//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 - Reveal of the Plan // Story: The Story Of Rainbow // by thedarktome //------------------------------// It was dead silent down there, the only sound being the flames from the torches as they licked and snapped at the air around them. "Wh.....what are you talking about?" Fluttershy asked. "Why would there be a prison for you?" Rainbow sighed and looked towards the ground. "You know my mother is a seer, right?" Fluttershy nodded. "She saw the incoming war that will overtake Ponyville and part of Canterlot. I will be in the center of it because of the Jewel of Rainbow. Spectrum will return...and I have to take her out. But it comes with a price." The two listened intently to Rainbow. Scootaloo had no idea who Spectrum was, or what the heck a Jewel of Rainbow was, but it sounded important. Maybe Rainbow Dash made it. But it was in fact the opposite. It was what made Rainbow Dash. "Spectrum will hit me with a bit of her magic when I take her out, both at the same time. It will be dark. It will be evil. And it will corrupt me. I will be as bad, if not worse, as her and I will be hurting my own people uncontrollably. When that happens, you have to take me down here, lock me up tight, bolt that door, and activate those runes. Luckily, it won't be too long. I'll only be down here for a year. After that, I will be back to normal." The two ponies looked at her with their mouths open. "Mom....you sound nuts!" Scootaloo said, jumping off of Fluttershy's back and walking towards her mother. "You think I'm going to let you be locked up in this torture arena?!" "It's either that or everybody dies, Scootaloo," Rainbow responded sadly. "I don't want this to happen either. But it comes with being me. The Jewel of Rainbow created me. And one of it's creators wants it back for herself. She wants the power to conquer, to invade, and maybe to enslave. And she will kill to get it. I don't want that happening and I will do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn't. Even if it means giving my life in the process." "No! I just got a mother and I'm not losing her!" "And you won't!" She pulled Scootaloo closer, giving her a hug. "Once it's all over, you will have your mother right here with you the whole time, I promise." "Promise?" "I give you my word." The two stayed like that until Fluttershy came over and joined in, giving her family kisses and hugs. After awhile they left. Rainbow set everything back to where it was, turning off the torches and walked back up the stairs. Once reaching the top, she pressed a brick into the side and let the fountain above split open, allowing the three of them to walk through. "I have to tell the others today too," Rainbow informed them. "I'm just taking them down there and explaining. I'm not gonna show them the whole castle." "Alright," Fluttershy said. "Now let's get Scootaloo to the doctor." Scootaloo shook out of her sad state before jumping onto Rainbow's back. "Can we fly there?" She asked. "I wanna fly, I wanna fly!" "Alright, alright!" The princess chuckled. "Sweetie Drops, my family and I are going solo today. Wait until we get back." The agent at the gates bowed in respect before the three took off into the air, headed towards Ponyville. During the flight, Rainbow had a lot on her mind. Specifically Scootaloo. Where would she go if her idol was locked away? What would happen to her? All she would have is Fluttershy, her friends, Rainbow's friends, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance once she finds out about her family. When that happens, there will be a lot of words. Soon they landed in the square, shocking some of the ponies shopping around who bowed in respect as they made their way towards the hospital a few yards away. "Fluttershy? Will you be joining us or are you going to Twilight's?" "I'll be joining you," she said. "She's my daughter too. I have to be there for her as well." Scootaloo smiled as they walked in, catching the nurse at the desk's attention. Who in the world was that tall cerulean pony? "Can I-oh my Celestia!" She bowed in front of the royal, shocked from the random appearance. "At ease," Rainbow said. "I'm just here to give my daughter a check up." The nurse stood back up and wrote some stuff down on the clipboard. "Alright, Princess. Let me go get the doctor." she trotted out from behind the desk, making her way over to the hallway that led towards the doctor's office. Fluttershy took a seat while Rainbow remained standing, thinking about what she said. If what Rainbow said earlier was true, than that means a war was coming. And she had court on Monday with the other ponies. There was just no telling what in the world would happen. Rainbow will indubitably get hurt. Not to mention possessed by dark magic. But what will happen to her and Scootaloo? "Hello again, Princess Dash!" Doctor Healthy Light said as he walked in calmly and bowed. He was a light blue earth pony, sincere and sweeter than a ripe grape. "It's great seeing you again." "It's great to see you too, Healthy Light. Scootaloo, this is your new doctor. Say hi." The filly in question peeked over Rainbow's head and waved before going back down, hiding away from sight. "Nice meeting you too, Scootaloo," the doctor laughed. "Well, follow me and we'll get started." The doctor turned around and walked down the hallway with the three of them following after. Soon they made it to the room, which was for children in design. The wall was painted in flowers and animals, along with having a soothing color. Baby blue. Something Scootaloo definitely found comforting Rainbow guessed. "Alright, Scootaloo! Just hop up here on this table!" The doctor set down his clipboard while Rainbow lifted the filly off her back and onto the landing. The doctor rinsed his hooves and dried them off before stepping up to the table, putting his hooves on her face. "Flex your cheeks for me." Scootaloo gave a smile that made her two moms smile and the doctor to laugh. "That always gets me. Alright." Scootaloo dropped the smile while he looked over the rest of her. "Lift your front hooves." She sat on her haunches and lifted them up before the doctor placed his own on hers. "Try and move them." She moved her hooves around while his hooves were on her own. "Okay." He picked up his clipboard and wrote some stuff down with the pen in his mouth. Once he was finished he set it down. "This is where fillies and colts start to freak out a bit. Parents, we're gonna need you over here." Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy walked over, taking places on both sides of the table next to Scootaloo. "Scootaloo? We're gonna check your privates." Outside the hospital, if you were walking by, you could hear a little filly scream "YYYYYAAAAAAAHHHHHH". The pony that was walking by stopped and looked towards the hospital doors before looking forward and falling on his face from shock. "See? That wasn't so bad," Rainbow said, looking down at her daughter. Scootaloo was visibly shaking in her hooves after the prodding that just went down in the area below. "No one's touching me there again," the filly said. Rainbow gave her a knowing smirk before the doctor continued. "Now, it's time to check your wings," The doctor said. "How old are you?" "Seven." "Okay." He grabbed his ruler and walked over to the royal daughter. "Flex your wings out." She did as asked, letting him take the measurements. Once he was done, he told her to lay down her wings. "Here's what's going on, Princess. Scootaloo's wings are abnormal for her age. VERY abnormal. Pegasi at seven years are usually flying as fast as a bird." Scootaloo's self-esteem dropped a large amount while Rainbow Dash asked the question. "Any idea on what could've caused this? And is it permanent?" "Yes and no. It's most likely hereditary. Comes down from her parents. And she will fly in the future. But looking at the size right now, it won't be for awhile. It will more than likely be when she's around......seventeen." "Ten years?!" "Unless there's some type of permanent morphing spell out there, yes. Her wings are as small as a foal's. The most she can do is buzz them and create a push." Rainbow sighed before looking down at Scootaloo, who was just staring down at the table she was sitting on. "Okay. Is that it?" The doctor nodded. "Thanks doc." He bowed while Rainbow lifted Scootaloo up and placed her on her back. Fluttershy opened the door, letting the alicorn, her daughter, and her secret spouse out the office and soon out the front door of the hospital. They walked a little in silence, the only sound being the hustle and bustle of the ponies on a sunny saturday. And Scootaloo's snifflinf. "I'll........I'll never be able to fly," the filly muttered. Rainbow sighed in distress, her daughter's current state making her depressed. And she had to fix it. She stopped walking before turning to Fluttershy, motioning to the sky with her head. The marefriend looked at her strangely before understanding. "Hold on, Scoots!" The filly barely had time to grab hold of Rainbow's neck before all three took off into the air, wind blowing past their manes. Scootaloo yelled as she held on, praying that she doesn't fall to the ground that was so SO far below. Soon they breached the cloud layer, cruising calmly towards Cloudsdale. Scootaloo looked down, wondering and hoping that she could defy the hands of fate and get to flying. And that Rainbow wouldn't get possessed by whatever the hay a Spectrum was. There was a war coming. Oh my Celestia, there was a war coming and her mother was going to be in the middle of it. Why couldn't it have been someone else? The wind going through her mane stopped, making her look up to see that they landed on the outside of Cloudsdale. "Ummm what are we doing here?" She asked in confusion. "I'm going to show you the inspiration for me. It's what gets me through the tough times when I get down and lose hope." She walked towards the busy pegasi town with Fluttershy right beside her, knowing exactly where she was heading. They passed some buildings where ponies spotted them and bowed, making sure to show respect for Royalty. Once she passed through the houses, she saw some ponies she thought she'd never see again. "Wow, you've gotten tall!" She stopped and looked towards the left to see Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles walking up to her from her previous home. "Lay off the protein, you're not supposed to be taller than me." "Sorry, dad. Comes with the package." They laughed before they shared a hug, relieved to actually see each other again. "Now where is that filly we heard you adopted yesterday?" Windy said breaking the hug. "Don't try to hide her from us, we know you have her." Rainbow looked at Fluttershy who grabbed Scootaloo by the midsection and set her down in front of the family. "Awwww, she's so adorable!" Windy cooed. "Your name's Scootaloo?" The filly nodded, a little too scared to talk right now. "How old are you?" She didn't answer. Instead she took the opportunity to bolt and hide between Rainbow's legs. "She's shy like you when you were younger," the only stallion there commented. "Hide between her mother's legs. Like mother like daughter." "Is that even a thing?" "It is now! I created it. Make a stallion proud and have it go viral. Now where you mares headed off to? The coliseum?" "Yeah. Scootaloo has a wing deformity and she's really down about it. She won't be able to fly until she's seventeen." "Aww you poor dear!" Windy cried, grabbing the filly from out between Rainbow's legs and hugging her. Scootaloo grunted as her cheek was pressed against her......grandmother's? "So I was going to take her to a certain place I used to go to when I was her age that YOU would have to drag me away from." Windy smiled softly before she finally let Scootaloo go to dart in between Fluttershy's legs, much to the mare's proudness. "Ohhhh. Okay, sounds good. And how are you, Fluttershy dear? We've been ignoring you this whole time!" "I'm well, thank you. Rainbow? Don't you think you should tell them about.....ummm......" Rainbow looked at her for a moment, trying to get the jist of what she was talking about. "Oh! Yes, of course! Umm mom? Dad? Fluttershy and I...." "Are marefriends?" Bow inferred, giving a sly smirk. "Yes, we're-wait! How did you know?" Rainbow asked in astonishment. "We figured you two would get together," Windy clarified. "Fluttershy's been crushing on you for awhile and we were like, 'she's more than likely going to tell her now in case Rainbow has to move to Canterlot with her mother." Wait, what? Scootaloo thought, confusion written all over her face. I thought you were her mother! "It took you awhile to notice," Bow said, rolling his eyes. "Well, in case you ask, it's not our place to approve...anymore. Actually, it wasn't in the first place. We don't judge and it's your life." "Rainbow?" Fluttershy said, getting her attention. "Make sure you let them know what will happen when things go south...during the...." Rainbow nodded before turning back to her caretakers. "Guys? I need you to follow me back to the castle when I leave the coliseum. There's......something life-threatening you have to be ahead of. And I don't think you-know-who told you yet." The two looked at each other before nodding. "Okay. I'll be back to pick you up." Scootaloo jumped on Fluttershy's hoof before climbing up to her back as the family went on towards the coliseum. Cherry Berry was looking through a cookbook filled with different deserts that she could bake, sitting in the middle of the library. Of course she could've asked the pink party planner, but she likes to read to learn instead of asking to be taught. It makes her feel independent. Twilight was out getting some stuff for the place as well as quills for paperwork since they were almost out. Signing those memos were a huge taxing thing since they had to ALL be signed by hand. That took three days for Cherry while it took like an hour for the unicorns and alicorn because of their magic. She would sign ten in a minute while it took three a minute for herself. Either way, they ran out of quills. Her attention was broken away from her book as the front door creaked open, revealing the purple mage as she walked in, her saddlebags filled with food and the writing tools. But floating above her head was a bouquet of flowers. Must've been from an admirer. "Hey, Twilight!" She called out, grabbing her attention. But apparently she was not expecting her to be sitting there reading. "Huh?!" She jumped, causing the roses to fall out of her magical grip and to the floor. She looked around and finally spotted her friend holding a cookbook and stifling her giggles. "How...how long have you been sitting there?" "Uuhhhmmm...." Cherry looked up at the clock, just to mess with her. "Since you left." "Oh." Twilight looked down at the roses and gasped before grabbing them and hiding them out of sight. "And who were those from?" "Uhm...they were actually for someone." She poked at the floor with her hoof, making circles and such. "Oh. Is he...or she, I don't judge, cute?" Twilight lifted the roses and smiled. "Yes. Yes she is." Cherry gasped. She had to admit she was on the edge of her seat as to who the mare was. "Ooohhhh, what's her name? Tell me tell me!" Twilight blushed fiercely, her nervousness grabbing hold of her again so much that she couldn't let out the truth directly. "Well uhm....we both know her. We know her very well." "Can I have a name?" "CB." "C....B?" Cherry asked in confusion. "I don't know anyone by that name." "Are you sure?" Twilight had to take this slow. If she wanted to confess her feelings, she had to ease it in. She walked forward slowly, making sure not to make it uneasy. "I mean....she's great, nice, cute, and from what I've seen, a bookworm." Cherry watched her take a seat in front of her, still holding the flowers with eyes filled with hope. "Hmmmm.." The pastry chef thought hard, trying to figure out who Twilight was referring to. There was that pony Cloud Boom, but they were a stallion. Then Candle Blow, but she lived on the outskirts of Canterlot. Twilight said she doesn't like long distance relationships. So this pony had to be nearby. "Okay, so it's not Cloud Boom nor Candle Blow. The only other pony I know who has 'CB' for initials would be....Cherry....Berry." Realization dawned on her as she looked up at Twilight who was looking down, biting her lip, and twirling the bouquet around. Cherry looked at her non chalanty for a moment before a small smile graced her face. "I know you....think it's weird, strange....foolish even," Twilight tried to explain, unaware of the mare of her dreams standing up and walking around the table towards her. "But I can't deny who I have feelings for. I don't know if you like mares. I never asked because I'm afraid it might make things awkward and it could hurt you or offend you, so I sort of-" Cherry pressed a hoof against Twilight's mouth, quieting her. She giggled softly before she lowering it and and sitting on her haunches down in front of her. "One thing you should know about me Twilight, is that if a friend asks me a serious question, I'm an open book. I'm attracted to both sexes, and I do like mares. Is this what you've been beating yourself up over for the last few weeks?" Twilight looked back down and shyly nodded her head. Cherry laughed before grabbing hold of Twilight's hoof. "You silly filly, you could've just talked about it! But it wouldn't really be you if you didn't over think things, now will it?" Twilight blushed. Cherry reached over and grabbed the bouquet before taking a sniff. "Do you like them?" Twilight asked hopefully. "I-I took the measurements, counted the petals, and checked the smell to make sure it caused a light pinch of arousal." "Wait, what?" Someone knocked on the door, grabbing the ponies' attention. Twilight looked over at Cherry and walked towards the door. She pulled it open, revealing a special royal guard in black armor with a mane that only Cherry and Lyra recognize. "Bon Bon?!" She yelled, placing the roses on the table. "What in Equestria-where have you been?!" "Formerly under Princess Celestia as her official personal Royal Guard. Now I am under Princess Dash. You two are to come with me. She needs to see those she are close with immediately." The two mares looked at each other before they followed her out. On the way towards the castle, they were joined by Pinkie Pie, Rarity,and Applejack. "Do y'all know what's going on?" Applejack asked. "All I know is that Dash wants ta' see us." "That's all we know too," Twilight answered as they neared the loop. "Hopefully we'll get some answers." When they arrived, they were greeted by the rest of the advisory committee, Bow Hothoof, Windy Whistles, and Rainbow Dash herself who had on a serious expression. "Rainbow, what exactly is going on?" Rarity asked. The guards all bowed briefly to the Princess before going back to their posts. "Have any of you seen...hidden rooms in a castle before?" Rainbow asked blandly. "Celestia showed me two in Canterlot," Twilight answered. Rainbow sighed before gesturing for the group to follow her. They walked towards the housing and started to pass the fountain until she stopped and faced it. The ponies all looked at her in confusion as she put her hoof in the water and pulled a hidden lever. The water drained out before the fountain lifted and moved to the side, revealing the hidden staircase. "What in Equestria?" Lady Justice said. "Come." Rainbow took the lead, going down the dark stairwell with the group. Once they were all in, the rainbow colored orbs lit up the passage, revealing the stairs that went yards down. "Rainbow? What is this?" Windy asked, the same Question on everpony else's mind. She didn't get a response, only the sound of footsteps as they continued the journey down. After eleven more minutes, they arrived in a chamber slash hallway with the stone royal guards and the walls covered with runes, along with the steel door with the locks on the end. Rainbow reached to the side and pulled the lever for the torches, giving it more light "What in the world?" Twilight said, rushing forward as her adventurous mindset took over. "What is this? This is history! I bet Starswirl built this!" She poked at the walls, getting a feel for it. The other ponies stood at the entrance while Rainbow strode forward and Twilight tried to figure out the sanctuary's creator. "Come," she said, stopping at the door on the end. The ponies all strode forward as she unlocked the door and cracked it open, allowing her and the others to walk into the prison. "I am required to tell you this. Or this place would always be kept secret. This is a prison for an alicorn." They all stared open mouthed at all the runes, huge chains, and spears pointing at a certain area on the wall. "Twilight? Can you read some of those runes?" Rainbow asked her as she took a seat in front of them, in the center of the prison. "Yeah, that's a water diminishing spell, fire dominishing spell.....earth diminishing and air diminishing.....they're repeating." "That's right. This prison was to hold back an Alicorn that can control nature. Celestia had it built with the castle. Let me tell you a little secret about her that she wants only you to know. She's a seer. Everything she sees in the future actually comes to pass." "What does that have to do with the Prison, your majesty?" One of the advisers asked. "In the future she saw....me. In the upcoming battle that will decide the lives of everyone everywhere fighting. We win, but it comes with a price. The alicorn of nature will be hit witha bolt of dark magic that will corrupt her.....and attack her own people. "The spell will last for a year, in which she will spend here in this prison until it ends. That alicorn.......was me." "Wha.....what are you talkin' about, Rainbow?" Applejack asked, walking up towards the Princess. "There ain't no way you'd do something like go against your own. You are way too loyal for that." "I know. That's why it won't actually be me." They looked at her confused. "The dark magic will take over me. It will be apart of the attacker that we defeated. Except they will also be me. In my body and using my resources as they see fit. They will have access to my mind, body, power, memories, speed, everything. I will be evil. Dark and dirty. The dark magic feeds off of destruction and power. And since I'm the the third most powerful after Celestia and Luna, it will be feeding off of me. I will be attacking you all unwillingly. I will be a prisoner in my own mind. It is inevitable, it will happen, and you all need to know what to do when it does." She lifted a hoof towards the door. "Those golems out there will be activated to stop me should I ever escape." She pointed to a lever on the side of the of the door. "That lever will be pulled to pin me to the wall behind me once the chains are attached." She pointed to the spears on the floor. "These spears will be triggered once the runes on the wall activate them. If my magic hits those runes, they will activate the spears and will impale me. I'll still be alive though, because I'm not really there. A year after I am imprisoned, and the golems out there are able to tell, a burst of my magic will blow out and be sent across Equestria. The runes outside will pulse a steady blue in a wave once I am completely back to normal. The only person who is able to let me back out will be Celestia. Twilight? You know why." They all looked towards the mare who was nodding her head eagerly. "As much as it pains me to even think about, it has to be done. Or else everypony, and I mean EVERYpony, will be gone. Scootaloo and Fluttershy already know, I told them this morning. Scoots didn't take it well. Because it will happen this year sometime. Maybe in the winter." Rainbow stood back up and motioned for everyone to leave. Now that that's over, she can report to Celestia about that it's been complete. The briefing done, now it all begins. "They're hiding something, Shining," Cadance told her fiancee. They were in the dining hall in the Princess of Love's castle, discussing things that have been going on in the past when Cadance brought up the strange conversation her aunt and Princess Dash were discussing at the gala last night. "They said something about future issues that involves exposure and danger. As a fellow Princess, I believe I should know. Don't you think so?" Shining took about out of his food before responding. "If it's a family matter, yes. But Princesses also have a right to secrecy. So they usually don't tell another Princess everything. So if they ARE hiding something, you'll have to coerce it out of them or something." "Shining, I'm not going to go all military on my aunt. Screaming in her face, slapping her, and demanding that she tell me." "Or....or you could pull the guilt look card. Do that thing where you talk to them and make that face where they can't even keep the truth from you. Like you do to me when I eat your cereal." "The 'Love Look?'" "Yeah, that." He took a sip out of his drink before responding. "Celestia cannot resist that. If she does, then they are hiding something REALLY big. Like 'end of the world' big." "I just hope it isn't that. I'll talk to her tomorrow during the breakfast. You're coming too, right?" Shining nodded before he grabbed a peace of her cake and chomped it down. "I don't know what it is with royals and cake. First Celestia, then.....wait a second." Shining stopped with his mouth open, the second piece of cake held in mid air in front of him. "Remember during the first royal breakfast when she was revealed, when Rainbow and Celestia were chowing down on the cake...don't you think it was a little odd that they did the exact same thing?" Shining put down the cake and listened closely. "I think....don't quote me on this, but I think they're related." "What? I mean.....that makes a little sense. But how'd you come to that conclusion?" Shining popped the slice into his mouth. "Well they nuzzle a lot, as well as will Luna, but not as much as with Celestia. They act the same in a way. Almost like they were part of one puzzle. I think.......Princess Dash might be Celestia's daughter."