Chapter 7: Dreams and Daydreams
Chapter 7:
Dreams and Daydreams
Rarity soared in the sky on wings made of purest light amongst clouds the size of mountains. She circled around the fluffy behemoths as the cold, fresh air pierced her lungs and blew through her curled, violet mane. She came in close, allowing one of her shining wings to slice through the side of the cloud, causing a cool trickle of water to slide down onto her back. She shivered, then angled herself upward to ascend with a giddy laugh, leaving behind the clouds and everything else.
The colossal clouds were now mere dots below as Rarity hovered in the vacuum of space. She could see the curvature of the world, far away on the horizon and draped in shadow. The gentle light of the sun warmed her back as she looked up to behold the stars beyond, hanging in the vastness of infinity. As she did, twelve stars began to stand out, shining brighter than the others. She felt herself being sucked forward, and the other stars stretched and dimmed as they went out of her line of sight. As the new stars filled her vision, they began to connect to each other with strands of light, forming into a symbol: a sideways figure-eight with curved, two-pronged branches on each side.
The delicate pronged branches morphed into a set of eyelashes. The holes of the figure-eight then opened, revealing a set of familiar, vibrant blue eyes. She blinked, and the eyes blinked as well, then morphed into a pair of cat-like slits. Rarity’s perspective shifted as she now beheld herself from both sides, the pony and the stars staring at each other in duality.
A light appeared from the depths of the twin sets of pupils, and the world turned silver.
Rarity sat bolt upright with a gasp. She looked around wildly, but saw only darkness. She raised a hoof to her face and took off the sleeping mask she always wore, groaning as she glanced over at her bedside clock.
Two in the morning... check. Drenched in cold sweat... check. Thick ball of tension in the back of my head... check. The gang’s all here, let the party commence.
Rarity turned on the lamp atop her nightstand and opened the drawer, pulling out a mauve journal with frayed edges and a broken spine. A peacock quill was tucked in the cover, which she pulled out, then flipped to a blank page and began to write.
Flying. Wings made of light. Giant clouds, overfilled with water. Went into space. Sun to my back. Stars. Specific stars pulled me forward. Formed a symbol. Symbol turned into eyes. Eyes became strange. Stared at each other. Blinked in unison. Woke up. Slept total of three hours.
Rarity stared at her writing for a while, then began to make a doodle of the symbol that she'd seen. Satisfied, she tucked the quill back in the cover, and with a sigh, got out of bed and walked over to a mauve robe hanging on the closet door. As she put it on, she cast a glance to a bookshelf on her right. On it were books on sewing, etiquette, a few fiction and romance novels, a small collection of beginner and intermediate spellbooks, and countless issues of different fashion magazines.
Rarity perused the collection, nothing catching her interest until she looked up to the very top shelf. On it by its lonesome and looking very out of place was a massive, ancient, leather-bound tome. She called upon her magic and pulled down the book, glancing at its cover and laughing softly.
Advanced Abjuration Application: by Starswirl the Bearded, First Edition. Oh, Twilight, you’re so silly sometimes. I suppose I can't really blame you, we'd only been friends for a week, after all. Couldn't really expect you to know about my birthday, now could I? I should be grateful you got me anything at all. And this probably is rather expensive.
She put the book back up on the shelf and shook her head. I don't feel like reading; It never helps, anyway. Curse you, muse! Is this the price you demand for your services?
Rarity exited her room and walked down the lightless hallway of her home above Carousel Boutique, and as she did, she saw a door to her right that was open a crack. She stuck her head in, her ear twitching as she made out the soft, rhythmic breathing of peaceful slumber.
Rarity smiled as she withdrew. At least it's not genetic.
The lights of the Inspiration Room turned on as Rarity walked in. She went over to a set of different colored fabrics, considering each of them in turn.
Hmm, I did a yellow dress last time. This one was a flying dream going into space, so I'm thinking a darker theme. Perhaps navy? Ooh, yes, definitely navy. A touch of glitter embedded in the fabric would look fabulous, and silver trim would be the perfect touch. Should I use silk for the fabric? Eh, silk wrinkles too much. I’ll need something stronger.
Rarity went over to her drawing board where her ruby spectacles lay. She put them on and began to draw out a design.
I want it to resemble the flow and depth of the night sky, and a Shimmer spell would work for that. I'll need to get out my spellbook.... maybe a touch of black? No, too grim and formal. What would give it a mystical feel? Ah, a hint of violet in the Shimmer spell. Perfect! This is going to look positively astoun—what in the world?
Rarity had been so lost in her brainstorming that hadn't been paying attention to what she was doing. She looked down, and saw that she’d only drawn only one thing: the sideways branched figure-eight from her dream.
Rarity looked down at the symbol with pursed lips. Just can't get away from that, can you, muse? Fine. I'll make it as a necklace to go with the ensemble. Maybe that will satiate you.
She began to draw again, this time paying more attention to what she was doing. The symbol turned into my eyes. My eyes are blue, and I’ve that pair of sapphires I found last week with Spike, so that works out marvelously. I'm going with a darker motif here, so perhaps I should use silver for the framework? Not sure if I have any, though, and it's been a while since I’ve made any jewelry. I'll have to check my stores...
The Inspiration Room was a flurry of activity as Rarity worked. She lost herself to her efforts, humming softly to herself as she fitted a mannequine with a dark blue dress that rolled with waves of violet light. A needle and thread hovered in her aura as she circled the piece, examining it from every angle.
I might need to redo the stitching on the left side. Is that a loose seam? No, that's just the spell. Ugh, I really should have waited to do that last. Let's see, now to saturate it with glitter. Wait. Glitter? What was I thinking?! Crushed gemstones! YES! That will be, dare I say, heaven—
“Rarity?”
Rarity jumped. She turned to see Sweetie Belle standing at the door in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes and leaning against the doorframe.
“Sweetie!” Rarity put down the sewing tools. “What are you doing up so late?!”
Sweetie wrinkled her brow. “It's seven in the morning.”
Rarity blinked several times, then looked out the window to see that the sky was a dull pink. She looked over at the clock to confirm her sister's statement, and found it to indeed be true.
“Oh! Well, good that you're up, then.”
“You didn't sleep again?” Sweetie’s eyes were filled with concern. She made to enter the room, but then remembered that Rarity had told her she couldn’t come into the Inspiration Room, and jumped back as though the entrance had shocked her.
Rarity gave her a weak smile that didn't hide the bags under her eyes. “A few hours is all I need.”
Sweetie’s eyes and pupils went huge as her lower lip quivered.
“I’m sorry...”
Rarity’s will broke under the adorable onslaught. “Okay, okay. I suppose you are older, if only by six days. You can come in.”
Sweetie perked up, but her energy was still low, as she was still drowsy from having just woken up. She took a hesitant step into the room, then meekly walked over to Rarity and nuzzled her side. Rarity returned the gesture, then lay down and allowed Sweetie to snuggle up next to her.
She’s getting a bit old for—oh, stop it. One day you’re going to realize this cute little filly has grown up into a beautiful mare with her own life, and times like this will be nothing more than fond memories. Stop worrying about propriety for five minutes, and appreciate that your little sister still wants to cuddle with you.
The two sisters shared a moment of companionship in the early morning. Rarity began to rock slowly back and forth, and Sweetie closed her eyes and hummed in appreciation. They remained like this for a few minutes, and Rarity was beginning to think Sweetie had fallen back asleep before she yawned and opened her eyes.
“Why don't you take your medicine?” Sweetie asked.
“Because some of the best things I've made are from when I can't sleep.” Rarity leaned down and kissed Sweetie’s forehead. “It’s okay, dear. A few nights here and there without sleep isn't going to hurt me.”
Sweetie rested her chin on Rarity’s shoulder. “It always happens at least once when I'm here, though. Does it happen the rest of the week, too?”
When did she get so observant? She doesn't normally—Rarity narrowed her eyes and exhaled out her nose as she put the pieces together.
“Mother told you to spy on me, didn’t she?”
Sweetie stiffened and quickly turned away. “I haven't said anything!”
Rarity put a gentle hoof on the side of her sister’s face. “Sweetie, look at me.”
Sweetie hesitantly obeyed. Her posture was tense, but she relaxed upon seeing that her sister’s face held no anger. Rarity’s voice was calm and patient as she looked into Sweetie’s light-green eyes.
“She did, though, didn't she?”
Sweetie nodded. “I'm supposed to tell her if you're not taking your medicine, but I don't wanna get you in trouble.”
Rarity sighed and rubbed her forehead. Is this how you think a Lady is supposed to act, Mother? This isn't fair to Sweetie or to me, and now I can't confront you about it because you'll know she told me. What kind of a mother puts an eight-year old into this kind of situation?!
Sweetie bit her lip. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”
“No, Sweetie,” Rarity instantly replied. “I’m not mad at you.”
Sweetie was too happy about being absolved to notice the emphasis on Rarity’s last word. She smiled, but it faded as another thought struck her. “You do take it sometimes, though, don’t you?”
“Sometimes, yes,” Rarity said. “When I can’t sleep two nights in a row, I take it.”
“Does that happen a lot?”
Rarity’s eyes flickered. “Not that often.”
Sweetie began to inquire further, but Rarity stopped her by getting up and giving her a gentle nudge. “That’s enough worrying about your big sister. You need to get ready for school. Go and take your shower, I’ll make breakfast.”
Sweetie reluctantly complied, yawning again as she shuffled towards the door. She turned back to look back at the mannequine, motioning to it as she continued to walk forward.
“That dress is really pretty.”
Rarity gave her a proud smile. “Thank you, darling.”
“Did you make it from your dreams again?”
Rarity nodded. “I’m afraid the creative itch simply cannot be denied. Like I said, I’ve made some fabulous things when my body decides to forego a full night’s sleep.”
Sweetie looked at it for a moment longer, then turned and exited the room. Rarity waited until she heard the sound of soft hoofsteps ascending the stairs before walking over to the dress, giving it one last once over before going to the kitchen.
I don’t regret it. I never would’ve made this or dozens of other ensembles if I took those ghastly pills, and my dream dresses sell the best out of all my designs. What can I say? The creative juices flow the best when this happens… even if there’s a price to pay for it.
Rarity managed to get Sweetie Belle fed, packed up, and off to school without incident, which was no small feat, considering how accident-prone the little filly was. Rarity then cleaned up the kitchen, and got ready for the day herself. By nine, she’d moved some of her pieces out to the show floor, and was now checking the after-hours slot as she flipped over the open sign.
Hmm, only one order, and it’s for a touchup job. Looks like today will be slow, but that’s normal for this time of year, as the new fashions won’t start coming out until next month. No matter. I can use the time to work, and I think I’ll keep going on the dream dress. I‘ve a feeling that darker colors are going to be in this season, and if it turns out well enough, I might be able to submit it for the upcoming Fashion Week in Canterlot. I’d need a model to take photos, though. Oh! I forgot to check and see if I have any silver…
Rarity trotted into the back of the store to a small locked closet, the earthy smell of minerals combined with the heady aroma of various fragrances greeted her as she opened the door. She went to a small chest on a three-tiered shelf, where inside was a collection of raw precious metals. Most of them were a dull yellow color, but there was one small chunk that was a lustrous gray.
Hmm, looks like all I have is gold. Pity, silver would have accented the gemstones nicely. Then again, there is that little bit of platinum I found, but I was saving that for something special... Oh, why not. What’s the point of having something if you’re not going to use it?
Rarity took the small gray rock and brought it to her Inspiration Room. She was about to start making more plans, but suddenly, she staggered from a wave of fatigue. The feeling of tension in her head had diminished, but she still felt twitchy and overly alert. She put her forelegs on a sewing table as she rubbed her temples, stifling a whimper.
It’s going to be a long day.... no, I can’t think like that! Come on, Rarity, keep your chin up! A Lady uses the tools at her disposal to the best of her ability, and deals with any hardship without complaint. You’ve done this countless times before, and you can do it again.
Rarity strengthened her resolve, then summoned her spellbook from a nearby table. She put her ruby glasses back on as she opened it and resumed her planning. Let’s see, I’ll need an Impurity spell and a Molding spell…
Rarity worked all throughout the morning, only stopping briefly to enchant a soundstone for a mint-green unicorn wearing a gray hoodie. After finishing that, she resumed her work on the necklace. She took her time with the platinum, as she was out of practice with metalworking and couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. Slowly but surely, the necklace began to take shape.
The branch portions were pointy, and I can’t have that in a necklace. I’ll have to round off the edges a bit. Beads of sweat formed on Rarity’s brow as she focused her magic and filed off the edges into nubs with utmost precision.
Easy does it now, easy…
The tinkling of the entrance bell sounded. Rarity jerked, pushed too hard, and snapped the necklace in half.
Rarity stared in horror at the fragments. Ahh! No no no no! I spent hours working on this! Now I have to start over, and there’s somepony at the door, and by Celestia, if they don’t buy something expensive I’m going to use them as a pincushion!
Rarity stormed out of the room, taking deep breaths and trying to regain her composure. She walked onto the show floor, hiding her frayed nerves under a demure smile.
“Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is—oh, it’s you two.”
Elo and Grovi stood at the door. They both gave her a shallow bow as they walked inside.
“Good afternoon,” Elo said. He was about to say something more, but then noticed Rarity’s slightly unkempt and frazzled state. “Er, have we caught you at a bad time?”
“Not at all!” Rarity said quickly. “Is there something you needed?”
Elo raised an eyebrow. “You invited us yesterday for afternoon tea, remember?”
Rarity’s eyes widened. Oh Celestia, I got so caught up in the dress that I—not the time for excuses, just do your duty as a proper hostess. She looked at the clock to see that it was two in the afternoon. “Of course I remember! I just lost track of the time. Please, come in!”
Rarity turned and trotted towards the kitchen. As soon as she was out of sight, her trot turned into a gallop as she hurriedly reviewed what she had for snacks.
The two guards exchanged a curious glance.
“Are you going to ask her about it?” Grovi said.
Elo nodded. “This isn’t healthy.”
Grovi looked around at the beautiful showpieces surrounding them. “It almost hurts how similar they are. Makes me wonder what might’ve been if—”
“—we’re being impolite guests,” Elo said pointedly. He went through the same door Rarity had and went into the back rooms.
Grovi chewed on his lip. “Yes, I suppose we are.” He gave the dresses one last look, then followed after Elo.
Rarity, Elo, and Grovi sat at the kitchen table a short while later. The three of them politely sipped at their tea as they munched on an assortment of cucumbers, scones, breads, and various jellies. Rarity watched the two guards in silence, mentally berating herself for almost slipping up.
I can’t believe I forgot I invited them. A little fatigue is normal, but today I’m getting hit really hard.
Elo set down his cup with a light clink and looked up at Rarity. “Forgive my brashness, but I noticed that you only slept a few hours again last night. That’s the third time since our arrival.”
Rarity’s eyelid twitched. Maybe those earrings were a bad idea. No, it’s either this or they hover around the shop like vultures. This is the lesser of two evils.
Rarity nodded stonily. “Yes, it is.”
“You’d said before that you log how much you sleep you get each night in a journal.” Elo stared hard at Rarity. “Answer me truthfully: how many hours have you gotten in the past six days?”
Rarity lowered her gaze to her teacup. “I’d have to count. On average, though, I get somewhere from twenty to thirty hours of sleep a week.”
Both of the guards took a sharp breath.
“Losing that much sleep is dangerous,” Elo said flatly. “For one, your magical font won't fully recharge, and I know you do a decent amount of spellcasting in your dressmaking. You’re running the risk of Magical Exhaustion, and that’s nothing to say of the rest of your body and mind.”
Rarity sighed and dropped all pretense, raising her chin and looking down at him. “I’ll forgive your brashness, but only because I didn't tell you this when you and Grovi came barging into the shop the first time at four in the morning, thinking I was being foalnapped or somesuch. A Lady doesn't make a habit out of talking about her personal problems, but as you’re both charged with my protection, you’ve a right to know what’s going on. However, I’ll only tell you this once, so listen well.”
Rarity took a calming breath. “My insomnia isn’t a new problem. I've had it my entire life, and I've been to more doctors than I can count over the years. My own mother’s a somnologist, and even she can’t figure out what‘s wrong with me. If I was to list off the things my family and I have tried to fix it, we’d be here all afternoon.”
Rarity took a sip of her tea. “The only thing that works is a very specific, nasty type of sleeping pill, and I hate taking it. Not just because I can’t remember my dreams, but because of what the sleep is like. It feels… unnatural, forced, like something’s keeping me underwater, and I’m trying to come up for air. I wake up feeling rested, yes, but I also feel like I’ve missed out on something important, or like I was disconnected from the world the entire time.
“You're not the only ones who are worried about me,” Rarity said. “My family’s constantly on my case about this, especially my mother. Although, considering her profession, it's understandable why. Yes, I get less rest without the drugs, and it leaves me feeling fatigued. Yes, it has adverse effects on my mind, body, and magic. However, I'm willing to make those sacrifices because of what I get in return, and as a fully-grown, responsible, successful, entrepreneurial mare, I think I'm free to make my own choices, whether they're good or bad.
“So I thank you for your concern, really, I do. And I’m sure you probably have the same worries as well, Grovi, but I’m going to continue to do what I feel is necessary to perform my crafts. And as I know you're under orders not to interfere with my life, you're just going to have to deal with it.”
Rarity chose a particularly tasty-looking cucumber slice and popped it in her mouth as she finished. She looked at the two guards, who were trying their best to hide their astonishment. Unfortunately for them, she'd seen both of their mouths go slightly agape at different times during her speech.
And that’s how you put somepony in their place.
“I… I apologize,” Elo managed. “Are you working on a new piece, then?”
Rarity nodded. “It's turning out beautifully so far—”
Her face fell as she remembered the necklace. “Well, most of it is, at any rate.”
“What’s the matter?” Elo asked.
Rarity turned away. “I was working on a necklace to go with the ensemble, and I was using a rare metal for the framework. When you two entered, the bell startled me, and I accidentally snapped it in half.”
“We didn’t mean—“ Elo began.
“I know,” Rarity cut in. “It's my fault. Still, it’s going to take me the rest of the day to fix it.”
“What metal were you using?” Grovi asked.
Rarity regarded him evenly. This is new. He’s usually the quiet one.
“Have you heard of platinum?”
Grovi’s mouth split into a massive grin. “I have, and I think I can help. May I see the piece?”
How in the world can he possibly—oh, what’s the harm? It’s already broken, anyway. Rarity nodded. “Come with me.”
She got up and led Elo and Grovi to the Inspiration Room, gesturing at the pieces of the necklace on the table.
“I was trying to file off the edges of the points when I broke it,” Rarity explained.
Grovi went over to the ruined jewelry piece. He picked it up in his hoof and brought it up to his eye. His horn glowed a dull gray as he mumbled to himself.
Elo sidled up to Rarity and spoke out of the corner of his mouth. “Grovi’s an Enchanter, and his special talent is metalworking. He works with the Royal Blacksmiths to help fix and improve the weapons used by the Royal Guard, as well as put temporary spells on them during combat.”
She leaned her ear closer to him. “He’s a Battlemage?!”
“No,” Elo corrected, “His training’s more academically oriented. He knows how to fight, but the times where he’s actually had to have been few and far in between.”
Rarity beheld the quiet guard in a new light. Twilight’s going to have a field day when she hears one of my guards is a Magus. I think I'll save this for when I see her next. If I tell her now, I’m never going to get this dress done.
“What about you?” Rarity asked. “Are you a Magus, as well?”
Elo chuckled. “Not quite. My talents are a little more... physical.”
“Haven’t gotten my hooves on platinum in a long, long time,” Grovi said with a wistful sigh. “I always enjoy working with it because of how malleable it is. The symbol is nice, too. What does it mean?”
Rarity shrugged. “It doesn’t mean anything. I saw it in the dream I had last night, and I couldn’t get it out of my head, so I decided to make a necklace out of it.”
Grovi revolved the broken pieces in his magic only inches away from his face. “It’d be a great shame for this to go to waste. Tell you what, I can fix this for you, as well as make some nice additions to it that I think you’ll appreciate. Do you mind?”
“Do I mind?” Rarity echoed. “Of course not! If you can fix it, then by all means! How long do you think you'll need?”
Grovi looked at something in the corner of his eye. “For what I want to do? A few days, at least. Is that all right?”
She nodded. “That’s fine. What are you going to do, aside from fix it?”
Grovi smiled in response. He walked up to Rarity, took her hoof in his, and kissed it. “I think I’ll keep that a surprise, but rest assured, you’ll like it.”
And with that, Grovi bowed and walked out the room, leaving Elo and Rarity behind.
“You just handed him a very shiny new toy.” Elo hid his grin behind a hoof. “And as you saw, he appreciates it.”
Rarity had turned as pink as a certain earth pony she knew. She cleared her throat and glanced at her unfinished dress. “Y-Yes, well... glad I could help. I... um, really must be getting back to work now, so if you don’t mind!”
“Of course,” Elo said. He began to walk out, but halfway, he stopped and turned back to look at her. “I know you said you forgave me, but still, I apologize again for my rudeness.”
Rarity’s embarrassment faded to manageable levels. She straightened and looked at Elo with soft eyes.
“You needn’t worry about me. I may have had to learn the hard way where my limits lie a few times in the past, but I’m well aware of them now. I’ll be fine.”
Elo bowed, then turned and left. Rarity heard the soft tinkling of the entrance bell, and she went back to work.
Now if only I could get others to understand that, as well.
“All right, weatherponies, listen up!”
Rainbow Dash hovered in midair a few hundred feet above Ponyville. She paced back and forth with her hooves crossed, staring down at a small gathering of pegasi. They stood on a small cloud, watching her with wide, attentive eyes.
“We're going to get an unscheduled thunderstorm in a few hours,” Rainbow said. “It's only supposed to be a single cell, but due to the amount of warm air that's in the valley right now, it could get nasty.”
There was a mumbling amongst the weatherponies at the news.
“Nopony wants that, obviously,” Rainbow continued, “so I've gotten Cloudsdale’s approval to move some of the warm air over to the Everfree Forest. We'll be using the Conveyor Belt Maneuver.”
A dark gray pegasus raised his hoof.
Rainbow stopped pacing and looked to him. “What is it, Thunderlane?”
“Why the Conveyor Belt?” Thunderlane asked. “Wouldn't the Flying-V be faster?”
Rainbow shook her head. “We don't want to move it quickly. We're risking a second storm as it is here, and knowing the Everfree, that storm might just then turn right around and hit Ponyville from the side. I don't know about you, but that's something I'd rather not deal with.”
Thunderlane lowered his hoof and his head. “Sorry, didn't think of that.”
Rainbow resumed her pacing. “I'll take the lead and get the air moving. The rest of you will pair up and follow my lead to continue the momentum.”
Another pegasus, a very muscular white stallion with tiny wings, snorted and raised his hoof.
.
“What's up, Snowflake?”
Snowflake cleared his throat and spoke in a deep, throaty growl. “Cloud Kicker’s my partner, and she's out sick today.”
Ponyfeathers, that's right. And Parasol’s out visiting family. Rainbow looked around. “Who is Parasol's partner?”
A white-maned, light blue stallion raised his hoof.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. Great. I can't pair Snowflake with him. Prism Strider’s a sprinter through and through, and we're going to be moving the air over half the length of the valley. I suppose I could pair up with him, but then we wouldn't have enough of a tailwind.
An undesirable idea came to mind. Rainbow curled her lip as she cast a sidelong glance to a pair of red and blue dots on a nearby cloud just within eyeshot.
I don't want to do it. I really don't. But there's not enough time to go through and rearrange everypony, and right now we don't have enough wingpower to move the wind by the time the low pressure system gets here. Fine, fine.
“Hold on a sec,” Rainbow said to the weatherponies. She flapped her wings and jetted away, heading for Esra and Tastar. A smile crept up on her face as she saw that they were both lying down, and made no effort to meet her halfway as she approached.
Rainbow stopped just a few feet above them, keeping her voice level as both guards remained stock-still. “Hey guys. How ya feelin'?”
Esra glowered at her. “How do you think?”
Rainbow lost it. She threw back her head and lost herself to a fit of giggles. “Aw, come on, don't tell me my little old workouts are too much for the big bad Royal Guards, are they?”
“Little old workouts, my flank.” Tastar gave a her a laugh of his own. “I haven't been this sore since my first weeks at Basic. We keep this up, and I'll break eleven wingpower in no time.”
Rainbow fought the urge to shake her head as she beheld Esra and Tastar’s pained and weakened state. What kind of lazy regimen do they have for pegasi in Canterlot? I mean, I know they've mostly got unicorns up there, but still, you'd think these guys would be in better shape than this! I mean come on, they're supposed to be protecting me, and I'm basically acting as their personal trainer!
Rainbow eyed them both critically. “Are you following the diet I gave you? Because that'll help with the soreness.”
“Yes, we're following your fanatical diet,” Esra snapped. “You really didn't need to list out the exact amount of grams of each piece of food for every meal, you know.”
“That's what I do,” Rainbow said with a shrug. “Any athlete knows that half of fitness is keeping track of what you put into your body.”
Esra snorted and looked past her. “Is there something you needed?”
I can't tell if he's being huffy because he's so badly outclassed, or if he's just a jerk. At least Tastar is receptive. He's probably happy that somepony is pushing him to improve. Whatever, I need them right now.
“I've got a problem,” Rainbow said. “Two of my workers are out sick today, and we need to move some of the warm, high pressure air out of the valley into the Everfree. I want you guys to fill in for them.”
Esra glared daggers at her. “Rainbow, we’re soldiers of Her Majesty's Royal Guard. We're here to protect you from hostile threats, not to be used at your leisure when you have a minor inconvenience.”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. Is he really that big of an idiot?
“Have you lived in Canterlot your entire life?” she asked.
Esra nodded. “Mostly, yes.”
“So I take it your Tempulari sucks.”
Esra didn’t seem bothered. “Considering that all weather manipulation education is done in Cloudsdale, that’d be a correct assessment.”
Rainbow turned to Tastar. “How about you?”
Tastar carefully rolled his neck. “Canterlot, and yeah, my Tempulari’s pretty bad. I was never very good in school, anyway.”
Rainbow put a hoof on her hip and gestured like a teacher in class. “Consider this a crash course, then. You've got two types of pressure systems: High, and low. They’re air masses that move around based off of the density of the atmosphere. Pegasi can control them with Tempulari, but for the most part we just let them do their thing.”
She spread her forehooves. “We have nice weather when the air masses don't collide, but when they do...” Rainbow slammed them together with a clap. “Things happen. And those things can be very bad.”
Rainbow jabbed a hoof to the north. “Right now we have a low-pressure system coming in. If we don't get some of this warm air out of here, it's going to turn into a storm that could produce hail, strong winds, and worse. Now, if that happens, can you take a guess at who's going to be up in all that, doing their best to minimize the damage being done to Ponyville?”
Esra refused to meet Rainbow’s eyes, and she watched him lock his jaw. She continued unabated.
“This isn't a minor inconvenience, this is an emergency. I know you may not think of a storm as hostile, but Mother Nature doesn't pull her punches for anypony. Isn’t refusing to prevent something that puts me in danger a direct violation of your orders?”
Esra looked back to her, his ears flattened and his lips pursed.
“So you're saying we have to help.”
Rainbow returned the glare. “Either that, or you sit on this cloud in a torrential downpour with winds strong enough to blow your wings right out of their sockets. Not to mention the lightning. That sound like fun to you?”
“It sure doesn't,” Tastar interrupted as he delicately began to stand. He looked over at Esra. “Stop fighting her when you know she's right. You just don't wanna help because you're sore.”
“Oh, and you're not?” Esra gingerly followed suit, moving as though he were made of glass.
A second snort escaped Rainbow as she watched both of them get to their hooves, which took them almost twenty seconds. She quickly covered her face with a hoof to suppress her snickering.
“I don't know how much help we're going to be,” Tastar said. “It kinda hurts to move.”
Rainbow finally took pity on them and landed on the cloud. “Here. I know some stretches that should help.”
Ten minutes later, Rainbow flew back to her weathercrew with Esra and Tastar in tow. She had to fly slowly to allow them to keep up, but they were at least able to move on their own. The weatherponies regarded the two newcomers with interest as they approached.
“The interns are going to help us out today instead of observing us,” Rainbow announced to the crowd. “Esra will be with Snowflake, and Tastar will be with Prism Strider. They're not quite as fast as your normal partners though, so you'll have to take it easy.”
“Interns?!” Esra hissed.
Rainbow elbowed him in the ribs and continued. “We'll start the jet stream over the western side of the valley. Everypony, follow me!”
Rainbow took off in a burst. The weatherponies all took flight behind her, filling the sky with wings and color as Esra and Tastar lagged slightly behind. A few minutes later, the flock of pegasi came to a stop above the western fields of the Equius Valley. Even from a thousand feet up, Rainbow could still feel the humidity of the thick air pushing in around her.
“We'll go forward at ten second intervals!” she shouted. “Split up into your teams and form a line behind me a hundred yards away! And stay well away from the jet stream on your way back! I don't want to see anypony getting caught in the slipstream!”
The weather crew obeyed, breaking up into pairs and filing behind her. Rainbow lost sight of Esra and Tastar as they disappeared into the mass, and she focused her attention on the dull haze of green on the far side of the valley. She did an internal check, and found that her heartbeat was steady, her muscles were warm and limber, her breathing was even, and her mind was focused. She turned back one more time, and saw that her weather crew was hovering in dual-file behind her.
Rainbow turned back around and took a deep breath.
Let's do it.
She blasted forward with all of her strength, creating a massive downdraft that pulled the warm air of the area along with her. She flapped her wings as hard as she could, all the while focusing on the slowly advancing line of the Everfree Forest.
I have to go all out. The hardest part is getting it started. Once I do that, the wind carries itself under its own momentum. Come on, Rainbow!
Rainbow gritted her teeth as she disregarded all of her limitations, things that she held back to reserve stamina, and just pushed herself to the max. More and more warm air got caught in her wake and began to sluggishly move forward, and the familiar cone of resistance formed around her as the Everfree loomed ahead.
Faster... faster! You've got more than this left in you!
The earth and sky zoomed past Rainbow, leaving a massive trail in her wake. She felt both her body and the air fight against her as she reached her limits, which she then ignored and fought her hardest to surpass.
There is no fatigue. There is no pain. There is just speed!
The cone thickened into a barrier. It was getting harder to accelerate. The air in front of Rainbow was solidifying, struggling, desperately trying to hold her back. Her upper torso and wing muscles screamed in protest as she embraced the challenge and pushed harder.
Not... good... enough... today... is... the day!
The cone narrowed, and the wall of air took on a prismatic shimmer.
Yes... Yes... YES!
Rainbow entered the Everfree, and the air pressure dropped. Her entire body shuddered from the abrupt change, and the shimmer dulled back into an opaque wall as her speed was crippled.
NO!
Rainbow began shouting out choice words as she broke away, gliding around in a wide circle and turning back towards the others. She could feel the warm air colliding with the lower pressure of the forest behind her, evening out the temperature and the overall atmospheric state of the valley.
Every time! Every single time! I don't know how I did it! Just once, and only once did I pull it off and ever since then something stops me! I don't care how long it takes me. One of these days… one of these freaking days I will do it again!
Rainbow coasted well away from the stream of air she’d just created. She watched as multiple pairs of dots flew in the same direction she just had, maintaining the stream’s momentum like a conveyor belt of air. The fatigue of her sprint started to catch up with her, but she was too angry too slow down.
I refuse to accept it was just a fluke. I just need to practice harder, train harder, be stronger in any way I can, whatever it takes! The Sonic Rainboom will be mine, but now I have to hold myself back because of these guards, and it's just going to take me longer to... I don't care! I'll still do it, even if I have to make them do the Sonic Rainboom with me! If they want to protect me, they'll have to be able to do the same things I can. I wouldn't expect anything less of someone who I'm supposed to entrust my life to!
Rainbow was about to rant some more, but before she could, a familiar voice broke her train of thought. You don't mean that. You know that nopony else can do what you can, and even if they could, it's not right of you to force your goals onto others.
Rainbow groaned. She hated that voice, the accursed thing known as reason. It was unsilenceable and made her see things rationally, even when she didn't want to. She knew she was hot-headed and brash by nature, but yet, something stopped her from fully giving in, and she didn't understand why. Other brash ponies didn't have such things instilled in them, or if they did, they ignored them, didn't they? Such was not Rainbow's case. She heard the voice, and something inside her made her listen. As much as she didn't want to listen, as much as she just wanted to go on with her life as a cocky, selfish pony who thought only of her own goals and desires, this one little voice made her see things from a more even-tempered point of view.
It made her want to scream.
She approached the line of ponies and went to the back, waiting to take her place again in maintaining the stream of air. She spent a few minutes lost in thought before she realized that Esra and Snowflake were in line in front of her. The guard looked back at her with a guarded expression.
“That was impressive,” he said as he eyed her. “You went all out, didn't you?”
Rainbow suddenly realized that she was gasping for breath. Her sides were heaving, her coat was drenched with sweat, and her wings were filled with a familiar burning sensation.
She shrugged as she spoke between breaths. “The hardest part… of making… a jet stream is… starting it. No sense… in holding back.”
Esra gave a tentative glance at Snowflake, who was in conversation with one of the ponies in front of them, then turned back to her. “And have you been holding back for us?”
Rainbow shuffled back and forth as she considered his question. Do I tell him the truth?
Esra leaned in close and lowered his voice. “I’ll tell you one thing, Rainbow Dash, I don't like being patronized. And judging from that little display of yours, I'd bet a year's wages that that's exactly what you've been doing this past week.”
Rainbow coughed and looked away.
“You're not the kind of pony that holds back,” Esra whispered. “Why are you doing it for us?”
She eyed their prospective spectator. Snowflake guffawed loudly, apparently oblivious not only to her presence, but their entire conversation. She spoke in a breathless whisper.
“Now's not… the time. I'll tell you after… we get this done… okay?”
Esra backed away, but said nothing more. He nodded stiffly and turned around, and Rainbow closed her eyes as she tried to calm the storm of emotions that raged inside her.
The only other pony around here who knows about this is Fluttershy. Can I really tell them? Do I want to? Esra's not going to let it rest if I don't. Not that I really care, but maybe he won't be such a jerk if I do. Then again, he could also get even worse.
The Conveyor Belt Maneuver went off without a hitch, and Rainbow Dash got the word in from Cloudsdale that the pressure levels were now at acceptable. Presently, she paced back and forth in the living room of her cloud home in front of Esra and Tastar, who were both sitting in chairs and eyeing her dubiously. Rainbow had said nothing since their arrival, and after a few minutes of awkward silence, Tastar finally spoke up.
“So Esra tells me you haven't been giving it your all lately.”
Rainbow jerked up at his comment. “You have to understand! I don’t—”
“Understand what?” Esra jabbed a hoof at her. “That you think of us as a joke?”
“No!” Rainbow exclaimed. “I don't blame you for—”
“It's obvious you consider yourself to be a professional athlete,” Esra began. “Your workout routines, diet, physical ability and attitude are clear-cut enough evidence, and I don’t have a problem with that. What I do have a problem with, however, is that you’ve done nothing but flaunt your physical abilities in front of me and Tastar, and now we find out you’ve been holding back on us! What’s your game?!”
“I don't have a game!” Rainbow shot back. “I just want you to—”
“To what?” Esra got to his hooves and stormed over to her. “To prove how vastly superior you are to us without even trying? To show that we're just dolts you tolerate because you have to?!”
Rainbow snapped. She closed the distance between them and hovered inches away from Esra’s face. “How about you shut your bucking mouth and listen to me for once?!”
Esra reared back in surprise. He raised a hoof in a twisting motion, but his eyes widened, and he spun to the side instead. He lost his balance and fell on his back with a poof, then quickly rolled away and scrambled to get back on his hooves.
Rainbow might’ve normally been amused by the spectacle, but she was too frustrated right now to care. She looked down for a moment as she reined in her temper. I'm not good at explaining this, and of course I get the idiot who goes and makes assumptions just because he doesn't like the taste of humble pie! I don't care if she's a Princess who can control the sun, when this is over, Celestia and I are going to have words.
Rainbow took a calming breath and looked up at Esra and Tastar. “Have either of you heard of the Sonic Rainboom?”
Tastar nodded. “Thought it was a myth until one was done about ten years ago in Cloudsdale. Nopony knows who did it, though.”
Rainbow Dash sat on her haunches and waved.
“Hi.”
Both of the guards’ jaws dropped. “You... you can't be serious...” Tastar spluttered.
Esra barked out a harsh laugh. “I'd call you a liar if I hadn't seen what you just did a few hours ago. So let's see, from what I recall, the Sonic Rainboom is achieved by breaking the sound barrier, which is three hundred forty point-two nine meters per second. Am I correct?”
Rainbow cocked her head. “You don't know anything about Tempulari, but you know the specifics of the Sonic Rainboom? What's with that?”
“Just about everypony in Canterlot saw it ten years ago,” Esra said simply, “and certainly every pegasus's interest was piqued. It's the Holy Grail of aerial stunts, after all.”
He's got a point there, I suppose. “All right, all right,” Rainbow admitted. “Yeah, it's the speed of sound. I did it when some punks challenged me to a race. It's also how I got my cutie mark.”
Tastar's eyes somehow went even wider. “You did the Sonic Rainboom as a filly?! But that would mean that you had at least—”
“Sixty wingpower at the time,” she said, nodding. “I'm not sure how I did it. To be honest, I don't remember much from the race.”
Rainbow closed her eyes with a wistful smile. “All I remember is the sensation of incredible speed, adrenaline, the wind, and a fierce desire to surpass... everything.”
“What’s your actual wingpower now?” Esra asked. “Because it’s nowhere near twelve-point-nine. I can almost break eleven, and the speed you just showed would leave me in the dust.”
Rainbow looked out the window. “Fifty-nine-point-six.”
The two of them froze. They didn't even blink. Rainbow opened one of her wings and began to preen her feathers.
“Why?” Esra whispered. “Why hide it? You aren't—”
“The kind of pony that holds back,” Rainbow finished for him. “Yeah, I know, you said that already. Now, if you're over your little stare-fest, I'll explain. That is, if you'll actually let me talk. Can I talk, please?”
Esra nodded dumbly.
Rainbow closed her wing and looked at both of them with hard, honest eyes. “How does it feel, knowing that you'll never be able to surpass me? That no matter what you do, you'll never be able to do what I can?”
The two guards shifted, but said nothing.
“I know how it feels,” Rainbow continued. “It feels intimidating, depressing, and over time, you’ll resent me for it. How do I know that? Because that’s how everypony else felt in Flight School.”
Rainbow looked over at a collection of first place awards and trophies in a large display case. “See, I've found that most ponies want a goal to aspire to. They want something they can look at and say, 'That's the bar. That's a place I want to be at someday.' And that's great! Everypony should have a goal like that, because it makes them want to do better, to push themselves to the next level.”
Rainbow sighed. “But the problem is that ponies automatically compare themselves to what they see as the best, and that's always me. When my classmates saw what I could do, they got depressed and angry because they could never compete with me.”
She shook her head, trying to keep her mind clear as bits and pieces of that time played in front of her. “I already had twelve wingpower when I was only four years old. It's not fair to compare yourself to somepony with that kind of raw ability, but we were all young and didn't understand. I just knew I was the best, and I didn't want to hold back. After all, why should I? It wasn't my fault that nopony could keep up with me. So I just dealt with it... until I did the Sonic Rainboom.”
Rainbow kicked at the floor. “I almost wish I’d never done it, because nopony would even talk to me afterwards. They all treated me like I'd done something wrong, and that made me mad. I started getting into fights, trying to get them to tell me why they were ignoring me. My parents finally explained that everypony had just completely given up, that I was so far off the map that not even the teachers knew what to do. I was in a league of my own.”
“Is that why you came here?” Tastar asked.
She nodded. “My parents decided that the best thing for me was to leave and start fresh. Fortunately, nopony believes that a filly did the Sonic Rainboom, and the ones who actually saw it just got laughed at when they tried to tell anypony. So I dropped out of school, moved to Ponyville, and my family made me promise that I'd hold back from then on. I agreed, but with one condition: that I could still be the best, just by a reasonable margin.”
“I still don't understand,” Esra said. “You said that you don't like holding back or slowing yourself down. Why would you agree to that?”
“Because I want to inspire ponies, not discourage them,” Rainbow replied. “I want to make others want to be the very best they can. To do that, I have to be something they can look up to, but if I'm too good, I'll have the opposite effect.”
Rainbow walked over to the display case and picked up a gold medal in the shape of a lightning bolt. “Here's the thing: Just about everypony in town knows I'm faster than them. They just don't know by how much. Heck, I haven't even met a single pony in Ponyville who knows what an anemometer is. They all just look at me and say, 'Rainbow Dash is the best, and if I work my tail off, someday I can be just as good as her.'
“And that's what I want,” Rainbow said with a warm smile. “I want ponies to see me as a goal that they can work toward and achieve some day. They’d give up if they know they’ll never be as good as me, and I don’t want that. If I can make ponies want to be the best they can possibly be, then that makes me happy.”
“Well, you've done that for your fellow weatherponies,” Tastar observed. “I was talking to some of them earlier, and every one of them seems to trust you completely. Some of them even hold you in admiration.”
Esra laughed quietly. “I'd expect nothing less from the Element of Loyalty.”
Rainbow underwent a subtle change at his comment. She stared off into space with her eyes unfocused as she put down the medal. The silence lengthened into a pregnant pause that filled the room, but neither of the guards felt like they should break it, and so they just stared at her expectantly.
“It's funny,” Rainbow said after a time. “After the whole Nightmare Moon thing, I thought long and hard about what exactly being the Element of Loyalty meant. Loyalty to what? Myself? My friends? Ponyville? The Princesses? Equestria? Is it a trait that I exhibit? Is it something I'm supposed to instill in others? How do you even measure something like that? I asked Twilight about it, but she said there isn't anything known about what the Elements do individually, it's all about what they do together. So I finally decided that if no one's gonna tell me what it means, then I'm just gonna define it myself.”
Esra now sat on the cloud chair with his chin resting on a hoof. “And that’d be?”
Rainbow laughed. “It’s like this. For my friends, I'll be there for them any way I can, but I expect to receive as much as I give, and I always give one-hundred percent. Guess what that means? If I'm the Element of Loyalty, then all my friends are the Element of Loyalty, too.
“Now I know that might be a bit too much to handle for some ponies,” Rainbow said with an air of bravado. “Which is understandable, as not everypony’s meant for greatness. But that's the way I am. I expect nothing but the most my friends can give, because that's always what I'll give in return. I want to inspire my friends to be their best, so that when it comes down to the wire, there is no doubt. There is no fear. We know we can count on each other to get things done, and together, there's nothing we can't overcome.”
Esra no longer wore his usual sneer of disdain. His mouth was slightly open in awe as he saw her in a new light. “You see yourself as a leader, don't you?”
The words triggered a fire deep within Rainbow. It flared up from her core, spreading out to her limbs and filling her body with burning warmth. She slowly turned, her fierce red eyes meeting Esra’s and Tastar’s and locking them in place. Her entire body was steady and resolute, and she wore a small smirk born of utmost confidence. She spoke in a hushed, echoing voice filled with alluring power.
“Would you follow me?”
Esra and Tastar jerked, their faces strangely contorted as a series of emotions played across their faces in the span of a second. She heard both of them make a 'y' sound that died in their throats.
Rainbow laughed softly as her gaze held the guards prisoner. The fire in her core intensified to a searing blaze as she took a few steps towards them. Their breath quickened as she closed the distance to a few feet, speaking again in the same tantalizing, authoritative tone.
“I see myself as whatever I want to be. If that happens to be a leader, then I’ll embrace the role. If not, then I’ll do my job better than anypony else can. Either way, one thing is certain: I’m going to make this world a better place someday. That isn't some lofty daydream, it's a fact. And ultimately, everypony has two options.”
Rainbow blinked, and the flame became visible in the depths of her eyes. Her voice was a whisper, but each word carried the force of a hammerblow.
“Help me... or watch me.”
She stood close to them for a few seconds longer, reveling in their dumbfounded expressions. Ah, these guys are too easy. Shame they already have jobs, they’d make good weatherponies.
The blaze faded. She stepped away, resuming her normal posture and tone.
“You guys should probably stay here tonight, at least until the storm passes. Even a single cell will be pretty brutal on those little tents of yours.”
Esra and Tastar didn’t respond. They continued to stare at her, their eyes glazed over and posture rigid.
“Hey!” Rainbow clapped her hooves. “Snap out of it!”
The sharp noise caused the two guards to jump, then crumple in their seats. Rainbow shook her head. You’d think that military ponies would be used to this kind of thing, but they’re all glassy-eyed over one little inspirational speech! Maybe it’s because I’m a mare? Oh for crying out… if a few words and a pretty face are all you need to get past the Royal Guard, then it’s a good thing the Princesses are immortal.
Tastar recovered first. “Uh, um… T-That's very kind of you.”
Rainbow gave him an evil grin. “Don't thank me just yet. If you're staying here, that means you get to do my evening workout, too.”
Tastar paled. He looked at her, then out the window at the dark gray clouds forming to the north. “You know, I'm not sure what would be worse.”
Esra got out of his chair. “We'll do it. We won't get any better if you still insist on holding back on us.”
You idiot. If I made you go through my real routine, you'd tear every muscle in your body. Rainbow headed to the kitchen to get something to eat. “Go grab your things before they get soaked.”
Esra and Tastar stepped outside of Rainbow’s home, spreading their tired wings and flying up a few hundred feet to their tents above. They said nothing as they ascended, each of them looking straight ahead until they swooped up to land on their shared cloud at the same time.
They also fell to their knees at the same time, shuddering and panting heavily.
Both of them remained like that for a moment, taking deep breaths and looking anywhere other than at each other until Esra spoke.
“Wasn’t expecting that.”
“That makes two of us,” Tastar replied weakly.
Esra managed to get up and headed for his tent. “So that's what Courage feels like.”
Tastar looked up. “Does that mean that she's—”
Esra turned back to him and smirked.
“Well, then,” Tastar said with a chuckle. “It looks like we have some news for Blair.”
“Yes,” Esra agreed. “Yes, we do."
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The process seems to have started.
Now to see what happens to the others.
Why does this story create more questions every time it answers one?
That was f***king amazing with Rainbow.
This is the closest face on this site to awe, even though it nowhere near suffices. I thought this story was pretty good before, but after reading that incredible scene, I elevate my opinion of this story to legendary, up with A Twisted Tale through Time by Koolerkid and Fallout: Equestria by Kkat. Congratulations. I will be closely following this story
By Celestias TEATS, 60 wingpower!
Twelve stars, eh? Dream dresses always sell the best? Why do I get the feeling prophetic dreams are a Generosity power?
... shit, this doesn't mean I've missed all the other ones being revealed, does it? Applejack didn't do anything spectacular... Fluttershy seemed pretty empathetic for somepony who doesn't interact with other ponies much... Twilight was business as usual... Pinkie Pie is unpredictable in the extreme but it might be something to do with her herbalism... and that leaves Rainbow Dash.
Speak of the daredevil.
Snowflake? YEAH!
RD is the best personal trainer, apparently. Damn.
I have to say you're doing a great job of weaving all the varying experiences from canon into a single timeline featuring consistent characters who act on experience and have long-term plans rather than surprising us every week with new details.
You still owe me a Gilda, though.
That's the power of Loyalty, I'd wager. It seems counterintuitive for a superpower, but for a brash hothead like Rainbow Dash, holding back and keeping in line with a team is an ability most ponies like her don't have.
Ah, Sonic Rainboom as Cherenkov radiation. My oldest fan theory.
Also this totally explains that thing back in chapter two.
Okay, this looks familiar. And I've only seen it from one pony before. (Also HELL YEAH.)
Wait a minute! Vigil isn't from the Thirty-Second, just with them! He's got a normal name and everything! Ras isn't a traitor or even a Pie family historian- he's just the only one who knew a Laughter power kicking off when he heard it!
I am very glad not to be disappointed in him.
... This is interesting. Are you going to pull that "the Elements are not what they're called" thing on us like Nimaru did in his surveys?
ok first i just wanna say this is one of the best reads i have read! its simple yet detailed with great emotions.
but one little thing......your pretty good with getting facts right but one little thing wing power is based off of acceleration over speed over distance over time.....anywho basically with said information i used that calculation to guesstimate rainboom (not enough info to get exact number) but at rainboom RD is doing about 390 wingpower which translates to about 15,600 horse power
THE MORE YOU KNOW
I gotta say that the way you pictured RD is the pinnacle of anything i have seen in any fic.
200% cooler at least
Awesome. I'm going to recommend this fic to a friend who is an RD fan, and tell him to watch out for chapter seven. That was a really awesome and introspective monologue on her part.
Also, seems you've been watching that scientific analysis that guy did back then. I'll keep my hopes high for canonical Dark Matter Applejack.
"Nopony knows who did it, though."
"Hi!". *waves*
You so win!
926468
This. This exactly.
What the buck... I think RD just gained a large infusion of Optimus Prime with that power trigger there.
Utterly beautiful, even more so because you put so much thought into the details. Loyalty is an incredible element, but it's not so much a single pony's. Loyalty is a binding tie between multiple individuals, so it makes sense that the powers it bestows would be angled towards others, at least initially. That being the case, courage is perfect. When one is loyal to another, that loyalty inspires courage.
Rainbow Dash just gained the power to turn a pair of obstinant royal guards into undyingly loyal zealots. Imagine her turning that on an army?
Great World of Cardboard Speech from RD. This is the most epic thing I've ever seen RD do in a fic.
It even set off Mandopony and Acoustic Brony's "Loyalty" in my mental jukebox, which has only happened before during Lyra and Bon Bon's heroic sacrifice at the end of the Harpflank and Sweets "movie". To you, good sir, I doff my entire towering pillar of hats.
Also, I see you're taking a page out of Dangerous Business and giving Rarity divination powers in her element's package. I approve of this. :D
Seeing how you describe Dash's loyalty, I'm thinking Loyalty's part in Twi's friendship shield spell array helps tie the rest of the parts together, boosts their power levels, and keeps the spell from tearing itself apart.
i like the special power thing, i was wondering where that went.
Rainbow should just join the royal guard, become a captain and get all those soldiers to follow her to death itself. Heck thats the kind of power that lets you conquer the entire world!
I always thought that the sonic rainbow was breaking the sound barrier, and the rainbow part was because of her.
If not, then the guards should have heard her breaking the sound barrier...
926468
How about... RAINBOW DASH! WHY U SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111oneoneone
That was so beautiful. I am in complete awe.
Okay, I know the guards are rough anagrams of the zodiac, but now that my brain's in anagram-mode I can't look at "Esra" and not see "Arse". I'm sorry
A dream journal, now that's a good idea.
Again, I love Dash here, especially the bit about the diet. Sometimes people make her out to be a total idiot, but I'm rather fond of the idea that she is very knowledgeable in her areas of expertise.
Oh I really love the idea that her wingpower from Hurricane Fluttershy wasn't her real wingpower. Seemed way too low compared to the wingpower of the other pegasi.
She just invoked her Element power power there, didn't she. God that was awesome.
This is Rainbow Dash:
fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/228/4/3/ku_chan_flames_of_determination_by_duckboy314-d5b9y5v.png
I think Rarity's powers are going to be something like this guy's:
22dakika.org/imaj/yok/isaac-mendez.jpg
My favorite chapter out of the sixteen you have written and posted so far.
More, please!
Edit: Whoops, I originally said 17 instead of 16. Chalk it up to wishful thinking, I guess...
As to _why_ it's my favorite, well... we don't often see Rainbow Dash exerting her abilities/emotions/whatever-it-is as the Element of Loyalty on the show, and that disappoints me. Your story, with its "Stage 2" inspirational speeches, more than fills that gap. Excellent, excellent stuff.... I was practically in awe reading it. Please keep up the great work, and I will definitely be checking back in next Tuesday or Wednesday, Real Life permitting. :-D
""934309
"It's a Dangerous Business Going Out Your Door", by Jetstream, had Generosity as a "prophetic" power. Ponies came to see Rarity's generosity through gifts and advice that seemed useless...at the time.
Applejack's Honesty was a "true sight" power, able to see through illusions and detect lies and half-truths. Is also handy when one gets lost, since the right path will reveal itself.
Rainbow's Loyalty was similar to the Loyalty dscribed in this story. A quote from IaDBGOYD:
"Because you are so loyal to your friends, your home, and the causes you believe in, you can inspire others to feel the same degree of loyalty to their own causes- or to your causes, or any cause you choose. Moreover, you can inspire them to move forward in the face of daunting challenges. If their courage is failing, you can restore it. If their strength leaves them, you can help them find more. If their spirits are broken, you can mend them. I suppose a better way of putting it is that the Element of Loyalty grants those aligned with it powers of leadership."
957005
No frikkin' kidding this is epic... By the way, thanks for the recommendation that led me six days ago to one of the best songs I've ever heard!
Now wait just one featherin' minute...!!
You mean to tell me that nopony else but Twilight Sparkle in the last thousand years has raised the question of the Elements' individual contributions to the (for lack of a better term) Rainbow of Purification?? 
That's sloppy research on somepony's part, I'd say. 
This is Rainbow Dash!
im surprised no one got the SS&E refrence...
1479526 SS&E??
What's that?
Oh wow... just...
...man...
I don't have the vocabulary to do justice to the levels of awesome that you just had RD achieve.
Anyhoo, I'm not very good at commenting and don't do it often, but I need to say that I'm loving this whole story and that the way you characterize the Mane 6 fits in so perfectly with how I already viewed them that it's scary. Except you made them cooler.
I really wish I'd begun reading this earlier
Great Faust! Buckin' BACKGROUND PONY REFERENCE!!!
1479526>>1498615
Epic Lyra FTW!
I saw that Background Pony reference!!! I SAW DAT! Your sir are amazing.
1048915 Fits though
Over the many, many years, I've read hundreds upon hundreds of fanfiction from this site. And you just wrote the absolute BEST writing of Rainbow Dash I've ever seen, no contest. Throughout the entire second half I was in Absolute shock and awe at how well and thought provoking RD's character was. Stuff like this is the reason why RD is my absolute favorite in fanon
Now that is what I call a story. I haven't felt this much emotion in a story since My Little Dashie. You have Pure talent.
Okay, that entire thing with Rainbow Dash...
DAMN!!
gah...Why can I only thumbs up it once?!?!?!
Awsome stuff. I'm totally diggin this chili.
1840550
let me thumb up your commend, better by any change?
Very nice, but there's something about Rainbow Dash in this chapter. She seems kinda smug, like she's the greatest high-horse athlete. She must have bought a hybrid.
Rainbow is a leader of ponies? Charisma 19?
1877997
Thaaannnkks
socialpsychologyeye.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/smug_alert.jpg
Wow. I'm not sure I've ever seen Rainbow Dash portrayed as such a colossal b*tch. I'd like to come up with a more poetic way of saying it, but I'm still overwhelmed about how she actually managed to reach INFINITE arrogance. Life forms who take their superiority as granted comprise 80% percent of unsympathetic science fiction villains. And why? Because it requires NO effort to instill hate for such a monster in the average human. HORRID morals ignored in favor of charisma are the source of a truly vast array of problems (I don't think I want to pull a certain Law.)
So buck you Powers-of-Harmony-version Rainbow dash.
Buck your arrogance.
Buck your feeling that condescension is making you a better pony.
Buck your condescension itself.
Buck your arrogance harder.
And BUCK YOUR SO-CALLED INSPIRATIONAL SPEECH!
Not sure which I like better, Rainbow's speech or Pinkie's.
At that Background pony reference I LOL"D and DIED at the same time SS&E Forever!
LYYRRRAAA-
Who are we talking about again?
This is probably one of my favorite depictions of Rainbow Dash. She has one hell of a... force... in this story.
Glad I'm getting around to reading this in an inane attempt to beat insomnia. Loving it so far. Plus, great cameo from Lyra.
You... Realized you just retconned a pretty important episode out of your verse, right?
That being Sonic Rainboom.
Edit: uggg... Ignore the above. I forgot this fic takes place immediately after the Season 1 Opening 2-parter. What I get for keeping this fic on tab unread for a month...
936864
This Rainbow Dash is awesome.
Uh... kinda? I more tend to believe