Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Vinyl Scratch walked into Ponyville’s limits, passed the dug in Iron Hoof of Cromwell, each of them bitter by the day’s events.

“So much for plan A,” Twilight said in annoyance.

“Hey! I said I was sorry!” Vinyl called back. “What more do you want from me! I haven’t had to use that flat in almost a year!”

Twilight frowned and gave the off-white unicorn an apologetic look. “I’m sorry Vinyl, it’s not your fault. I just don’t like the idea of leaving Tia alone in Canterlot with Nightsinger watching over her. If Nightsinger was bluffing, then who knows what he’ll do!”

“You’re worrying too much Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said trying to relax her. “She IS still Princess Celestia after all, what can Nightsinger really do to her?”

Twilight sighed, Rainbow was right, she was worrying too much.

“I’ll help Vinyl look for her keys, Rainbow, can you go get a few days worth of food from the Library?” Twilight asked.

“I’m on it!” Rainbow Dash said, she leapt into the air and flew off towards the Library, landing in front of it and going inside, not aware that another pony was rapidly approaching the Library behind her.

...

The door to the Ponyville Library opened and quickly slammed shut behind it. Fluttershy dropped to the floor, panting heavily from exhaustion.

“Fluttershy?”

She looked up to see Rainbow Dash standing over her. Fluttershy leapt up, throwing her forelegs around Rainbow’s neck and pulling the cyan Pegasus close to her.

“Oh Rainbow!” Fluttershy said. “I am so happy to see you!”

“Clearly,” Rainbow Dash said returning Fluttershy’s hug. “I haven’t seen you in forever! Where have you been? What were you doing?”

“I’ve been keeping busy, doing things around my home, you know?” Fluttershy said sidestepping the question. “Do you care about me, Rainbow?”

Rainbow Dash was caught off guard by Fluttershy’s question, her eyes blinked, thinking that she might have misheard her friend. “What kind of question is that? Of course I do!”

Fluttershy smiled. “I care about you too, Rainbow... a lot. Ever since we were fillies! You were there, sticking up for me when those bullies gave me a hard time about not being very good at anything. I... I liked you a lot.”

“When you say ‘liked me a lot...’?” Rainbow started too asked, not entirely sure where Fluttershy was going with this.

“I... have had a crush on you since we were in flight school together,” Fluttershy said. “I love you, Rainbow Dash. I’ve loved you for years, but I was too scared to every say anything or do anything about it... and now I’m worried...”

Fluttershy broke down into tears; she knew what was going to happen to her. Derpy, Trixie, Lyra, and Bon Bon were going to expose her. She was going to be locked away forever... or worse. She had no other options; she needed Rainbow to protect her.

“Fluttershy...” Rainbow Dash said. She frowned at her friend, not liking where this path had taken her in the slightest. “You’re my friend, Fluttershy. I do care about you, I really do! But I... don’t love you. I’m sorry, but I’m with Twilight.”

Fluttershy felt her heart crack. The sting of Rainbow Dash’s rejection ripped her mind in two; the worry had been replaced by rage.

Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed, anger surging through her entire body. She pushed Rainbow Dash away, and pounced on her, tacking the surprised Pegasus to the floor.

“Twilight! You’ve known Twilight for two years! How could you love her more than me! We’ve been friends since we were fillies!” Fluttershy said, her voice was quiet, but filled with rage.

“We weren’t that great of friends then Fluttershy...” Rainbow said, trying to reason with her. It ended up being her biggest mistake. Fluttershy lifted her wing, revealing the knife stained with the blood of five.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened with fear, and as she looked back into Fluttershy’s eyes, she noticed that they were filled with murder. When Fluttershy drew the knife, she panicked, trying to break free of Fluttershy’s hold.

The meek pegasi was much stronger than she looked, Rainbow only managed to get a singly hoof free, she pushed it under Fluttershy’s chin, trying to keep the knife away.

Fluttershy’s rage filled strength proved to be more than a match for Rainbow, the knife began to lower towards Rainbow’s chest in spite of her attempts.

“Fluttershy! No! Stop! Please!” Rainbow cried in desperation, her hoof slipped, and she lost control of the only thing keeping her from harm.

Fluttershy plunged the knife into Rainbow Dash’s chest, causing the cyan Pegasus to gasp in surprise. The pain was unimaginable, amplified by the fact that her assailant was the most gentile of all ponies.

Rainbow Dash was drowning, her lungs were filling with her own blood, and she choked for any air that she could get. Fluttershy pulled the knife out and stabbed her again.

“Ooo lub be nah?” Fluttershy asked stabbing her again, and again, and again.

Rainbow Dash was crying, she lay on the floor in her own blood, she felt her life slipping away.

She gave Fluttershy a last look, she tried to speak, but was unable. Her eyes rolled past Fluttershy’s and the world seemed to wash away in a brilliant white light.

I’m sorry.

That was the last thought that went through Rainbow Dash’s mind, and with it, she drifted off into the endless sleep.

...

Twilight opened the door to the Library and stepped inside. “Rainbow! We found Vinyl’s keys! I... ” Twilight stopped and looked at Fluttershy standing over Rainbow Dash, knife clenched in her teeth, Rainbow’s lifeless body at her hooves.

She screamed, not in fear but in anger, Twilight tackled Fluttershy to the ground, catching the Pegasus off guard and knocking the knife away.

“You killed her!” Twilight cried in rage, she pressed her hooves on Fluttershy’s neck, blocking off the Pegasus’ airway.

Fluttershy gasped for air, but found herself unable to take any in. She struggled to push Twilight away, but like she had been with Rainbow, rage made Twilight too strong to push away.

Fluttershy’s face was turning blue, she tried to plead with Twilight to make her stop, but no sound would come. Fluttershy made a last attempt to breath, but she could not, she looked at Twilight, her eyes fell to the side, and her head drooped.

Twilight realised what was happening and backed off. She prodded Fluttershy, but the Pegasus would not move. She had stopped breathing.

Twilight began to cry, Rainbow Dash, the love of her life, was dead, and now so was her assailant, at her own hooves.

Twilight backed away, sitting against the wall, she could only watch in horror at the sight before her.

Her saddlebags had fallen off; Twilight looked to her left and discovered that her revolver was lying on the ground next to her.

She levitated the revolver up to inspect it. Emerald Ordinance No.4 Revolver, 11mm magnum. She snapped open the breach, it was fully loaded. Twilight snapped it shut and pulled back on the hammer. She sighed and looked back at the bodies of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy lying on the floor in front of her. When she came to Ponyville, she had six friends. Spike had long been out of contact, on the diplomatic staff of an Ambassador with the Green Dragonflight. One of their members had been destroyed by Overdrive, causing a political scuff up. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were dead. Pinkie Pie and Applejack were nowhere to be found. Now it was just her and Rarity.

If Twilight was going to get her way, soon enough it would be only Rarity left.

Twilight pointed the revolver at her temple, and closed her eyes, she took a deep breath. She was ready.

“Twilight? I saw your door was open and... what are you doing!?”

Twilight’s eyes opened to find Vinyl Scratch looking at her from the opening.

“You need to put that down! Right now!” Vinyl called out to her, her voice was filled with panic.

“What’s the point?” Twilight asked. “Rainbow Dash is dead. Fluttershy is dead. All of my friends are either dead or gone.”

“Hey! Don’t talk like that!” Vinyl said; she slowly walked over to her. “Not everypony is gone. I’m still here. Remember what I said? You will always have me until you decide you don’t want me around.”

Twilight looked up at her friend, she smiled faintly at her, she eyed the revolver, still levitating in front of her and frowning at it.

“Do you think...?” Twilight began but was interrupted by Vinyl wrapping her magic around it.

“That I could hold on to this for you for a while?” Vinyl Scratch finished. “Of course.”

Twilight released it, allowing Vinyl to slip it away into her saddlebags. The mares embraced each other.

“It would be really nice if you could lie and tell me that everything would be okay,” Twilight said, tears streaming down her face and onto Vinyl’s shoulders.

“Yeah...” Vinyl said. “Yeah it would.”