This is the story of Jude. The founders of the Sixth knew that the ‘good people’ that took care of Jude were the seekers themselves. For some reason, they went after Rainbow Dash to distract her from going home to Jude. The reason for that was the seekers were dead set on taking Jude away from her at all costs. Once they took Jude away from Rainbow Dash they quit chasing her. The founders of the Sixth saw that there was no trace of Rainbow Dash's baby, it was like he had vanished out of thin air.
Where Jude went, the founders of the Sixth had no idea. They voted to keep that information classified. The founders can only tell half-truths about the information. Finn is a founder of the Sixth. He kept the classified information under lock and key to keep agents of the Sixth safe from harm. That’s why Finn couldn’t tell Rainbow Dash where her baby went.
The seekers had taken Jude to people known as the Mothers of AI’s Mainframe or the Mothers. The Machine prefers to call itself AI. Three people make up the Mothers and they work around the clock to keep AI working. They are First Mother, Second Mother, and Third Mother. The Mothers cannot overrule AI’s decisions. They’ve been able to run AI fine until recently.
AI decided that it wanted a king to rule over it. This ruler would be above the AI and able to overrule its decisions. The one that AI had chosen to be its king was Rainbow Dash's baby Jude. If Rainbow hadn’t broken out of AI, it would’ve sent the seekers to take Jude away and erase Rainbow Dash’s memory of him.
AI sent Code Silas to impregnate Rainbow Dash for Rainbow Dash to give birth to Jude. After Jude was born, AI told the seekers to take him away. The seekers brought Jude to the Mothers. They placed Jude in a transformation cell and the AI started the process of changing him into a young adult. He went from a helpless baby to a young adult in a matter of weeks! Once Jude had finished his transformation into a young adult, AI gave Jude the tools he needed to be the ruler.
AI built a castle for Jude and made a computer room right behind the throne room to do his job of ruling AI. AI also gave Jude the official title of Lord Jude. Part of Jude’s job was to protect the AI by eliminating all threats to it.
The AI uses gates to capture the various creatures in the many universes. They function by sending out containers that grab the creatures and pull them into the system. AI requires the capture of new creatures to continue its existence.
The gates provide access to the AI’s vulnerable core systems. The Sixth discovered this flaw and sent agents to attack the gates. This led Agent Oliver, who works for the Sixth, to destroy the 7th Gate. This prompted AI to want to create a more secure system. So AI helped Jude to create Firewalls to help protect the gates of AI. The Firewalls are intelligent systems like the Codes that work for AI.
AI also spawns other children like Jude. These children work for AI and have human birth mothers. Usually, they don't know the identity of their birth mother. AI made an exception for Jude because it picked him to be its king. So AI implanted in Jude the memory of Rainbow Dash and it told him that she was his mother.
AI gave Jude the difficult task of keeping tabs on Rainbow Dash. The elements of harmony weren't a threat to AI for now, but Rainbow Dash bore the element of loyalty so AI felt that could change in the future. He hoped she wouldn’t become a threat. But he wasn’t afraid. He felt confident with the elements of honesty and kindness on his side. Jude hoped he wouldn’t have to kill Rainbow Dash anytime soon.
First Mother hated Rainbow Dash with a passion and Jude had no idea why she felt that way. She pushed Jude to kill Rainbow Dash but he persistently overruled that decision. He worried that somehow First Mother might find a way to get around his decision. Thankfully, Rainbow Dash broke out of AI, leaving First Mother unable to turn her evil, flagging her as a threat. Knowing First Mother she would find some other way to turn Rainbow Dash into a threat to AI. Since Rainbow Dash broke out, it’s safe to say that she wouldn’t be coming out of the woodwork anytime soon. That was fine with Jude for the time being.
The Mothers had a little more power over Jude to keep making sure Jude did the necessary things as ruler. So the Mothers decided to work with Jude to come up with plans in case Rainbow Dash became a threat.
The first plan of action would be to send Life Force Applejack or Life Force Fluttershy to Rainbow Dash. They would convince her to come to AI’s castle, with the help of the seekers. Once they brought Rainbow Dash to the castle the Mothers would eliminate her.
The second plan involved making clones of her for her to fight. While she fights the clones, they will grab her from behind.
If those two plan’s didn’t work the Mothers would have to come up with other plans to eliminate Rainbow Dash.
Jude wanted to bring Rainbow Dash to the castle so he could finally meet her. Until then, Jude would wait in the shadows. He hoped the Mothers couldn’t find some way to turn Rainbow Dash into a threat.
AI defined different creatures with the term patterns. The ruler had to watch all the different patterns. This tedious job annoyed Jude. AI wanted Jude to keep an eye on those that it perceived as a threat. When harmful patterns popped up, this prompted Jude to send a Code. The Code would attempt to pacify the pattern. If that didn’t work he would have to eliminate the pattern before it went out of control. On occasion, AI wanted a pattern impregnated. That’s exactly what happened with Jude.
Jude didn’t like what his father Code Silas had done to bring him into existence. He forced Jude’s program inside Rainbow Dash. Usually, a Code doing this job does not do what Code Silas did. Once a Code does its job, it gets eliminated. This pleased Jude. A lot of times a Code can win over the pattern that it’s been sent to and have the pattern fall in love with it and impregnate the pattern with no problem at all. Code Silas didn’t follow protocol.
Jude guessed that Code Silas didn’t feel that he had won Rainbow Dash over, when according to AI’s data he actually did. Code Silas assumed he hadn’t. A lot of times when a Code has won a pattern and made it fall in love with the Code, AI sends word to the Code informing it of that.
AI informed the Mothers that Life Force Applejack and Life Force Fluttershy forced Code Silas to go beyond the necessary protocol. Why those two made that decision Jude and the Mothers had no idea.
Jude sat in the computer room figuring out what to do about the patterns that AI perceived as a threat to it. He would often think about his mother Rainbow Dash and wonder what she was doing. Jude was lost in his thoughts when he heard his number one servant clear her throat to get his attention.
“Yes, Servant Ivy?” Jude said.
“Your highness you’re being summoned to the Mainframe again.” Servant Ivy said.
“Let me guess,” said Jude, “it’s about Life Force Fluttershy again.”
“Yes, your highness…” Servant Ivy said.
“What did Life Force Fluttershy do this time?” Jude said.
“Apparently,” said Servant Ivy, “Life Force Fluttershy is worried about being kind again. She’s taking her job to a whole new level! The Mothers have no idea what to do with her yet.”
Jude did a facepalm and shook his head, “Even if she becomes kind again, I don’t think she has a leg to stand on. Especially after what she did with Code Silas and my mother Rainbow Dash!”
“That’s what the Mothers are thinking they told me to relay that information to you.” Servant Ivy said. “the Mothers also suspect the Life Force Fluttershy may be feeling some guilt about what she did.”
“Guilt or not still doesn’t make things right,” said Jude, “but in any case inform First Mother that I’m on my way.”
“Yes, your highness…” Servant Ivy said.
As soon as Servant Ivy walked away Jude rolled his eyes at the stupid cape that was hanging on a hook behind his throne. He hated wearing it but for some reason, AI found it necessary to give him that tool to do his job as ruler of AI.
* * *
“Is Oliver going to be okay?” I said. I hate this white room I'm training in because of the dead silence. It makes my skin crawl.
“Oh yes,” said Twilight, “he’ll be fine, he just needs to rest for today. We’ll only have two more days to train you after this.”
“So what will I be learning today?” I said.
“I see your weapon is the dagger and whip chain!” Twilight said. “Only twelve agents that have this weapon! Including you that makes thirteen!”
“Wow,” I said, “Oliver said that a dozen agents had this weapon but I didn’t think that it was a baker's dozen!”
I imagined a 'ba dum tss' after I said that. I might as well be a comedian at stand up comedy night. Agent Rarity and Twilight were on their backs laughing big time.
“Thank you, thank you,” I mocked, “I’ll be here all week!”
Twilight and Agent Rarity hadn’t even gotten to their hooves, they laid on their backs laughing even harder than they did before. I dropped my jaw in disbelief. It’s not that funny. They finally regained their composure. Thank Celestia, I didn’t want to punch the ruler of Equestria.
“Sorry Rainbow,” said Twilight, “you were a prankster back in Equestria! You and Pinkie Pie would always do the best pranks!”
I looked at Twilight in horror. After Oliver had passed out and I went to my room to sleep, I remembered the awful memory of Pinkie Pie proposing marriage to me. “Ugh!”
“You okay Rainbow?” Twilight asked, concerned.
I swallowed before I spoke. “Pinkie Pie said we were lovers back in Equestria. My memory isn’t quite clear about what happened. Did Pinkie Pie say anything to you about proposing marriage to me?”
“Oh yes, she told me about that!” Twilight said. “She said that she threw a party to do it too!”
“I know what my answer was,” I said, “but I want to hear from you what my answer was.”
“You said no,” said Twilight, “and to me saying no to her wasn’t being a loyal friend at that time.”
“I’m pretty sure that being in love with someone is a personal choice!” I said with a stomp for emphasis, “and just because you chose not to fall in love with someone doesn’t mean you’re not being loyal. Let me ask you this princess and yet again my memory is a little hazy on this, but you are the princess of friendship right?”
“Yeah?” Twilight said.
“If someone doesn’t want to be your friend does that mean you’re not a good friend?” I said.
“Hmm,” said Twilight, “I never thought of it that way before.”
I snorted, shaking my head.
Twilight continued, “you know, come to think about it. I’ve had several ponies tell me that they didn’t want to be friends with me. Sure it hurt at first, but I accepted it and moved on. The fact that my element of magic still works, tells me that when a pony doesn’t want to be friends that’s their choice and not a requirement.”
I rolled my eyes annoyed with her explanation of something so obvious, especially for the so-called ‘princess of friendship.’
Twilight looked to the side and continued, “it’s bound to happen sooner or later. That’s exactly what Princess Celestia has told me. Several times, in fact, before I took my seat on the throne. Princess Celestia told me that she had ponies that didn’t want to be friends even with her! That was a total shocker to me! I mean... it’s Princess Celestia! Who wouldn’t want to be friends with her! But I guess it happens, you can’t force someone to be friends with you.”
“That’s exactly what happens with being loyal,” I said. I felt like a school teacher reasoning with a child, “there are reasons for saying no to someone when they propose marriage. I’m pretty sure Pinkie Pie’s not the only one who’s had someone say no to them. That doesn’t mean that I’m not being loyal.”
“Wow, Rainbow,” said Agent Rarity, “I’ve never thought of you being that deep before! I don’t even recall you doing that back in Equestria! Rainbow Dash is right as a matter of fact. When I fell in love with Prince Blueblood he rejected me. That was his decision. That didn’t mean that he wasn’t loyal! What being loyal to me means that you stand up for people even if they aren’t your friends, until they give you a reason not to!”
“That’s funny,” I said, “because that’s exactly what I said to Finn!”
Twilight then cleared her throat, “Let’s get started on getting those wings of yours and using your weapon!”
I looked at Twilight to see blood flowing from her eye like Oliver’s did.
“I hope you’re not going to use the blood barrier for too long," I said, “I don’t know if I take any more of my friends getting hurt!”
“It’s okay Rainbow,” said Twilight, “even though I’m not a founder of the Sixth, I had a hand in choosing the base’s location to keep it a secret. They also gave me full access to most of the system so I can do the blood barrier for a lot longer than regular agents can as an extra perk!”
“You can only access most of the system?” I said. “Not the whole thing?”
“It’s complicated…” Twilight said. Then she looked to Agent Rarity, “Agent Rarity, I’m going to relieve you from training her today. Agent Gilda’s one of the dozen agents that have the same weapon as Rainbow Dash, so she can help teach her. Agent Gilda’s already here!”
“Yes ma’am!” Agent Rarity said.
I heard Gilda’s voice come from behind me, “Hey Rainbow.” I turned around. She looked to Twilight and continued, “So your highness, what battlespace will Rainbow Dash and I fight on? My favorite one is the cliff dive!”
“I know that, Agent Gilda,” said Twilight. “I know Rainbow Dash loves doing dangerous activities, but that’s the hardest battlespace!”
“Oh come on princess!” Gilda said, “Rainbow Dash is tough and she’s fast! Not to mention the definition of the word awesome!”
“Yeah I think that’s a big fat lie but okay,” I said. “So... exactly, how do I use my weapon?”
“For the daggers,” said Gilda, “you just pull them off with your teeth. A suggestion on carrying your weapon is to wear it across your shoulders like wearing a sash. Like the ones that the royal family wear. You know, at important events to show their royal family membership.”
“O...Kay?” I said. “So how do I get them back after I throw them?”
“Oh yeah,” Gilda said. “You just think of the number of daggers that you sent out and they will come right back to you. After you get used to using your weapon it’ll be like second nature to you! It’ll be just like flying! You’ll be able to do it in your sleep!”
I choked on the last thing Gilda just said, “Yeah I’m not sure I want to throw daggers in my sleep! Seriously!”
Once again my friends dropped to the ground cackling hysterically.
“I’m not a stand-up comedian here!” The joke this time wasn’t that funny! If anyone needs to be laughed at it should Pinkie Pie!
“Okay...HAH... that’s… that’s enough laughing at Rainbow Dash’s jokes!” Twilight said. “Let’s start her training, we don't have much time left!”
Just like when Oliver did it, the eerie white room’s far side transformed into a treacherous looking cliff. This time it didn’t look like the one that I tried so desperately to climb. But this time instead of being at the bottom of the cliff Gilda and I were standing at the very top next to the edge.
I looked down. My ears dropped to the sides of my head. I gulped. I could tell Gilda was getting a real kick out of the look on my face. “Are you guys sure I’m Rainbow Dash?” I said.
“Oh yeah!” Gilda said. “You’re Rainbow Dash alright! Once you jump off here you’ll have no problem fighting at all! Like I said, you’re tough and you’re fast…”
“And I'm the definition of the word awesome!” I said, finishing Gilda’s sentence. “I still think that last thought is a big fat lie!”
“Okay guys,” said Twilight, “you must get started! After today, Rainbow is going to have to learn the blood barrier!”
“I’m not looking forward to that either!” I said.
“Now come on,” said Gilda, “either you jump off or I’m pushing you off! Just like I pushed you off that cloud!”
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s necessary!” I said. I wasn’t really scared at this point, but I guess I did panic a little. I spread my wings and I started counting to three in my head to coax myself into the jump. I didn’t even get to three when Gilda dived headfirst plummeting straight down like a cannonball!
“Oh no, you don’t! You’re not outdoing me that easily!” I said.
Gilda laughed as she fell backward from the cliff. “See! I told you that you were Rainbow Dash! I doubt you can catch up with me! Take this!”
“Hey!” I said as Gilda threw a couple of her daggers at me. I dodged one of the daggers no problem and I saw the other dagger coming and did a cartwheel to dodge it. Gilda got me riled up now. This time when she threw daggers at me, I threw mine at her. Our daggers deflected off each other and returned to their owners.
Now that’s interesting! It’s not me that’s the definition of awesome, it’s my weapon that is!
Gilda and I kept falling towards the cliff’s bottom in intense combat. Throwing our daggers at each other, sometimes they canceled each other out and other times the daggers hit the mark. It’s a good thing none of our wings got damaged in that process. I twisted my body to see how far down we’ve fallen and measured the vast distance to the bottom.
“Don’t look at the top,” said Gilda, “you shouldn't be concerned about how long the battle has been going on, just focus on finishing it!”
Without warning Gilda’s whip chain wrapped around one of my hooves and yanked me towards her. I took one of my daggers, severed it, and watched it sail through the air back to Gilda.
Okay, focus Rainbow! Wait a second… did I just call myself Rainbow?
While fighting Gilda I remembered something from after I officially became a Wonderblot.
I worked on the first routine with my teammates. Spitfire yelled at me ‘keep up Rainbow Dash! You need to do better than this!’ If I failed at practice then Spitfire made me fly five hundred laps around all the Wonderblot Academy buildings. Towards the end of the routine, I lost my flight pattern, crashing into a nearby trash can. My teammates started calling me Rainbow Crash after that! I hated that name because that’s the same name the kids would call me back in school.
When I arrived home from practice that day. Pinkie Pie, being Pinkie Pie, just had to throw a party to celebrate my first day on the job! As soon as I told her what happened, Pinkie Pie got a real kick out of it and said, ‘at least they didn’t call you Rainbow Trash!’ I was so pissed off that I ordered everyone to leave, especially Pinkie Pie! As usual, everyone took Pinkie Pie’s side, just like every time problems in our relationship came up! She never stood for me as I did for her!
That’s the main reason that I said no to her marriage proposal. Like usual, after I said no to her, everyone took Pinkie Pie’s side on the issue. I was humiliated! So I moved back to cloudsdale without a second thought!
Everyone felt bad about what had just happened between me and Pinkie Pie after I moved back to Cloudsdale and urged me to move back to Ponyville. I moved back after a while and made up with my friends but I could tell that Pinkie Pie still held a grudge. We discovered the elements of harmony and funny enough, Pinkie Pie received the element of laughter. I wondered why Pinkie Pie’s element of laughter ever worked in the first place. I know her laughter wasn’t much real anymore I said no to her. She acted well to hid it though and put on a good show. Maybe she should’ve tried her hoof at showbusiness.
While lost in thought, Gilda’s whip chain wrapped around my tail and she yanked hard on it. I snapped back into reality, lost my flight pattern, and crashed face-first into the cliff’s wall! I could hear Gilda laughing as I fell ten feet to the ground, landing on my back.
* * *
I got to my hooves and looked around to the creepy white room again. This time I saw Gilda on her back laughing.
“Well,” I said, “at least there aren’t any trash cans around!”
“I would laugh at that,” said Twilight, “but this time it’s not funny.” Twilight looked down and sighed, “you were upset about what happened and we should’ve been more understanding and I’m sorry that Rainbow!”
“Oh! So NOW you’re sorry about that!” I snapped, “and to add to that, you were one of the ones that took Pinkie Pie’s side after I said no to her! If you ask me, you don’t get the right to feel sorry about it now! You wanna know what you can do for me? My so-called friend? Then take that humiliating cloud of trauma away from me!”
“Oh, dear!” Twilight said.
“Oh dear is right!” I snapped, seething rage at her and I didn’t care if she was the ruler of Equestria! She humiliated me along with everyone else!
After Twilight turned her eye back to normal she hung her head with remorse.
Twilight’s tone took a depressed cadence as she said, “I think that’s enough training for one day. I think Rainbow Dash just needs a chance to cool off for a bit. If she doesn’t she just might give herself a heart attack.”
“Yeah think?” I roared at her. “Can you just escort me to my bedroom? I’m done with you right now princess. That’s why I broke up with Pinkie Pie in the first place! Everyone just loves to take her side and not listen to mine! If you had that happen to you I think you would be pissed too!”
Gilda then put a claw on my shoulder. I felt calmer for the moment. After that, Gilda volunteered to take me to my room. As soon as I got there I slammed the door shut just to make a point. I cried myself to sleep.