Rainbow looked up at the guard, a look of solemnity in them. After not doing a thing for a while, the guard floated over and fastened the chains around her legs and the center of her chest. Once again, additional clips were latched onto the base of her wings, locking them tightly against her side. The guard then stood aside, pointing with a hoof towards the door. At the exact opposite of her best, she walked out of the room at a snails pace. This can't be happening...

After she had left the room, the guard shut the door behind her and led her down the hallway. She simply followed him, head held low and tail tucked between her legs. If one saw her now, they would've seen only Rainbow Dash in form.

Finally, after some walking, the guard pushed open a door. Beyond, once again, she saw the stone fade into worn, grey brick. Once again, into the bowels of the castle; once again, away from the sun. When the stairs leveled, she found herself in the same hallway from which she had gone up to her trial. However, instead of leading her to the left, toward the cells, the guard led her to the right. Down another torch lined passage, until finally, the room opened up. This can't be happening...

The room was cylindrical in shape, a perfect circle on the floor that maintained its shape going up. At the very center of the ceiling, there was a single hole, from which shone down light into the corner of the room. A set of steps ran up to an elevated platform, upon which stood the Princesses. Royal guards stood at various points along the stairs, including a very mad looking Shining armor. Nopony she recognized besides those mentioned previously was in the room. Not her parents, not Scootaloo. Had they forsaken her too? This can't be happening...

Princess Celestia fixed her with the same cold gaze that she had grown used to seeing over the past couple of days. She said, "Bring her up." The guard began to push her forward, but then stopped as somepony yelled down the corridor.

"Wait! Waiiiit!" It was Scootaloo, with Rainbows parents following up behind them. The guards closest to the door moved to face them, but Princess Luna held up her hoof, signaling for them to stand down. They did so, returning to their original positions as the four pegasi embraced each other.

Her dad, Bow Hothoof, barely holding in his tears, said, "T-they s-said you, *sniff*, w-were being ex-ex-exiled. P-Please te-tell me it isn't true, D-dashie."

Rainbow sighed. "Yes, I'm being exiled," she said. "Yes, I did attack Princess Cadence. But, Mom, Dad, please, you have to believe me. I did it because she did something to Twilight. I'm telling the truth. You believe me; Right?"

Windy said, "Of course we do, Honey. Of course we do."

They simply stood there, soaking in each other's tears. No other sound was heard except that. Eventually, though, they released their embrace, and looked into each other's eyes. A silent acknowledgment passed between them, as her parents stepped back. Rainbow then knelt down to the level of Scootaloo. "Hey, Squirt."

Scootaloo once again latched onto her idol, her tears flowing freely. "Don't go, Rainbow! P-Please!", followed by loud sobbing.

Dash said, "I'm sorry, Scoots. I don't have a choice."

"T-then I'll go with you!"

"No, scoots. You can't. You would be leaving your friends behind, and that's not exactly a cool thing to do, Is it?"

"N-no", Scootaloo stuttered. "B-but-"

"Besides, I need you to do something for me. I need you to take my place as the awesomest pony in Ponyville. Can you do that for me?"

"S-sure." By her tone, she was still sad.

Celestia sighed. "As heartwarming as this is, can we please get on with this?"

Rainbow let go of Scootaloo, and looked back at the Princess. She then rocketed forward at her, only stopping to hover in front of her face. "Alright, your highness. Lets do this."

The Princess's horn began to glow, and Rainbow felt a stinging sensation form over part of the upper left side of her face and her eye. It grew to an uncomfortable hissing, but soon faded. Looking back up at Celestia, she saw something. It was brief, but she could have sworn that her eyes flashed. For a split second, a dark green film, much like the one she saw over Twilights eyes outside Donut Joes, flashed over her cerise eyes. But, as soon as Rainbow blinked, it was gone, her steely gaze once again boring into her.

She had no time to point this out, however, as a swirling light began to surround her. She floated up into the air, the light going faster, and faster, and faster. This is happening...

"Goodbye, Rainbow Dash," Princess Luna said. "May Faust have mercy on your soul."

With that, the light around her faded, replaced by an inky void. A void, in which she soon lost herself, slipping into unconsciousness.

Rainbow stirred, raising herself off of the ground. She sat up, cracking her back. Her eyes still clamped shut, she began to rub her eyes. Man, what a weird dream. she thought. Her eyes felt heavy, but she slowly began to coax them open. Maybe it has something to do with this bucking bed. It's hard as a rock!

Before her eyes opened, she became aware of a few things that made her a little confused. First, was the pattering of heavy rain. If she recalled correctly, then it was a sunny day, in the middle of summer. Second, was the smell. It didn't smell much like the castle or her home back in Ponyville. It smelt like dust and rock, as well as another, much fainter smell: salt. Then, she opened her eyes.

She wasn't in Ponyville, nor Canterlot Castle, nor even the dungeon. It was a cave. It was dark outside, so she couldn't get a good look at the rock walls, yet they appeared to be some sort of dark-colored stone. The walls were of various shapes, forming strange shadows that danced across the other surfaces of the cave. A few stalagmites jutted up from the floor around the rim of the cave. At one end of the cave, was a massive mouth, opening up onto a dark field of navy blue.

No, she thought. No, no, no, no! Her wings unfurled, and she rocketed forward. She soon reached the mouth of the cave, then shot past it into open air.

As soon as she left the cave, she was beaten from all sides by a massive wall of sharp, cold droplets of rain. The cave was up on a massive cliff, overlooking a valley. The valley looked like a sight she might have seen out of the train on the way to Canterlot, but the trees looked different, even from this height and the darkness. The sky was choked with dark clouds, which released the torrent of water that even now soaked her to the bone. Despite the darkness, she could see, just along the edge of the horizon, an even darker line of darkness. While she had never seen it, she guessed it had to be the sea; it would explain the smell of salt.

She just hovered their, dumbstruck, for a few moments. Then, her wings began to beat slower. Slowly, she lowered herself to the ground, finally coming to a rest on the slippery surface. She then just stared at the horizon.

This isn't happening, This isn't happening, This isn't happening... She repeated this to herself like a mantra. Until, finally, a new thought entered her head.

She hoped this wasn't happening. That this was a dream, a prank; something, anything that wasn't what she subconsciously knew was true. But, no matter how hard she tried to accept this as not real, she knew it was real. This wasn't a prank, nor a dream, nor anything else.

"This is happening." As she said this, tears began to flow, landing in and adding to one of the many puddles beneath her. She cried, for all she was worth. But for once in her life, she didn't care. She wasn't bothered by it.

Because for once in her life, it didn't matter. Nopony would see her, for she was alone, cast out. Exiled.

Next Chapter: Interlude~Change of plans Estimated time remaining: 9 Hours, 54 Minutes