“KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL! Leave the traitor and her pink trash for me...” The small military group rushed the three ponies. The intent to kill the orange and yellow mare set deep into their minds.

Dash launched herself at the advancing pegasi when a sharp blade sliced her across her bandaged chest, leaving a shallow cut.

“I won’t be ignored TRAITOR!” Hurricane snarled viciously at Dash. Anger and betrayal swam in her eyes.

“I don’t have time for you Commander.” Dash swiped her wing blades violently toward Hurricane, forcing her to leap away to avoid a deadly cut to her neck.

Applejack bucked one of the pegasi in the face, knocking him out and crushing his nose in an instant. An arrow whizzed over the fallen pegasus and embedded itself in Applejack’s flank. Crying out in a mixture of shock and pain, Applejack wheeled around in frustration.

Fluttershy was doing her best to dodge the attacks from her fellow pegasi. There were several close calls. One left a shallow cut on her neck that shown brightly with her blood. Hearing the pained cry coming from Applejack, Fluttershy became more aggressive. Her timid nature washing away to show her strong yet kind spirit within. She would do anything to help her friends.

Dash mostly dodged Hurricane’s violent attacks, striking only to get her to back off just so she could prevent the other pegasi from killing her friends. Blood stained her blades as well as her body. She had killed three of her former tribe members already, and she was prepared to kill more.

“I didn’t realize you were so completely turned against your tribe Rainbow Dash. Maybe I should have prevented that pitiful friendship you formed with Fluttershy while you were in military school. Maybe then you wouldn’t be the traitor that you are today!” Hurricane slammed into Rainbow Dash, sending her flying into the solid stone wall of Pinkie’s home.

Dash slid down slowly and coughed up some blood, marring the white snow beneath her hooves. Her vision blurred as she tried to focus on the approaching figure. A pink blur seemed to come out of nowhere and smash into Hurricane, sending her flying into some of her pegasi troops.

“NOPONY HURTS MY DASHIE!” Pinkie stood in front of Dash protectively.

“Pinkie! I thought I told you to stay hidden!” Fury as well as fear filled Dash’s voice as she looked up at the pink mare.

“I couldn’t let you or anypony else fight while I hide...” A sad yet caring look settled on Pinkie’s face as she looked back at Dash.

“Hey! I remember you!”

Pinkie and Dash snapped their attention over to a scowling Hurricane. Dash moved between the advancing mare and the earth pony with a determined look in her eyes.

“She’s that trash that was thrown into you during the annual food harvest! I knew you should’ve killed her for touching you with her filthy dirt pony body! Now she’s corrupted you as well after your mind was weakened by that pathetic excuse for a pegasus!” Hurricane bared her teeth aggressively as she stalked toward the two ponies.

“She is not trash and Fluttershy is not pathetic Hurricane!” Dash snarled viciously at the dark grey mare.

Looking past Dash at the stunned pink mare, a sinister grin formed on Hurricane’s face, “I’m going to enjoy killing you, dirt pony.”

*****
Applejack fell to the ground in a bloody heap. She was fading in and out of consciousness from a heavy blow to her jaw. She could vaguely make out the image of the pegasus approaching her to finish her off when a sharp crack was heard before he fell heavily to the ground.

Fluttershy had snuck up behind him and snapped his neck. She trembled in disgust at her actions. She never really liked this part of the military, if only she wasn’t forced into it....

Shaking her head to rid herself of the unnecessary thoughts, Fluttershy rushed over to the orange mare’s side and stood protectively in front of her. A soul crushing glare formed on her face, terrifying the remaining pegasi.

“YOU LEAVE ME AND MY FRIENDS ALONE! YOU GOT THAT YOU BULLIES!” Shrinking back in terror, they raced away from the yellow mare.

Fluttershy sighed in relief. At least Hurricane brought new recruits and not seasoned warriors. This must have been a test for them....

Fluttershy scanned the ground quickly, spotting several unconscious and dead pegasi. Despair gripped her tightly. Many were barely even a mare or a stallion....

Turning away from the depressing scene, Fluttershy turned to Applejack. Completely determined to help her she didn’t notice one of the unconscious pegasi stir. In an instant the heavy hammer the colt held smashed heavily against Fluttershy’s helmet, knocking her out cold on top of Applejack.

“HEY!”

A pink hoof cracked against his cheek, sending him to the ground. Before he could react the pink mare leaped onto his chest and sent several more heavy punches to his face, effectively knocking him out.

“You don’t hurt my friends.” A look of uncharacteristic fury blazed in Pinkie’s eyes.
*****

“I have to admit, your trash moves fast.” Hurricane swung wildly, just missing Dash’s exposed throat.

Dash was breathing heavily, her chest heaving in exertion. Many of her wounds had reopened, draining her of needed energy. Her vision swam slightly as she watched her opponent critically. Attempting to focus on Hurricane, Dash prepared herself for her next attack.

With a quick swipe of her foreleg blade Dash managed to slice into the fast approaching Hurricane’s cheek as she somehow dodged the close range attack just enough that it wouldn’t be fatal.

“She’s not trash Hurricane! Yo--AHH!” Dash fell heavily to the ground. Hurricane managed to aim a deadly kick to her hind leg, effectively snapping it in two.

“You were always terrible at ground defense Rainbow Dash.” An evil smirk formed on Hurricane’s face, “Now you get to lay there while I kill your precious dirt pony.”

Dash watched in a mixture of agony and horror as Hurricane rushed toward the pink mare. Pinkie seemed to sense the approaching pegasus and leaped out of harms way at the last moment.

“Stay still dirt pony so I can gut you!” A sickeningly sweet voice came from Hurricane as she grinned manically.

Pinkie managed to dodge several lunges, swipes and jabs. Her attacker was wearing out, breathing heavily as she attempted to injure the elusive mare. Grinding her teeth in frustration, Hurricane stormed over to Dash, whom at the moment was trying really hard to remain conscious. Her injuries finally taking their toll on her.

Grinning maliciously at Pinkie, Hurricane slammed her hoof down on Dash’s broken limb. Dash cried out in agony, small tears of pain leaking from her eyes as her vision blurred.

Pinkie’s demeanor immediately changed from fear to rage. She stalked forward, letting out a low growl. Hurricane smirked evilly at the fast approaching earth pony. Promise of torture gleaming in her eyes.

"Get. Away. From. My. Dashie." Pinkie darkly growled, standing in front of Hurricane. "Or. Else."

"Or else WHAT, Dirt Pony?" Hurricane sneered.

Pinkie chose to ignore the comment. A knowing smirk formed on her face, “You know what, Commodore Meanie-head? Ponies with helmets can’t see very well from a heavy snowball fight.”

“Huh?” But before she could say anymore, the pink mare scooped up a pile of snow and whipped it at her head; getting her right in the face, “GAH! Why you little-!”

The earth pony took this time of freedom from the Commander’s gaze to build a stack of snowballs; cradling them in her arm as she stepped back away from Dash, “You wanna snowball fight? You got one. Pinkie Pie style!”

If Hurricane hadn’t wiped the snow off her face viciously by now, it probably would have melted anyway from the heat radiating off her face, “Ugh, that’s it! First I’ll deal with the filth, then I’ll get to the traitor!” Her frustration towards the earth pony turned into a smug look at Dash, “After all, she doesn’t look like she’s going anywhere.”

“Come on then; you can tell me all about my Dashie while we have some shivery snowball throwing fun outside,” She chucked a fast ball at Hurricane; she ducked out of the way, but it hit her wing blade, effectively splitting the snowball in two.

The Commander growled at the force and accuracy of the throw and shook the remaining snow off; she smirked pleasantly, “Not bad... for a DIRT pony. You’re pretty good at this. I think I’ll have a wonderful time watching you DIE.”
*****

“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!” Came Fluttershy’s voice inside Applejack’s vibrating skull.

Shakily, the orange mare lifted her head up and was immediately overcome by a throbbing pain at the base of it, “Ughh, what happened?”

“Please Applejack, stay still. You have a concussion.” She started wrapping gauze around her head again; her voice soothing and welcoming to the pony’s ears.

“Yer tellin’ me, sugarcube. Where is everypony?” She tilted her head only slightly to look around the area and avoid more pain in her noggin; it didn’t help much and she held her bandaged head with a hoof.

“I... um, scared them away...” Fluttershy admitted, giving the mare a shy smile at her shocked expression.

“You? But... But how?” Confusion and disbelief was present in the farm pony’s green eyes as her ears perked; she was looking intently at Fluttershy, thinking that seeing her face would make her believe her explanation more easily.

The yellow mare shuffled her hooves along the snow quickly before responding, “I... well, I’m in the military you know... I... have to be trained; but... I only use it when I have to protect my friends... like now. I’m... not gonna let my friends- Ugh!” She pressed a hoof to her fore-head suddenly and steadied herself with her other before collapsing.

Applejack’s face contorted in worry over the shy pegasus, and she brought a comforting hoof onto her shoulder, “What’s wrong sugar?”

“N... Nothing, we... need to find the others... Rainbow Dash’s injuries weren’t even close to fully healed yet.” She eased her hoof onto her fore-head once more before managing to stand up shakily; she looked around and spotted something in the snow, and she felt her heart twist, “No.”
*****

Pinkie dodged wing blade after wing blade from the furious Commander of the pegasi tribe as she lead her away from Dash. If I can get her far away enough from Dashie, She thought tensely. The others can get her to safety and all patched up.

Intense pain followed her thought, and she leaped away from danger; she supported herself easily on all four hooves, but her heart still pounded against her ribcage. She looked up and into the gleaming eyes of the pegasi leader as she took her bloodied wing blade to her mouth; and licked it slowly.

“Hmm, I don’t remember how long it’s been since I tasted an earth pony’s blood.” She moved her wing blade and flexed them towards the pink mare, the steel shining coldly at Pinkie. The sun rose overhead, gleaming off of the blades.

It’s okay, Pinkie thought. As long as Dashie is alive. She smiled warmly at the thought of seeing her again, and her gaze grew serious.

For what ever reason their could be, in Pinkie’s eyes, Hurricane actually looked a teeny bit shocked at her change in stance. Just for a moment, she sensed a weakness; but then she quickly wiped that surprise off and huffed, “Oh, are you finally serious about all this?”

Pinkie smirked widely. She had an idea. Instantly, she whipped a cluster of snowballs at Hurricane; the older mare dodging each of them smoothly, and when she looked back up at the hill where Pinkie stood she found it empty.

“What?”

“SURPRISE!!” The pink ball of fluff appeared behind the Commander and snatched one of her wing blades from her. She smiled quickly before bouncing out of harm’s way by a swift slice of Hurricane’s other blade.

“He he he, this is the most fun I’ve EVER had!” Hurricane lunged at the mare, and swung her wing with skill and swiftness; Pinkie only managing to block them with the blade clenched in her mouth, “Do you ever get tired, or are you always this hyper?” Her blade clanged against Pinkie’s, making the pony’s mouth tingle.

“Do you think it’s a nice feeling when somepony breaks your leg?” The pink mare raised an eyebrow for Hurricane to explain further, confusion and pain present in her cyan eyes. A tiny smile grew on the pegasus’ face, and it twisted itself into a larger smirk as she obliged her with a reply, “Hmm, I might have to ask Dash that when I’m through with you... of course I’d have to refresh her memory after all the time we’ve spent here, don’t you think?”

The implications of that statement set in immediately. Pinkie used the time to her advantage to step aside, causing Hurricane to lunge forward awkwardly and allow the pink pony to slice deep into the Commander’s leg.

She groaned in pain and took to the skies suddenly to escape anymore possible strikes from Pinkie. She placed a hoof to the injury and sighed, “Humph, lucky.... SHOT!” She threw herself at the mare, growling angrily and raising her foreleg blades towards Pinkie.

Pinkie’s eyes widened, and one thought crossed her mind before her stance stiffened. Her gaze never left Hurricane’s growing form as she prepared herself for another onslaught. I hope you’re alright Rainbow Dash.

A series of slices from Hurricane’s foreleg blades came in high-speed; Pinkie managing to dodge or block them in quick succession. Instantly after the last strike was made the pink mare lost her footing and staggered. Hurricane used this opportunity and tore into the pink pony’s shoulder blade.

Pinkie collapsed onto the snow-covered ground; a gash up her shoulder and the pegasi leader standing over her with a victorious grin spread across her face.

“I’m impressed pink one. No earth pony before you has held their ground for so long without collapsing from pure fear of me; what’s your secret?” She raised a fore-hoof in questioning Pinkie of her abilities, and the pink mare only stared back before struggling to her hooves. One hoof in front of the other, “Heh, I almost expected you to give up.”

Pinkie brought the piece of steel she had pulled from Hurricane’s wing up and clenched it in her teeth tightly.

“I’m glad you didn’t... RAH!” Hurricane shot forward, wings spread out. Weapons clanged, echoing over the chilled mountain tops. Hurricane continued to pelt Pinkie with steel, cutting shallow grooves into the pink mare’s coat and staining the ground with blood. “Keep THIS up and I MIGHT end up RESPECTING you just a little.” She clanged her wing blade against Pinkie’s and smiled slyly, “But I doubt it.” She scooped her wing blade under Pinkie’s and tossed her back.

Surprising the Commander and making her grunt softly, Pinkie landed deftly on all fours; but her shoulder still shook. “What is it that drives you to do this? You aren’t trained for this, so how can you possibly be able to continue?”

Even when she tried to prevent the slight shake in her voice from escaping with those questions, Pinkie still heard them for what they were. Hurricane was in shock, and they both knew it. She let a smirk of her own appear between the blade in her mouth, but she didn’t speak; and that only made the older mare more angry.

“Answer me filth!!” Her eyes narrowed into slits, frustration showing through at the earth pony’s reluctance to answer. She took flight, her blows heavier, forcing Pinkie to dodge more than she blocked.

She supported herself more on her left shoulder, to lessen the pain and to have more maneuverability. She knew she was quicker than Hurricane, but she was already too weak to strike back at her. Suddenly, she caught something out of the corner of her eye; a thick forest of trees lay just behind her. Pinkie sensed a weakened stroke of the Commander’s blade. Her shoulder throbbed agonizingly as her Pinkie sense took over.

She swung out and threw off Hurricane’s trajectory, causing her to turn sideways and steady herself. This allowed Pinkie the time she needed to rush into the dense foliage and prevent the danger of any aerial attack from the pegasus.

“Good thinking. I can’t use my foreleg blades in there, but that won’t save you.” She walked slowly into the trees and looked around cautiously, “I know you are weak. All earth ponies are, deep within themselves. And they all KNOW it.” The pegasus turned suddenly and slashed out quickly; the pink mare slammed into the trunk of a tree and collapsed to the ground.

If this wasn’t the last moment of her life the pink pony might have thought being covered in the resulting snowfall from the tree would have been comical. Blood flowed from the gash in her chest, and her muscles finally relaxed; she spit out the blade and lowered her head to the ground, “I... hope...”

“What?” Hurricane’s ear perked at Pinkie’s whispered words to the snow.

“I’ve experienced too much pain already to be frightened by YOU,” Pinkie looked up with a consciousness still fully present in her beautiful cyan eyes, and she spoke firmly to Hurricane, “You aren’t anything... but another bully that doesn’t want or doesn’t even try to get to know another pony because they’re different.” Pinkie gasped suddenly and clamped a hoof to her chest in agony, but she ignored it, “At least... I met somepony... different from me that liked me.”

Hurricane huffed, “It doesn’t matter to me anymore. This has been a relief to get back into the swing of things; you were my most enjoyable opponent out of everything else so far. I can only imagine what your Dashie will do when she finds out.” She raised a foreleg blade over Pinkie’s head to finish her off; but the blade was quickly blocked and the pegasi leader was turned about and bucked in the gut, “GAH!”

“NOPONY calls me that but PINKIE!”

“Dashie!” Pinkie’s face lit up for a moment, cheer enveloping her at hearing the cyan pegasus’ voice again; but remembering what she must have looked like, Pinkie lowered her head back down sadly.

Hurricane landed ruffly on the ground and shook off the resulting snowfall from above. She lifted herself up and growled at Dash, resulting in a hateful glare from the cyan mare before she focused back on Pinkie.

“Pinkie, you okay? Please... tell me...” Her voice, soft and shaking, faltered as she looked at Pinkie’s wounds.

Galloping into the woods, the other two ponies joined them and gasped at what they saw; a pink pony with her left hoof up, comforting a teary-eyed pegasus beneath the trees. “I’m fine Dashie.” Her heart pounded against her ribcage, but she smiled despite it all, “I’m okay now.”

“Oh spare me the emotional farewell, Dashie. It’s soo cliche.” Hurricane’s smirk was almost too wide to seem bearable, yet there it was, and it only made Dash boil over with anger.

She let herself stand, and that was all Dash could do calmly before she exploded with fury at the Commander, “Don’t CALL me that!!” She lunged at Hurricane and clashed wing blades with her.

“Oooh, now we’re getting somewhere.” Gleefully, Hurricane deflected the blade and sliced out with it; but Dash wheeled around in the air and blocked it with a leg blade. “I see. You always were better at aerial combat Dash, but not when you have an injury such as THIS!” She kicked out a foreleg and smashed it against the cyan mare’s broken hind leg.

Dash cried out in agony and fell to the ground. Hurricane stood up on her hind-legs and attempted to slam her hooves full force against the cyan mare’s chest, but Dash managed to roll away in time and take to the skies again.

“I see you still know well how to ignore pain Rainbow Dash; this certainly won’t be a BORING fight. But let’s see how much pain you CAN take.” Hurricane smirked widely at the cyan pegasus, and rushed forward, brushing steel with steel as Dash sliced back.

Dash swung a wing blade high and horizontal, causing Hurricane to duck her head and allowing the cyan mare a chance to catch her jaw as she came up. With her good hind leg, Dash kicked out at the older mare’s face; but Hurricane saw it coming and brought her head back up just in time. She grabbed Rainbow’s good leg and threw her at a nearby tree.

Dash turned her stomach to the tree and stopped herself from colliding with it with her fore-hooves. She looked back at Hurricane, still clutching the bark of the tree, as the pegasi leader started to chuckle jokingly.

“Now Rainbow Dash, you really must have a strategy when fighting. Even your pink earth pony knew that.” Hurricane stood away from the pegasus to allow her to turn around and land on the snow, and when Dash did, she was smiling, “What’s so funny?”

“Your helmet.” She pointed to the ground behind Hurricane and noticed the helmet settled on the snow, “I knocked it off with that kick. You know, I never saw you without it... and now I get to tear your face up properly for what you did to Pinkie.” She growled out those last words at Hurricane and snorted angrily.

“Well, far be it for me to keep you waiting.” Hurricane smirked at the cyan mare and waited for her to take a stance.

Dash suddenly catapulted herself at the leader of the pegasi tribe, leg blades stretched out in front of her as she caught Hurricane off guard. Hurricane lifted herself clumsily off the ground to escape and Rainbow quickly put her hind legs out in front to land just under the older mare, ignoring another intense feeling of agony in her hind leg; she grabbed Hurricane’s back legs and slammed her hard into the snow bank.

With a swipe of her wing blade Dash cut into Hurricane’s chest and pinned her down to the cold ground. Hurricane groaned out in pain and Dash ignored it, “It’s over Hurricane. You are going to-”

“NO!” Dash’s ears perked, and she looked over at the pink mare that had called out to her; she was standing on all fours, but the other two ponies stood on opposite sides in case she fell from blood loss. A bandage wrapped tightly against her chest slowed the bleeding from such a deep injury, “You can’t do that! She’s a pony too Dashie. She doesn’t deserve to die, even if she is a big meanie pants.”

Frustration showed itself on Dash’s face and she prevented the older mare from struggling below her by pushing the blades down more, “But Pinkie, if she lives she’ll keep hunting us down until WE are dead!”

“If we kill her we’re no better than SHE is!” Pinkie countered firmly; but her expression softened considerably and she gazed into Dash’s magenta eyes pleadingly, “Please... we need to go.”

She whispered those last words, and Dash nodded in agreement; but before she got up from Hurricane, she took her leg blades and sliced them into the older mare’s hind legs. She groaned out in pain and Dash grabbed her by her mane, “But if you EVER come near me and my Pinkie Pie OR my friends again, I WILL kill you.”

Through the anguish in her face, Hurricane managed an evil smile, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Wait a sec. What’s that sound?” Applejack asked as she limped forward to hear better.

Their ears perked as they turned to see a group of pegasi flying over head. Dash turned and flew over to Pinkie, picking her up in her hooves and calling to the others, “We gotta go NOW! FLUTTERSHY!”

Without another thought, Fluttershy’s stare intensified and she glared up at the approaching pegasi. They dropped down beside their leader and looked away in blind terror as she and her friends made their escape.

Dash sped off immediately and Fluttershy, with Applejack on her back, were close behind her.

“What are you DOING you IDIOTS?! KILL HER!” The pegasi stayed in place as they watched the yellow pony soar away, much to their relief; but Hurricane became enraged and swiped a bow and arrow from one of them before shoving them away.

With her legs useless, Hurricane sat up and aimed one shot at the cyan pegasus. Her sight was true and she let it shoot towards Dash.

As Dash cradled Pinkie in her arms, the pink pony could look back over Dash’s shoulder and see the arrow zooming up to them, and she gasped in fright.

Her cyan eyes widened with fear and she gripped the mare in her hooves tighter, “DASHIE!”

THK!! Dash felt a searing heat surge through her wing, and she groaned out in a sharp intensity; she was still conscious when she began to fall from the sky and she looked back up at the rapidly shrinking forms of Fluttershy and Applejack. A warm smile suddenly stretched across her face, and she tightened her grip on the pink mare; flexing her good wing in the air.

“Rainbow Dash! What are you doing?!”

From in the air the two ponies watched, helplessly, as Dash and Pinkie plummeted to the snow covered earth.

"No...."

Only Fluttershy knew what the cyan pegasus was doing. Her eyes grew wide as she watched the two ponies fall down, plummeting to their expectant deaths.

"NO!!"