A Trail of Rainbows

by The Night Aegis

Chapter 3: Race to the rainbow

The day to fight for Fluttershy's honor had arrived; and Rainbow Dash was ready. She had gone to bed early, at least after she had calmed Fluttershy down that is.

She had even set her alarm clock and woken up at an unheard of hour for her 5:00Am, and promptly gotten herself cleaned and ready for the race. She spent over thirty minutes in a prep hanger making sure her feathers were not damaged, and to check for anything that could hinder her flight. She could NOT afford to lose this race.

Once she was cleared she hurried to the meeting place, and much to her surprise found a small contingent of foals were their waiting to see this daredevil race. Both Hoops and his buddy Dumb-bell were there. 'Fitting name' Dash though as she replayed her first hearing the name after the two colts had flown off the other day.

Dash smiled as she saw Fluttershy actually flying over and landing on a small cloud in front of the starting line. 'Heh I knew she could fly, just like Spirit said she just needs to stop worrying about the act and just do it.' Dash smiled happily as she landed at the starting line.

"You're going down!" Hoops declared as Dash planted her hooves firmly in the cloud surface at the start of the course.

"In history maybe! See you boys at the finish line!" Dash retorted with a confident grin.

The two colts growled back but held their tongues; they felt their actions and victory in the race would be more then enough to silence the young upstart filly.

Fluttershy smiled weakly from her place in front of the three ponies, and raised the flag a hush falling on the foals watching, while Dash and the two colts spread their wings ready for take-off.

Fluttershy waved the checkered flag; and the three racers bolted into the air and blazed three blurred color trails past the shy mare. Who was caught in the backwash of surging air from the passing ponies and gasp as she was spun around like a top, right over the edge of the little cloud she had been standing on. She flapped her wings, and flailed her legs and hooves as she plummeted from the skies a loud cry of shock and fear being ripped from her lungs as gravity called her to a painful date with the ground below. 'I'm going to die.' She thought sadly as she screamed her way down.

Unaware of her friend's plight, Dash pushed herself into full afterburner; the wind rushed by her as she flew as fast as she had ever flown before. The drive, the desire to win making her heart pump faster and faster, her blood singing with the adrenaline rush of the race.

The course had rings at several intervals, each at different angles of approach; which would force any flyer to calculate and consider their path well in advanced of actually going through it.

The three ponies surged through the first ring, then they rolled into a coil of rings before diving down and then going into a loop. Dumb-Bell and Hoops poured on the power, trying to push past the fluttering rainbow tail of the filly that constantly threatened to pull away from them. Next were several rings that were near several fixed weather machines, that shot violent bursts of wind, rain, and sleet at any flyer on the course; the goal was to navigate the rapidly changing conditions into the next part of the course.

Dash found herself replaying much of what Pepper had taught her, 'Gotta feel the wind.' She reminded herself as she used the currents created by the stormy conditions to fly WITH the winds and not fight against them. Behind her Hoops and DB wrestled with the weather, all but bulldozing their way through and holding close to Dash's tail.

The three foals entered into one of several cloud canyons, as they went into a steep high angle turn, Dumb-bell hit a updraft of turbulence and careened into a wall of cloud, skipping off it and boring head-first into a nearby cloud pillar that held up a course marker flag. The little colt was left stuck inside the pillar with his head seeing swirling rainbow stars and a rather large knot on his head.

Ignoring the crash of the other colt Dash pushed on a head, catching a strong tailwind current which gave her a burst of speed as she zipped through one ring and then another leaving a zig-zagging prismatic blur in the sky.

Just as she past a ring that was shortly before a cloud canyon, Hoops rammed into her sending her off course and forced to pull up and go into a loop to get back on course. "See you later Rainbow Crash!" The colt shouted as he dove into the canyon and then following the rings; nosed down into a steep dive.

Dash growled as she pulled out of the loop, the flapping dark brown tail of Hoops fluttering a good distance ahead of her in the lead. 'Oh no you don't.' Dash snarled to herself; she could not afford to lose this race.

Nosing down into her own dive, Dash poured on the power; her wings flapping as hard as they ever had before, she dumped everything into it. All her joy, excitement, and thirst for flying and the desire to win she started to feel herself start to gain more and more speed and momentum.

Ahead of the little foal a wall of pressurized air began to form into a little bubble in front of her; she was starting to push into the super sonic range of speed.

The foal could hear as if a freight train was roaring right in her ears, the wind lashed at her face, eyes, ears, and body; threatening to peel her like a fruit. As her eyes narrowed in determination Dash pushed onwards. The shock wave ahead of her began to form itself into a sharp cone that started to wrap around her.

Hoops could see the cloud ring below coming into view and prepared himself for a sharp nose up action when he passed it; he had to time it right otherwise it would be a painful meeting with the solid ground below.

Suddenly out of no-where Hoops heard a sharp crack of thunder and a surging blast of air hit him like a stampeding earth pony. The little colt cried out as he was sent into a out of control spiral away from the high-speed pressure wave. Out of the corner of his confused and now spinning vision he saw a blur of blue and rainbow colors streak past him.

Rainbow Dash pushed on having successfully past the colt, she was in the lead and intended to stay there. Suddenly as the cloud ring approached; Dash felt a sudden pop and just as she pulled up, her body passing through the cloud ring, all sound ceased to exist for her.

The foal blazed a trail of sparkling rainbow light into the skies as a prismatic sonic shock-ring blossomed out from the point a short distance above the ground where she had pushed past the mach-barrier.

Dash as she raced upwards blowing through more rigs at breath-taking speeds she glanced back and saw she had in fact actually made a sonic-rainboom.

Rainbow Dash felt her spirits soar to all new heights. 'I JUST BROKE THE SOUND BARRIER!' she thought excitedly as she flew through the last ring and past the finish line. The foals that had watched the race stamp on their hooves and scream cheers of joy, excitement, and surprise; all of them began to chant "RAINBOW DASH! RAINBOW DASH!" as the filly left a picture-perfect rainbow crescent arching over the camp.

"BEST DAY EVER!" Dash shouted as she started to turn to come back in to the Camp's airspace.

Nearby the last of the rainboom shock-wave demolished one more bank of clouds that made up one of the "Tempest" Course cloud canyons. The wave bulldozed the cloud vapor back; until its prismatic energies struck a hidden little sphere of glowing magics.

In a bright shower of sparks, and beams of lights the sphere shattered like it was glass, breaking the fading ring of spectrum light.

There now sitting on a small speck of cloud, the only cloud in the area was a little colt, with a coat of dark navy blue, looking as if the dark night sky had left a little living drop of itself behind. With a small shack the little foal sent its mane and tail of bright rainbow colors fluttering in the wind, a heft prismatic forelock resting upon his forehead. with a wide open yawn, its eyes fluttered open only to go wide in shock and bewilderment. Soft ice-aqua blue eyes looked around in utter confusion at its surroundings.

"W-where...am I?" The little pony asked to a world that looked to big, to open, to...bright.

So the little colt did what any young foal does when it is unsure, when it is frighten and alone. He cried out as loud as his lungs would allow. "HELP!"

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash sighed contently as she absorbed the admiration, congratulations, and applauds of her fellow campers as they swooned over her amazing accomplishment. She had manged to catch her breath as she had come into land and was about to see what her friend Fluttershy thought about her sonic-rainboom when a firm voice rang out over the clouds.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF CELESTIA IS GOING ON OVER HERE!?" Iron Eagle demanded as he stood their glaring at the foals, with two other stallion instructors at his side.

The little ponies shrank under the head instructors dominating glare which soon zeroed in on Dash who gulped as Iron made his way over to her.

"Rainbow Dash, I take it you were the one who just put on that performance that shook the entire camp?" He asked, his voice stern but not as over-powering as it had when he had announced his presences.

"Y-yeah! I totally just did a sonic-rainboom!" Dash said trying to put on a strong face for the stallion who seemed not to notice her nervousness behind the mask.

"I see. For that I wish to congratulate you." Iron said giving her a small smile before a frowned of disappointment replaced it. "However, my guess is that with so many foals here and with the starting banner for the Tempest Course wrecked over there. You were just racing through the Tempest Course?"

Dash gave a small nod and a nervous smile. "Yes sir. I did."

The stallion narrowed his eyes, and looked to Dash and the other ponies about ready to explode when he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A slow exhale later and he regarded the little filly with a raised brow and seeming neutral expression. "Is that so than I-hmm?" The stallion cut out for a moment, as his head swiveled too and fro his ears erected and alert.

Dash felt her own ears perk up; she could have sworn she just heard some pony calling for help.

"Dash stay here until I come back." Iron said with a small sigh before he turned to the yellow coated instructor on his left. "Jackie come with me, Dandy you stay with the foals here." The bright green stallion gave a curt nod as Iron and Jackie took flight.

Dash sighed and looked around, 'While he is gone I can at least see what Fluttershy thought about the race.' She thought with a small smile, which slowly started to fall as she failed to find the shy pink-maned pegasus amongst the crowd of foals.

"Hey where's Fluttershy?" Dash asked one of the foals nearest to her.

The little amber orange filly shrugged her shoulders. "Not sure, I saw her wave the flag for the start of the race, but after that I don't know."

The instructor Dandy walked up with a look of mild concern. "Is something wrong Dash?" He asked notting the look of growing worry on the little filly's face.

"Yeah I can't find Fluttershy, she's my best friend, and wingmate I would have figured she would have stayed to see me win the race for her honor." Dash sighed as she allowed her head to slump a look of sadness slowly forming upon her face.

"DASH!" A small chestnut brown colt flew up to her. "I was trying to get the others to help, Fluttershy fell off that cloud she was on and I haven't seen her since!"

"WHAT!?" Dash and Dandy shrieked, look of horror and shock on their faces. Dash in an instant bolted for the cloud edge.

"HEY WAIT!" Dandy shouted racing after her before glaring back at the foals. "ALL OF YOU STAY HERE!"

With that and annoyed grunt the stallion raced after the rapidly descending filly.

May 18th 1854 A.D. 7:08AM Canterlot Castle

Celestia stared out at the brilliant blue skies over the distant lands of Equestira from one her preferred perches; the balcony of one of the castles observation towers. Far in the distance a brilliant rainbow seemed to be creating itself out of a massive and beautiful sonic-rainboom that was blossoming out into the open skies. 'Well, somepony just made a quite visible achievement." She mused with a proud smile at what one of her little ponies had just done.

Suddenly as the blossoming ring of light expanded outwards, her senses became unusually heightened and tense. 'What is this feeling? Could it be?' Here eyes went wide as she remembered the past time she had felt this feeling; like someone was drawing a knife's edge along her spine, almost teasingly. It clenched her heart with an strong senses of dread, fear, and sadness. 'Why? Why now?' She wondered, as the ring dispersed further the feeling grew with it. "Sandrock!" she called out sharply, moments later a old but strong looking earth pony stallion rushed to her side.

"Yes your Majesty?" He asked, his breathing hinting at the labor of his run.

"Gather the trackers, more of the sleepers have awakened." The princess said grimly, noting sadly the now suddenly hardened look on her friend's face.

"Understood ma'am, we will find them." With a brisk salute the stallion was off.

Turning to look back at the rainboom the majestic princess felt hear spirit sink a little the more she thought about what this feeling would mean. 'I have not felt this many..since..."

As her mind began to wonder back to ages past; her trip back into the reaches of time was interrupted by a sudden sound of crashing wood, masonry, and glass. Glancing up towards the tower just outside the castle, the one holding one of the main exam rooms for her School for Gifted Unicorn. There towering through a hole its mass head had just made was a innocent looking though fully grown purple scaled Earth Dragon. 'Hmmm...'

Celestia quickly made her way to the school. She would have to deal with this issue first, before turning her attention to the matter of past mistakes.

May 18th 1854 A.D. 12:00PM Altostratus Summer Flight Camp, Staff Offices.

Rainbow Dash continued to give small apologies to Fluttershy as the walked together down the white hallways ; it had taken a few hours to find her, but Dash and Dandy did and brought her back to the camp safely. Still Dash felt horrible, she had done the race to defend her friend's honor; only to almost kill her by accidentally pushing her off the cloud she was standing on. Fluttershy for her part seemed quite calm and fine about the ordeal, openly forgiving Dash and hugging her friend when they had first reunited on the ground.

Once they had returned, they found that one of the councilors had been ordered to retrieve both Dash and Fluttershy when they returned. They were instructed to head for the camp's main office, the office of Iron Eagle.

So with some trepidation Dash found herself after having tried to apologize again; stood with Fluttershy staring at the imposing door to Iron Eagle's office.

With a small gulp Dash gave the door a firm knocking.

Beside her Fluttershy shrank back as the door opened on its own.

"Come in." Iron said with an unusually soft voice, drawing a confused look from the two fillies.

Slowly they entered to find their instructors and friends Wild Spirit, and Flame Pepper. Sitting in two chairs were Dumb-Bell and Hoops, both of whom looked as if they had just been caught steeling sweets and were caught by their mothers.

"Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy would you both please have a seat." Iron said gesturing to two other cloud seats near the two colts.

"Now tell me, why did you chose to race on the Tempest Course, when you know it is off-limits to foals." Iron asked sternly as he took a seat behind his desk, easing into the plush looking cloud chair.

"These two were bullying Fluttershy, calling her names, and-" "NO WE WEREN'T!" Hoops snapped back glaring at the filly.

Fluttershy tried to shrink into her mane to hide, while Dash, Hoops, and Bell glared daggers at each other.

"Enough." Iron said finally, a frown forming on his features before his gaze softened and he looked over to Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy, would you tell me what happened please?" He asked gesturing a hoof to her to speak.

"M-me? Uh-um well, sir, these two well, they saw me trying to fly and I failed at it. I fell down the slop of one of the hangers and got caught by a camp banner. I crashed." The little yellow filly said softly. Most of the other ponies leaned in to be sure to hear her.

"They were laughing at me, called me Clutzershy, and that I shouldn't be allowed to fly." She said with a small whimper.

Hoops, and Bell looked ready to butt in but a firm glare form the stallion kept them quite.

"Then, Dash she came down and stood up for me. The two colts challenged her to a race. The winner would be recognized as the hotshot of the camp."

Iron nodded and then looked towards Dash before pulling open a folder.

"Rainbow Dash, born December 7th 1845, daughter of Stratus Prism and Honey Dawn. Part of the of the Aegis family, also known as the Knight's Rainbow for the achievements, and honorable service rendered by several members of your family line.." The stallion snorted as he closed the folder.

"Your family as far as I'm concerned Dash, is a honorable one, no different than Fluttershy's or any other pony here." He glanced to the two colts.

"I know some of the foals have been giving you a hard time, as of this moment Dash I want this to be clear as possible. Your family is not a disgrace, and its honor is intact without question. Do not allow those with such short-sighted views weight you down." The stallion gave her a small smirk.

"After all, it looks like your family's great heritage just bore fruit once more. Only members with blood ties to your family have ever had the skill, determination, and spirit to make a Sonic Rainboom. There are other families that can boast of having made similar feats, but few of them are as spectacular as the one your family can make."

The stallion leaned back with a sigh.

"However, your great accomplishments aside; both the sonic rainboom and your newly acquired cutie mark, you still broke camp rules." The stallion's face hardened as he looked sternly to the foals.

"If not for one small matter you would all be sent back home this instant." The stallion closed his eyes and took a shaking deep breath before he exhaled slowly and slowly opened his eyes to regard the foals with a curious look of concern.

"However, right now I am reserving that decision until this small matter is dealt with. Come with me."

Without another word the small heard of pegasi followed the stallion as he lead them all out into the hallway and headed towards the exit platform. Taking wing he took off, leading the others to the camp's infirmary and landed without a word or sound. The little foals followed close behind, with Spirit carrying Fluttershy on his back, but also neither he or Pepper said a word despite the worried looks from the four foals.

"What's going on?" Hoops finally asked, Iron looking to him with a small sigh.

In a short period of time, the small flock had arrived at a door marked "Observation Room" and slowly they entered.

Inside the room were several seats all overlooking a large pane of dark tented glass, on the other side of which was a bright lit room with a examination table at the center. Around the table were small dollies with trays full of various silver examination equipment and tools. On the wall were some bright and peaceful paintings as well as several cabinets marked with what was contained within each. A long work bench rested atop the cabinets that ran along the floor on the far side of the room; neatly placed upon it were dozens more strange medical equipment and things that were all very foreign to the foals who looked on curiously.

Their curiosity wasn't so much for the room itself, but for what sat inside the room. Resting or rather shaking nervously on the examination table was a young pegasus colt; he looked no older than Dash or Hoops. His fur looked like it was standing on end, his tail snapped back and forth as he looked around nervously. His ears were constantly moving, obviously searching for noises and their origins. His eyes were wide and full of fear, confusion, and worry, while his fore hooves fidgeted with each other.

"Who's that?" Hoops asked as he looked over the pony before smirking to Dash "Is he your cousin or something Dash? He has a mane just like yours!" He said with a small giggle

Rainbow seemed unaware of what was said as she stared at the little colt. Her wine colored eyes focused on the colt; slowly screening over every little detail. 'He looks like...' Dash bit her lip as she looked to the grown-ups with a worried look.

"We were hoping you four might know who this colt is. We found him stranded on a small cloud a fair distance out near one of the cirrius cloud canyon turns." Iron said as he looked away from the colt to the foals inside the room with him.

"I've never seen the guy before." Hoops said looking up.

"Me neither." DB added as he stood up next to his friend.

"Are you sure?" Pepper finally asked, her eyes glancing to Dash who shrank back under their gaze.

"Honest, we've never seen that pony before. I still think he is related to her though, he has a rainbow mane after all." Hoops said sharing a chuckle to DB before a snort from Iron silenced it.

"Very well then, you two may go. I expect both of you to be in your rooms until tomorrow. Your instructors will hand out your punishment tomorrow after sun-up." The stallion said as he moved to stand before Rainbow Dash.

"But!-" "Or would you rather we send you home to your parents now?" Iron snapped, cutting the argument off. The two colts shook their heads and quickly made a hasty exit.

"What about you two?" Spirit asked walking over to Fluttershy who took another look at the other foal.

"I well um, I've not seen him before. He looks so scared." She said hiding a little behind her hooves and mane.

"I...I think he looks like my brother." Dash finally said looking over to tall stallion next to her. "But, he...he can't be." Dash finally said looking away from the sight of the little colt.

Iron nodded and move to say something when a gentle knocking came to the door. "Hello?" a soft mare's voice rang out as the door slowly opened. Poking her head in was Honey Dawn, who looked around the dim room before spotting Iron and the others.

"Ah Mrs.Dawn, I trust you and your husband had no trouble at the front desk?" Iron asked, as he walked over to greet the two new arrivals. Dash blasted past the stallion before he could utter another word.

"MOM! DAD! I MADE A SONIC RAINBOOM!" She squealed at them excitedly.

"Dash!" Stratus gasped as he rushed to his daughter nuzzling her gently. "I'm so proud of you!" He chimed happily.

Dash smiled and giggled as her father brushed her mane out of her face. Her mother quickly joined in and gave her little filly a loving kiss to the forehead, earning a show of embarrassment from the little foal as she made a gagging noise and tried weakly to push her loving mother away. "Mom! There are other ponies watching." Her mother only smiled more and hugged her closer.

A soft cough drew the happy ponies out of their world of proud celebration as Iron walked up to them.

"As important as her accomplishment is for you family, I'm afraid that is not the reason we summoned you two here." Both Prism and Dawn looked to each other in confusion before looking to the head camp stallion with worried looks.

"Why did you call us here then?" Prism asked, a sudden feeling of tension filling the room.

"Mom, Dad?" Dash said softly, drawing worried looks from her two parents.

She pointed with a slow hoof to the glass and the two looked and for the first time laid eyes on the little foal inside the other room. Both looked as if they had just seen a ghost, which started to change to looks of deep pain and sorrow; as if the ghost had just twisted a knife in them.

"I-it can't be..." Dawn muttered softly covering her mouth as a small sob escaped past her clenched jaw as she looked on with suddenly tear streaked eyes.

Prism felt like his jaw had just detached itself, and landed on the floor; he couldn't form any of the words his mind wanted to say.

"I'd say based on your reactions; this foal's resemblance to your son is beyond remarkable." Iron commented softly turning to look at the colt with a worried look upon his face.

"Remarkable? This...this has to be the worst prank in the history of Equestria." Prism all but growled as he started to glare towards the colt.

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked turning his hurt and infuriated gaze towards the head instructor.

"We don't know. This colt was found shortly after Rainbow Dash performed her Sonic-Rainboom, he was found alone on a single piece of cloud out in open sky. We talked to him at length before I had him brought to this room to be checked over. He has no memories of who he is, where is from, who his family is or anything that could help identify him."

Iron turned to lock eyes with the now stunned Prism.

"You have my word, that nopony at this camp would have the gal to pull a trick as bad as this." Iron said before he broke his eyes away from the bright orbs of Prism.

"Well then, what-"

Suddenly the door that lead into the exam room flew open and a small group of Royal Guards marched into the room with the little foal. "There it is, grab it!" One of the pegasi snapped, a white unicorn guard nodded and his horn shimmered brightly as he ensnared the little pony in a magical field. The colt started to scream and struggled.

Iron and the others stood motionless for only a instant before the head instructor burst into the other room through the observation room's side door.

The guards blinked in surprise as in a blur of motion the head stallion shoved his way through them and rammed his shoulder into the unicorn who's magic held the little pony in its grasp. With a startled yelp the colt fell to the soft white floor and quickly ran and hid under the table.

"What the buck do you think your doing?!" Iron snarled, glaring daggers at the guards.

"We are doing our job, now stand aside! We are here on order by her Majesty!" One of the darker coated pegsai guards shouted back, stepping up to face the head pony.

"It looks to me like your trying to foal nap a little pony." Pepper snapped as she flew into the room though the open side door, soon followed by Spirit who both took up places on either side of Iron Eagle.

"Look here, what it looks like to you is irrelevant. We have our orders and you will step aside or we will arrest you for interference with a royal matter." A tan pegasi guard snapped at them.

The tension in the room began to rise further, which suddenly heightened when Prism trotted into the room, and quietly walked over to the little foal. Ignoring all of the stares from the guards he came to look at the shaking little foal who cowered under the table looking up as if he were gazing up at a rampaging dragon.

"Hey little guy, what's your name?" He asked softly, his eyes and expression giving no obvious hint to what he was thinking to the colt.

"I-I don't know. I don't know where I am or where I'm from. I just know I was sleeping, then I heard a loud boom and then I was alone on a small cloud high in the sky with nowhere to go."

Prism nodded before he closed his eyes took a deep breath, and following its slow exhale he smiled at the little pony before moving back to lock eyes with the royal guard ponies.

"You said that this isn't our business, I beg to differ. Now either explain or prove to us that your in the right, or get the buck out of here."

The guards regarded the stallion with cold eyes for a moment before a black coated unicorn gave a amused snort and looked to the white unicorn. "You can run the test here can't you Shimmering Aegis?"

The other unicorn blinked in surprise but nodded curtly to the other pony "Yes sir Major, I can. But we were-" The other unicorn cut him sharply "Then run the test."

With a wide eye expression of shock the unicorn nodded and slowly approached Iron and the others who barred his path to the little colt.

"We can prove one way rather or not, that the thing hiding under that table isn't a foal and is in fact a threat to the kingdom." The black unicorn said as he walked up to the defiant pegasi. "If you'd let us run the test we can avoid any...unwanted problems." He said with a confident smile.

The pegasi regarded him with unconvinced looks until a shrill scream rang out again, this one obviously one of pain and terror. Looking back the saw the colt clutching at his left wing, and a small drop of blood stained the cloud floor. Floating away was a single feather, with a fresh drop of blood on the root of it. The sight of this made Iron and the others glare infuriated daggers at the guards, even the pegasi guards look rather unhappy with the act of ripping a feather from a pegasus's wings.

"That enough Shimmering?" The dark guard asked.

The other unicorn nodded and sighed "Yes sir, still I don't think this is needed." The stallion turned and began casting a spell on the feather. His horn blossoming into a small sparkler of magic fire as the feather began to shimmer like it was a glass sculpture caught in the light of the sun itself. Suddenly a sphere of magic enveloped the little feather, filling the room with such light as to cause the ponies to clench their eyes for a moment.

As the light faded the room fell silent, all except the sobbing cries of the little colt whom had pushed himself further away from the royal guards; now trembling in a far corner of the room.

Floating for all to see the sphere of magic began to show two images, which slowly cleared to that of two ponies. The images slowly began to become clearer, and clearer until finally two perfect portraits of a stallion and a mare were there for all to see.

"That's me and my wife." Prism said softly looking at the mirrored images of himself and Honey Dawn. With a small snort the dark coated unicorn looked to the other guards and motioned them to the door with a head motion before he turned to lock eyes with the disruptive pegasi.

"I will say this, we came here by order of Princess Celestia herself, and we trust her insight." The stallion slowly approached Prism who stood his ground firmly.

"The princess is not perfect and can make mistakes; I hope you can forgive her and ourselves for our mistake in this matter." With that the unicorn gave a slow respectful bow and then turned sharply and left.

As the door closed, Prism, Pepper, Spirit, and Iron turned to look over towards the colt only to find Dawn there gently licking at the place where the guard had plucked the feather from.

Prism looked at the sighed with mixed felling before he glanced back to the spell that still showed who the colt's parents were. At least that is what the guard ponies said it did.

'Does this mean...he is really our son?' Prism closed his eyes again, and recalled what he felt when he he had taken a whiff of the colt's scent, when he had, a small tiny part of his mind seemed to click with the origin of the scent. It was familiar and one he knew he could never forget.

"Sooo who is he then?" Dash asked, her voice drawing her father out of his deep train of thought.

Dash stood near her mother looking at the frighten teary eye colt who looked back at her in fear.

Slowly Prism walked over and sat down next to his wife and the foal and gave a warm smile as he looked at them. With one final glance to the magical sphere he turned and looked to his daughter, and son.

"Well..." Prism felt himself unsure of how to say what he felt, what he knew in his heart to be the truth.

"Dash, this is Rainbow Comet." Dawn said softly. The colt looked up to the mare with a look of confusion, which Dawn answered with a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"I-I'm Rainbow Comet?" The colt asked, as he felt the gentle touch of Dawn's lips upon his forehead.

"And this Comet, is your sister Rainbow Dash." Prism said softly, smiling brightly at the colt who looked between him and Dawn before looking to Dash; now with a look not so much of fear but curiosity.

"Rainbow Dash?" He asked the filly looking unsure of what to say or think.

"Yes?"

"Did you make the boom that woke me up?"

"Yes, I did. I made a sonic-rainboom!" She said her pride quickly over coming her unease about this colt who she had not seen until today becoming the brother she had only ever known from a single baby picture back home.

"A sonic-rainboom? That sounds cool." The colt said with a small smile; which obliterated the tension and nervousness that had been griping the little filly since she had first laid eyes on the rainbow-maned colt.

"It was pretty cool huh? Yeah I'm gonna be wonderbolt someday!"

The colt smiled "That sounds awesome, could I be one too?" he asked

Dash grinned at the colt and reached in an drew him into a tight hug "Heh, stick with me Bro and you and I'll be wonderbolts in no time!" She said confidently.

Nearby as Iron Eagle, Wild Spirit, Flame Pepper, and Fluttershy watched the family embracing the colt into their lives; the magical sphere slowly started to shimmer before it burst like a giant water balloon. A burning feather fell towards the floor, becoming nothing but ashes before it could touch the cloud.

May 18th 1854 A.D. 12:45PM Altostratus Summer Flight Camp

The dark coated unicorn Obsidian Lance, a Sgt Major in the Royal Guards trotted down the steps leading away from the flight camp infirmary, a look of utter annoyance upon his face.

"Sir, what will we tell her majesty? She ordered us to capture the sleeper." One of the pegasi guards asked only to shrink back under the fury filled glare he got from the unicorn.

"We will tell her the truth, that we came here to get the creature. That we were interrupted by several camp instructors as well as a member of the Aegis family. We will also inform her that the test that should have proven that the sleeper was in fact a fake pony failed." The stallion snorted at the end glaring at the clouds ahead of him.

"Sir, the test didn't fail it-" The other unicorn wasn't able to finish before he went silent as the horn on the major glowed brightly and he felt the pressure of magic on his throat; it was a warning, plain and simple to be quite.

"The test had to have failed. There is no possible way a sleeper could have parents, or family." The stallion snapped before he stormed further a head of the group.

'There is no way, a sleeper, a creature from another dimension and would could ever have blood ties in this world.' The stallion though darkly as he headed for the chariot that the pegasi guards would use to take him and the other unicorn Star Shield back to Canterlot.