//------------------------------//
// Generosity 
// Story: Zero-Sun Game 
// by Undome Tinwe 
//------------------------------//

"So, did I get in, captain?"

"You excelled on every one of our physical tests, Miss Dash, and passed all the written exams, but that was to be expected. We asked members of the Wonderbolts to apply for a transfer to the Shadowbolts because Princess Luna wanted the best of the best as the core of her elite air squadron, and you certainly count amongst that number. However, we're still trying to interpret the results of the Somniorum Iudicium administered to you last night."

"You mean the dream test thingy? That was pretty cool. You think I could get Luna to let me do it again?"

"The Iudicium Somniorum is a hallowed trial that Princess Luna created to test the resolve of her applicants, and to ensure that none of her guards would ever follow her down the path of darkness ever again. As part of the Shadowbolts, you would pledge your loyalty to our Princess, and that loyalty cannot be twisted as it has in the past."

"Gotta say, sticking someone into a dream world where Nightmare Moon pulled off her whole Eternal Night thing is a really awesome way of testing that."

"From what I understand, it was inspired by classified events involving Princess Twilight's student that I'm not at liberty to know about. Regardless, the Iudicium Somniorum consists of three trials within this dream, each designed to test if your resolve to protect the innocent in the face of an undefeatable foe wearing the Princess' face. Few of our applicants passed more than one. You failed all three."

"But I — wait, there were three trials? I thought it was just about how hard we could kick flanks and take names!"

"Which is why we're still evaluating the results of the trial. Perhaps it'd be better if you walked us through your thought process during the events, so we can refine our assessment."

"Sure. So the dream started with me getting called up to the main hall of the castle..."





High Lady Rarity was waiting for her by the entrance to the throne room. She had her hair done up in a bun, which was great because it let you see the amazing curve of her neck and how her perfect white coat narrowed down to a "V" in that smoking-hot uniform she was wearing that gave her these cute little bat wings and let you see all of her cutie mark.

She even had her tail pulled up so you could see how toned and soft her sweet, sweet rump was— 





"Miss Dash, can you please stop describing Miss Rarity's posterior?"

"Do you want this story to be good?"

"I—"

"Then no, I can't. Anyways, so her flank was—!"

"—Be that as it may, perhaps it would be more pertinent to focus on what Miss Rarity was doing while you were ogling her."

"Fine, whatever. Don't blame me if you get bored to death."





"I don't see why I should open up our storerooms just to give food to the farmers who should be supplying us without us receiving anything in return." Rarity had her head cocked up in that cute way she does when she wants to look like she's above whatever everypony else is doing.

"Please, High Lady, our family is starving! Ever since the Sun stopped rising, we haven't been able to grow our crops as well in the dark!" Meanwhile, the earth pony kneeling in front of her was basically kissing the ground and didn't look like he'd ever been groomed before. Dash was surprised Rarity hadn't already dragged him into a fitting room somewhere for a makeover.

Instead, Rarity snarled in a really ladylike way where she turned her lips just enough to make sure you knew she was angry but not enough to make her look ugly. "You dare question our glorious Queen's decision to gift us with her Everlasting Night? You should be thanking her instead of blaming her for the consequences of your laziness!"

"We meant no offence!" Well, Rarity always knew how to reduce a stallion to tears — it was just one of the many ways she was awesome. But the way she was using her skills right now wasn't that awesome.

"Perhaps a night in the dungeons will teach you to appreciate the light of the moon."

"Hey Rares, how's it going?" Dash walked up to the two ponies with her usual swagger, ignoring the farmer crying on the floor. "I heard you wanted to see me?" She made made sure to flex her wings a little as she spoke. "Did you finally decide you couldn't go another second without me?"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "That's High Lady Rarity to you, Officer Dash." The way she tilted her head to assert dominance was almost pegasus-like, and Rainbow started to feel a little warm under her feathers. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder how an uncouth brute like you ever made it higher than a guard post in the Badlands."

"I'm awesome, that's how." Dash struck up a pose that showed off all her toned muscles. "So, what'd you want from me?"

"In a moment," Rarity said with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "I still need to deal with this... heretic." Her horn lit up, and danger filled the air.

"Oh, come on, he's not worth it," Dash said with only a passing glance at the farmer. "Just give him some grain or whatever and let him go. It's not like you don't have a ton of it in the storerooms that nopony uses." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Unless you wanted to do something else on those soft bags? I heard they're even better for a secret roll in the hay than, well, hay."

Again, Rarity rolled her eyes. "It's the principle of the matter, not that I'd expect you to understand."

"Are you really telling me that you want to waste your time on a guy that's dressed like that?" Dash pointed at the tattered rags that could barely be called a tunic that the farmer wore. "Just throw him some food so he'll stop bugging you and then we can do something more fun." Dash walked up close to Rarity, until she could feel the warmth of the other mare's coat. It was nice warmth, like a thermal blowing at her side. "Besides, you don't really want to see this guy's whole family starve to death, right?"

Rarity sighed. "I suppose not."

Dash bumped flank lightly against Rarity. "That-a-girl."

The scandalized blush on Rarity's face was solid gold, and completely worth the glare she got from her. "I should have you court-martialed for assaulting a High Lady like that!"

This time, it was Dash's turn to roll her eyes. "Whatever. I know you liked it. You've been alone for all these years — I'm sure you're just dying for a slice of this concentrated awesome." She made sure to gesture to herself with her hoof to make sure Rarity knew exactly what she meant. "Maybe, after this, we could grab a drink together? I know a really great bar across town that wouldn't ask any questions about a High Lady slumming it there. And we can get better... acquainted."

"You're incorrigible,"  Rarity muttered. She turned to one of the guards in the hall and said in a louder voice. "Take this stallion to dungeons to rest his hooves for the night. In the morning, bring him to the East Wing and allow him to take as much grain as he can carry in a bag with only his mouth."

"What the hay?" Dash shouted as the guard advanced towards the very confused-looking stallion. Instinctively, she moved away from Rarity as the High Lady shot her a cool glare that glittered with danger.

"As I said, a lesson needed to be taught." There was no fire in her voice now. Just pure ice. "Rest assured, his family will not starve to death in a single night. Now then, if you're finished with your antics, I need you to oversee the transfer of a group of rebels we captured earlier tonight to the dungeons. Assuming your heart hasn't gone completely soft yet."

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Sometimes, Rarity took all the fun out of everything.

"One of the rebels is your old friend Fluttershy," Rarity said. "I trust that won't be a problem?"

"Fluttershy?" Dash raised an eyebrow. "The Fluttershy I knew wouldn't hurt a fly. Guess she's changed since then." She shrugged. "So, where is she?"

"West entrance, by the barracks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare a report on our latest attempts to purge the Buffalo filth from Appleloosa. Hail Nightmare Moon!"

"Hail Nightmare Moon." Dash replied reflexively. "So, does that mean it's a 'no' for drinks?"

A grunt of frustration was her only reply before Rarity stormed off, leaving Dash alone in the hallway.





"So the purpose of the opening scene is to establish the evils of the empire ruled by Nightmare Moon, and the cruelty shown by her ponies towards others. And your response to this was to begin hitting on the High Lady, Nightmare Moon's second-in-command. This wasn't even one of the trials but I'm pretty sure you failed regardless."

"You made Rarity the High Lady. I'm not exactly sure what you expected. By the way, is the High Lady always Rarity? Because I don't know how she'd feel about being the bad guy in every dream trial."

"No, the Somniorum Iudicium fills in the details of the scenario with familiar faces, which helps reduce the cognitive dissonance induced by the alternate reality imposing itself on the mind. It also ensures that the childhood friend being imprisoned is always someone close to the dreamer, which is supposed to concern them. You barely spoke a word to her during the transfer."

"I had other stuff on my mind, and it's really easy to forget that Shy, like, exists. Girl's basically a ninja sometimes. Besides, I got what you wanted me to get out of her. Really, this is all you guys' fault. I mean, you cast a spell that put Rarity in that smoking-hot outfit and you just expect me to not hit on her? Like, you've seen Rarity, right? I can't really be blamed here."

"Miss Rarity's preternatural sexual appeal is not the point. The point is that you were supposed to identify her as the villain of the piece."

"And I did! I'm not stupid, you know. I knew there was a lot of shady stuff going on that Rarity was involved in before I got invited to meet with those rebels. I'm guessing that was the first trial?"

"Yes, and we would very much like to hear your side on how you reacted to it."