view of her rump.

"You can start anytime you're ready," Spitfire giggled above me. Apparently I had spaced off.

"O-of course!" I responded meekly. I took in a deep breath and lifted the bar up. Spitfire made sure to be generous with the weight this time I noticed as I almost dropped the bar on myself. Spitfire took immediate notice as my spotter and leaned over me to grab the bar and helped me steady it. In this position her chest was pushed dangerously close to my face. At this distance I could stick my tongue out and... No! Focus Dash, focus!

I shook my head from side to side and Spitfire let go of the bar when she was sure I had control of it. I released my breath as I pushed the bar up and took in breath as I brought the bar back down. That was one out of the way.

"C'mon Dash! Don't let that bar get the best of you, show it who’s boss," Spitfire cheered. My face flushed and the bar shot up again. Through Spitfire's cheering and my own determination, I managed to lift the bar eight more times, making it ten in total.

"Wing press, let's go," Spitfire announced. My face dropped, she knew what was going to happen as much as I did. The machine was made to strengthen a pegasi's wing muscles. A pegasus would climb in the middle and spread their wings, placing them on two pads. The pads were connected to weights that a pagasus would lift when they pushed the pads down with their wings.

"Spitfire, you know I can't d-," I started before she interrupted me.

"Hop in, c'mon," she said. I hopped into the machine with a heavy sigh. Spitfire adjusted the weights and I pressed down with my wings. No problem. Then she added more. I pressed down again, but with noticeable trouble this time. She added even more. I managed to get the pads halfway down, but remained stuck. I let out a weak gasp and the weights fell.

"How long now Dash?" she asked.

"Two years and four months since I've flown," I answered, looking away and hiding my face in shame.

"Have you remembered anything yet?" she asked it a worried tone. It was always the same questions, like she was trying to be a psychologist or something. Not that I minded, I needed somepony to talk to so why not my idol? I had told Spitfire everything.

"I met a filly the other day, pale yellow coat, red mane. She lived on a farm out in Ponyville. I felt like I knew her, but that's it. I couldn't remember her name, what connection she had to me, or anything else," I answered.

"That's good Dash. That may seem like a small step, but a small step is always the start," Spitfire said. I noticed her face lighten up and I returned a weak smile.

"Thanks, Spitfire. I've got to go run some errands, see you next week?" I asked.

"Of course, then maybe we can get to some of 'THAT'," she answered with a devious smile.

* * *

I quickly made my payment to the UEAA and returned home. As soon as I got inside, my Bluetooth rang.

"R-rainbow Dash? C-can you hear me?" Fluttershy yelled frantically. I could hear several explosions in the background. It sounded like she was fighting a war.

"I can't talk right now, I'm sending you some information over pegasi mail. Gotta go!" she squeaked.

"Fluttershy!? What's wrong? Hey!" I shouted into the phone, but it was too late. The only response I got was a dial tone. I sighed and plopped down in my red recliner. Sending the info through the mail? Great, that could take days. I heard a groan come from the front door and turned to see Tank lean his head down and scoop an envelope up in his mouth. He then slowly brought it over to me and I gave him a smile and a pat on the head.

Dear Rainbow,

The next ranker is

one dangerous mare

But there's no

going home now.

You've set foot

on the path of

a real pony.

No amount of

cupcakes can wash

that choice away.

Now, hurry to the

bus station, get on a

bus, and find

her... Waiting.

Put your life on

the line!

Now that's a strange way to write a letter. Also in the envelope I found a bus ticket to Ponyville. At least the UEAA decided to pay for my road trip this time. I went to my room and took Tsubaki out of my bed's drawer and hooked it to my jacket. With the ticket and Tsubaki in my possession, I headed to the bus station.

* * *

That path the bus took was the same that I had been through a few days before. I got a nice nap before the bus came to a complete stop and I stepped off. In front of me was the strangest building I had ever seen. It looked like a giant gingerbread house. The place was a light yellow with pink windows and a brown roof. White icing looking material decorated the roof and the top floor looked like a freshly baked cupcake. Before I could enter however, my Bluetooth began to ring.

"Hey Dash? Your next ranked battle is at Sugar Cube Corner. Win, and you'll be seventh. Lose, and you fall further down the rabbit hole. Some ponies say that Bon Bon's Sweet Shop is better. That Bon Bon has better cake and treats. But ignore idiots like that! Don't rule out Sugar Cube Corner before you even try the first cupcake! Don't believe me? You really are hopeless. I am one hundred and twenty percent certain you are going to die. All you can do is trust your Loyalty... And head for the Garden of Madness."

Well that was different. I can't really tell if she's rooting for me or not. Whatever, I don't need her. I approached the door and kicked it in, it's go time. I wish now that I had not rushed in because I almost lost the contents of my stomach. The room was covered in blood. I staggered and had to hold a hoof to my nose to block out the horrible stench. My mind could not register the simplest of details about the inside of the shop; all I could focus on was the blood.

"Oh... It's you. Here I thought you were going to show up. I don't see why you've come back now. Do you think I'm going to forgive you? You've been gone for almost three years Dash, you're dead to me," a harsh sounding voice emitted to my left. I turned to find a dark pink mare with and even darker shade of mane and tail. Her hair was strait and clung to the curves of her body. A scowl was plastered on her face as she glared at me with dull blue eyes. Something about this mare unnerved me. This scene felt way too familiar, but when have I been in this situation before?

"You? You're ranked?" I simply asked.

"No. Well, yeah, I guess I am," she answered.

"THAT makes sense."

"Forget it then. We've got a job to do, right? I need some time to get ready though, could your turn around? I need some privacy."

"Hey, don't mind me. Pretend like I'm not here."

"Just for a second. That's not too much to ask is it?"

"All right...," I said and turned around. Something in my gut told me not to, but I agreed anyway. Then something caught my attention. I heard a high pitched noise, like a buzzing, emit through the air. I focused on the window of the front door and an eerie yellow light reflected off of it. My eyes widened in realization and I shifted just in time. Two yellow beams of light shot through the air where my head just was and hit the front door.

"Oh, shoot," a bubbly voice behind me sounded. I turned around and my jaw dropped. Before me stood a completely different mare. Gone was the hateful looking and dull pink mare. What replaced her was a bright pink mare with a look of complete joy and a goofy smile stretched across her face. Her mane was now lighter and bounced with unkempt curls. What was even stranger was her new get up. She was dressed in some kind of blue and pink supercolt outfit. Now she looked familiar, but just like with the other filly, I couldn't place her name.

"That was close. For a second there I forgot you were a killer," I spoke and activated Tsubaki.

"Sorry Dashie, I haven't seen you in forever. I guess I just got a little excited," the mare giggled. Dashie, Dashie, why do I remember that? Somepony always called me that, what was her name?

"Can't let my guard down now, I've got to stay on my toes," I pep talked myself. I then took off in a gallop towards the mare, ready to strike. As I got close enough to strike, the mare held a hoof up.

"Wait wait wait! Why do we have to do this Dashie? You should just hang out with me like old times!" the mare explained.

"Why? Because this is a contest and I don't know you," I denied her.

"Well okey dokey lokey," she sang and held out her hoof.

"What? A hoof shake?" I asked.

"Sure! We're both friends, right? At least for now, silly. I just wanna make sure we have fun!" she exclaimed. I shook my head and let out a deep sigh. I took her hoof in mine and shook it.

"Fine," I answered. As we shook hooves I noticed the side of her mouth tremble until she was wearing a mischievous smile.

"Destroy Spark...," she whispered. The next thing I felt was buzzing pain coursing through my body. I then felt my body fall flat against the ground and shake as pain continued to surge through me.

"This is great Dashie! Just like old times! I can't believe you fell for the oldest prank in the book! You really crack me up Dashie! I'm laughing so hard I just might explode, maybe even explode twice! Oh Celestia! Wow, what a doozy. Aww, c'mon Dashie, you can't go to sleep yet. Don't worry, I'll wake you up!" I heard a muffled voice ring in my ears. The next thing I knew, I was floating in midair and the high pitched buzzing returned with the sting of pain.

"Now this is a party."

I then heard a low pitched ringing and an explosive force slammed into my body, flinging me across the room and knocking me into a wall. I hit the floor with an audible thud and slowly forced myself to my hooves.

"That was quite the dirty prank, but you've got some good moves. If challenge had a taste, you'd be quite delicious," I complimented the mare.

"You're as good as dead, Dashie," the mare replied in a serious tone and pointed a hoof at me.

I gritted my teeth and charged at the cotton candy mare. Tsubaki tore through the air, cutting the distance between us. As Tsubaki was about to hit it's mark, the mare hovered backwards. It wasn't a hop, skip, or jump. Her body seemed to just hover backwards, leaving me off guard. I struck again and again, trying to sever the mare's head from her shoulders, but she easily dodged my attacks. I charged again and noticed her right hoof beginning to glow red.

"Destroy Pound!" the mare exclaimed and buried her hoof into the ground. I hurled my body to the left just in time and was glad I did. A termer shook the entire building and a crater the size of my body was left in the ground. The mare just giggled to herself and went on the offensive.

"Destroy Cannon! Destroy beam! Destroooooy Spark!" she laughed as she launched attack after attack. I rolled out of the way of an orb of blue energy, blocked the two yellow beams that shot out of the sides of her mask, and managed to dodge the 'Destroy Spark' this time. I used my rolling momentum to swing Tsubaki at the mare and was rewarded with a satisfying sizzle of something electronic.

"Hey! That wasn't nice," the mare pouted. Smoke emitted from the device on her left hoof and I laughed at her. No more Destroy Pound now.

"Stop laughing at me!" she yelled and took to the air. The shop's ceiling wasn't too high, but the pink mare was still out of my reach. She then shot another Destroy Cannon at me and I rolled to the left, she anticipated this however and sent another in my direction. Before I could recover from my roll, a blue orb slammed into my side and sent me sliding across the floor. With my vision pointed towards the ceiling, I noticed something strange with the room. Tables, chairs, cupcakes, and pies were floating in the air. I focused my attention on the floating objects as the bouncy mare lost herself in a giggling fit and noticed the glint of a thin string. That was the secret.

"Ha, ha, ha," I mocked at the mare and blew raspberries at her. I then turned around and smacked my flank, adding insult to injury.

"Stop it!" the pink pony screamed and charged at me in a supercolt flying pose. I timed my jump perfectly and severed the string holding the mare up with Tsubaki. The mare's momentum carried her across the floor and she slammed face first into a wall. I laughed my flank off as she pushed herself to her hooves. I noticed a trickle of blood running from her nose and suppressed a cackle.

"Now I'm really angry...," the mare growled at me. She then reared up on her two back legs and revealed a white metal device in the shape of an 'X' on her crotch. Ew. The cross started to glow and I got the feeling that I needed to do some running, and fast.

"Destroy Buster!" the mare shouted. A wide, dark blue beam of energy tore across the room and missed me by a hair. My body moved, faster than I knew possible. I weaved around tables, jumped over chairs, and rolled over desks. I flung my body towards the mare as her attack ended and slid between her legs. Once behind her I thrust Tsubaki behind me and through the mare's back.

"N-n-no...," the mare began to cry.

"Don't cry like that. You're a killer, right?"

"D-Dashie...," the mare began to shake as sobs started to rack her body.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"I... I lo..."

"I can't hear you."

"I... still love you..."

"...what?"

"I-I'm sorry... Dashie."

"Pinkie... Pie?" I asked myself as visions invaded my mind. The two of us pranking other ponies. Eating treats in this very building. Stuck in a desert, captured by buffalos. Her surprise birthday party. I did not recall loving her, but I knew this mare was imprortant to me.

Pinkie started to go limp as I held her up with my beam katana. Her hair went back to its straightened and darkened look and her ears were folded back against her head. I pulled Tsubaki out of her and she stumbled a few feet forward. She hugged her chest and spat out a glob a blood as more leaked from the hole in her back.

"Y-you're mine," Pinkie growled and turned to face me with a knife in hoof. I found myself frozen in place, still dealing with the flood of visions and emotions. A hot and burning sensation pulled me back to reality and I clutched my shoulder. Blood gushed from new gash in my shoulder and Pinkie licked her blade.

"I remember you now, Pinkie Pie. D-don't do this," I plead.

"No, no you don't. All you remember is a name. Nothing more, nothing less," she spat and closed in on me. She lifted the knife high in the air. I closed my eyes and gripped Tsubaki. The sickening sound of flesh and bone being severed echoed through the building. I opened my eyes and found Pinkie Pie in two pieces in front of me, cut vertically in two perfect halves.

"Rainbow Dash, I'm starting to think that you are for real. You are now seventh in rank," a familiar voice sounded from behind me. I turned to find Fluttershy and the two unnamed cleanup stallions.

"Yeah," I managed to choke out. A nagging sensation in the back of my mind told me I knew this buttercup mare, but I still could not place her.

"What's wrong, you look like you've seen a ghost," she cooed. I can't trust her. The look she gave that filly from the last fight, Fluttershy was silencing her. Play it off.

"It's nothing, don't worry 'bout it. Just worry about looking your best when I hit number one."

"No need. I want you to see me for the mare I really am."

"Serious? Damn."