To Do Our Duty

Chapter Five –  Blood and Tears

By: Sturm Panzer

Twilight Sparkle had spent most of the next few days in her library, pouring over the books that she had that covered scrying and distance-viewing, but it was difficult to make much progress.  “I don't know, Spike,” she sighed at the end of another frustrating day.  “What little information there is about scrying doesn't seem to yield much in the way of results when I try to put it into practice.  I must be missing something.  If I had access to Celestia's library, then I know I could find something to help me with this.”

“Why don't you just use the Keystone to open a portal to Canterlot, then?” Spike asked as he carried a stack of books back to one of the shelves.

“Because…” Twilight sighed softly.  “Because I think Celestia wants me to figure this out on my own.  I can't go running to her for help every time I get stuck on something.”  She flipped the book closed and set it aside.  “I know I'm close!  There's something missing, but I can't figure it out.  I know there must be just one vital thing that's causing the spells to fail."

Suddenly Twilight sat upright.  “Something's missing?  Of course!”  she face-hoofed for a moment.  “How could I have been so sloppy?"  She quickly wrote down a few notes on a piece of paper, shoving it into her saddlebags and putting them on.  "I need to go out for a while, Spike.” She said, running out the door.

Twilight made her way along through Ponyville, by way of the Town Hall.  One of the Pegasus officers was outside, talking to a couple of the other Guardponies.  Blueblood still hadn't shown up yet.  She'd heard that he was delayed because of some more fighting that was going on.  Everything seemed to be quiet there, so Twilight continued on.

Presently, she made her way along one of the paths that led out of town, and to Fluttershy's cottage.  Seeing that there was still lights on inside, Twilight trotted up to the door and knocked on it lightly.

“Oh hello, Twilight.”  Fluttershy smiled to her after opening the door.  “It's getting dark, what brings you out here this late?”

“Hello, Fluttershy.  I need to ask a favour, and you're the only one that I can think of that can do it.  I'm working on a spell that will let me see what's happening to Rainbow Dash.  I'm worried about her.”  Twilight pulled the small slip of paper from her saddlebag and showed it to the yellow Pegasus.  “Do you think you can help me?”

It only took Fluttershy a few seconds to scan the paper, and then a few more seconds to think about it.  “I think I can do that.  I mean, it's to help Rainbow Dash, right?”

Nodding, Twilight tucked the paper away once more.  “Yes.  I'm hoping so, if my plan works.”

It was not quite noon the next day when Twilight found herself outside the Town Hall, talking with Mayor Mare and the newly arrived Prince Blueblood.  The prince looked like he hadn't slept in a couple of days, and the Guardponies that had come back to Ponyville with him didn't look to be in any better shape, though fortunately, there was few injuries this time.

“It was probably the largest concentration of buffalo that I've seen so far.  And it would have been quite a decisive engagement if they decided to make a full-on attack.  The odd thing, though…”  The Prince looked back the way they had come when they arrived back in Ponyville.  "The odd thing is that they didn't seem to really want to get into a large battle, despite their numbers.  Oh sure there was some intense clashes along the edges where their forces and our's contacted, but nothing like the pitched battle we saw back up in Appleloosa.  It was almost like they were unsure about why they were there.”

Twilight spoke up, “Maybe the buffalo are getting tired of fighting?”

“I wish it was that simple,” the Prince said, shaking his head slightly.  “No, I don't think we've seen the last of the fighting.  But for the moment, I think things may be a little quiet.  Which is good, we could all use some rest.”

"Prince Blueblood.  I've been getting some reports from the farmers.” Mayor spoke, “They need more rain to prevent the possibility of a general crop failure. The problem is that we just don't have enough Pegasus ponies around to bring the clouds in to get the rain they need.”

"I agree with Mayor Mare, Prince," Twilight added in.  "Ponyville and the surrounding fields desperately need rain.  If we don't get it soon, we could see crop failures."

Rubbing his hoof over the side of his neck, the Prince nodded slowly.  “Very well, if things continue to stay quiet, I can free up a dozen or so Pegasus scouts to help with the weather for a little while.  Will that be enough?”

“They will be an immense help, your Highness, thank you.”  Bowing her head, Mayor Mare backed up and then headed to her house, where the town's offices were now based out of.

“Prince Blueblood, I was wondering if Spitfire was around,” Twilight asked in a mostly casual tone.

“Squadron Leader Spitfire?  No, she's…  Elsewhere,” the Prince commented, censoring himself.  “I can have a message passed onto her that you're looking for her.”

“No, no.  that’s ok, Prince Blueblood.  It's nothing that can't wait.”  Inwardly, Twilight grumbled at being denied a chance to have words with Spitfire.  Bowing, she started back toward the Library.

Twilight didn't even make it halfway there before Fluttershy found her.  “Oh there you are Twilight, I was on my way back to your Library.”

“Oh hello, Fluttershy.”  Twilight leaned in closer to her and asked “How did it go?  Any luck?”

The Pegasus nodding, “Oh yes, I think I found exactly what you wanted.”  Then produced a small green cloth that was folded up neatly, and showing it to Twilight.

Opening one corner of the cloth with her mouth instead of her magic, Twilight smiled as soon as she caught a glimpse of what was inside it.  “I think this is exactly what I need, thank you so much.  Can you put it in my saddlebag?”

Carefully, Fluttershy tucked the folded cloth into Twilight's bag, then looked up at the sky.  “I hope Rainbow Dash is ok.  I'm worried about her.”

“We all are.  She seemed ok when I saw her last.”  “Physically at least…” Twilight added in her own mind, choosing to keep quiet for fear of causing Fluttershy the unnecessary suffering she knew the Pegasus would feel if she knew how much Dash was hurting inside.

It would be another two days before the sky finally started clouding over above Ponyville.  Twilight had spent almost as much time looking out at the sky as she was going over one of the books she had be engrossed in.  “Looks like it's about to rain, Spike.  Did you finish with the preparations yet?”

The short dragon came over, holding a stone bowl in his hand.  “How's this?” he asked as he showed Twilight what was inside.

“That's perfect, Spike.  Good work.”  Twilight beamed the first real smile she'd felt in days.  “The threads of my plan were quickly drawing together.  Once it starts raining, then I'll be able to get the final ingredient the spell requires.”

“Speaking of rain,” Spike said, looking and pointing out the window.  “It's starting to come down now.”

“Quick Spike, get the bowl,” Twilight said, flipping through the paces of her book to find the one she wanted.

The dragon had already picked up a wide, shallow crystal bowl, using a cloth to hold it, and then headed outside.  “I know.  Don't touch the bowl, and it needs to be the beginning of the rain.  I'm on it.”

“Excellent, Spike. This final part needed to cast the spell is at hand.”

Spike held the bowl over his head, being careful to only touch the light blue cloth that was wrapped around the bottom of the bowl.  It helped to keep him dry as the rain started spattering down, lightly at first, but then coming down heavier.  “The Royal Guardponies don't know anything about weather,” grumbled Spike.  “It shouldn't have taken them two days to get it to rain.”

It didn't take too long with the heavy rain to fill the bowl up enough for Twilight's needs.  Spike then brought it back inside and carefully set it on the table that Twilight used as a workspace.  “Now what?”

“Ok, now slowly pour in the ground crystal while I stir.”  Twilight picked up a short wooden stick with her mouth and started carefully stirring the bowl while Spike slowly poured the ground powder into it from the bowl he'd used to grind it up.

“Why couldn't you use your magic to prepare this stuff?” Spike asked, tapping the bowl to dump the last little bit into the water.

Twilight set the stick aside and watched the swirling water carefully.  “Because for the spell to work, the materials can't have even a trace of either magical residue, or even any other pony's contact left in them.  That would taint the spell, and it would only let me see myself or the pony that touched it.  That's the mistake I was making before.” Twilight was watching the clear crystals vanishing into the water.  “Ok Spike, the last part.”

Spike opened Twilight's saddlebag and pulled out the folded green cloth that Fluttershy had given Twilight.  Opening it carefully, they both saw a single fine thread curled up.  “Not a thread,” Twilight thought, ”a hair.”

The hair was fine and almost prismatic.  It was breathtaking how the colour seemed to change as it moved, and as the light hit it from different angles.  “I never really took that close a look at Rainbow Dash’s mane before,” Twilight said softly.  “Ok Spike, add it to the water.”

Twilight started focusing the magical energy, in exactly the same manner that the book described.  When Rainbow Dash's hair touched the water, she released the magic, and the ripples from the hair turned into waves of colour.

The colours swirled around and around, then became a chaotic mess as Twilight focused on them.  Then a final ripple spread outward from centre, leaving a clear scene visible in the bowl.

Rainbow Dash was flying along through some low-lying clouds, with another Pegasus close beside her.  They were both clad in the same black outfits that Twilight had seen her wearing before, with nothing of her normal cyan showing. They were just black shadows cut out of the clouds.  Silently, Dash pointed down at a single griffon that was flying along low to the ground.  The other Pegasus nodded, and then they both readied the spears they carried before diving down out of the cloud.

Like silent ghosts of wrath they descended on the lone griffon.  Trimming their wings slightly to adjust the speed and angle of their descent.  They flattened out a bit from the steep dive to a gliding angle with the pair of them just gliding silently.  There was no sound and no warning for the griffon before the two of them slammed into it.

The three of them quickly fell down the short distance to a heavy landing on the grass, with Dash and the other Pegasus being on top of the griffon when they hit the ground, heavily stunning it on landing.  Quickly, Dash and the other pulled out some ropes and bound the griffon with practiced ease.

“Ok Red Dawn, I'll stay here while you go get the others, so we can bring this one back,” Dash ordered the other Pegasus and then leaned on her spear, the blunt end of it resting on the ground.

“Got it, I'll be back in a few minutes,” Red Dawn replied, and then leapt up into the air and sped off.

The griffon was just starting to recover from it's heavy landing, and looked over at Dash and then spat out a curse.  “Damn you, Nightmare.  Why not just kill me and get it over with?”

Dash looked like she'd just been hit by a physical blow as she stared at the griffon, taking a step toward her.  It took a moment before she found her voice.  “Gilda?...”

The griffon jerked like she'd had an icicle shoved under her tail.  “Dash?” she said incredulously.  “Is that you, Dash?”

Dash pushed her goggles up, and pulled her mask down to show her face.  “Gilda.  What are you doing here?”

Gilda took on fierce look as she looked at Rainbow Dash.  “Dash, I'm shocked that you're a Nightmare.  I would have thought you had more self respect than be a murderer,” she spat at Dash, who flinched from Gilda's verbal assault.

“Gilda, it's not like that.”  Dash shook her head, “I'm just trying to stop the war.”

“Stop the war?  How many griffons did you kill, Dash?”

“Gilda…” Dash said, the hurt in her voice being clear.

“And those ponies that dared to defy the trade embargo with us?  How many of them did you personally kill?” Gilda spat in her anger.

“No!” Dash cried out.  “That wasn't me!  I wasn't even there!  It was…” she choked on her answer with a sob, tears starting to run down her cheeks.

So, now you're going to take me in, Dash?”  Gilda's voice was flat and without emotion.

“Gilda.  Why are you even here?”  Rainbow dash was trying hard not to cry as she clutched her spear.  “You should have been up north, far from here.”

“You know the answer to that, don't you Dash?...”

Dumbly, Dash just nodded her head, tears rolling down her cheeks and muzzle.

“How many villages did you destroy, Dash?  How many homes did you put to the torch in your midnight raids?”  Gilda's words were soft in tone, but stung like acid.  “How many griffons did you kill, Dash?”

Dash just rubbed one hoof over her face, wiping off some of the tears.  “Gilda…”

“Dash.  Do me just one favour.  Please?”  The griffon looked Dash in the eyes as she said “Kill me.”

“Gilda!  I-I cant!  You can't ask me to do something like that!”

“Dash!” Gilda snapped back.  “You and I both know what's going to happen when the rest of your Nightmares return.  They're going to take me off somewhere, and torture me.  At least give me a clean death, Dash!”

“I-I can't…  What you're asking… I can't do it!” Dash cried out.  "Look, I have some pull.  I can try to get you transfered to a jail somewhere.  Some place safe where you can sit and wait until the war's over..."  The words sounded hollow and desperate.

“Dash!  Don't you dare wuss out on me this time!  If you still care for me at all, then give me a clean death before they come back and take me off to torture me to death.”

“Gilda…” Dash said in a soft voice, lifting her spear up over her head with both hooves holding it.

“Do it Dash,” Gilda said in a flat voice, the look In her eyes showing no emotion.  “If you still love me, then give me this release.”

Rainbow Dash blinked several times, but the tears kept singing her eyes and wet her face.  “Gilda…” she said softly, gripping the spear over her head tightly.  Then in a soft whisper that probably only Twilight heard “I love you…”

There was only a moment's delay before the metal tip of Dash's spear flashed downward in a vicious blur of silver.

“DASH!” Twilight cried out.   She jerked violently when she realized what Rainbow Dash was about to do, causing the bowl of water to slide across the table and shatter on the floor.  At least that spared her from having to see Dash do the evil deed.

Twilight collapsed to the floor and curled up into a shuddering ball as she battled her emotions, trying desperately not to cry.  “Oh Dash…” she said in a soft whimper.

Spike came over and leaned against Twilight, trying to comfort her at least to some degree.

Abruptly, Twilight froze, her head jerking up with the tears still wetting her cheeks.  A look of horror was written large on her face as she remembered what Celestia had told her.

“The memories of the one she loves are all that sustain her right now.”