I stared out into the night, flames from the fire I sat next to licking at the sky. Little embers flew into the air and danced about, carving paths through the night as they would slowly fade from existence. I listened as quiet pops and crackles of the burning wood emitted from the flame, soothing me as I searched the starry night. It was just as beautiful as it had always been, like a black blanket with thousand upon thousand of tiny holes poking through it, letting light shine through it in beautifully intricate patterns. I would often find myself gazing at the stars, always wondering how they had gotten there. Were they creations of Luna’s or simply the result of nature, a construct of nature in themselves? I used to lay on the clouds at night, the cool evening air brushing against my coat as I thought about such things.

A low sigh escaped me and I tore my attention away from the sky above, turning my attention to the fire before me. Not too long ago I had sat like this, gazing into an open flame, and found myself wondering if I was just a useless scrap fit for nothing other than being consumed by fire. I had thought myself worthless, nothing more than a coward destined to become ash and spread to the wind. This time, however, I found myself reflecting over what had happened during the course of the last nine days. Van Hoover, Apple Bloom, facing my darkness, Sweetie and Spike . . . so much in such a short time. I almost couldn’t believe all of it had really happened and I’d probably be questioning it, were it not for Sweetie and Spike sleeping on the other side of the fire.

I smiled and found myself missing my friends, as I looked at those two across from me. Spike curled up and Sweetie nestled up against his body . . . I bet dragons make great sleeping companions, they’re probably warm. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought, another soft sigh escaping me as I returned my gaze to the fire. Spike had gotten so big, grew up so much in the six years since everything went to hell. I wonder if it’s because the world went sideways that he grew so large? I guess the reason didn’t matter, because the fact was he was right in front of me. Would you be just as shocked as I am, Twilight? Would you see Spike now and be completely blown away by how he’s grown, or would you simply nod and say he’s just like you expected he’d be?

“Twilight . . .” I said in a hushed tone. Images of my friend filled my mind suddenly and I could feel a tear fall down my cheek. I brushed it away and closed my eyes, the warmth of the fire keeping away the chill of the wind that suddenly rushed over me. I wish you were still here Twilight. I wish that I could show you Spike and talk to you about everything that’s happened. I wanna tell you so many things, about Trixie and finding Applejack. I wanna give you a big hug and tell you about it all, to share everything I’ve been through. There's a small part of me that hopes you’re still alive, a hope that I’d tried to get rid of at one point. I thought it was only weighing me down, but after finding so many ponies I knew still alive, after finding Applejack still alive . . . then maybe there’s a chance you’re still out there somewhere.

The trees rustled in the wind and I gazed at them over my shoulder, carefully listening in case it was more than just the wind moving them. No sooner had it come the wind was gone and silence returned to the surrounding world, before being filled with the sounds of the burning fire. My thoughts then turned to Baltimare, a city I had never seen before, a city I would never see in its prime. The words of that diamond dog crept back up from the corners of my mind, filling me with thoughts full of unease and doubt. How would we be able to enter a city that had become a fortress? Then I thought about the rest of the things the diamond dog had said. Swarm Heart . . . was she real? Did a sister of Chrysalis really exist, could such a thing even be possible?

I felt a small pain run through my head and I froze in fear, almost instantly breaking into a cold sweat. That pain was so familiar to me at this point, the pain I felt when Dark Dash would try to claw her way up from the most depraved recesses of my soul. I sat there in silence waiting for her to call out to me, waiting to hear her voice offer her normal mockery of my existence, but it never came. The pain subsided and I found myself panting, my eyes searching out through the darkness of the world. There was nothing, only the fire and the two companions I traveled with. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes trying to collect my thoughts once more, reminding myself that she was no longer a part of me. Dark Dash no longer had any bearing on who I was, on my soul or my mind.

“Are you alright?” I heard Spike call out to me, his voice hushed almost a whisper.

I opened my eyes and looked over to him, offering a nod in reply.

He hadn’t moved and only stared at me with his green eyes, as they reflected the glow of the fire. He slowly raised his head and looked around, gazing out intently into the night. “Did you see something? Hear something?” He asked, returning his gaze to me.

“No I uh, I just had a bit of a moment there.” I replied quietly.

“A moment? You look like you just got the biggest scare of your life.”

I sighed and picked up a stick, prodding the fire for a few moments before finally deciding to speak again. “I was thinking about Baltimare.”

“Nervous about infiltrating a changeling fortress?” He said as he nodded. “I can understand that feeling, I’m a bit nervous myself. We’re gonna be right in the thick of it, surrounded by who knows how many of those bugs. To be honest I think it's normal, a good thing really. I’d think there was something wrong with us if we weren’t a little nervous, hell maybe even a little scared.”

I chuckled at Spike’s words and felt the calming relaxation I’d felt before return, gently tossing the stick I held into the fire. “I’m gonna protect you guys.” I said, a small smile playing at the corners of my lips. “No matter what happens in Baltimare, I’m gonna be sure you guys make it through everything.”

“Don’t worry so much, Rainbow. We know what we’re getting into by going to Baltimare. We’re fully aware of what could happen and what’s probably gonna happen. We don’t want you to worry about us all that much, because we want you to be safe as well. So don’t say you’ll protect us, instead tell yourself that we’ll protect each other.” Spike replied with a gentle smile.

I could feel a tear roll down my cheek and my smile widened, a content sigh slipping from my lips to my own surprise. “You’ve grown up so much.” I said as another tear fell. “I’m so proud of you Spike, so happy that you’re still alive. I wish Twilight could see you.” Suddenly my eyes widened and I put a hoof to my mouth. I looked at Spike with wide eyed disbelief and stood, as I fought for something to say. I moved my hoof and started to speak, only to have Spike raise a clawed hand to quiet me.

“It’s okay . . . it’s okay, Dash.” He replied. Spike lowered his head and laid it back down, his eyes focusing on the fire. I could see the pained look in his eyes and I felt like my heart would break, as it seemed like I had just shattered his reality. “I miss her.” He finally said after what seemed like an eternity of silence. “When she left that day, six years ago, I didn’t give her a proper goodbye. I didn’t think I’d need to. I thought you guys would be gone a few days, deal with Chrysalis like you’d all done before and be home before I knew it.” He went silent again after he finished and turned his head to look at me once more. “The only regret that I carry with me, the one regret I’ve carried for six years now . . . is that I didn’t tell her I loved her.”

My chest heaved and I fell back on my haunch, my eyes burning with tears as I struggled to be quiet. I wanted to sob and cry out, to run over to Spike and hug him. I wanted to comfort him and apologize to him, to try and ease his pain however I could. I wanted to protest against his words and have him put the blame he felt on me, to let me carry the burden of his regret. He was just a child, even now despite his size I could only see him as the child he had been. A child wasn’t meant to carry a weight like that, to be burdened with a regret that heavy and daming. I stood and walked over to him, wrapping my hooves around his neck as I squeezed him tightly. He didn’t say anything and neither did I, as he leaned his head down against me.

I could feel emotions raging within me, swirling and mixing in a cacophony of unrivaled intensity. I felt sadness, rage, remorse, anger, so many emotions that I couldn’t separate one from the other. Despite everything that raged inside of me, still one truth remained evident: Chrysalis had to die. She had to pay for her crimes and one day she would, she would pay for the pain she caused Spike, Sweetie and so many others.

“You should get some sleep, Rainbow.” Spike said after a few moments.

“Yeah, I should,” I released my hold of him and nodded, returning to my spot beside the fire. “Goodnight Spike.” I said as I laid down and sighed.

“Goodnight Rainbow.”

I laid there for few minutes and allowed my mind to wander, now that I was free of Dark Dash’s influence. I still hadn’t fully adjusted to that but I didn’t mind, each time I was able to find myself remembering she was gone, well it made me smile. I felt like I was rediscovering, or experiencing for the first time, what it meant to truly be myself. I couldn’t help but smile and revel in the peace that existed within my mind, yet still I was bothered by Spike’s words. I would have to do everything I could to see Chrysalis pay for the crimes she committed, and nothing would stop me from doing so. With another sigh I stretched and got comfortable, as sleep was soon upon me.

I woke up the next morning to the sounds of birds and the warmth of the sun, as I opened my eyes to see Sweetie standing at the river's edge. I stood slowly and stretched, yawning as I felt my back pop several times. The fire had gone out during the early morning and now simply smoldered, smoke rising from it and vanishing in wisps. I took a moment to take a deep breath and exhaled with a content sigh, before walking over to Sweetie’s side.

“Good morning.” I said to her with a smile.

She looked over to me and nodded. “Good morning Rainbow Dash. Sleep well?”

“Yeah I slept pretty okay, best I’ve slept in a while actually.”

“That’s good to hear.” Sweetie replied as she turned and looked back towards the Everfree. “Spike is out checking a few things and wants us to go ahead and keep moving.” She turned from the forest and began heading East, following the river.

“What’s Spike out checking?” I asked as I feel in step next to her.

“He wanted to make sure we weren’t followed, though he’s probably ahead of us now. He moves fairly quickly when alone and knowing him he doesn’t want us to run into any surprises along the way.”

I simply nodded in reply finding myself amazed by how savvy the two of them had become in the ways of survival, though I suppose that was developed out of necessity. The walk was quiet and I could hear the gentle current of the river at our side, causing me to withdraw into my thoughts. I once again returned to my thoughts about Chrysalis and what all she had done, finding a strange determination as opposed to the rage I had normally felt. I guess Luna’s words had started to take hold, had started to change the way that I saw my goal and my enemy. Perhaps it was the influence of Dark Dash being stripped away that allowed me to think this way, I wasn't really sure. However I did know that the calm that had a firm hold of me would only benefit my cause, it would allow my to face my foes with a clear mind.

We continued our walk in silence as time passed around us, the sun moving through the sky as the day dragged on. We didn’t stop and rest, choosing instead to push forward and cover as much distance as we could. After what could have only been hours, Sweetie Belle finally ushered away the silence as she looked over to me.

“I’ve been thinking about a few things.” She said, her eyes focused squarely on mine.

“Anything I can help you with?” I replied a bit taken aback by her stare.

Sweetie looked away from me and nodded, her face taking on a determined expression. “I wanted to ask you about Rarity.” She said suddenly causing me to nearly trip over my own hoof.

“O-oh . . . okay.” I replied after I regained my composure. “What do you wanna ask me about her?”

“I wanna know how it happened.”

“How what happened?”

“How she died, Rainbow. I want to know how my sister died, if she at least died with some honor and dignity.”

I let out a long drawn out sigh and scratched my head with a hoof, thinking back to the siege and the memory of Rarity’s death. “Your sister died bravely . . . she fought to the very last alongside Pinky. The changelings surrounded them and they fought with all their might, protecting each other as they did, until they were overwhelmed.” I stopped and noticed that Sweetie’s expression hadn’t changed, but a tear was streaking down her cheek. I cleared my throat and looked away from her ashamed that I had to be the one to tell her, the one who survived and watched her sister die.

“Rainbow.” Sweetie said after a few minutes causing me to turn my attention back to her. “Do you think Rarity would be proud of me?”

I felt my stomach twist and my mind went blank as I struggled to find the words to say, the words that would bare an incredible weight on her. “Yes.” I finally said as confidently as I could, completely sure of it. “Your sister would be so proud of you.” A warmth spread out from my chest through my body and I felt as if I had said the right thing, though in truth I only said what I knew to be true.

“Thank you.” Sweetie simply replied, her gaze still focused ahead and her tears still falling.

We pressed on and soon found the sun starting to set at out backs, with the moon barely peeking over the horizon. I had thought about suggesting we make camp for the night, but Sweetie seemed intent on going until we absolutely had to stop. I couldn’t blame her though, the quicker we traveled the sooner we’d be at Baltimare and be able to deal with the challenges ahead of us. I felt a rush of wind above me and we both stopped as Spike landed a few feet ahead of us, his massive wings folding against his back as he dropped down onto all fours.

“Glad to see you finally joined us.” I called to him with a smile.

“I’ve been with you guys all day.” He replied as he pointed to the sky. “Been making sure nothing was following us and all that, I’m sure Sweetie told you.”

“She did, but I’m still not used to you being able to fly.” I said with a laugh.

“So the way to Baltimare looks clear?” Sweetie asked as she walked up to Spike and looked up to him.

“It’s clear as it can be.”

“What does that mean?” She asked, raising a brow in question.

“Well we’re getting pretty close to Dodge City, not much further and we’ll actually reach the bridge that connects the road from Rambling Rock Ridge to the Badlands. Dodge City is just South of there and it looks like some stuff is going down there, some heavy stuff.” Spike replied as he leaned his head down and nuzzled Sweetie.

“Spike . . . what did you see exactly?” I asked as I stepped towards the two of them.

Spike didn’t answer right away, he just looked away from me before sighing heavily. “Changelings, the place was full of them. I didn’t get too close, but it looked like they were rounding up ponies. Before you ask I don’t know why they’d be doing that, all I know is what I saw.”

“We have to go to Dodge City.” I replied without a moment's hesitation.

“What?!? We can’t afford to go there.” Sweetie replied with a shocked expression. “We have to get to Baltimare.”

“We can still go to Baltimare, but we can’t ignore what's happening to those ponies . . . not when we’re so close.” I replied as I stared at Sweetie. “I know we need to go to Baltimare to investigate what that dog told us, I’m concerned about that as well. But are you really gonna suggest we turn a blind eye to ponies in trouble?”

Sweetie stood there without replying and looked to Spike. The two were silent and only gazed at each other, before Spike finally nodded and Sweetie looked back to me. “Fine, we’ll go to Dodge City and see what’s happening. We’ll help if we can, but we’re not going to put ourselves or anypony else in danger if we can’t help. We’d only be inviting retaliation against the ponies of Dodge City if we did . . . agreed?”

“Hell yeah I agree.” I replied.

“Spike, lead the way.” Sweetie said and Spike took to the air, guiding us South to Dodge City.

With one quick glance to each other we took off after him, running full sprint through the night. We were gonna save them, save them all, no matter what. I refused to let my own selfish desires cause others harm anymore, to allow the weak to die because of me. I was gonna prove to Luna, Applejack, Trixie, Redheart, Sweetie and everypony else that I was a hero . . . the hero they all wanted me to be. The hero that Equestria needed.