Pony POV Series
Dark World Part 16
Duel of Tears

Traitor Dash called out, "Twilight! Please let me kill you!"

Spike brought his wings and claws around Twilight silently watching TD's every move. Rarity and Applejack put themselves between their friends. Derpy looked at Traitor Dash in horror for her. Apple Pie had the common sense to know she was supposed to stay quiet under AJ's illusion.

Rarity spoke before Twilight could, "Flat out ASKING this, Rainbow darling? Not a very treacherous. And isn't this being rather loyal to Discord?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Traitor Dash wailed. "I can't even do my Element of Chaos right, I get that already! Geeze! But I don't have a choice!"

This time Twilight found her voice, "Rainbow Dash! There's always a choice!"

Traitor Dash shook her head, "That's sometime ponies tell themselves to TRICK themselves into thinking they're in control of their lives! Our choices are ripples in a tidal wave!"

Derpy flew up in a completely non-hostile manner, until she was almost eye to eye with Traitor Dash.

Loyalty called out to Treachery, "Dash, do you remember, back in grade school? How the whole class was going to see the Wonderbolts? But you couldn't because your grades were so bad? But you tried your hardest to catch up... and you got a 'D-' on your test? And you screamed that I must have cheated because I got an 'A+?' I was so happy that day, I didn't care about the trip, I just wanted my parents to smile at me... and after you began spreading rumors I cheated, mom began to wonder if I did... and she never hugged or kissed me again, she called me 'that filly.' Like-like she finally had found an excuse to!... " Derpy choked, a bit, then recovered herself, "And I forgive you! I've aways forgiven you! I know how it hurts to disappoint others! Never being good enough!... And I've never hated you for it."

"... D-don't ... don't you get it!?" Dash slowly shook her head, "One foalhood mistake... doesn't change a thing! I can't do ANYTHING without hurting others, even back then! There is no redemption for mares like me!"

"Say that all you want, Rainbow Dash! But you're not convincing any of us!" Rarity snapped.

AJ smiled at Traitor Dash. "Come on, Rainbow, what's one more betrayal? Against old Discord this time?"

"That's just it, Liarjack, I was never loyal to Master. I've hated his guts from day one."

"Then WHY are you still doing what he says?" Rarity asked in disgust.

"Because there is no way to win! We're TOYS and PETS to him! This is all just a game to him! But there is a way out. Discord promised if-"

"-if you kill the pony who matters most to you, that he'll put everything and everypony back the way they were before the day of chaos began," Twilight finished. "So then it was me you were referring to all those nights?"

Derpy's eyes widened, Spike clutched Twilight tighter. Rarity took a trot forward her horn glowing. Apple Pie let out a silent gasp. Traitor Dash nodded.

"Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy are as good as dead. The AJ and Rarity I knew don't exist anymore. Scootaloo is already dead. That leaves just you, Twilight."

The Elements of Honesty and Deceit face hoofed together.

"Ah come on RD!" AJ exasperated.

"How can you be serious-?!" Rarity exclaimed in irritation.

"No, I stand by what I said." Traitor Dash said, casting flat looks at them both. "If you two were to suddenly disintegrate into piles of ash, at this very moment, the most I might do is sneeze if some of it got in my nose. I am just that disgusted with what you two have become."

Spike growled ready to eat Traitor Dash where she flew. Derpy slowly shook her head.

"Dash, Ah'm openly rebellin' against Discord, it's safe to say ya can drop the act towards me, partner," AJ said calmly.

"Oh sorry LJ. Wait! You're still loyal to Discord Liarjack!?"

" AGH! AH'm NOT SPEAKIN' BACKWARDS NOW! Ah hate pears! Ah've lied a million times to protect ponies from Discord! And Ah'm THROUGH hidin' behind that lie of a name, it's Applejack, like it's always been."

"So yah apologize ta Applejack dis instant!" The invisible Apple Pie shouted forgetting stealth.

"HUH?!" Traitor Dash looked around, "I'm hearing Apple Bloom's ghost now?"

"MORON! That isn't the welcome I expected for my soul coming back from the dead!" Rarity shouted providing a needed distraction. "Do you think I'd be with Twilight if I was still delusional-?! Do you see me grabbing every bolder or rock around? Yes, that's right, my 'gems' were ROCKS."

Bits of reality came crashing down on Traitor Dash's underused brain as the truth hit her.

"And Ah wasn't speakin' 'bout that! Ya know Discord keeps his words like a drunken sailor keeps bits! Yer outta yer noggin' thinkin' he'd EVAH stay true to somethin' like that?!!"

"Actually, yeah, Big Brother would. Do you know why no 'equus has ever gone back on a promise sworn on Mom's name? . . . Cause once they did, they never existed anymore."

"It's a wonder we're not ambushed more often," Rarity deadpanned as TD looked behind herself.

"There's more than one?!" Spike yelped.

'Discord has a mother?' The idea did not compute for Twilight.

"Or maybe Big Banana Discord decided being a girl would be a fun change of pace." Apple Pie mused, too quietly to be heard.

"Ya see, big brother gave his word on Our Parents, he'd hold up his end. And even he's not that crazy to cross Dad or Mom."

"Wha-wha-wha are YOU doing here-?!" Traitor Dash asked.

"Just here to help. I'll keep the others busy while you focus on your target, I can even help you take out the unicorn, if you like. I don't care who kills who, I just need to get enough hits in to get in Big Brother's good graces."

"NO WAY! I am NOT having Discord cheat me by having you do most of the work, then saying I didn't do it!"

" . . . I see your point. Fine. Follow your passions and bring violence onto others. Just wanted to help."

"You know where you can shove your help, you... you... sister of Discord!"

"Rainbow Dash is still Rainbow Dash," Twilight heard herself sigh.

The ponies couldn't believe what they were seeing. A menagerie of extinct animals connected to a snake like body and a horse's head. The figure was younger and more feminine than Discord, and sported an ear piercing. On her back, she was also carrying a black spear, decorated with a pink ribbon and skull.

"Oh come on! Another Draconequus shows up JUST as we get our heads together and get ready to rock up old Discord?! That's cheatin'!" Applejack cursed.

Rarity glanced at her, "You expected less from spirits of chaos?"

" . . . No."

"I'm very very very VERY confused right now," Derpy admitted.

"Huh? Oh! Hi!" She waved her Tasmanian wolf paw, "I'm Rancor, spirit of passions, violence, and revenge. I guess I'm sitting out this one, so don't mind me. Don't let me crush your passion to win, I'm not as destructively powerful as Dissy, yet."

Traitor Dash turned her back on the newcomer, "Twilight! Please! I-" She shivered, "I beg you. Just let me kill you. Then everything can go back to the way it was! Everypony can be HAPPY and ALIVE! This is to save the world! Don't be selfish!"

"RD we CAN save the world! We can heal the world! We can defeat Discord! And you can help us do that!" Applejack called.

"Defeating Master is how the world WON'T be fixed, ever! This is the only way! He doesn't think I have the guts to do it! But he screwed up! I've found the guts now! And he's agreed himself into a corner! He says he'll just find another world and leave our alone! That means everything will be back to normal!"

'How is the world not normal?' Apple Pie wondered. Not having Big Moving Projector Discord around to hurt more ponies was going be great and all, but how was the world hurt? The worst thing Apple Pie could think of right now was the sky stuck in that ugly weird 'half-way' between night and day thing Half-Light said was her namesake.

"If we're still friends, then TRUST ME!" Traitor Dash begged. "I promise... it'll just be a heartbeat of pain, and then you won't even be dead... and we'll be back to the good old days! Friendship reports! Princess Celestia in power! Six wonderful, caring, sane friends!" She hiccuped and a tear rolled down her cheek. "We'd be TRUE heroes with nothing to feel ashamed about!"

Twilight's lip quivered. 'If Apple Pie hadn't helped me see these ponies are real, I might have taken you up on that, but now,'
"This isn't about me! Not when they're finally hope! I don't get to judge who deserves to exist more!

"No Dash! If you really trust your friends, you will NOT accept that offer! Not now! Not ever! I'm not going to cheat fate! I'm not going to doom another world to Discord! And I'm not going to make the friends I've made disappear! Come on Dash, let's fight Discord together."

(Traitor Dash is making her own fate, something I'd say puts her above ponies who just submit to it. Her problem is that she's putting it into the hands of another. Fool.)

She's just scared and confused!

(Most pawns of fate are.)

"What friends?" Traitor Dash asked narrowing her eyes.

Twilight realized her mistake. But that was when Rancor teleported right in Twilight's face. Spike brought his free claw down, but Rancor caught with her moa claw, and catching Derpy with her rear paw, creating a shockwave of air from the impacts, not even looking at them.

Rancor narrowed her eyes at Twilight. Twilight felt those eyes measuring up her soul. "I see, so that's how it works. Didn't expect that." Rancor let go of Spike and Derpy and floated away not ceasing her look at Twilight. "By the way, thanks for my ribbon."

"What?"

"Huh? Oh right, never mind." Rancor then looked to the dragon and Pegasus. "By the way, you really put yourself into those hits, you can only really see how passionate someone is when they're fighting to protect it."

Rarity felt her spirit shudder as Rancor then turned those eyes upon her, and let out a fan-girlish squeal.

A photograph of a rock band appeared in one claw, the lead being a pink earth pony with a blue mane. A pen appeared in her opposite paw, she offered both to Rarity, zooming in front of her.

"Oh, man! I never expected this! I haven't lived a mortal life, yet, so I can't enter the spirit-life, but oh man! This is so cool!" Rancor hopped up and down.

Derpy and Spike looked at each other. Twilight and TD did the same.

"Can you sign it please? So what's your name now? Oh doesn't matter too much."

Rarity was aghast. "You have to be joking! You just appear out of nowhere, offer to be an accomplice to Rainbow Dash murdering Twilight, and now you want my autograph?!"

"Look, I'm sorry, seriously, this is nothing personal, it's family, which is about the one thing my family CARES about. Want me to break Gray Rainbow's wings for you?"

"W...what?! Whose side are you on?!" Rarity gasped.

(Whoever she is, she's not to be trusted in the least.)

"Now hold on!" Traitor Dash snarled.

"I wanted to live a life as a pony for the sole purpose of attending one of your concerts in person but Mom and Dad had a discussion about that... and so I'll have to content myself with watching your videos. Long story short, this is kinda my only real chance to get one from you for a WHILE."

"What concerts?!" Rarity asked, "What are you talking about?! I started life as a fashionista, then became an... uh, well... what's a good term for what I am...?"

"Rock witch?" Derpy suggested.

"Good heavens, Derpy, how derogatory!"

"The word you're looking for is Geomancer," Twilight said naturally.

"Thank you Twilight. And while I have a most beautiful voice, if I do say so myself, I have never perform in any musical concerts!"

'What's wrong with being a witch? Magica's grandma is one,' Apple Pie thought.

"Sure, sure. Regardless, in exchange for your autograph, I'll break the pegasus' wings. What do you say? It'll give you an edge when the fight starts!"

"If you're trying to hurt mah-"

"Cool it, Cow-Pony, I already promised Gray Rainbow I wasn't gonna fight any of YOU until she'd had her try, and I can work with that."

"Ah was talking about hurting RAINBOW."

Ignoring Applejack, Rancor actually got down on her knees floating a few inches off the ground. "So please, come on? Please? Please please please please?"

"But WHY do you want an autograph from me?" Rarity blushed.

"Your soul has a certain . . . beat that rocks to it. Little princess. No matter how many times the universe reinvents you, you make such passionate, sweet music, a melody."

"It shames me one of your kind would love my voice."

"HEY! THAT RACIST!"

"Ah hate ta say it Rarity, but she's right."

"And by 'your kind,' I, of course, meant a thug who is so casual with violence-"

"I am violence. It's my job. And as for 'my kind' don't go lumping us all together. Dissey has stuff inside him I really admire, but my brother Anarchy has been cheering for you every step of the way and my sister Pandora is hoping you'll pull off a happy ending after a thousand years of monotone tragedies. Now please? I'm asking nicely. And this isn't part of contrived arcane ritual or some junk. I promise: this is a photo, not some tricksy magic contract, even if I was into those things. Just so when the dust settles we have something to remember each other by."

Rarity leaned a little closer, examining Rancor's photo. As creepily stalker-ish a fangirl as this creature was... Rarity couldn't deny her curiosity had been piqued.

"Listen, Miss Rancor, if... by some miracle, this fight ends with us being on even semi-friendly terms... any chance you'd be willing to give me a sample of... uh... my music? I'm interested to hear how I'm supposed to sound."

"I'd be happy to, but I'm not in a position to give you one right now, and by the time-"

"Wait!" Twilight asked. "Earlier, you'd said something about getting into your big brother's good graces. So are you Discord's SISTER?"

"His little sister. Mom and Dad sent me to take care of him. And I can't do that unless he trusts me enough."

"Just how many spirits of chaos are there?" Twilight gasped.

"Zero. Dissy's disharmony now and we're stuck doing double shifts. Pandora's the spirit of imagination, Anarchy's the spirit of revolution, and Strife's the spirit of natural selection. And My Parents don't play from the same source book, they helped write your source book."

'Strife,' Twilight's, or rather Minty's memories echoed.

"So," Rarity cut in, as Twilight shivered where she stood, "What does the rest of your family think of what Discord's done to Equestria? And why did you come to take care of him now?"

"Sorry, that's family business, sorry. I got handed this responsibility as part of my rite of passage, Dad says. And I think I kinda interrupted a passionate cut-scene."

Rancor cast a look back at Traitor Dash, who was beginning to turn purple at being brushed aside.

"So... autograph? Yes or no?"

Rarity narrowed her eyes. "You're not lying." Rarity quickly scrawled her name. She gasped as the name shifted multiple time on the picture. "What is this?"

Rancor put away the picture. "I'm a spirit, madam. To me, mortal names are just... well, imagine a popular veteran actress who's played many, many different characters over a long career. You've had many names over the revisions to reality... but they're just 'names,' all of whom were played magnificently by you. I know your real name. Oh and- THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

She took Rarity's hoof and shook it madly. "Now, as promised!"

She teleported behind Traitor Dash, broke the base of her wing where it connected at her shoulders. There was a crack and a howl from Traitor Dash. Apple Pie squeezed her eyes shut as the pegasus fell but Twilight caught her with her magic.

"Twilight, please, just let me kill you, and everything can finally be fixed," Traitor Dash pleaded, as her broken wing began healing itself.

"No Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry, there are too many ponies depending on me."

"They're depending on me too."

"Okay!" Rancor stabbed her spear in the ground and sat cross legged style. "Two passionate souls out to save the world! Let's see whose heart is stronger!" Everyone glared at her. "What?"

"Away," Rarity said sternly.

"Ah, come on."

"Go," Rarity said in a no-nonsense manner. "You've been enough of an intrusion already."

"Oh alright. Just for you." Rancor teleported several miles away until she was a dot in the sky and took out some binoculars. "Okay, girls, let's see where your hearts lead you."

Since her wing had now fully healed, Traitor Dash flew away from Twilight, gaining distance.

"Rainbow Dash! Wake up! Please! This isn't you! It's never been you!" Twilight said.

"Rainbow Dash no longer exists!"

"Liar!" Rarity said intensely.

Traitor Dash conjured a storm cloud from the water in the air and fired shots of lightning right at Twilight's head. Twilight teleported out of Spike's protective grasp when Spike tried to shield her and appeared a distance from the group.

Derpy tried to tackle TD, while Spike tried to fly and catch her in his mouth, but TD pushed the storm cloud in their way and made a new one and continued her single profile attack. Rarity tried to simple grab her, but TD's trademark speed made that impossible. Twilight teleported randomly as the lightning bolts kept coming down.

"COME ON AND FIGHT LIKE A MARE! Or don't! I don't care! I just want this nightmare to be over!! So what if you killed Discord NOW? For what? A dead world full of monsters? The unicorns and pegasi are GONE! This is the only way to fix EVERYTHING! And if you weren't being so selfish you'd see that too! But no! Miss Twilight Sparkle The Chosen One has to 'save the world' HER WAY OR THE HIGHWAY! Guess what, Twilight? JUST 'CAUSE IT'S YOUR WAY DOESN'T MAKE IT THE BEST WAY!"

(Yes. Because there's the one right way to do something, and then there's everything else.)

"The seaponies, Virgacorns, and Hippogriffs are here! The world ain't dead, where there's life there's hope!" Applejack shouted.

TD's attempts to electrocute Twilight was disrupted by the coordinated efforts of the others. Rarity fired a hail of small stones at the pegasus. Spike shot fire, and Derpy provided lightning of her own from above, and AJ added several illusionary lightning bolts to mess with Traitor Dash's senses.

"For Celestia's sake, Dash, please stop ya can't take on the whole kit and caboodle of us!"

"I don't want to fight ANY of you!" A real lightning bolt fried one of her wings, "I just want to kill Twilight!"

"Liar. You don't want to kill her," Rarity said.

"ENOUGH!" TD snarled. Her eyes shone like demonic rubies. "TREACHERY!"

Transparent red chains exploded out of four of the heroes like ghosts, wrapped around them and overriding motor functions.

"May your bodies betray you," Traitor Dash intoned.

Rarity, Spike, AJ, and Derpy looked at each other and themselves in dismay as their bodies calmly trotted backwards and assumed a simple sitting position several yard away, their mouths shut and their eyes only able to look forward. Rarity tried to use her magic only for a chain to wrap itself around her horn. Camouflage magic in one spot flickered away until Apple Pie was again visible. But thankfully, Traitor Dash's attention was focused elsewhere, so Apple Pie did the smart thing and ran to the others.

Twilight shivered like she had been given an electric shock, "Rainbow Dash! You-you-you-WHEN DID DO YOU LEARN THAT?"

"About eight hundred years ago! Like this!"
Traitor Dash kicked her storm cloud and it broke apart. One piece stayed near TD. A red lightning bolt erupted from from this miniature cloud...

The bolt interconnected rapidly with the the other smaller clouds, two, four, eight...

Sixteen...

... thirty-two red lightning bolts at once shot at where Twilight stood.

Twilight teleported away, only be be hit by another nest of lightning bolts that hit just as she reappeared.

"NEWS FLASH, TWILIGHT: I'VE HAD A THOUSAND YEARS TO LEARN YOUR TELEPORT STYLE!"

Twilight would have responded if her central nervous wasn't busy regenerating. TD dove into her from above, spinning like a drill, digging into her body and pushing her into the ground.

"Like 'em-?! I've been saving them all for you!! LIGHTNING BLADE!" Red electricity crackled around one wing making it stiffen like a sword and lopped off Twilight's horn.

"Why-why aren't you having the others hold me down while you kill me? You have control over their bodies."

Traitor Dash couldn't suppress a slight, wry grin. "Only YOU, Twilight, would argue tactics in the middle of your own beatdown."

Twilight said calmly, "Un-unless you're scared Discord will use that as an excuse to-"

"I told you! I have nothing against them!"

"So why didn't you use those chains on me? You think it won't work on me. Or do you want me to be able to fight back."

"Sorry, Twilight!" TD slammed a hoof into her skull breaking it, "But I'm not taking the bait!"

"Stop it Rainbow Dash!"

A pair of hooves pulled at TD's shoulders, wrenching her off Twilight and pulling her out of the circular crater-grave they had made. The two pegasi spun in the air. TD's entire body was suddenly charged like an electric eel's, shocking Derpy off her body. The grey pegasus bounced off the checkered ground, thankfully missing any rocks. Derpy shook her head and got back up.

"If Ditzy is here..." Traitor Dash mused. "Then that means... when did you free Ditzy?!"

"I-I didn't," Twilight gasped.

(That was information you did not need to volunteer!)

Derpy shook her head an got back up, knocking her head a few times causing sparks to fly off.

"Come on!" Apple Pie shouted at Applejack's prone form. "Budge!"

AJ would have screamed at Apple Pie to hide if she could move her mouth.

"Wait... is that? She's, she's the filly that Master spared! Did SHE free you?!"

"No, she didn't. I did," Derpy said.

(Stop it! You don't explain your advantages to the enemy!)

"You have got to be kidding me! Treachery!" Red ghostly chains emerged from Derpy again.

"Loyalty." Light glimmered around Derpy and the chains shattered.

"Ditzy Doo . . . heh, so you became Loyalty after all," TD smiled sadly, "You always have a way of messing things up don't you?"

"Sorry. I guess I kinda do."

"I'm sorry too, but I can't let you get in my way." TD rammed her so hard she went flying across the sky. "Don't worry Derpy! You and Dinky will be fixed up after I kill Twilight Sparkle!"

"I'm not Twilight Sparkle."

TD found herself trapped levitated by Twilight's spell aura. She futilely flapped her wings.

"Huh?" TD looked to see Twilight healed and out of the hole.

"Yeah! She's Half-Light!" Apple Pie couldn't resist saying to the big bad half-hippogriff.

"Apple Pie! Keep back!"

"I agree!" Chains formed around AP and her body moved mechanically away from the two to the 'safe zone' TD had apparently set aside for the others.

"Did you let her tag along Twilight Sparkle?! I can't believe you'd put foals in the line of fire! Whose Half-Light?! Are you a changeling?! Where's the real Twilight?!"

"I couldn't have stopped her. Crazy Pies and stubborn Apples. You know them both so you should know!" Twilight smiled at her.

(Good for you not tipping your hoof.)

'Thank you. I know Discord is watching.'

"And I am the real Twilight, but I'm not Twilight Sparkle. I've given up that version of me. I am now Twilight The Unicorn. Nothing more or less."

"You're... you're saying you're a NEW persona?" Traitor Dash whispered. "Not Tragedy, not Sparkle... some THIRD version?"

"I'm sorry Rainbow Dash, but you can't kill Twilight Sparkle, because that pony no longer exists. There's no way to fulfill your bargain with Discord." In a dark part of Twilight The Unicorn's mind, she wondered if Traitor Dash would see herself as the most important pony to her now . . . except the mountains of self loathing made that impossible, Twilight almost wondered if that had been intentional on Discord's part.

A storm broke.

"No! You're lying, yourelying,YOURELYING!"TD vibrated, -right out- of Twilight's skin tight cage. "LYING WON'T SAVE YOU, TWILIGHT SPARKLE! Good-bye! And thank you, for the most wonderful year I had with Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and yeah, Rarity too!"

TD flew towards Twilight, fireballs, bolts of ice and lasers fired at TD, she flicked out of sight at the last instant before they'd made contact to appear a few yards away.

'She's been this fast this whole time?!'

(Be careful! She's spent a thousand years preparing to kill you! Expect the unexpected! Rely on the unorthodox!)

Instead of trying to ram her, Traitor Dash zoomed up at a right angle at the last moment.

"Vacuum Storm!" Dash began spinning, a tornado formed around them, the air was ripped from Twilight's lungs.

She followed her first instinct and teleported away-

(No, don't! She said-)

-And rocks speared and pinned her legs, unable to regenerate as a lightning bolt hit her horn, frying it.

"I could predict your teleports in my sleep, Twilight! Sorry if you're counting on me getting in close. Lighting-Scythe!"

'Actually, yeah, I was hoping you'd close in for the kill so I could blind you with a flare spell.'

Another new move, like all the rest. A curved edge made of more red lightning came down at the perfect angle to bisect Twilight's brain.

A blind and gray comet collided with the lightning construct, electrifying her (again).

"You feather brain!"

"My bad!"

"Derpy! Stop interrupting already!" TD shouted like Derpy had fumbled another Winter Wrap-Up. "What are you made of-?!"

"Love?"

Traitor Dash's brain broke, "That's-You-Isn't-AGH!"

In the distance, Rancor laughed. "And the score is 30-Luv in favor of blonde!"

'You said use the unorthodox right? Then I can't think like Twilight Sparkle, I need to think like Discord!'

(What?!)

'Watch and see!'

Twilight slammed her blackened sparking horn on the checkered ground, shattering it, it was faster to regenerate a new one.

"Dtizy Doo!" Traitor Dash was shaking, "Can't you just learn," Grayed out streaks of cyan cannon balled off Derpy from nearly every direction as she was bounced around like a rag doll, "PLEASE, to just stay out of the way!? YOU'RE NOT HELPING!"

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash," Derpy gasped.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT! I'm a traitor! TRAITOR DASH!"

A bright light and powerful gust of wind knocked them both off balance. Acting on instinct, TD took a moment to make sure the four others were. She heard herself sigh in relief seeing they were.

"Don't be sorry, Derpy, you're helping a lot," Twilight calm voice said surprisingly close by.

Derpy smiled, "I know. I'm sorry for Rainbow Dash being hurt."

Traitor Dash looked to see Twilight The Unicorn, beautiful butterfly wings glistening in the half-light sun.

"But-but how?! Those stones were set to EXPLODE the moment they were jiggled by your telekinesis or tried to just vaporize them!"

"Really? I didn't know that. I just figured throwing them at you would have been a waste since you'd have seen that coming."

"Then what did you . . ." TD saw some bloodstained top hats flying in the wind, "HATS? You turn them into HATS?"

"A lot easier to pull out than jagged rocks."

"AGH! And Ditzy, you dummy! I'm the one hurting you!"

"Not as badly as you're hurting yourself," Derpy said in a tone only a mother could wield. "And it hurts to see you do it."

"Okay. That's it. Game over. I know ALL your spells remember Twilight?"

"Oh the gossamer wing spell wasn't just about getting me air-born, I realized that you were prepared for what my spells were MEANT to do, but not what they COULD do. Starswirl the Bearded actually said something similar during his apprentice years according to one-"

"Dash Bullet!" A flaming feather struck through the fragile butterfly wings, causing them to fall apart. "You STILL can't resist hearing yourself talk, Twilight Sparkle!"

'So much for not thinking like Twilight Sparkle!'

Dash played interference keeping Derpy from catching her. Waiting for Twilight to teleport to shorten the fall.

Dash gasped when Twilight cast the spell AGAIN, a new shock wave catching the two off guard AGAIN, and Twilight flying on gossamer wings again!

A thousand years experience and increased mana reserves enabled Twilight to remake a spell that had once taken a minute to cast and drained her reserves.

(Be on guard! You're not likely to get a chance to correct your mistake again! And remember! In her mind you dead equals saved world! How hard do you think Traitor Dash can fight when she feels she's saving everypony?)

Twilight shivered. 'I understand.'

"Those imitation wings won't save you! The artificial can never match the natural!"

Derpy head butted TD from behind, Twilight then clothes-lined her.

"Natural talent does not equal superior talent Rainbow!"

"I've worked hard for what I have!" TD gasped out as her throat regenerated. "Including THIS!"

TD flapped her wings so hard and so fast they shattered, but also created a directional Sonic Darkboom right at Twilight which fractured her bones and destroyed the gossamer wings again, forcing Twilight to recast the spell.

"You're going to run out of mana before I run out of techniques, Twilight Sparkle!" TD spun around and bucked both her legs into Derpy's stomach, "And YOU have run out of sneak attacks!"

"No!" Derpy sense of pain seemed to just SHUT OFF and Derpy gave her a fresh head butt, "There, now I have."

"You're wasting your time! My skull is a lot more thick than yours! And you're not immortal."

"I'm not?" Derpy asked, with a puzzled frown. "Are you sure? I've lived for ever-so-long!"

Twilight elbowed Dash in the back, "And you need to learn not to forget we're not taking turns! Modern Evil Overlord wasn't just good for giving you a reprieve!"

"And I said yer magic's gonna run out before I'm out of moves!" A couple of TD's feathers fluttered off her wings, red lightning arced from the pegasus to her feathers, going right through Twilight's wings, tearing them apart. "Winglet Chain-Lighting!"

"Twilight! Don't make the wings again!" Derpy folded her wings and dove head first at Twilight and caught her. "I'll be your wings."

(Twilight, she said she's been learning you inside and out, so Derpy is your wild card.)

'Sounds like her.'

"Derpy...I trust you, do whatever you think is right."

Derpy gave a smile to Twilight.

"Giving me one target to focus on instead of two and no time to figure each other out? Wow! Just wow!"

"Sounds about as dense as something Scootaloo would think up right?" Twilight said with a smirk.

"You! You shut up about her!" Dash reacted just as Twilight predicted and charged straight on, forgetting strategy.

Derpy folded her wings and the comet went over them.

"Great moves, Dash! I know Spitfire and Soarin' would be so proud of you!"

Dash made an animal noise and charged hooves first for Twilight's throat but met the business end of one of Twilight's lasers instead. The laser went straight between her eyes and she tumbled as her Element of Chaos hastily began putting her brain and skull back together. Her momentum slowed her enough for Derpy to get out of the way, and all Dash's built-up speed made her arch like a artillery shell, ultimately smashing into the ground.

Twilight glanced and saw the chains were still holding their friends immobile.

From high above, Rancor taking the opportunity to sketch the trapped heroes on paper, splitting her attention between her pad, the paralyzed Elements, and the battle between Derpy, Dash, and Twilight.

'Is Dash putting conscious effort into maintaining those magical chains? Or do the chains automatically remain on their own, until she wills them to release themselves?'

Dash launched like a missile from the ground, recklessly throwing lightning constructs and herself at the pair, Derpy focused solely on dodging in random directions and keeping her distance as Twilight focused on nailing Dash. And it was working. And, "So how much did your old bullies say you were cool after you saved Rarity's life, Rainbow Dash? After you showed them you weren't a one trick pony?"

"Give-up-a-rest!" Trator Dash came at her with kamikaze zeal, Twilight having to literally blast her body apart, but able to sniper her wings off causing her to go out of control until Dash merely formed her clouds into a feasible replacement, "Nimbus-Wings!"

"Frozen Pony On A Stick!" Twilight shouted, as the air around Dash condensed into an ice cube, it fell, and Twilight's force field kept in tack as it impacted the ground. "Derpy! Clouds!"

"Right!" Derpy and Twilight's combined efforts in seconds had a coating of white water clouds around the ice and Twilight's magic constructed a crud stone cage for good measure.

Twilight's horn glowed, "Alright, Dash. Now just think. That's enough."

There a faint murmur from inside the cube.

"What was that, Dash?" Derpy asked.

"I said buck this! I didn't want to waste the whole show on Master, yes, he's watching all this from his castle. But buck this! I just want to wake up in my bucking bed above Ponyville and have this all be a bucking nightmare! There'll be no day of chaos! No Master! No extinct pegasi or unicorns! No hippogriff or virgacorns! I must not fail! SCREW YOU!"

(LOOK OUT!)

The four layers of containment burst.

Traitor Dash exploded in sphere of red lightning. Twilight had to regenerate her legs and the lower portions of her body as the blast shattered her hastily made shield spell. Derpy thank Celestia hadn't thought in that millisecond of the blast to try and shield the immortal with her very killable mortal frame.

"I'm not done with my sketch," Rancor said in a loud clear voice and spun her spear deflecting the blast away from the rigid heroes.

Red lightning sparked along Traitor Dash's body from the circle of soot she was standing in. She felt dizzy for a bit and stumbled for a few seconds. Her eyes, and the red pair of her cutie mark, mane, and tail gleamed a powerful ruby red that almost glowed. The rest of her was nearly pure black and white. She panted, sweat coming down her face.
-
Discord, who was indeed watching the battle play out on his TV, put on a pair of oversized sunglasses. He used his tail to put his remaining minion's jaws back in their proper places.

"You are now more powerful than you have ever been. No whining if you lose. Let's see if you can not disappoint me this time. So what's a good name again? Disaster Dash? Traitor Titan? Traitor Dash EX Mode? Super-Traitor Dash? Ultimate-Perfect-Traitor Dash? Ugh. I was sure I thought of a good one. You tell me what it was again."
-
"'Eleventh Hour Farewell,'" Dash said in an scarily calm voice. "The last thing you'll see before the world gets fixed is my favorite color."

"You've . . . you've had this kind of power all along? All these CENTURIES? I don't believe it!" Twilight denied.

"I've spent a thousand years restraining myself, Twilight. Assuring myself some other 'fix everything' spell would come along and give us our lives back. Betraying every other pony still alive so that I wouldn't need to betray you. A thousand years preparing for this moment between you and me. Even Master can't horseapples that THAT doesn't make you the most important pony to me."

"You really are the Element of Treachery," Twilight whispered, not able to keep the traces of fear out of her voice.

"Know what else? A thought occurred to me, in the middle of this sudden surge of POWER... Why only you get to change your name out of nowhere? While in this form you can call me: ENDER DASH!!!"

"Ender Dash?" A inexplicable word suddenly flitted through Twilight's mind and was gone: Bugger.

"Yep! Get it? Because I'm gonna be the ENDER of this pukestain world! Aaah, for the first time in forever... I actually feel like I'm COOL again!" Then emotion left her face.

Twilight animated a hastily crude puppet from the rocks around that slammed it's stone first on Ender Dash, it stopped inches from her body and red lightning went up the puppet and it broke apart into pieces, Twilight animated the pieces to strike her individually, but they dissolved into sand before touching the pegasus' hide after passing through the red lightning surrounding her.

Twilight fired a gatling gun's worth of purple lasers at the pegasus, but Ender Dash blinked out of existence just before each other hit, only to blink back into existence a yard or two away each one an inch closer to Twilight, the the sound of mini-sonic booms the only clue she wasn't teleporting. And Dash's face stay still and calm the whole time.

"Dash, please, just stop already," Derpy pleaded.

"You can't stop me or slow me down. Do yourself a favor and please just stand aside while I fix the world."

Derpy stepped between them. "No."

Twilight trembled. The air crackled with Ender Dash's aura. All this time. All this time. Cadence? Ponyville? Cloudsdale? All this time?

+++

The unwilling audience were prisoners in their own bodies as they watched.

'Get out of my way you crazy Draconequus-sue!' Spike mentally roared. 'I can't see what's happening to Twilight! Twilight, I'm so so so sorry. I'd give my entire self right now if it could save you. Derpy, please please please don't let her die! I finally have her back! Rainbow Dash . . . how much has Discord screwed with your head?! That had all better be the Element of Chaos talking! . . . Twilight! Don't panic now! Derpy, please protect her! Rarity, whatever happens, at least you're safe.'
-
''Blast it all!' Rarity cursed in her mind, 'Even my horn isn't working! Blasted Rainbow Dash! Don't you know that if you're being coerced then it isn't REAL betrayal!? If our bodies are being MADE to do this then they aren't betraying us! Ugh! Calm down, Rarity, THINK. Derpy was able to use her element to free herself, so does that mean we can use our elements as well? But Applejack's illusion ended when she was chained. So would that mean we can only use our Elements internally? Derpy is Loyalty so that explains that.

'Eh? Yes I know it's good that Apple Pie is technically out of the fighting, but sadly she needs all the experience she can get.

Hm? Sorry, it seems its my body that's bound, not just 'me', but it was a good suggestion, darlings.

'Indeed, dears, this curse of Rainbow Dash's element is quite impressive. Besides Derpy... I'm not sure there's an actual weakness so it. If I had that power all to myself. Imagine what we could do with it. Pinkie and Fluttershy wouldn't have to be fought at all!

Keep your head Derpy, you can't grow it back like Twilight, and Dinky wants her family to come home safe more than anything. And Twilight SNAP out of it! Now is not the time for one of your break downs!'

-

'She ain't lyin'. She isn't usin' deceit for a single thing she says. RD, ya stupid idiot! Just stop! Don't ya think Ah want everything yer sellin'? Us all gone, poof, so the world can be back to the paradise Princess Celestia gave us? But it AIN'T just about us! We ain't the only ponies in the world! This here world is STILL full of ponies who want to live more than die, ya idigt! And no way in pony hell am Ah doin' somethin' as cruel as hoof-off to somepony else!

'Please! Ah know ya've crossed alotta lines ya can't uncross, so 'what's one more,' right? WRONG, RD! Not one more! Yer still ya in there somewhere! Derpy, thanks a million for not givin' up on 'er. And Twilight, dangit girl don't just stand there!

'Okay. When these things grabbed me, mah illusion around Apple Pie went thunk! But Ah didn't feel mahself bein' made ta make it stop, more like it was cut off. Whao kay AJ, put yer head to it! Deceit and Treachery are joined at the hip, like Kindness and Generosity are.

'So how is this workin' then? Is my body bein' told the opposite of what Ah want and getting stuck in the middle? Okay body, don't sit still! Okay that ain't workin'. Ah'm still breathin' so Ah can't be all frozen. Ah really really really wish Ah had paid more attention to Twili' whenever she started talkin' 'bout magic!

'If Ah can't trick mah body, maybe Ah can trick this fancy schmancy geass? Okay, real slow. Picture it, cowpony. RD tellin' the chains to let me go. Okay then, let's try somethin' a bit more lady-like. Okay Chains of Treachery, how's this lie Traitor Dash wants me to stand up. Stand up. Stand up. Stand up! Yes . . . ' She thought like it wasn't her own idea, 'Traitor Dash does want me ta stand up.' Her legs pushed herself up. 'Okay. Good. Dangit. RD is gonna see me coming a mile away! And who knows what she'll do then! But Twili's losin' her cool. Can't just sit here!'
-

Apple Pie was crying. She wasn't scared or sad though. She couldn't even say if she was angry. She was frustrated. Half-Light was in danger! And she couldn't help her! Her friends were in danger again from Bad Cheese Discord's Chaos Six and now she was a superhero and still couldn't help them. That wasn't a joke, that was just mean! Half-Light spent all that time tellin' her to be ready and now she couldn't even help! That wasn't funny! It was a big fat cheat!

She sure hadn't expected the Draconequus lady to save them from the explosion. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all?

The bad pony who Half-Light insisted was really just a friend who Discord had hurt really bad and would hurt everypony else worse if she didn't do what he said had gone all weird creepy glowing red and stuff! . . . And Apple Pie could tell. This bad pony. She was hurting inside. She really needed somepony who could make her smile again.

At least Miss Derpy Hooves was helping every which way she could. Apple Pie just wished Miss Dash could smile like Miss Derpy was trying to make her (or as Apple Pie thought at least). In a way it was a little funny. This was supposed to be trench-ery yet Apple Pie had a feeling staying put and away was what Half-Light wanted Apple Pie to do anyway, so it wasn't trench-ery at all if it was what Half-Light wanted her to do and the point of trench-ery was to do what someone didn't want you to do when they trusted you to do it. Apple Pie was more like to NOT do what Half-Light wanted and THAT would be more 'trench-ery' than just sitting here outta the fight like Half-Light would want. Apple Pie laughed.

--

Rancor floated next to Applejack, speaking in a voice that was just low enough to count as a whisper in a clear voice, "Hey! You should give up your heart, and give in to despair once again, and retreat into lies. That is most definitely what you should do. Don't let your hotter burning emotions push you towards fighting your friend. I want to see how far into despair you can go."

Applejack would have looked at her if she could. 'Was everything she just said a complete lie? Okay AJ, one step at a time, one-two, one-two. Traitor Dash wants me to march forward. Yes she does.'

She heard Apple Pie laugh.
-

Derpy concentrated, her Element of Loyalty shining bright along with her eyes. "I won't let you get to Twilight."

"I'll go through you if I have to!" Ender Dash roared, charging Derpy at full speed.

Derpy stood her ground, limiters switching off and her Element kicking in at full blast. Putting her hooves out, she caught the mare's charge, hooves going through the force field and landing on Dash's shoulders. Red energies crackling against each other as the mare strained to hold back the charging mare, an immovable object against the unstoppable force. Sweat poured down Derpy's face as she strained and Twilight could only watch, frozen in shock. The symbol on the bottom of Derpy's hoof shined hotly.

Ender Dash broke off and flew back, watching Derpy fall to her knees, panting heavily. "This is your last chance, Derpy! Get out of the way! I'm immortal, I've had a thousand years of experience! You've had a few days tops!"

Twilight knew Dash could've kept going if she'd wanted to, that thought scared her even more.

"No," Derpy said in a completely serious tone.

(Twilight! Fear is the mind killer! Don't panic now!)

"You're going to have a big hole where your Element of Chaos was in ten seconds flat, Twilight Sparkle and a big hole in Derpy if you can't get her out of the way in nine seconds." Bits of rock and dust floated up around the pegasus as the red lightning continued to crackle around her.

Twilight fell on her flanks.

"Just hold still, Twilight, I promise I'll be as quick and painless as I can." The Element of Treachery said sincerely.

(TWILIGHT! Twilight! Get up! She's going to kill Derpy too! Get up!)

'Maybe, this is as far as I go.'

She heard a filly's laugh.

Three heads turned to see Apple Pie, a green and orange bundle of enlightened innocence bouncing up and down, the chains gone. And Applejack still covered in chains. But slowly moving.

Twilight was up in an instant, "Derpy! Try to free the others!"

"You're nuts! If you thought or she thought she could do that you'd have done it by now!"

"Maybe I was scared Rarity or Spike might be too pragmatic in fighting you, Rainbow, maybe since I was your only real target I felt there was no need for the others to risk themselves, or maybe, just maybe I've been so caught up in this stupid 'just you and me' nonsense I didn't think of it!"

Derpy didn't need to be told twice. She was a good pony.

Twilight fired a fireball that exploded before it reached the edge of Ender Dash's spherical barrier and shot up around Treachery's Element.

"Derpy's the only reason you're still standing! With her gone that's it!" She said behind the extra large wall of flames she casually deflected.

'Playing my normal game is suicide. Maybe I can combine a filly being a smaller target with the gossamer wings' agility!'

(No! The wings will still be an oversized target, and she's proven she's an expert at destroying them. There are some fires that you can't put out with water. There is a reason some fire mares start fires in a forest.)

'I believe you're right.'

(You should value my diligence and trust me completely.)

++++
I cast a variation of the spell that had helped lead me to my little savior.
+++++

The flames cleared, and Ender Dash stepped back, startled.

Promptly in front of her was an adult mare purple pegasus proudly in her physical prime.

"WHAT?!" She shook her head, "Heh, trying to go out looking totally awesome?"

The purple pegasus flew towards her and PUNCHED RIGHT THROUGH HER BARRIER AND IN HER FACE! "Sometimes the only smart way to play is the crazy way. There haven't been many pegasi for you to practice fighting!"

Ender Dash was shocked as she felt where she had been hit, then calmed down very fast. "You're good, Twilight Sparkle, but I'm better."

"When I'm like this, call me Half-Light! Half-Light Noon!"

Ender Dash startled. "Since when are YOU into cool names?"

Half-Light Noon laughed, "I must have copied over some of your personality traits when I produced this form, you are the pegasus I've spent the most time with!"

"So... uh... how many alter egos HAVE you got rattling around that skull of yours, Miss Identity Crisis? Six? More?"

"HEY! You're one who started this Miss McAwesome Name!"

"No you were! And it would it be McCool Name fillystine!"

"No, you! And it's awesome!"

"You! And no it's cool!"

"Twili'!" AJ shouted.

"Out." The blink of an eye later, AJ's head was face down in the center of a crater unconscious, Ender Dash's elbow neatly where she her head had been a eye blink before. AJ hat landed softly nearby.

"APPLEJACK!" Three ponies shouted.

"Alright then! Before the rest of our friends get back to screw things up, let's see who saves the world!" Ender Dash spread her wings Half-Light did the same.

"Now Pegasus fight!" Rancor cheered.

"Ready!" Twilight braced herself.

(Go!)

The two pegasi rammed each other, purple and red lightning crackling stopping them inches apart from each other, a miniature lighting storms shooting bolts in all directions.

"Can't you see I'm trying to SAVE everypony?!"

"By having Discord just, just DELETE everypony alive now?!"

"Better to never live than live as a slave!"

"Sorry! I didn't know you'd gotten everypony's vote!"

Ender Dash narrowed her eyes coldly. "Hey, here's a thought, Identity Crisis: remember all the countless innocents we massacred over the centuries? Wouldn't it be nice if we had the chance to, oh, I don't know, NOT DO THAT ALL? Or maybe you ought to reanimate their corpses again, and let them take part in the ballot. And while we're at it, let's invite the souls of all their unborn children that might have lived, if we hadn't KILLED THEIR PARENTS' EARLY. How much do THEIR votes count for?"

"Draconequi magic only erases timelines! How about the changelings becoming a PEOPLE instead of a plague? The dragons having a CIVILIZATION? The Hippogriffs born because racial tensions between Pegasi and Griffins were forced to ended! How about all the ponies who were only born because their parents fled Equestria and LIVED while Cadence kept Discord busy for five hundred years? Shall I raise them from the dead too while I'm at it?!"

"Listen, Tw... my dear old friend... is this is all about the virgacorns and hippogriffs? Are you afraid turning the clock back will cause them to go extinct? Well, you're worrying about NOTHING!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah! I mean... if a baby dragon can fall for a unicorn mare... then that just shows that interspecies relationships are just gonna... happen! We've both lived long enough to appreciate that sentient races can sometimes get rather experimental, when it comes to love. Just think how it'll be -- this very moment in time -- in the Corrected Timeline, with Celestia as ruler! We six will be dust in our graves... but in one thousand years, can you honestly claim that not ONE griffin will ever mate with a pegasus and make a hippogriff? Not ONE unicorn will mate with a zebra, and produce a virgacorn? LOADS will! Virgacorns and hippogriffs will walk the world, same as here... only unicorns and pegasi will be walking WITH them!"

"But Dash... it wouldn't be the SAME virgacorns and hippogriffs! And what's more... when the unicorns and pegasi fled to the foreign continents... it was fully within their power to balkanize themselves, for unicorn to marry only unicorn! Instead, they coupled together of their own free will! And I choose to respect that choice! Lives aren't a math equation!"

"Arguing with you is like asking Fluttercruel to not maul kittens! I hate you more than I hate her! And do you know what?! After I kill you today, I won't even go back to the castle right away! Oh no! Before I return to Discord and make him reset the timeline, as promised, I'm going to delay a week, just sitting in a tree, watching the clouds roll by! That should be enough time for your ghost to explain to your mother, your father, and every other unicorn and pegasus in the afterlife, why they don't deserve a second shot at life, because of a bunch of suffering ponies alive now!"

"And when we're all in Limbo, you can explain to everypony YOU sent there why you chose to make them deader than dead to resurrect ponies gone for a thousand years who you yanked out of Pony Heaven."

"BUCK YOU, TWILIGHT SPARKLE! BUCK YOU TO THE SUN!!!"

"Your Element of Chaos is out of control, so I'm going to forgive you for that."

Traitor Dash was shrieking in a frenzy, lips peeled back, frothing at the mouth, fit to make Angry Pie herself proud.

"DANGIT RAINBOW! Do ya think YER family would want to be brought back by killin' a bunch of other ponies?" The Element of Kindness shouted from the ground by lying to the spell locking her body.

Next second, the Element of Kindness was dodging a quartet of lightning bolts.

"Shuddup!"

Then she glared at the transformed unicorn again.

"I'd say your death at my hooves has been nine hundred years overdue. Ultimate mistake of my life."

"I disagree." The other pegasus said quietly. "Your ultimate mistake came even earlier."

"Oh?" Ender Dash scoffed, with a truly hideous parody of a smile. "Do tell, Madame Genocide."

"Your ultimate mistake came way back in the hedge maze, when Discord offered you your wings back, and you fled the maze."

"I WOULD NEVER BETRAY THE PEGASUS RACE!!!!" Ender Dash howled. "That's the whole reason I did what I did!!!!"

"Is that so?" The other pegasus' expression hardened, and she folded her wings. "I remember differently. When I, 'Madame Genocide', was out doing the devil's work, killing and frightening ponies away to different continents... she wasn't acting alone. She had COHORTS. One of whom bore a very striking resemblance to you... Dash. Helping make it happen. Every step."

Ender Dash trembled in place, with wide, wet eyes.

"I was trying to save lives in all that murder!"

"EXACTLY! All those Virgacorns and Hippogriffs and Seaponies you suffered so long to protect and help, willing to be an enemy if it meant just a little bit less death for them, SO DON'T YOU DARE SAY THEY DON'T MEAN A THING TO YOU!

"I was a soulless automation with no heart or memories of my own! What's your excuse? ... Explain to me again how you fleeing to Cloudsdale saved the pegasus race."

Twilight did what Ender Dash wouldn't and stopped applying force. The super pony zipping like a laser beam through several innocent boulders. Apple Pie wept hot, bitter tears at the injustice wrought to the boulders.

The red laser shot back the way it came, Twilight's new pegasus speed allowing her to dodge the more reckless emotionally charged attacks.

"I'LL SAVE THE WORLD EVEN IF I'M ALL ALONE!" Ender Dash cried, red lightning crackling from her tears.

"YOU'RE NOT ALONE!" Twilight cried out, shedding tears as well.

Twilight blinked and lost sight of her opponent.

(Remember, it's still Dash! Her emotions get in the way easily, her strength is her speed and suddenness, but half the time she can't help but-)

"Here I come!"

Twilight spun like a ballerina on the wind currents she created and pointed one rear hoof upwards to let Ender Dash's speed do the rest and her muzzle was smashed inward.

(-announce herself.)

"'ow! 'ow! 'er 'ot ah 'eal pega'us!"

"I told ya, Dashie! I think I've got a bit of you in me right now!"

"Lighting Spear!"

Dash charged head-on again with the lightning construct pointing the way, but Twilight managed to sidestep it, bending out of the way of her surprisingly sharp wings that sliced through one eye, leaving her half blind before it regenerated.

(Bah! Rainbow never could resist declaring her moves!)

"I told you before! Yer gonna run of magic before I run out surprises!"

(She's half-bluffing! She was prepared for a air-to-ground battle, not a prolonged aerial one!)

'Not that it matters with this much raw power of hers!'

"Shadow Mirage!" Dash flew around her, leaving after images, each one throwing one of her feathers like kunai at Twilight. Her still regenerating eye meant she had to block using her limbs as a shield stabbing her in places that she had to pull out WITH HER MOUTH and wouldn't regenerate all on their own.

"Round Trip!" Using feathers as hilts, red lighting swords spun towards Twilight's neck.

"Oh no you don't!" Twilight knocked the spinning swords WITH HER WINGS, actually reversing her flight path and GETTING THROUGH Dash's defenses and impaling her with her own attacks. This gave Twilight time to heal and regenerate.

"SHOULD HAVE PRESSED YOUR ADVANTAGE! BULLET TIME!" Dash molted like a parakeet, feathers regenerating as fast as she shed them, and Twilight found herself in a sphere of feathers acting as cores for simple but sharp lightning constructs.

"Since when do you copy Fluttercruel Rainbow?"

"Shut up! Go ahead and TRY to teleport out of this!"

'Not falling for the bait this time.' The lightning bolts came from every direction at once.

"Lightning Canceler!" Twilight shouted, flaring out her wings, a shock wave going out from her in every direction, the lightning losing intensity and the feathers falling harmlessly to the ground below. More than that, Ender Dash's electric sphere of death was gone.

"WHAT?! HOW? You've never done that! Ever! That's cheating! You've had no reason to hide anything from us, and even you couldn't invent a new spell this fast!"

"Ha! I didn't invent it right now. I have used it before. Just not as a pegasus: my fail-safe spell! Can't work on Discord's magic, but on super-charged pegasus magic? Night-night."

"I've got a WHOLE DECK OF TRUMP CARDS!" Dash growled and 'gripped' her front right fetlock joint, "Night Bird's Song!" Dash's entire forehoof violently vibrated and shook from the amount of electricity was storing.

"You've been on the offense this whole time. You didn't develop one truly defensive technique am I right? Or am I right?"

"Defense is for chumps, Twilight Sparkle!" Ender Dash roared.

(But you know all about 'defensive' don't you, Fake Dash? You put up defenses of infinite confidence and no-fear danger, to cover up your blinding fear of failure.)

"What?!" Ender Dash gasped confusion.

(You know it's true. You're scared to death of failing. Like you failed flight school. Like you failed recognizing how Gilda had changed for the worst. Failed to save her. Failed to save Fluttershy from falling to her death. Failed to recover the Elements. Failed to keep your entire family and grade school class from being driven insane. Failed to protect Scootaloo, unless you count murdering her that is. Fail. Fail. FAIL! FAIL!)

"SHUT UP!" Dash brought her hoofs to her head, including the one still charged up ... Half-Light Noon folded her wings against the debris.

Ender Dash's body lost consciousness, and fell. She regenerated just in to see the ground rushing up to greet her and spread out her wings.

'What happened to her?' Half-Light Noon wondered in confusion.

(Scootaloo must have begun pleading with her again.)

'Right.'

Ender Dash flew upwards, the red lightning crackling much more wildly and chaotically than before, her calm and control broken.

'I'm NOT going to fail this time! And nopony will have to remember this awful world!'

(You will remember. Remember? And how long until those memories drive you insane and you hurt your own friends? All you can DO is fail!)

"NEVER!!!! SONIC DARKBOOM!" The familiar technique zoomed right at Twilight without the ability to teleport in a pegasus body. After so many new moves, Twilight was unprepared for Dash's signature performance.

Twilight's mind went completely blank. With a charged up Rainbow Dash, there was no way to dodge the attack in time. She was trapped. This was the end. She had gambled and lost. Her mind struggled to piece together something, anything. Nothing came.

Hit came. Then nothingness.

(No!)

More shield spells conjured between Twilight and Dash than an oil tanker had hulls, not stopping her, but slowing her down just enough.

Twilight shook in panic, no, vibrated, as fast as the Element of Magic would allow her pegasus body to!

The Sonic Darkboom impaled her, and passed right through.

Twilight Sparkle stopped shaking, looking alive and whole.

Dash turned around, confused that Twilight hadn't been blown to pieces!

Vibrating her molecules so fast Dash would pass right through her had been a blind gamble. Twilight gasped and tasted blood. Her internal organs were a mess, she was sure some of the lightning had impacted her Element of Chaos. Red lightning crackled on her body. Her insides felt like soup. She folded her wings and fell backwards then downwards.

Ender Dash followed right behind, "One more time!" She said proudly, "Sonic-"

The red lightning crackling around Twilight condensed around one fore-hoof, and flew upwards as Dash flew downwards, taking the shape of a curved blade, it went through one of Dash's wings, severing it. Dash's eyes widened.

(Your futures are fading Fake Dash!)

"Lightning . . . Scythe. Smarter to say it after you use the move, am I right or am I right?" Dash zoomed past her. Twilight managed a smirk as the two pegasus impacted the ground, Twilight back first, Dash head first and at a much much faster speed! A crimson lightning ball exploded.

In the center of the blast crater, was normal faded cyan Traitor Dash, one wing healing slower than normal. There were age lines on her face, even slower to disappear. Her entire body was twitching.

"If there's one constant in the universe, Rainbow will go for a headlong charge when angry enough," Twilight spoke with pulverized organs and shattered spine being repaired as she looked up at the green sky at endless twilight.

"But . . . but how?" Dash said, an ear twitching, her vision a complete mess.

"My special talent is still magic, whether I'm a unicorn, Earth pony, or pegasus. There is no magic I can't copy." Twilight said proudly not any part of her body moving but her muzzle.

"That's cheap."

"Like you, Rainbow Dash, I've worked for what I have."

There was tremor and the sound of impact on the ground as TD grunted, a shadow fell over Twilight as her body continued to string itself back together. Pegasus bones were simply more fragile. Twilight got up slowly. She saw Spike tower over Traitor Dash's landing spot, one giant claw down, the over closed in a fist. She was surrounded by AJ, Rarity, Apple Pie, and Derpy.

"Sorry we couldn't help." Derpy lowered her head in shame. "Took me forever to figure out how to get the chains off."

"You helped plenty Derpy," Twilight spoke, "And that goes double for you Apple Pie."

"The truth is that a team isn't about keeping score of who helps the most. Right Twilight?"

"Right."

AJ politely said nothing, her hat back where it belonged.

"Twilight are you okay?" Asked Spike turning his head towards her.

"I'll live. Don't worry about me, how's Rainbow Dash?"

Spike groaned. "She's not going anywhere."

"That's not what I asked." Twilight said getting a good look at the pinned Element of Treachery. Her lost wing was still regenerating, but getting there. Every bone in her body had been pulverized by the impact and were still regenerating.

Twilight gently internally cast the spell to change her species back to the unicorn she was born as. She then quickly looked around, making sure Discord wasn't about to do a repeat performance of Cadence.

"Don't worry!" called Rancor from the distance. "Big Brother said I get you before he does! And you're still tired from that fight, it'd be no fun for me to fight you right now!"

'Did she just read my mind-?! That far away?!'

(Or is Discord that predictable?)

"Um...thanks..." Twilight said with a blink, wondering how the new Draconequus managed to confuse her more so.

"Spike, hold her tightly, incinerate her if she tries to get away." Rarigreed said simply as she began to close in.

"Rarity?" Twilight turned back to Rarigreed.

The others didn't like that look on her face.

"Rarity?" Traitor Dash whispered.

"Mine." Rarigreed grinned as she knelt down and began to . . . perform surgery on Traitor Dash, digging for the prize of the upside down Lightning Bolt. "Do you mind if I take this Traitor? Too bad if you do, I'll be putting it to much better use."

"RARITY STOP!"

(LET HER KILL 'ER! Rainbow Dash doesn't exist anymore!)

"Mine." Rarigreed grinned wider, her eyes focusing on the prize as it became visible. Traitor Dash, spent, barely resisted.

"I know a part of you is in there Dash, but you don't have the resolve to resist Discord right now. We do, so I know you'll forgive me for, borrowing this," Rarigreed said in a lady like tone, digging her hooves in. Traitor Dash gasped as Rarigeed sudden had her life in her hooves, feeling her hooves as they touched her Element of Chaos.

Spike made no move to stop Rarigreed, he only grimaced as Twilight ordered her to stop.

AJ struggled inside. Was it really kinder to force Rainbow Dash to continue? If death was her only escape? Was it selfish of them to FORCE HER to continue on living when she couldn't escape the Discord inside her, and couldn't reach out to the ponies on the outside? Was Rarigreed's idea just kinder?

"Miss Rarity?! What are ya doing?" Apple Pie gasped.

"She's too attached to her self-pity. If I have her power, we don't have to fight Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, OR the Doctor, we can focus on Discord and his sister instead. And we're going to need it if we really now have TWO Draconequi to fight. It increases our chances of living and healing the world!"

"Wait wait wait! Yer, yer taking the jewel inside her and . . . "

"RARITY, THAT'LL KILL HER!" Twilight snarled.

"Yes. I know."

"DROP TWO BRIGHT HERE!" Derpy snarled, it was scary whenever DERPY looked angry, it seemed so wrong. The pegasus' hooves pushed at the stained no longer so white unicorn's. "That's not right!"

"Don't come between me and my Desires, Derpy Hooves. You'll regret it." Rarity warned.

"Scootaloo?" Rainbow Dash reached up a free hoof as high as Spike's claws would allow. She turned her head at Twilight. "Please Twilight, let me go."

"NO!" Twilight snapped, teleport Rarigreed and Derpy away from the Pegasus as the 'surgery' began to heal up.

Twilight shouted, "WHAT DO YOU DESIRE MORE RARITY?! POWER? AN EDGE IN OUR FIGHT WITH OUR FRIENDS? OR ONE OF OUR FRIENDS BACK-?!"

Rarigreed shook, staring right at the Element of Magic and Tragedy, and slowly closed her eyes and sighed. "I'd want my friend back."

"Don't I get a say?" Dash whispered weakly. "Doesn't anyone... anyone at all... think my words... are worth... worth listening... to...? Just once?"

AJ nuzzled her, "Ah'm really sorry RD, Ah really am, Ah'm where ya are, but yer as screwed in the head as the rest of us were, ya'd never forgive me if Ah let ya do that when ya came back yerself. There's a reason a thing called 'suicide watch' exists."

"Why? . . . I have to save . . .save the world . . . if you're not going to let me . . . please, just kill me. I'm sick of everything, tired of everything, this whole world is a ugly mess, and I'm sick of being up to my neck in misery."

"It ain't that bad," Apple Pie said sincerely sounding almost apologetic. "Sky Ocean looks beautiful during the night. And it's a great season of Beatnik Reverse Hyper-Ball this year."

"Sky Ocean!" Dash chortled bitterly. "Yes! That huge pool in the air that Discord was always threatening to obliterate if I didn't do more and more horrible things for him! When I'm dead... I won't have to destroy myself protecting it anymore! Twilight, please, PLEASE!!!"

Twilight whispered in her ears. "I know what you've been trying to do, Rainbow Dash. And this ISN'T the way to go about doing it! This isn't how you can make up for falling for Discord's traps! And I'm not going to kill you, Rainbow Dash! NONE OF US ARE!

"You're going to have to LIVE with the consequences of what you've done! Just like me, Applejack, and Rarity! I've been where you are now. Wanting to just sink into sweet oblivion and be done with it and to make the pain stop. Thinking it pointless to try and change anything. I nearly did that, Rainbow Dash, I nearly let myself die because I didn't see the point in hoping anymore...but somepony guided me out... I've killed ponies too, Rainbow Dash! ...It still hurts.

"Just because I'm Twilight the Unicorn doesn't mean Twilight Tragedy's sins are all just gone, it means I'm a new mare who can try to make up for them ...But Rainbow Dash; dying? It might seem like sweet release, but think about it; does that really make up for all the damage you or any of us did? Or would it be taking the easy way out of dealing with what we've done instead of facing up to what we did?...Anyone can die, dying is easy, living is the hard part. But at least alive we can atone for what we've done..."

Applejack stepped away and cringed at these words in shame.

Derpy spoke, calmly, peacefully, showing not a trace of for Dash attacking her new friends. "If I was clever, I'd ask you good questions. If I was witty, I'd write a poem for you. If I was bold, I could chase away the black clouds inside. But all I can say is what I know. You wouldn't have given me Loyalty if you didn't think there was hope for everypony."

Twilight smiled kindly and closed her eyes, "It's time to wake up now Rainbow."

Twilight touched her horn to Traitor Dash. The memory spell was cast, Twilight not trying to control its path but letting the spell where it wanted. The spear pierced the darkness. Rainbow Dash screamed.

"Hey Dash! Didn't think you'd show."
"And miss a chance to hang with you Gilda? Get real."
Dash saw the little filly being tormented by those bullies, "Leave her alone!"
"And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire represents the spirit of... loyalty!"
Facing a dragon with her friends.
Racing with AJ.
Rarity falling. Doing the impossible to save her.
Dragging Pinkie Pie kicking and screaming to her own birthday party.

'I already know that! I want that world back!'

The flow changed.

"And I forgive you! I've aways forgiven you! I know how it hurts to disappoint others! Never being good enough!... And I've never hated you for it."

Dash saw an entire city of Hippogriffs each choose to sacrifice themselves, even when they could've thrown someone they hate to the wolves.

Dash saw Modern Major Evil Overlord, thanks to Liarjack choosing to lie to ease her pain.

"WHAT DO YOU DESIRE MORE RARITY?! POWER? A EDGE IN OUR FIGHT WITH OUR FRIENDS? OR ONE OF OUR FRIENDS BACK-?!"

"I'd want my friend back."
Dash saw a little filly who chose to come back from Pony Heaven to try and save the soul of the one who killed her.

A upside down black lightning bolt turned right side up.

Dash closed her eyes. Tears streamed down her face. Her colors brightened some, but not all the way to match Rarity, Twilight, and Applejack's.

"But . . . Sky Ocean, Cloudesdale, Discord said, they're falling now, I lost, that means . . ."

Rarity looked thoughtful, the Element of Honesty glowing. "Dash, I think there is something you need to see."

Rarity rose the mare's head with telekinesis, pointing her head towards something in the distance.

Dash slowly looked up seeing Sky Ocean, still floating there, not plummeting out of distance sky onto the sharp rocks below. She expected it to fall any minute, or a big screen appearing from nowhere~ showing Cloudsdale crumbling, but nothing... "Sky Ocean...it's...it's not falling...I failed...but..." she stuttered in disbelief. "Why?!"

"Because you've been making the wrong choices without even knowing it for one thousand years," Rarity stated. "The honest truth, and the one you need to hear, is that Discord has been deceiving you this whole time. The truth of the matter is; Sky Ocean is a cage full of his favorite song birds. Cloudsdale is a chest full of 'toys' for his amusement. Discord is a sadist, but at his core, he's a hedonist, someone who puts their own pleasure above all else. Do you honestly think your loyalty is worth more than something he gets pleasure out of? Or keep one toy by destroying an entire toy chest? You know we don't have any value to him. They were in no more than the rest of the world. You've been making the wrong choices because one of them has always been false."

"I...I'm an idiot!" Dash lowered her head, tears still running freely, she'd pound a hoof if she could move her body, "I'm so stupid! I...I really am a-"

"Don't yah dare finish that sentence," Applejack raised the broken mare's eyes to her own. "Rainbow, we've made a ton of mistakes, we're both cowards who made the wrong choice and couldn't admit it! And ya've been handed fake choices ever since. And yer mind's been clouded all this time to keep yah from seein' the third choice starin' yah right in the face the whole time; stop workin' fer Discord so he can't FORCE those choices on you anymore. Don't just walk away, face'em! It was there one thousand years ago, it was there five hundred years ago, its there right now.

"Ah'd be the pot callin' the kettle black to hold it against yah for not takin' it, because we did the same exact thing in his maze! Me, Rarity, and Twilight spent the last thousand years wondering through the same fog that ya've been. We're every bit as to blame for this world as you. Just because Ah haven't killed as many doesn't mean there ain't blood on mah hooves that Ah'm tryin' to wash off. But it ain't comin' off unless we work it off!...Rainbow, yah ain't a monster. We ain't monsters. As...as Fluttershy would say; we ain't bad ponies...we just made bad decisions...now its time to make the right one."

Twilight looked down at the guilt-ridden self loathing, and...conflicted look in her face. "Rainbow, you don't have to hold that mistake over your head anymore...I forgive you. There's not a pony here that doesn't." Everypony and dragon nodded.

Rarity looked to Dash. "Dash...we all have a choice...Ours is to save the world...I've chosen to want you back as my friend...But what do YOU want to do?"

Rainbow Dash gave a gasp. "What?"

"Dash darling, the sword over your head the last thousand years is gone, the taint that clouded your thinking is gone," said Rarity. "You're your own mare again...It's up to you to decide what happens next. Are you going to sit in this crater crying? Flee to Dragontopia? Make another . . . chance, at Twilight to restore the world? Or...do you want to accept our offer and become real friends again? None of us are the same mares we were a thousand years ago. ...But we still desire to be back as your friends... But we won't force you. It's your choice what happens next. You're forgiven by the ponies who know you. You're free."

Traitor Dash looked back in shock, down to her hooves.... So many things went through her mind. What did she really want? Not what Discord wanted, not what her friends wanted...what did she want?...In her heart, what did she really want? What was her choice? She looked off into the distance at Sky Ocean, still floating peacefully. There was no cataclysm, no giant screen TV showing Cloudsdale crumbling to dust before her eyes...All the times she could've stopped Discord...She could've helped Twilight Sparkle escape Discord's lair, she could've helped Cadence defeat Discord, she could've stayed in the maze and true to her friends...And all the times she could've killed Twilight and had Discord turn it back to normal. Rancor said he wouldn't go back on his word after swearing to His Mother...

"I... I don't deserve forgiveness."

"Of course ya don't," Apple said smiling. She bounced up and nuzzled Dash. "forgiveness is a gift. That's why they call it forGIVEness."

Dash let a small laugh before letting herself finally give into fatigue and became still. She swore she saw another filly smiling at her with her friends as she closed her eyes.

(Naive filly! She gives bigger headaches than Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense!)

"You have a really nice smile, ya should use it more often. So are your colors," Apple Pie said, "They're really nice. Really weird. But nice. They're awesome."

Rainbow Dash's colors brightened just a bit more.

"Welcome home sugarcube," The Element of Kindness said.

+++++

"So," Rancor said, "that's where your hearts led you."

+++++

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. I promise we'll care for her, and make sure no pony or anyone takes care of her," Minty Pie said to the Elements. Twilight had insisted on Minty Pie.

"Thanks cuz'." Apple Pie nuzzled Minty Pie who nuzzled her back. Making a quick run to the Apple Pie family was dangerous. But Dash was in no condition to fight, physically or mentally, and they couldn't take her with them. Until she recovered, she'd just be making herself a target. To be on the safe side, they only stayed long enough to explain things before double timing themselves. To be safe, they'd even teleported several random times to lose track of Discord's monitoring spell so he wouldn't see them bring her here. Derpy barely got a chance to let Dinky know mommy was still okay.

Rarity tied Rainbow Dash to the bed (she was Rainbow Dash) so she'd stay to recover. "Just like old times right Dash?"

"You sure this is kind?" AJ asked.

"I'm just being honest about Rainbow's natural behavior." Rarity knew it was a token gesture at best with what she had seen Rainbow do but . . . it felt so nice to do something for Rainbow again, that was her desire. Rarity would have made her a rock dress if she had he time.

"We can carry the load for her until she makes her choice," Spike said in support of Rarity.

"At least she seems a good bit happier ta me," Apple Pie said.

"I told Dinky you're here Rainbow Dash, she's happy you helped us before. I told her she can ask you if you two can play later," Derpy said.

"We'll be back as soon as we can Rainbow Dash. I promise." Twilight teleported them away. "Whatever choice you make, I'll accept."

After the heroes had left, a tired eye fluttered half open, unfocused, she wasn't sure where she was, "Uuuuh . . . Scootaloo? Fluttershy?"

Minty Pie pattered the pegasus on the head, whose entire body felt like lead. RD got up in bed and Minty Pie laid her flat with a gentle push. "It's okay, you just rest. Your friends just wanted you to be somewhere safe until you get better. I'm Minty Pie, glad to meet you, the real you... Rainbow Dash."

"Have we met?"

"We just did didn't we? Don't worry, you're safe. Your, our friends asked me to protect you while you have a good think. Now you should get back to sleep, you need all your rest."

Dash wanted to protest, but she couldn't get the picture of green socks out of her head when looking at this mare. Maybe she really did need rest.

"Whao kay, that . . . works for now."

Minty cradled her and sang a soft lullaby to the pegasus,
"My little pony
Every day is a dream come true
How I love to play with you
We'll plan a party with Pinkie Pie
Then watch her balloons lift her up to the sky
Scootaloo will show us games to play
Toola-Roola will be painting away
Rainbow Dash always dresses in style
Sweetie Belle's magic brings a great big smile
I hope we hear a story from Cheerilee
And a beautiful Starsong melody
My little pony
I'm so glad you're my friend . . ."

If there was more, Dash didn't remember hearing it.

Dashie was a pegasus filly. She was friends with a white pegasus filly with a blond mane with lot of balloons, an orange filly with a violet mane, a griffin chick small for her age, and a yellow filly with a pretty pink mane. Together all of them played in the clouds.

On the cloud playground's surface, was a huge drawing of a total racial, awesome, and cool Pegasus mare. But it was just a bunch of lines, like a coloring book. It really looked, incomplete. Dashie wanted to color it all in by herself, but . . . she was worried she couldn't.

"Come now darling, it'll be simply dashing when done. It'll quite worth the effort darling." Little Dashie heard a cultured mare's voice say. She saw an smiling Earth pony mare with her colors on her left with a really pretty rainbow cutie mark.

"Don't be scared Rainbow Dash, it'll look great once you're finished. I know it's big, but you can do it," another mare's dare-devil voice-like sounded. Little Dashie saw a pink pegasus with a really cool lightning cutie mark on her right.

Little Dashie looked down to see a two boxes of chalk in front of her. One was a bunch of rainbow colors. Next to it was a box of grays with dark colors.

She picked up a piece from one of the two and got started. She also realized she was being silly: if her friends wanted to help her, who was she to stop them? Still, "I'll make it twenty-percent cooler!"