A Dazzling Trio

Chapter XXII: Hope in the Dark

Chapter XXII: Hope in the Dark

Rainbow Dash walks over to the bed, pulling a key from her pocket. Unlocking my handcuffs, Dash motions for me to get out of the bed. Everything she is doing confuses me to no end.

"Come on. You're coming with me." Dash nods her head towards my suitcase, telling me to get dressed without saying a single word. Proving something to her...?

"What do you mean, Dash?" Grabbing my tights, I slip them on with ease. Dash turns away from me to give me some privacy. Honestly, I'm surprised she's willing to turn her back on me after all she said.

"Just get dressed already." Dash's voice is annoyed, but there's a meaning behind it. Some sort of determination. In a way, it worries me, but I feel pretty curious what she means.

Slipping on my coat, I push my feet into my boots as quickly as I can. Dash turns her gaze to me momentarily before leading the way to the door. Something about her demeanor makes me wonder what is on her mind. It also makes me feel a little worried if I don't listen to her... A flash of light hits my eyes once Rainbow Dash opens the door. Those first few moments it takes to adjust to the new light level are the hardest, but after blinking a few times, it is a lot more bearable.

The door shuts and locks itself behind me. The bright hallway has no sign of life in it except for the two of us. The sound of our footsteps is almost completely muffled from the carpet. Dash leads the way to the lobby without saying a single word. I have no idea what has come over her. Where are we going? And why this late at night?

Stepping out of the hotel, a cool breeze hits my cheek, brushing my hair to the side. Dash's hair flows in the wind as majestically as a flower. It would be impressive if she didn't have her hands in her pocket with a monotone expression on her face. Dash takes a deep breath before finally moving down the sidewalk. The loud sounds of the city have no effect on her. Honestly, I'm surprised there's any place she wants to go. She's only been in this city for a few days. Where would she want to go?

"You know, it really sucks," Dash states without looking back at me. "I really came to accept you as one of the girls. Part of our group." A car drives past us, but for a brief moment, Dash's hair shines as if the sun is peeking out after the rain. Some people walk past us, but nothing breaks our stride. For a second, I almost feel nostalgic. I remember walking and talking with Dash like this before. The deepest part of my heart almost hopes that I can fix things with her, but I know that can't happen...

"What is the point of this, Dash?" I ask her seriously, staring at the back of her head. "You take me out of the hotel without the knowledge of everyone else and here you are reminiscing about times before. Is there some sort of rhyme or reason to your logic here?"

"You'll have to wait," Dash tells me with a shrug of her shoulders, just as we turn a corner. The farther away we walk, the less light there is. The direction Dash decided to walk in is towards the outer city limits. Is she planning on just leaving the city altogether? "Dagi," Dash speaks up with a curious tone, "do you remember going out to get drinks with Applejack and me?"

"How could I not?" Looking towards the ground, I can't exactly bring myself to remember something like that without a pained expression. Fun memories like those are... hard. It's easier to bury everything than remember it all. The lights become further apart... The sounds of people in the city get quieter with each passing step. This nostalgic walk is kind of nice, but in a way, it just leaves a bigger sense of dread on my mind.

"You told me that you still treasure those memories. And that you didn't mean for all of this to happen." Stopping next to a bus stop, Dash turns to look at me. "If I really believe that you didn't orchestrate this from the start, then it makes what happened that much worse, huh? Just kinda giving into the temptation of the magic." A car zips by us, stopping next to the bus stop. Except, it's not the only thing that stopped... A couple of bugs next to the street light hang still in the air. Dust particles stay still as if they are part of a picture. Not a single muscle in my body can move, but it's hard to pay attention to anything else except what is in front of me.