It's been a while now since Rainbow Cloud has been removed from the tent. The strange bat takes care of her by feeding her even though she is not awake. He knows she will wake but it will be when her body has the time to do so. No one knows what happened to her. They just knew this would happen since there have been rumors of this strange bat watching her waiting for this time to come and carry her away.
The poor mare is having a dreamless sleep done by the creature so Luna can't find him or her. He feels for this moment they need to speak alone. Her eyes open slowly sitting up groaning.
"Ah, you're awake." Rainbow Cloud looked up to the strange bat and stared right at him.
"Why am I here?"
"That's an interesting question maybe this is all a dream or maybe you're in between the moments. An element of Forgiveness most forgets the elements are powerful magic that can do much to the body of the one wields it."
She sighed. "You didn't answer my question."
"Maybe the question is how you need to ask it. Maybe ask it the best way so you could get the answer that would be helpful to you."
Rainbow Cloud groaned standing up in the red cavern looking around not able to find a way out.
"Nothing lasts forever." The bat slowly walks to her. "Not love life is an interesting Finite of rules. Maybe this will be easier for you. Tick you’re alive. Tock your dead. Tick a careless word, opens another door. Tick tock tick tock always running out of time."
Rainbow Cloud pushes him into the wall lifting on her back hoofs staring at him. "Who are you? What do you want?!" The bat just stares at her, seeing an orb asking her. ``Who are you what do you want?" Her features turn upset, holding her head groaning a bit.
"You're getting closer, are you. I can help you, my friend. But that means letting go of this life. The elements have given you 20 years. You need to let go of the life of friendship. To move on and become what you must."
She closed her eyes remembering the battle she had with the counter elements feeling the pain that fills her.
"What must I do?"
The bat chuckles. "Why is it easy my dear forgive all the ponies stop your hate of them. They haven't done a thing like the past did. Forgive them all forgive your mother forgive Twilight forgive them."
She looks down sitting near the fire, her eyes full of pain and sadness. "I don't know if I can."
The bat sits with her. "Then I can't help you, child. I need you opened minded to be able to listen to my teachings. You're a powerful leader. They will need you at that station. You won't just be commander you will be leading the entire war to fight Disharmony. Are you willing to lose it because of the fact you can't let go?"
Rainbow closed her eyes taking a deep breath. "Letting go will work?"
He chuckled. "My dear, letting go of everything to be ready for a battle ahead is something that most need to do. It's not going to be easy, it's not going to be simple. Don't give up on love or friendship, remove it for the time. Because you will be here until the element brings you out. Then I shall follow into the war."
She bit her lip, closing her eyes again, feeling her heartbeat and feeling like she was falling. "Is it wise to just give up and allow it to come?"
He chuckled. "Sometimes letting go is the best choice. You have done so much in your life Rainbow Cloud you have to prove that you're a Dash. You have to live up to her name. Bring back her family with your foals. It can't be allowed to have her name die with you Rainbow."
She took a deep breath again. "So I need to let it all go but how?"
"You just do my child, you just close your eyes and do it."
Rainbow Cloud closed her eyes, feeling herself letting go of every single thing. Her friends love her planet even and forget that her mother existed. She feels her body slowly failing, her heart slowly beating as she feels herself passing out. She fell to the ground, the bat standing over her stroking her back.
"Good my little friend soon when you wake your journey will start."
Hope is hard to find sometimes rarely can find it but when they do they need to let themselves open up to see it. The outside world is simple to most eyes. it's how some wish to see it but most that don't. The new world of new Celestia slowly builds while the elements are stuck in a time bubble. With their families, they wait for the elements to wake before the world moves on.
They protect them, they wait for them. Most wait for the wedding to start that will open up the timeline to let everypony see them and cheer for them. It's been so long Luna and Discord have grown weak from this spell. They need to rest, they need some time.
The new crystal empire in snowy land has grown. Flurry has her own family now with many foals. They love her along with her mother. Who has remarried again? The kingdom has grown bigger. Not far from them in another part of the land. Yakastan has grown again. They haven't changed, they stayed the same. New Ponyville grows even more. Same with many of the pony towns. Many other Changeling hives have shown up they all work together to defend this new world.
The Buffalo has come to this world after they called for help. They now have land all for themselves. The Diamond Dogs have a cave called Gem Hollow. So many of the Equis races live in harmony. This would have never happened on Equis. The ponies of Saddle Abra have recently come to this world and founded themselves in a place in the desert. The dragons found a new set of dragon lands.
Every race waits even for the zebras who wait for their element to wake. So they can cheer for her to give her gifts. Love her and honor her new marriage with Muffin and the stallion Bone spear. They all wish to honor them To Rainbow Cloud it's been many months since she passed out. Her mind is trying to heal while the Bat gets ready for he must do.
0000
Months past.
Rainbow Cloud finally opens her eyes she shakes her head feeling the weight of the world finally gone from her.
"Ah took you longer then I expected."
Rainbow finally gets on her hooves. "I'm ready for my training."
He turns to look at her. "Are you? Are you willing to gather the first ones of this universe and then be ready to fight both sides in this war?"
"The first ones?"
He nodded. "Just like the other universe the station is from, there are first ones like the first ones that helped the younger races. Of course, your race is odd. Your galaxy was formed by magic. We have no idea how or who created it. We will need to search for them so we can win this war."
Rainbow Sighed. "But what must I do then? You told me to let go of everything and kind of die what must I do now?'
"You must be willing to follow me on a journey through this mountain. There are many threats on this planet that you ponies don't know about. They're all locked in this mountain. I wish to fight them and gain knowledge while you do. Some will trick you, some will do faults to you. Some will try to mess with your brain."
She blinked. "I was told this world is peaceful. How come you have these threats in this world?"
He laughed softly. "There are reasons for threats to existing. To test those that wish to come along and protect and do war. You're doing a war, my child. Your war will end not in peace but a fire for most worlds. Some worlds don't wish to see it that way. But some will the fact that Disharmony and harmony are going to start destroying worlds that are working with whatever."
Her eyes fill with fear. "Does that mean Equis."
He shook his head. "Equis is too broken for either of them to do anything to it. It will just stay stagnant till the young of the elements and future go back and repair it with the help of Twilight."
She sighed looking to her metal wing trying to tell her brain to use the wing. The wing moves slowly it feels painful and cold at first. But she can do it. She groaned deeply feeling her heartbeat from the pain. But she can control it and she had a smile on her face.
"Ah, another thing you have to learn. Now you have your element with you don't you if you don't call it." Rainbow Cloud nodded closing her eyes and the element that was very hard to get off her head starts to fly through the town breaking some windows. Of course, she didn't know this but after a while, the cap element lands on her head. She feels the power of it going through her body.
"What is the point of having this with me?"
He sighed, shaking his head. "So such an interesting race you are. So many questions you wish to ask. But I shall say. This planet was made for the older elements. But they turned evil and never could come this way to do their training. But since you're the leader of them you need the training. They already have foals and things to do you're just the head they are the muscle."
Rainbow didn't know what to think of but she is willing to learn from him. "Do you have a name?"
He chuckled. "I did many lifetimes ago. But I don't remember it. I shall try to remember it for you, my child. But first things first." He tosses a large dead beast that looks like a lizard near her. "Cook and eat it."
She blinks staring at the beast her gut starts doing strange dances since she has never been asked to eat meat in her life. Grabbing a stick that she found not far away stabbing in the lizard lifting it over the fire to start cooking it. She is wishing to ignore how her stomach is doing weird dances to make her sick to her stomach.
"Good this will help you on your way. Because there are no greens you will find in this cave. It will be all meat a way to keep alive." Her stomach lurched at the idea of eating meat. All the time her kind just ate veggies or greens or grazed. But if he is telling the truth and none of that is in this cave then it is best to get used to not eating anything.
She set down the meat over the fire sighing. "Why do you speak as you do?"
"You mean in the words of the future past and so on? It's how most listen and how some try to think. But most of the time no one understands those words. It's a way to make others try to understand that you don't need to be a fool to see it. You just need to be ready to understand the idea behind the words. Words can be very very powerful if said by the right person. I know that is strange to hear of course."
Rainbow lifting the meat-eating it. The taste made her feel sick. She did her best to keep it from messing up her stomach. It lurched causing her to almost vomit and she kept it down eating more. After a while, she feels her stomach hurting so much from eating it.
The bat took the rest placing it in a bag that he lifted over his shoulder. "Can you walk after eating that?" Rainbow clouds tried to get on her hooves groaning the meat messed up her stomach. Of course, that's not the pleasant feeling it's moving around in her stomach causing her to gag. The bat just stares at her as this happens. He shakes his head laughing softly.
"Sorry, I'm not used to eating meat..." She said weakly, showing a weak smile. "But I will do it for you now. What's the first part of the journey?"
He nodded. "One of the doors you will open has old weapons. I want you to pick one and you will use it even in battle. Remember this." She blinked a weapon that she would use through this war? She remembers Charity talking about one of the battles with everypony there in the middle but nothing about a weapon. She closed her eyes, sighing.
"I got another question. I saw a flash. Of me having a foal I am not ready. I feel but will I be able to change that future?"
The bat stared at her sighing. "Sometimes those flashes that you have because of the element of dreams is what you will be doing. if you have sexual relations with your lover. You get a foal; it's sadly something you will not be able to stop Miss Cloud. But I am sure you need this. You need a foal more then you think. Your entire family line is at stake. All of them are dead but you."
Rainbow Cloud heard this her ears fall flat on her head. "So meaning Twilight, is the murder of all of my clan?"
He nodded. "She didn't just murder them she broke them. The reason you were placed on the Griffin world is that they had you without her consent. Now if you talk to her now she would be very upset with herself that she went that far. She was not fully in control but she did have a hatred of Rainbow Dash for a long time. Then many years after she learned what war was. She broke down and tried to get back with Tempest but he didn't allow it."
Rainbow sighed, closing her eyes, feeling some pain in her gut. She still tries to keep the meat down. It's not easy but she looks up to him feeling her heartbreaking. "I wish I could have met her back in that day when she didn't fall like that. I have talked to Sun Sparkle about how her mother used to be. She always said her mother never used to be like this. She even was named by Tempest."
The bat nods. "Sometimes my dear the time we know and time we have doesn't mean we shall always end that way. it's not a pleasant feeling I know. But sometimes the path will not be the best. It's going to be hard to understand that. Most never do most do. Most never will understand because some don't wish to."
She took a deep breath closing her eyes tightly feeling herself remembering everything even the one that gave them the elements. So much has come its been almost three years since they started. It's going to be five before this is all over and done with. She doesn't like that fact but she knows she will have to do it.
The bat stares at her sighing. He closes his eyes thinking to himself. 'I don't think she is ready to do this Eight legs. But if you feel that she is. Then I will do it. She needs to be ready for what is ahead. She may have been given life from the elements but that won't save her in the long run. She needs to fight Eight Legs changed so he could be with the mare he loved. He looked Towards the mare he needed to help again. He sighed softly.
"Alright let me know when you're ready to miss Dash. I feel that it would be best to get going soon I Doubt you want to be here many lifetimes." Her eyes open wide staring at the bat. She thought what did he mean by many lifetimes? She never thought about it. is there more lifetimes than most things.
"What do you mean by many lifetimes?" She asked.
The bat signed. "The spell could keep you here many lifetimes if you just stood around being unsure of what you wish to do my friend. But I can tell you what you must do. You must break from being a pony and being a creature of the universe. Since the universe doesn't offer things lightly. It's rare for it to happen. I have never seen creatures like you so worried about the future. You just let the future happen child."
She sat on her haunches closing her eyes tightly sighing. "Maybe I need to do what you said. Forget what I feel might happen then move on. My issue is the future of my species is not going to be an easy future. I see so many things going wrong. I do have a question though are all your kind immortal like you?"
The bat stared at her smiling. "I am of another species, my dear. I'm of the first species that used to control this planet. But I am the last and I was the first."
"What happened to the others?'
"They grew old and died and the others went away. The universe may be felt there wasn't a need for my kind to just being there. But we were there when Disharmony and harmony were around. Before they took ideas from the Shadows and Vorlons of the other universe. That is sadly the thing most will never see it that way. Your Celestia would have understood so would Discord. It's how most things are seen and how most things are looked upon."
Finally, after a while the two of them moved to one of the doors. He opened it for her. "I can't help you with this. This is the first time of your trial finding a weapon that would suit you as a Pegasus.' She nodded and went inside.
00000
The first trail
Cloud walked into the room and the door closed behind her. She looks at a pedestal that holds three weapons. One is a sword, one is a knife and another is known as a Ranger battle pike. She stared at the pike lifting it with her mouth and extended.
A voice sounded out.
"Ah, you picked the warrior of the one. In the other universe that is known as the weapon of the Ranger. You have been trained kind of liked them. This pike belonged to a Ranger named Marcus. After he died it ended up here to wait for one who will be forgiven. That is you, my child. But first, before you leave this room. You need to fight him."
As if it was fate suddenly the form of Marcus Cole formed in front of the mare he held the pike in his hand. A warrior of the past in another universe. The fact that she is about to fight one of the heroes of that universe. This means that she is willing to end this war with Disharmony and harmony. It's not going to be easy; she knows this well. He stared at her like he knew who she was.
"We stand on the bridge so no one may pass. We fight for the one. We die for the one." He charged at her while she blocked. The pike had a shock go through it. As the ghost of Marcus fought her so easily. He made it look so easy. She had to find a way to counter. The ghost smacked her into the cavern wall causing her to drop the Pike. She coughed watching him she knew she wouldn't be able to beat him. Picking up the pike kneeling to show she knows she won't be able to beat him.
Marcus stood there vanishing after all this. The bet walked into the room staring at her with a smile. "Good job but the test is not over yet. I need you to be ready to fight whatever is coming. You know that most battles won't be that simple. You could have beat him if you watched him. Of course, you don't fully understand the battle. Your kind is still new to war. You feel that you never needed to go to war. I can understand this. But war is sadly going to be part of what happens to your race."
Cloud grew angry and was about to argue. But she knew he was right. her kind never really knew war that well. They never really even fought to protect the gate leading to the former dream valley. In her mind there are many questions why would her species need to be ready for war? They never had to go to war before. But of course, this may have happened if the stuff that Twilight did never even happen as well.
"I see you have many questions swimming around your mind my dear."
She blinks looking up to him with a weak smile. "You can read me that well hmm?"
"Well-child I can tell from how your eyes dart around and the fact you don't argue. You happen one of those ponies that tries to get the last word in. I can understand that since you were raised by Griffins. They're a type of species that tries to get the last word since they can be very aggressive and I can tell that extremely well that you're very aggressive like them. It must have been hard on you to be raised by them."
She shrugs. "Not really it was pretty easy. My family loved me. The entire planet accepted me I had many friends. But I was also told all of them knew who my ancestor was and they were training me to fight Twilight when the time came so I could honor Rainbow Dash."
He nodded. "Do you think you did when it came down to it my dear?"
She blinked that question hit her hard. She didn't know how to answer it at first. But when she slowly opened her mouth to speak. She couldn't say anything then she finally said it. "No, I feel I failed her. But maybe down the line, I will help Twilight see what she did and maybe try to redeem herself so she can help fix our world. Of course, I will be living on New Celestia Equis I no longer care for at all."
"I see so you wish to move on from that life of trying to bring back your world to light. I don't blame you of course my dear. You may have to fight to free it. Since the entire world is still burning after what the commando did to the castle. No one has ever seen if that fake Sunset shimmer is even still alive. But they haven't been able to check because of all the burning that has been going on. There is no one to put it out there."
She closed her eyes sighing She knew that Luna would do something like this and send her commandos to take out whoever caused all this. In her mind, it wasn't Twilight that was there that she asked her Commandos to kill that wouldn't have gone over well with Sun Sparkle.
"My question is why all these tests? I got a pike now, what do I have to fight?"
He sighed, shaking his head. "I told you threats of the past of this planet. You don't have to if you don't wish to be ready and just be ready in the way you will know. I can't just help someone that doesn't wish to be helped. You wish to do so much but I can't just allow you to learn without you asking me to teach you."
Rainbow took a deep breath exhaling soon after. Not sure what to say she felt her mind wishing to explain how she felt. "Well, I do want to be ready for this battle ahead. But why just me? Is it because I am a leader?"
He chuckled. "It's not just because you're the leader my dear. It's because you wish to help as many souls as you can. But you failed that fight. Of course, I doubt you could fight a warrior that is stronger and well trained than you. Come with since you need to be trained to be able to handle anything in these rooms I'm sorry to say it will be just one of the rooms."
She blinked, he said earlier he wanted her to do all the rooms. But It seems since she failed at fighting that ranger he changed his mind. He leads her to one of the training rooms.
"You will be locked in here for a while so enjoy your training."
She blinked watching him close the door on her as he locks it and the door said will not open for a year.
0000
Training
The training goes pretty normal. She fights whatever he throws at her with the pike. Of course, most of what he sends at her are creatures that she will be fighting in the war itself. She has no idea what to think but after a while, months slowly go by and get harder for her. When the first month goes by she notices she doesn't need to eat and it makes her think she is really dead. So to her mind, she is dead or in a loop of the mind.
Is training creature she faces are creatures that disharmony will be sent after her spiders that hide in the darkness from what she has been told are the Shadows from the other Universe some that lived through the war there. Not all of them wished to join with their friends and families to the darkness between Galaxies.
It's getting worse he sends after her Harmony creatures that harmony would send after her. These creatures look so holy and angel but these are deadly battles. That each time she almost fails they try to kill her but thanks to the spells he's placed on them they can't. But she feels that since this is not going to be the best thing to happen to her ever.
She faces herself along with her friends. She stares at the dark creatures that disharmony could create and turn them right into her friends who look the same.
"Why are you doing this to me?!" The bat chuckled.
"I have to my friend you will see every single trick in the very book. These creatures will do whatever it takes to get to you. Even if it means looking like your friends, those you love and even Twilight they will do whatever it takes to get to you. But all you have to do is ignore them and never allow them to get to you."
She growled to herself that it's easier said than done she thought. She lifted the pike in her mouth smacking the creatures away from her but after she hit them the creatures would vanish into the pike trying to form on the pike they couldn't really since of a strange coating that was on the pike.
"That weapon you have is thought to be a warriors weapon. It was made for humans and a race is known as Minbari they fought together for the one and those that always would die if they weren't protected. You're a ranger in a way now my friend you will join your friends on the front lines and fight."
She sighed. "So you mean to tell me I will be fighting harder than the rest of the army and I have to pull my friends into this fight?"
The bat signed. "I know you don't like the idea, my friend. But you sadly have to do what you have to. When it comes to war you will not like what comes of it. I will be here for you till the end of the war and I will help you prove what the others proved. This is what you need."
He started whispering to her as she nodded.
0000
It's been a year and she has trained and all she could. But she hasn't gotten much better. But sadly the bat can't do much else to protect her now from what is coming up. She met up with Jigsaw and well they didn't do much but get married. That time the entire spell broke and shattered standing right in front of them was Twilight Sparkle doing it. All their friends there Rainbow Cloud gasped at all the fouls her friends had. She stared as they all watched her.
"Jigsaw do you take Rainbow Cloud to be your wife?"
Jigsaw nodded with a smirk. "I do."
Twilight turned to Rainbow Cloud, her smile turned to a frown staring at the descendant of one of her best friends. She happens to be wearing an old wedding dress that Rainbow Dash had she made sure to keep for this type of day. Even if she tried to murder this poor mare in front of her. Tears slowly streamed down her eyes. She finally regained herself.
"Rainbow Cloud. I married Rainbow Dash to her husband so long ago. I looked back on what I did to him and her. I wish she was here to forgive me for what I did. I know you might not forgive me for a long time." Cloud just walked up to her hugging her tightly.
" I already have now let's get this done my friend." She backed up smiling.
"Rainbow Cloud, do you want Jigsaw to be your husband?"
"Of course I do."
"You may kiss the bride"
They kissed and when this happens the elements finally exploded with magic causing the spell to finally be broken. SO many things happen at once two years have gone by since they have been locked in this spell. They even lived them and remember that they did. After the two years, it went to Rainbow Cloud in labor with Muffin and Savanna helping her give birth to her foal. Just like she did in the flash she saw.
After so long she held the Pegasus in her hooves. She named her Rainbow Dash in honor of her ancestor. She holds the hoof of her lover.
"She looks so beautiful Rainbow Cloud." All of her friends rushed in to see the little one for all has finally been done.
Luna stood there with Discord not joining in.
"Finally it has come."
Discord nodded as the Bat creature stood beside them.
"Yes, it did."
Discord looked at the bat.
"Do you finally remember your name?"
The bat looked at the Chaos being.
"Lazarus"
Finally, everything has come full circle the only thing left is the station and the trial of Queen Twilight.