The wind rippled through Rainbow Dash's mane. She increased her altitude, beating her wings vigorously against the evening air. Her keen eyes caught glimpses of a scattered cottage here or there on the landscape. She flew over a small mill, surrounded by tree stumps on the edge of the North Woods.
Far below, she could see the small train winding its way through the countryside. As the sun continued to sink down below the rim of the horizon, a creeping darkness covering most of the earth below, the train was only distinguishable by the lanterns illuminating its handful of carriages. Dash tilted her wings forward and dipped low, her vibrant tail whipping in the wind. She twisted in a wide spiral, lower and lower, until she found herself in front of the speeding train. There were two sharp screams from behind her head, followed by a giggling voice.
Dash began to follow the tracks, heading the locomotive. She increased her speed, a faint cascade of rainbow colours trailing her in the semi-darkness. There was a tunnel ahead with tracks leading into the base of a large hill at the bottom of the great mountain. Rainbow looked up at the sparkling kingdom high in the sky, glowing brightly against the night sky like a heavenly body. It sat on the edge of the mountain, many spires and towers of white and gold gleaming as the stars began to reveal themselves in the atmosphere. The view was obscured as she entered the tunnel.
“NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!” A filly whimpered. “NEVER AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN!”
As she began to accelerate, Dash could feel three sets of limbs tighten against her and back, just above and between her wings. A voice she recognized as Scootaloo gave a great cheer of excitement that echoed throughout the dark tunnel. The path ahead was marked by lanterns.
“This is... scary!” Another voice whimpered.
“This is amazing, Sweetie!” Scoot roared with a laugh.
“NOPE, NOPE, I DON'T LIKE IT!” The first filly wailed. “I WANNA GIT OFF!” Apple Bloom pressed her face into Rainbow Dash's fur, shaking.
“You two scaredy-ponies begged her to fly you!” Scootaloo reminded them in an amused voice.
Dash zipped out of the other end of the tunnel. There was another shortly ahead as the ground began to elevate. Tilting her head back, she could see many tunnel entrances dotting the mountain, each one higher than the previous. Her speed began to lower as she listed to her left, away from the tracks.
“Your friends might be more comfortable if they had more room to pull my mane out!” Rainbow suggested in an amused voice. “Climb up front, kiddo!”
Scoot gave a sharp 'Yuh!' as she scrambled forward around Dash's neck. Dash hovered still in mid-air, wings buzzing like a certain orange pegasus as Scootaloo clambered on to one of Dash's forelegs. Raising that arm up to support the child, Dash saw a barely contained burst of happiness in Scoot's face. Grinning back at her friends, Scootaloo than laid forward across the arm, spreading her body out and buzzing her wings. As the train sped by next to them, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle scrambled to find more secure holding, their hooves and teeth wrapped around and chomping down on Dash's hair.
“Ow!” Dash groaned, squinting an eye. “Careful not to yank them out, girls! You all ready?”
She saw Scootaloo's body contract with excitement before relaxing once more. Small tugs on her mane told her that the fillies on her back were nodding. Dash's vibrating wings began to make larger flaps through the air and they began to rise up again. Leaning forward, Rainbow shot ahead, curving through the air alongside the next hill. She watched Scootaloo's buzzing wings, the filly's light fuchsia mane flowing as the wind blew through it.
“Let the wind catch your wings, Scoots!” Dash instructed. “Angle them upward and keep your feathers straight! Can you feel it?”
As Scootaloo did as she was told, Rainbow moved her other arm beneath the filly as well, just as a precaution. As she held tightly on to her filly, she watched Scootaloo's torso pulling against her hooves as the lift acted upon the child's wings. An excited shriek reached her perked ears.
“I can feel it! It's lifting me, Rainbow Dash!”
“Is she flyin'?!” came Apple Bloom's surprised voice. Most of the fear had left it now that she was much more secured. “Can she do it, Rainbow Dash?”
“Pretty close to it!” Dash was beaming, swelling with pride as she watched the filly's wings flexing. “Angle your wings down a little and give some long, hard flaps!”
As the little train left the next tunnel below, Rainbow watched with barely contained joy as the little wings began to flap hard against the wind. She prepared to tighten her grip against the force of Scootaloo's lift, but the tug never came. Looking keenly at the movement of the wings, Dash's heart sank as she watched them moving weirdly due to the way the bones had grown. The muscles the filly needed for sustained flight were still not strong enough to combat the handicap. Rainbow knew they may never be strong enough, but that didn't squash her determination to help the little pegasus fly one day.
“Aww...” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom echoed behind Dash's head.
“I'm trying, Sis!” Scootaloo whined. “Nothing's happening!”
“It's not a big deal!” Dash yelled ahead, the wind booming in her ears as her own wings beat faster. Even at a quicker momentum, Scootaloo could not gain any height. “Level your wings off and keep them straight and still again!”
Scootaloo went back to gliding along the air currents, which was enough to keep her spirits elevated. Dash lowered her hooves away from Scootaloo for a few seconds once the air had caught under the wings once more. Gliding at the same speed beneath Scoot, Dash watched as she was able to remain airborne for the span of several heartbeats before she lost height in earnest again. Rainbow Dash lifted her hooves to catch Scootaloo once more.
“That looked like it was a lot of fun!” Apple Bloom said. “You were glidin', Scoot!”
“Yeah... but that made my wings really tired...” Scootaloo sighed. “Do you think they'll get stronger if we keep doing it, Sis?”
“Most definitely!” Dash agreed, wrapping an arm more securely around the filly and pulling her close to her chest. “But no more right now. I don't want you to hurt your wings.”
Scootaloo gave a groan of disappointment, but nodded into Rainbow's chest. “Alright...”
“I didn't even know your wings were that good, Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle encouraged her in a squeak. “You were gliding pretty easily and it looked really natural. I guess that's a gift all pegasus ponies have?”
“Yup.” Dash said. “Bad wings or not, I think Scoots is gonna fly all on her own one day if she keeps this up! Wings are still wings.”
She felt the filly's hold on her arm tighten affectionately. Rainbow Dash looked down at Scootaloo and beamed at her. She couldn't express how proud Scootaloo made her every time the orange pegasus tried to use her wings. Despite being weak and feeble, Scootaloo's wings could still lift heavier and heavier weights whenever they trained in their basement gym. She was able to glide for short periods of time, even if it was greatly tiring to try and support her own body weight. It was going to be an uphill battle, especially as Scootaloo was going to get heavier the more she grew up, but Dash was praying that the wings themselves would continue to develop, however different they may be. Even if it seemed like Scootaloo would never be destined to fly like the average pegasus, if she was able to stay aloft for a few minutes a day, it would all be worth it. Rainbow Dash wanted to see Scootaloo soar overhead all on her own. She wanted to see the happiness in the filly's face, even if Scoot would need to be a fully grown mare before it happened.
Seeing the stars winking at her overhead, Dash had only just realized how dark it had gotten. Squinting all around her, she tried to find the little train snaking its way up the mountain. She spotted it emerging from a tunnel just below, tilted sharply as it climbed steadily. Glancing ahead of her, her eyes glimpsed the waterfalls flowing from Canterlot. The train couldn't be any more than a half an hour away from the gates.
“We'll take a quick fly around the mountain and meet the girls and Spike at the station.” Dash informed the Crusaders, pausing briefly in midair. “I don't want to do too much in the dark; if one of you fall and I can't pick you out against the mountain, it's game over.”
After getting confirmation that Bloom and Sweetie were still holding tight, Rainbow Dash began to fly around the far side of the mountain. As Luna's moon loomed overhead, the last rays of sunlight finally sank out of sight. There were more mountains in the distance to the East, making up the Foal mountain range. Rainbow knew that if she were higher, she could potentially see the glowing gem of Fillydelphia beyond them. Even further Northeast would be Manehattan, and Southeast would be Baltimare, both of which had ports and methods of crossing the ocean.
Dash tried to comprehend the idea of flying across it from Saddle Arabia, and immediately felt her old respect for the Wonderbolts rekindle. Fast flier or not, it was not a journey she thought she could make. And yet, nine of them had made it across the water and all the way to Ponyville. If Wave Chill had been with them, it would have been all ten. Soarin had a point: being a Wonderbolt was clearly not all about speed. A journey like that took tenacity and great endurance; or simply a great threat to their lives.
“Rainbow Dash, are you scared?” Scootaloo asked in a quiet voice.
Dash looked down at her, still holding her tightly to her chest. She had to give the filly credit; Scootaloo must have deduced what was going through her mind as she stared in the direction of the ocean. The filly sounded concerned, and Dash debated being honest with her.
“I... well, a little, Scoots. I'm not gonna lie to you. But it's normal to feel a little scared of something new. I ain't worried about what me or my friends will need to do, since we're the best of the best!”
“Rarity is pretty brave for the type of pony she plays!” Sweetie Belle added, peering around Rainbow's shoulder for a glimpse of Scootaloo. “She's all fine and sophisticated and all of that horseapples, but she's a fighter too!”
“Applejack is the strongest, though!” Apple Bloom said. “One quick buck to th' face and POW! Bad guys are knocked out!”
“But I bet my sister moves like a graceful dancer or something!” Sweetie Belle replied. “Strength is strength, but Rarity's got skill!”
“Please be careful...” Scootaloo said, low enough for just Rainbow Dash to hear as Apple Bloom retaliated.
“Of course I will, love!” Dash whispered back.
She gave the younger pegasus a tight squeeze and continued to circle around to the Northern face of the mountain. There were mostly plains stretched out over the horizon, leading to the Crystal Kingdom far, far away. Rainbow continued to listen with faint amusement as the two Crusaders argued over who's sister was a better fighter. Scootaloo had fallen silent. Dash could feel Scoot's head twisting this way and that as she watched the features of the land below, but Dash could tell that Scootaloo wasn't shaking or anything. At least she wasn't panicking just yet.
They moved on, Dash's wings cutting through the air like a knife as she continued to tilt one up and one down, controlling her turning as she climbed higher and higher. Finally, they saw the roofs of the Kingdom loom suddenly from behind the mountain. The pegasus and her passengers had climbed high enough to put the great city on an even level with her vision. Rainbow Dash knew she would need to fly around the place, as flying through Canterlot from the back was bound to attract unwanted attention from the Royal Guard. All three fillies, Scootaloo included, gave a gasp of awe as Dash flew by. The outer buildings of Canterlot gave the appearance of a giant castle or palace, with many high walls and battlements.
“It must cost a FORTUNE to live there!” Sweetie Belle cried in amazement as the tallest of the towers passed by.
“Bet the soil is no good, though! I'd prefer stayin' home on the farm!” Apple Bloom said, untwisting Rainbow's mane from around one of her hooves so she could sit up straight for a better look. “Betcha Canterlot is great fer tourists, though!”
“Maybe your cutie mark is related to the farm, Apple Bloom?” Scootaloo asked.
“Naw, I'm no good at sellin' apples! What else could there possibly be for me to do?” Bloom asked with a shrug. “Sweet Apple Acres is about all sellin' apples, and I learned straight away, that's not my super special talent!”
Dash rolled her eyes, a smile on her face. After all, it was only a matter of time before Apple Bloom realized that her main talent was construction. Possibly, she would be in charge of maintaining the tools and buildings of the little farm when the time eventually came for Applejack to take over the day to day operations.
Dash could remember seeing the fillies put on a talent show at the school. What a chaotic affair that had been! The fillies had mixed up their various talents with one another, causing a fiasco that earned them the 'Best Comedy Act' award when they were aiming for 'Best Musical'. Scootaloo had sung the song when it was Sweetie Belle who had the amazing voice that rivalled the famous Tiara Shores of Manehattan. Sweetie had been the backup dancer behind Apple Bloom and had designed the rickety sets.
If they had left Sweetie to sing and Apple Bloom to design the sets and possibly be a stage hand, the show would have been a great success. It would have left Scootaloo as the main dancer. Scootaloo had always been very acrobatic and fast on her scooter, and Dash was sure she would have pulled off dancing easily on her graceful hooves. She was nimble and dexterous, so it was likely that she could have even handled the stage hand duties due to her speed, Dash thought. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Rarity had all witnessed the performance as well. They had all agreed that, if the girls had done the jobs they were most suited for, the entire audience would have been greeted to a triple showing of a filly earning her cutie mark.
'One day they'll realize...' Dash mused in her mind as the train station came into view.
Rainbow Dash swooped low to the platform and gently deposited Scootaloo on to a bench. With a clatter of hooves, Dash herself landed on the wooden floor and bent low on her limbs. With squeaks and huffs, the two fillies slid down off her back. Sweetie Belle looked a little shaken, but very excited. Apple Bloom looked as if nothing made her happier than to stand on something flat.
“Well!” Sweetie Belle chimed, standing up straight and swinging a hoof while pretending to boff an imaginary hat. “Good flight, gentle lady!”
“Yer so weird...” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, standing up herself so she could push Sweetie Belle back on to all fours.
Rainbow Dash looked around the empty platform, which was illuminated by wisps of silver light floating inside crystal orbs on top of pillars. There was a single train docked at the station. It was resting on the track on the northern edge of the station. It's position suggested that it would be departing for the Crystal Empire the following morning. There were no ponies around apart from themselves and a small handful of pegasus and unicorn guards, watching them closely.
“Dash...?” Scootaloo said, slipping down off the bench and trotting to Rainbow Dash. “Do you think the Princess will be happy that we were brought along?”
“I can't see her mindin', Scoots!” Dash reassured her, sweeping Scootaloo back onto her shoulders so Scootaloo would have a nice view of the inbound train as it continued to snake its way up the mountain. “The letter said for us to get here immediately, and since you guys know all about the mission now... yeah. Princess Celestia loves all of her subjects anyway, even little fillies and colts!” Rainbow Dash didn't mention the other reason: The mares were in the full understanding that it was very possible that they would depart for the mission immediately. Whatever happened, the fillies were safest in Canterlot.
“Aaah! Okay!” Scootaloo said, sounding reassured. “Are the others gonna be here soon?”
“Of course. You can hear the train below us if you listen closely.” Dash explained, her ears picking up the faint whistle of steam.
Rainbow Dash glanced up at the clock on the face of a tower next to the station. It was nearly 9:00 PM. The fillies would certainly have a late night tonight. Craning her neck around, she glanced through the gates of Canterlot itself. Soarin was in there somewhere. Dash's chest filled with longing as she pictured him in her mind. She wanted to see him so much it felt like she had a constant stomach ache.
The train momentarily came into view, rounding a final bend below before entering the last tunnel, which would bring it up to the same altitude as the shining seat of the Regal Sisters. Dash gave Sweetie Belle a tug on the tail as the filly approached the barrier around the edge of the platform, peering down off the edge of the cliff to watch the train. Bloom stayed by the side of the blue pegasus, having little to no desire to understand precisely how high in the sky they were. Although all three of them had been to Canterlot before, Bloom herself had never been airborne longer than it took to try out for hang gliding cutie marks.
Dash was lost in her thoughts about Soarin. She really hoped that Luna had discovered something about Wave Chill. The Wonderbolts had made no contact with the wielders of the Elements, so she was unaware of how the stallion she adored had been keeping. It was hard to imagine that everything had been so perfect a little more than a week ago. Rainbow Dash was so preoccupied that she did not notice the glare of sudden sunlight from above, despite the lateness of the evening.
Dash felt Scootaloo jump off of her back and give a terrific shriek of wonder. All three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders moved to stand together, astonished at the sight before them. Rainbow turned to look at the source of the light, standing stupefied in amazement as the great white alicorn descended on to the platform.
“Princess Celestia!” Dash spoke, bending low on her hooves and bowing her head respectfully. The fillies imitated her.
“Best of nights to you, Rainbow Dash.” the Princess spoke in a soft and kind voice. The glare of sunlight surrounding her faded away. “I take it you are awaiting the rest of the Elements of Harmony?”
“We are, Princess Celestia.” Rainbow Dash confirmed, lifting her head but still maintaining the bow. “Twilight Sparkle and the rest of our friends should be arriving at any moment now.”
The towering alicorn bowed her head and Rainbow Dash straightened up. Following her lead, the three girls straightened up as well. Celestia inclined her head to the fillies, who seemed to be shaking with barely suppressed glee. It seemed that neither had dared to speak in front of the Ruler of Equestria. Celestia seemed to realize this and instead greeted them herself.
“I see I am blessed with the presence of the group styling themselves the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders', if my protegé's letters are to be believed.” Celestia spoke benignly. “A most pleasant of evenings to you all.”
“P-p... Princess Celesti-ti-tia...” Apple Bloom stuttered in a rush, bowing low again, her eyes glazed over with watery admiration as she watched the many shades of colour in Celestia's mane flowing as if caught in a breeze, although the wind was quite still.
“I, uh, a, um, good evening, uh, to you too, ah, P... Princess!” Sweetie Belle said an embarrassed but subservient mumble.
It appeared that being in the top box with Celestia at the Grand Equestrian Soccer Cup Championships did not mean the girls had a chance to break any sort of ice with her. They were looking both terrified and awed. Rainbow Dash assumed that Celestia had been too preoccupied with the delegations from Dragonspire and Griffon Peaks to have a chance to socialize with the fillies.
Sweetie Belle's eyes moved to gaze upon the flowing hair, just like Apple Bloom's. It had many colours, like Rainbow Dash's rainbow mane, but Celestia's colours were a light cobalt blue, heliotrope, cerulean, and turquoise. The mane and tail were sparkling like the stars upon the sea. The rest of the alicorn's appearance was just as impressive: A great golden tiara with an flawless amethyst sat upon her head, just behind a very long and thin horn. The crown was much larger than the black opal one of Princess Luna's. A large golden crest sat upon her chest, again fixed with an amethyst. Celestia's massive wings were folded neatly against her body. Her cutie mark was a stylized marking of the sun itself.
Scootaloo tried to speak, but it seemed that her mouth wasn't working properly. She quickly bowed again, smiling warmly with the same watery stare as Apple Bloom. Dash beamed encouragingly at Scootaloo from behind the Princess.
“Do not feel shy around me, Crusaders,” Celestia spoke, flexing her wings momentarily, “for I am always gracious to speak to the youngest ponies of our world. Age is irrelevant when it comes to respect for my fellow Equestrians.”
The fillies immediately attempted to break any bowing or other curtseying, bumping into one another as they all tried to assume a relaxed stance. Princess Celestia smiled in amusement, extending a hoof to gently pat each one. As a sharp whistle sounded just out of sight, she perked her head up. Rainbow Dash looked down from the station as well as the train finally emerged from the final tunnel, traversing the last stretch of track as it slowed to a crawl, entering the station junction.
One of the compartments opened up and Twilight Sparkle trooped out first. The two earth ponies, Applejack and Pinkie Pie, walked out immediately behind her while Fluttershy and Rarity brought up the rear with Spike. They all spread out before Princess Celestia and bowed respectfully.
“Your Majesty...” Twilight said, moving forward to give Celestia a swift embrace. “We came as soon as we could!”
“I am very glad.” Celestia spoke politely. She moved away from the train and turned to face them all once more, making sure that Rainbow Dash, the fillies, and the dragon were in view as well. Her benevolent gaze passed across each one of them. “I am most pleased to see each and every one of you. Please, join me within the Palace. The Wonderbolts are waiting there with my sister.”
Scootaloo looked even more excited at the prospect of seeing Princess Luna. Rainbow Dash had not failed to notice that the younger pegasus was quite interested in Luna. As the group began to leave the platform, flanked by a group of Royal Guards and with Princess Celestia in the lead, Rainbow Dash wondered vaguely whether or not Scootaloo had any interaction with Luna in the past. Aside from Nightmare Night and perhaps the wedding of Cadance and Shining Armor, Dash was unaware of any sort of meeting Scootaloo could possibly have had with the Princess of the Night.
Canterlot itself had grown quiet with the hour. Here and there sat a scattered business pony pouring over documents outside of a café illuminated by a candle-filled lantern. A couple sat enjoying a quiet evening together side by side on a bench next to a large yew tree. As the group walked by, each pony gave the Princess a respectful bow. As Rainbow looked all around the street, lights within a few houses flickered out. The moon shone brightly overhead. Rainbow Dash squinted at the orb and saw no sign of the outline of a mare dotting the surface, as Luna was here in Canterlot.
They made their approach to the main gates of the palace. Two armed guards stood with spears crossed over the entrance. As Princess Celestia drew nearer, they pointed their weapons away and bowed. A large and golden archway marked the entrance. The floor was made of a hard, blue stone underneath the red carpet that stretched from the entrance to a flight of stairs. The group proceeded to the second level and through a large pair of golden doors at the back of the hallway.
As they entered Celestia's throne room, the Princess gave a nod to the guards. Each one bowed deeply for a moment, and turned to leave the room. As Rainbow Dash crossed the threshold, her eyes fell immediately upon Soarin, standing with his fellow Wonderbolts by the throne and deep in quiet discussion with Princess Luna.
“Princess Luna!” Scootaloo cried out eagerly, rushing forward. Rainbow Dash made to stop Scoot from this sort of undignified greeting, but she was astounded to see Luna turn to greet the filly warmly in return, bending low on her legs and placing a hoof on the Scoot's shoulder.
She watched as Scootaloo gave her a quick hug. Luna whispered something gently to her, and Scootaloo nodded her head excitedly. Scoot turned to look back at Dash, beckoning her forward. Dash glanced sideways at Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Neither of them seemed surprised at Princess Luna greeting Scoot like an old friend. Definitely feeling as though she was missing something, Rainbow Dash moved forward. Scootaloo walked back to the blue pegasus and nuzzled against her legs.
“Thanks for bringing me, Rainbow Dash! You're the greatest big sister ever! I love getting to see Luna!” Scootaloo giggled in buoyant spirits.
As Celestia moved into the centre of the room, the rest of the wielders of the Elements moved into a cluster with the Wonderbolts. Soarin and Rainbow Dash finally caught each others eye, both grinning sheepishly and moved closer together. Spitfire finally noticed the fillies, taking off her sunglasses and looking alarmed and slightly angered at the nerve of a child being present at such an important meeting, let alone three. Dash shot her a sour look, but neither mare spoke up.
Celestia's head turned slowly to pan the room, ensuring that all of the Royal Guard had left them. Her horn glowed a bright gold and the doors to the chamber slammed shut. She nodded to both Twilight Sparkle and Spitfire, and each one stepped forward from the group to stand in front of her. Both gave a quick bow.
“Before my sister speaks, I must make a few points.” Celestia said, her mane rippling around her. “Firstly, since the Wonderbolts were attacked, communication between myself and the leadership of the Saddrabian Equines has grown icily cold. Secondly, news has begun to leak out of the kingdom nevertheless. While word has not been sent directly to Canterlot, the other countries of the Eastern Continent have informed me that Saddle Arabia has labelled the Wonderbolts as terrorists.”
Spitfire's jaw dropped. She looked to Luna and then back to Celestia, her expression blank. “I... do not understand!”
“It is my belief that The Shadow has infiltrated beyond the military by this point in time. A member of the High Council in Saddle Arabia has begun speaking out against your team, Captain Spitfire. It seems as though they are aiming to pin the attacks against the innocent on the Wonderbolts themselves.” Celestia continued, a look of great concern on her face. “Princess Luna? Please explain what you have found out.”
Celestia took a few paces back and sat down on her throne. Luna spread her wings wide and fluttered over to stand before Twilight and Spitfire. Rainbow Dash's mind was racing with dread. Had things really escalated that fast? So much for a full rebellion against the military taking place. It appeared as though a swift and silent coup has swept those in charges.
“My little ponies...” Princess Luna began, folding her wings and staring sharply at each and every face. “I have successfully managed to infiltrate the capital city. What my sister claims is true; the Saddrabian leaders have placed blame for the skirmish on the shoulders of the Wonderbolts. I can confirm that the entity known as The Shadow has returned to the desert outside of the kingdom. I have seen it with my own eyes. A great black darkness moving over the horizon... it reminds us of our awful past!” Luna boomed suddenly, losing herself for a moment.
“Princess Luna... have you found out who is responsible? What intelligence have you managed to attain?” Twilight asked, fear flooding her face.
“I cannot yet confirm who is behind The Shadow or the coup. I have, however, been able to observe the one who has been spreading propaganda. My disguises and manipulation through magic has allowed me to gain the trust of high ranking military officials in just a few short days. I have attended an address from the one responsible for turning the populace against your team, Spitfire.” Luna explained. “It is this stallion.”
Luna moved to the centre of the room, passing between Twilight and Spitfire. Rainbow Dash took Soarin by the hoof and dragged him out of the Princess' path. The rest of their friends and teammates backed away near the wall to give the alicorn space. As Luna reached the centre of the room, she turned around, horn glowing a light blue.
“Observe.” Luna commanded, a beam of white light shooting from her horn and striking the floor.
A circle of runes appeared, shimming in a magenta light. A shadowy figure rose from the circle, standing straight. He was a tall stallion, resembling a pony instead of the horses which inhabited Saddle Arabia. As this figure came into focus, details of his appearance were made visible. Rainbow Dash felt a trickle of horror flood her body, threatening to overpower her. She gave Soarin's hoof a squeeze and looked quickly into his face. Soarin's eyes were wide with shock and he was mouthing silently.
The shadow-figure was a pegasus. He looked to be around three decades in age. As the spectre became clearer and clearer, colour began to rise to the surface of his body. He had a steely blue coat and dull green eyes. His mane was of a much darker shade of blue than Soarin's. He stood devilishly on the spot for a few moments, leering at something they could not see with a wicked grin, before fading into wisps of smoke.
“Do you recognize this pony?” Luna asked, turning to look at Spitfire.
“We all do, Your Majesty...” Soarin said blankly, turning to look at Spitfire and then to Rapidfire and Blaze. “That's my brother.”