It was shortly after the defeat of Luna, the former Green Ranger, and all of the Darkness' generals were called from their places of rest in order to speak with him about this latest development.

“So, Luna was defeated?” a suave voice asked in a manner suggesting he expected that outcome. Said voice came from what appeared to be a man in a suit.

“Leaving the hunt for the Crystal Heart to a former Power Ranger? That was just asking for trouble!” a dark yet powerful voice boomed, coming from a man in a large suit of armor.

“Ah, but that did yield results, didn't it?” the lone female in their group asked, voice etched in sensuality, “Luna opened the door for the rest of us, and with that, we should be able to return this galaxy to the darkness.”

“Bah! I say we just all just set the whole planet ablaze!” the man in armor suggested loudly, “My Empire and I could make quick work of the fools on that planet!”

“It would take too long for you to gather all of your troops,” the oldest member of their group said, looking so old he was almost decrepit, “And in that time, we could all begin working on our own schemes.”

“Precisely. I have no plans on just waiting for you to get to Earth, Sombra. My children and I can be ready much sooner,” the female attending said.

“As much as we'd all love to just attack all at once, we just don't have the resources yet to work together on this,” the suave gentleman said, now nursing a glass of champagne, “We should at least count ourselves lucky that those girls haven't found the Green Power Coin yet.”

Those kids will find their endeavors to purify that coin will be fruitless…

It has been bathed in my shadows for far too long…

Apart from a miracle, there is no means of them regaining that power…

“Ah, but there's always a chance, Master,” the elderly man said stroking his beard, “I believe we should begin stacking the deck more in our favor just in case.”

“I can begin Project Rider soon,” the woman said sitting back in her chair and crossing her legs, “I've found two people who would be excellent candidates for it. All I need now is more information on the Ranger's capabilities.”

“I can get you that easily,” the suave gentleman said finishing his drink, “Master, what are we going to do about the Green Power Coin?”

I have a plan on how to secure it…

My Avatar of Darkness is close to it now…

“You mean that girl?” the armored man asked, “I see nothing special about that child.”

She has a powerful darkness within her, and her soul is already mine, whether or not she knows it...

Discord, once your Earthbound avatar is freed; use your powers to increase the shadows' hold on that planet...

The suave gentleman rose up and bowed to everyone, “Then I shall take my leave. Good day to you all,” he then vanished in a manner that put to question if he was ever there to begin with.

“I don't like him,” Sombra grumbled, “He's far too powerful still, even sealed away. Imagine what he'd be capable of were he to ever get out.”

“You don't like anyone, Sombra,” the woman said folding her arms under her bosom.

“That's wrong,” Sombra said rising up, “There is one who I love, and I will get her back from the abyss somehow.” he then turned and walked away, leaving the group behind.

“I shall take my leave as well,” the elderly man said rising up slowly, “Chrysalis, good luck with Project Rider.”

“Thank you, Tirek,” the woman said, “I assure you, I will find what you seek.”

“I have nothing but faith in you,” the elderly man said. He then walked off, leaving the woman seemingly by herself.

Once she confirmed that she was indeed alone, she pulled out what looked like a small computer screen, pulling up an image of two young women in what appeared to be a lab. One had long blueish white hair, and the other had dark purple hair with a light blue streak running through it. Both women were naked, chained to hospital beds and gagged, and both of them were frantically pulling at their bindings.

“Discord won't succeed,” the woman said, eyes glued to the young women as they struggled and screamed, “Never send a man, to do a machine's job.” her green eyes glowed brightly, sparking with electricity briefly.

Seven years, and this sleepy town hadn't changed one bit. Well, there was still a lot of damage from what seemed like a monster attack. She wasn't sure if she should have been happy that she missed that, or bummed out. Apparently a team of armored warriors saved the town.

That sounded like something straight out of a graphic novel or something.

Well, none of that mattered to Rainbow Dash. Whether it was seven years ago, or right after a monster attack, Ponyville was her home. One that thankfully had one single strip joint that didn't make a fuss hiring someone who wasn't drinking age.

It was a good thing that her eighteenth birthday had just come.

The strip club was nice, for the establishment it was that is. Naturally dark with quite a few effect lights and big enough to be considered a major establishment, the men here always paid good money. Most of the girls here were only here because they needed the money, but not Dash. She didn't need anything of the sort, as her man had a nice job as a MMA fighter. She was here dancing because she wanted to.

When she stepped out on stage, the crowd went wild as always. This time, she let her hair flow out freely, and wore a skimpy green studded bra, matching panties and flirty skirt, and green high heels. She ran her hand through her hair as she strutted over to the front of the stage, and then began what was probably the hottest dance of the night.

No one danced with the amount of enthusiasm that she did. None of the girls would swing their hips to the music as hard as her, whip their hair with as much energy as she did, crawl toward the crowd with the expressions she had, or spin and grind on the pole the way she did. The crowd always enjoyed her dances, whether or not she ever took anything off. She usually averaged at around 400 dollars per shift. No one knew how she did, and she wasn't about to tell anyone her secret.

She got off on this.

She loved the thrill of knowing that they were all looking at her body. She loved the sound of their cheers. She loved the feeling of being so exposed, and showing off her body. If there wasn't for the abundance of other scents around her, she was sure they'd smell her arousal from just this dance.

As she danced, she saw someone in the crowd that briefly caught her attention. He was a young man with short blue hair, wearing a dark blue jacket with lightning bolts on the sleeves, white t-shirt, blue jeans, and black sneakers. Now she could really get into her dance, as her true audience had arrived.

Enjoy the show, Soarin.

Now she decided to have a little more fun, putting even more energy into her dance. The crowd was going crazy, some people throwing even more money onto the stage even though they already threw out a bunch of bills. When she was done, she took her money backstage and counted it up.

“Ooooooh! Look at this!” Rainbow Dash said counting up her money, “Four hundred and sixty dollars?! I'm loving this!”

“Looking good, Dash,” another dancer said walking up to her. This woman had long red and orange hair, and was wearing a red skimpy skirt with a fire motif.

“Thanks Spitfire,” Rainbow Dash said, “It's not easy being the best.”

Spitfire laughed, “Careful, newbie. The other girls aren't as nice as I am. They might not take kindly to you stealing their revenue.”

“Then give them this message for me,” Dash said putting her clothes back on, “If they want their revenue secure, they better start dancing like they mean it.”

Now dressed, she packed up her bag, and stepped outside using the back exit, her shift over for the night. She loved being the best, and she loved bragging. Not just to stroke her ego (that was part of it), but also because it inspired others to do better. Sometimes in order for people to improve, they needed someone to dislike. They needed an enemy.

She just so happened to play that role really well.

When she stepped outside, she saw the man with the short blue hair, Soarin, leaning on a fence waiting for her. She smirked and sauntered over toward him.

“I saw you looking at me when I was dancing,” Rainbow Dash said, “Liked what you saw?”

“I loved it,” Soarin said now walking toward Rainbow Dash, “You were getting off on that, weren't you?”

“Maybe,” Rainbow Dash said playing innocent before looking at Soarin with a lustful smile, “What if I was?”

“That's really naughty, you know,” Soarin said, getting right in front of Rainbow Dash with a smirk, “Naughty girls need to be punished.”

“So are you going to punish me?” Rainbow Dash asked, her heart racing in anticipation. She loved it when Soarin gave her that look. Before answering her, he gripped her hair tightly and held her close.

“You bet I am,” he said. He then kissed her, hungrily and passionately. It was a kiss that she returned with fervor. After a few seconds of making out, they broke the kiss and looked into each other's eyes. All of her emotions she felt returned to her from Soarin. Passion, lust, and above all, love. There was only one other person in her life that she loved as much as him. Someone that she planned on tracking down very soon.

The two of them walked over to Soarin's car, arms wrapped around each other. Once at the car, Dash threw her bag in the back seat and sat down in the passenger seat. Soarin took the chance to slap her on the butt before she got inside, earning an excited yelp from Rainbow Dash. Soarin ran over to the driver's seat and then drove off back toward their small house as fast as he could without breaking the speed limit.

Their house wasn't large in the slightest. They didn't need it to be big, as it was just the two of them. As such, it just had a living room, kitchen, bathroom with shower and bathtub, and of course the bedroom.

When they got to the house, Soarin exited the car and then ran to the passenger's side, opening the door and pulling Dash out. After securing her backpack, the two of them ran to the house hand in hand, where Soarin fumbled with the keys. The second he opened it and they were inside, Dash closed the door and locked it. Soarin then backed her against a wall and kissed her passionately. Rainbow Dash let her hoodie fall to the floor, and then threw off her t-shirt. Soarin led Rainbow Dash to their bedroom, both of them discarding their clothes on the way.

In the bedroom, Soarin pushed Rainbow Dash onto the bed and got on top of her, pinning her to the bed. What resulted after that was a passionate dance of lust and love between the two of them. They had been thinking about each other all day, and now that they were together they planned on staying up as long as possible.

Once they finished their love making session, the two love birds lied down in bed together looking into each other's eyes lovingly.

“I took care of everything,” Soarin said caressing Rainbow Dash's cheek, “You can start attending Ponyville High tomorrow.”

Rainbow Dash sighed in relief, “Thank you. I was actually anxious about that.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Soarin asked, “This could be really dangerous. If they find you-”

“They won't,” Rainbow Dash said holding Soarin's hand to her cheek, “We covered our tracks. Those freaks back there won't think to come here. Besides, I have to find her.”

“You mean your friend, right? The one you had to leave behind?”

“I need to know how she's doing. We didn't even get to talk the day I was taken away. I just have to see if she's alright.”

“What if she doesn't remember you?” Soarin asked, “It was seven years ago, Dash.”

“She might not remember me,” Rainbow Dash said closing her eyes seriously, “Or… if she does, she hates my guts. That's fine. It would suck, but I'd understand. Just knowing that she's okay is enough for me.”

“Want me to drive you tomorrow?” Soarin asked.

“Nah, I'll be fine. I want to get a feel for this place,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Alright then,” Soarin said, pulling the covers over them and pulling Rainbow Dash close, “Good night, Beautiful.”

“Good night, Handsome,” Rainbow Dash said, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep. She always felt so safe lying in his arms like this.

I love you so much Soarin…

Keep protecting me… just like this…

After getting showered and dressed the following morning, Rainbow Dash ate breakfast with Soarin and then immediately started making her way to the school. They drove by it at one point, so she knew the way, meaning getting there wasn't an issue.

Rainbow Dash took the path nearby her old house. She didn't know why, but she wanted to see it. At least, seeing it would make the last seven years real. The neighborhood looked about the same. Some new houses here and there, and it looked like most of the people had either moved out, or she just didn't recognize them.

Shoot. Does she still live here?

What if she moved too?

At least she remembered where her old house was. How could she forget? It was where she was born after all. When she saw it, she stopped and looked up at it for a bit. The place looked like it was in disarray.

“I'd stay away from that place.”

Rainbow Dash turned to her side to see who spoke to her. It was a little kid about seven years old or so on a bike. She had short purple hair, and was wearing an orange t-shirt, black shorts, and sneakers. Based on her complexion, she looked Latino or something of the sort.

“Yeah, why's that?” Rainbow Dash asked the kid.

“That place is said to be haunted by an evil spirit,” the kid said, “My Mom says that the family that used to live there left in a hurry, and no one's ever moved in since.”

“You live around here then?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Yep,” the kid held out her hand, “The name's Scootaloo Sanchez.”

“Rainbow Dash Olivette,” Rainbow Dash said shaking Scootaloo's hand, “Hey, since you live here, maybe you could help me with something. I'm actually looking for an old friend.”

“I bet I know her,” Scootaloo said, “I know everyone in this town.”

“Do you know a girl with long light pink hair? Last I checked, she lived in a house down the street. Her name is Fluttershy.”

“Hey yeah, I know Fluttershy,” Scootaloo said thoughtfully, “She's a bit strange.”

“Strange? How?” Rainbow Dash asked, getting a little worried now.

“She sort of keeps to herself all the time, and spends a lot of time in the Everfree Forest,” Scootaloo explained, “But if we're thinking of the same place, she still lives in that house. It's a yellow house?”

“That's the one,” Rainbow Dash said, proud that she still remembered that much, “Does she go to Ponyville High?”

“I think so,” Scootaloo said, “Speaking of; I need to get to school myself. Hey, are you staying in town for a while?”

“That's the idea,” Rainbow Dash said with a soft smile, “I just moved back a few days ago.”

“Cool. Then we'll see each other more often. Take care Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow Dash watched as Scootaloo rode off, and then looked down thinking about what she said. So Fluttershy was “weird”? Yeah, Fluttershy was always a bit off, but anyone who really knew Fluttershy understood that she was actually really sweet once you got to know her. Did something happen to Fluttershy when she left?

“I need to find her,” Rainbow Dash said, now running to the school. It didn't take long to get there, but sadly classes were about to start, so she wouldn't have time to search for her just yet.

The school was really nice and energetic. Immediately she was a hit among her fellow students, who absolutely loved her style. She saw another student walking by wearing skimpy a skimpy black ensemble with purple and white hair that the students called “Easy Rare”. It took some time for her to learn her real name.

If she ever got to talk to her, she'd be sure to use her real name. Rarity was actually a pretty name.

But goodness gracious that girl was hot. Actually, she wasn't the only one. There were two other students that caught her attention. One girl was super popular with the students, and wore a lot of blue. Now she was strange, but in a good way, if that made sense. The other one was usually seen with Rarity, being a girl with blond hair wearing a bunch of red and a western hat.

They were all super models. Had to be.

While classes were fun, she was still looking around for Fluttershy. Was she absent today or something?

The bell rang, signaling the start of her lunch period. She shot up and began walking through the halls, taking the few free minutes she had to look around. If she was in the school, she'd have to eventually-

She stopped. Everything stopped. All of a sudden, she lost awareness of the other students around her, only able to truly see the vision of beauty in front of her. She was at her locker, taking out a few books and what appeared to be a homemade lunch. Her attire was a simple, yet still beautiful yellow sundress and high heeled sandals. Her hair was so long and full, yet it was the same shade of pink Rainbow Dash remembered. What struck her though, was how beautiful she was. She was too beautiful, so much that it hurt a bit to look at. Yet she couldn't take her eyes off her. Was that… her…?

Oh my God…

Okay, I love you Soarin, but THAT might have made me bi-sexual.

She closed her locker, and started making her way down the hall. Rainbow Dash had to know. This was probably a terrible idea, but she just couldn't stand not knowing. She had to see if that was who she thought, and if she remembered her.

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash called out as loud as she could. Her heart leaped out of her chest when the girl in front of her stopped walking. She looked around a bit, and then turned completely around, her eyes stopping on Rainbow Dash. When she saw her, her eyes went wide and she dropped everything onto the floor, covering her mouth in shock.

She remembered her.

Rainbow Dash slowly walked over to Fluttershy, stopping a bit away from her.

“R-Rainbow Dash…?” Fluttershy asked trembling, “Is that… really you…?”

“Yeah… it is,” Rainbow Dash said, smiling in relief as her heart calmed down, “I'm back, Fluttershy.”

Tears built up in Fluttershy's eyes, which she just let fall freely as she apparently processed what she was seeing. Eventually she broke down completely.

“RAINBOW DASH!!!!” Fluttershy cried, running into Rainbow Dash's arms and hugging her tightly, “It's you! It's really, really you! You actually came back to me!”

“Yeah… I did…” Rainbow Dash said, hugging Fluttershy just as tightly as if afraid to let go, “I'm so sorry, Fluttershy…”

Now everything was complete. She was back in her hometown, in the school she was meant to go to in the first place, and in the arms of her best friend. That wasn't even the best part. Said best friend remembered her, and apparently wanting this meeting just as much as she did.

I'm back, Fluttershy…

This time, I won't disappear…

Author's Notes:

Welcome back, everyone! So, here's how this is going to go. I'll be updating this daily for the next four days including today. Then I'm going to get to work on the next parts, and then update them in large chunks. This idea is coming to me FAST, and I need to get this out here.

Introducing in this arc: Rainbow Dash.

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