//------------------------------// // li - Nike and the Scorpion // Story: The Path of Absolution - Punishment // by Morningstar1337 //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, Silver Spoon, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Apple Bloom, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Fluttershy were on a crimson raceway. They looked at the cerulean sky. “Well” Rainbow Dash said. “Glad to see a normal sky for a change.” “Glad you like it, cause you’re gonna be staying here for a long time.” A red-violet earth pony with a white mane and tail approached the group. She was followed by  a large scorpion. “Who the hay are you?” Rainbow Dash asked. The earth pony said, “I’m Scorpio, and this is my racetrack.” The group looked around the raceway. They saw a vast expanse of desert along with some unusual scenery such as geysers, glaciers, and a nearby spring. There were also some bleachers nearby. The giant scorpion looked at Rainbow Dash. She felt a little worried, but she hid it behind a layer of bravado. Scorpio said, “Seems like Trismegistus wants to race you.” Rainbow Dash boasted, “Hah as if that giant bug could beat me. I could fly circles around it in ten seconds flat.” “I don’t know,” Scorpio said. “Trismegistus has never lost a race.” “First time for everything,” Rainbow Dash said. “Alright then,” Scorpio said. “Meet us at the starting line and I’ll tell you the rules.” Scorpio and Trismegistus left. The group looked around for the starting line. After a few hours, Rainbow Dash found a strange crystal. Its cerulean hue matched the sky and rainbow dash’s coat color perfectly. “Hey guys,” Rainbow Dash said. “Look!” The other nine ponies went around Rainbow Dash and the cerulean gemstone. “This looks kinda familiar,” Sweetie Belle said. “Didn’t we see a greenish one at that meadow?” Fluttershy said. “And there was a blueish one at that beach!” Pinkie Pie said. “Come to think of it,” Apple Bloom said. “There was a pinkish one in that valley.” Twilight Sparkle noticed that every time they picked up one of these crystals, the next thing they knew, they woke up someplace else. “I think we should avoid these crystals.” Twilight wasn’t the only one that saw the connection. Rainbow Dash said, “I agree. We shouldn't touch the crystals.” The ponies left the area. But Rarity looked back at the crystal. She knew she saw Libra use a similar one on her gens in the last trial. ‘No Rarity, you must not touch the stone.’ She looked back and saw how shiny it looked. She tried to resist and walked away. But she saw Pinkie Pie gallop past her. The other ponies looked back as Pinkie Pie looked at the cerulean crystal. “Ooh,” Pinkie Pie said. “Shiny.” “Pinkie, No!” Rainbow dash said. The other ponies tried to stop her, but it was too late. She touched the crystal. The cerulean crystal flashed and a blinding light engulfed the ten ponies. After the flash subsided, they vanished without a trace. A few hours later, Rainbow Dash and her group woke up near the gates. There were some hot air balloons and an arch nearby. Scorpio approached them and said , “So you took the shortcut, huh?” “What shortcut?” Rainbow Dash said. The last thing she remembered was Pinkie Pie touching the cerulean crystals. Scorpio picked up one of these crystals. “You’ve seen these crystals before, right?” RaInbow Dash said, “Yeah, for a few seconds before waking up somewhere else.” Scorpio said, “Yeah, these warp crystals are helpful in setting up the challenges, they secrete some magic that makes ponies attracted to them. Then, it warps them somewhere else. Normally away from the challenge, or to a point in the future where the trial finished, but sometimes they set up a part of the challenge. This time they helped save you a long desert walk to the start.” The other ponies looked around the starting point. They saw the armada of hot air balloons. Pinkie Pie walked up to Scorpio. “Ooh, what are those balloons, for? You having a party? I just love love love parties...” Rainbow Dash was a little curious about the balloons. Scorpio said, “They’re for the spectators.” “Spectators?” Rainbow Dash said. The ponies never saw anypony else in the trials except themselves and one or two ponies per area. Everyone saw a herd of ponies galloping towards the race. “There’s also a balloon for you too.” Scorpio trotted towards the nearest balloon. There was something familiar about the purple and yellow balloon. Pinkie Pie squealed a bit. Twilight Sparkle wondered why said balloon looked like the balloon in Equestria. The Cutie Mark Crusaders wondered if they could get a cutie mark for hot air ballooning. Scorpio said, “The race is about to start. Everypony who isn't competing should get in the balloon.” Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Silver Spoon, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie belle went in the balloon. Scorpio took a rope connected to the the balloon and tied it to Rainbow Dash, much to the latter confusion. “What gives?” she said. Just then, Trismegistus had warped into the starting point. Scorpio said, “Your tasks are to race my buddy and to get your friends back here.” The balloon with her friends inside started to rise. Rainbow Dash unfolded her wings. “Easy peasy.” The crystal that Scorpio had shown them earlier flashed brilliantly. Everypony closed their eyes. When the flash subsided, Rainbow Dash was in for a nasty surprise. Her wings were gone. There were two sparkling crimson slits of magic where the wings were. “My wings. What did you do to my wings?” Scorpio said, “This is a race on the ground, not in the sky. If you want to win, you’ll have to do it by galloping. The warp crystals are a far more effective at grounding pegasi than rope. You know, you can forfeit the race at anytime.” Rainbow Dash was a little unnerved. But she still felt that she could win. She did run very far in the running of the leaves. “Heh, no sweat. I can beat that oversized scorpion with or without wings!” Scootaloo shouted, “You can do it, Rainbow Dash!” Rainbow Dash assumed the starting position, a little bit relieved that least her friends were there to support her. Dozens other ponies boarded the balloons and soon the sky was littered with them. Trismegistus raised it’s claw ready to race Rainbow Dash. Scorpio went to the top of the arch. “Fillies and Gentlecoats!” She said, “Are you ready?” The crowd cheered as the race started. “Get set...” Scorpio said. Trismegistus started the race early. Rainbow Dash and the ponies on her balloon were baffled. “GO!” Scorpio said. She waved a checkered banner. Rainbow Dash galloped to catch up to the cheating scorpion. “What was that for. You totally cheated!” Trismegistus smirked. He knocked Rainbow Dash back with her tail and moved forward. With the exception of her friends, the crowd in the balloons booed Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash said, “So that’s the way you wanna play? Fine!” She galloped to close the gap with Trismegistus. The ponies in Rainbow Dash’s balloon looked to the other balloons. They saw the ponies were still heckling Rainbow Dash. They entered a forest. Twilight saw Trismegistus used it’s claw to cut some of the crimson trees and blocked Rainbow Dash’s path. “Rainbow Dash!” Twilight said. “Look out!” Rainbow Dash heard Twilight Sparkle and saw that her path was blocked by tree. She jumped on the trees and went over the blockade. The ponies in the loose balloons still jeered Rainbow Dash. “Somethin’ ain’t right, Twi,” Applejack said. “Them ponies over there seem to be cheering that cheater on.” Twilight saw the ponies on the other balloons. She saw that these “ponies” were constructs of dark magic. She tried to use her horn to get rid of the magic constructs, but Scorpio appeared in front of Twilight and said, “Ah-ah-ah, no attacking the spectators. It’s in the rules.” and warped away. A rulebook appeared where Scorpio had been. Twilight read the book and saw that that the rule was in the book. The book vanished a second later. “Drat,” Twilight said. Soon, Rainbow Dash and Trismegistus were at a beach. The sand was crimson from the heat. Rainbow Dash didn't see Trismegistus anywhere in sight. “Hah, you couldn't take the heat?” She tried to tune out the jeers of the peanut gallery that were he ponies on the untethered balloons and galloped onwards. But Trismegistus was hiding in the sands.He struck Rainbow Dash with his tail, but she dodged. “Hey” Rainbow Dash said. “What gives?” The scorpion's tail tried to strike Rainbow Dash. But she was too agile even on the ground. Trismegistus opted for another approach. He emerged from the ground and caused a sandstorm. Rainbow Dash couldn't see through the sand, and neither could the ponies on her balloon. Rainbow Dash tried to escape the sand, but the sand changed her direction and she was going backwards. The sandstorm has subsided. Rainbow Dash saw the crimson woods. The magic constructs continued to jeer Dash. “You stink!” said a construct. “Trismegistus is twenty times the racer you’ll ever be!” shouted another racer. “‘Ten seconds flat?’” shouted a third. “More like ten years.” Rainbow Dash’s ears were bombarded with insults. She felt like she was alone. She saw that Trismegistus had already entered the desert. She laid down in the red sand and considered forfeiting. “You can do it, Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo said from the balloon. “You can still win!” Rainbow Dash looked to the balloon still tethered to her body. “Come on, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “You faced worse than that cheater.” “It wouldn’t look good if people found out you lost to an insect, darling,” Rarity said. Apple Bloom said, “You’re the best racer in Equestria.” Sweetie Belle said, “There’s still some time left.” Rainbow Dash remembered that her friends were still there, still with her every step of the way. Pinkie Pie said, “Please Rainbow Dash. Apple Bloom's right. You’re the best flyer I’ve ever ever met.” Fluttershy said, “We’ll be with you every step of the way.” Twilight Sparkle said, “Rainbow Dash, know that you’re not alone.” Silver Spoon said, “Come on! There’s still a shot.” Rainbow Dash knew that her friends would help her each and every time, and that she would do the same for them. She said, “You’re right!” She began to trot. She thought, ‘I won’t lose, there’s too much at stake!’ Her trot became a gallop and she galloped faster and faster. A cone of pressure began to envelop rainbow dash as she galloped faster. “I won’t lose, not with you by my side. Thank you, everypony.” Her speed increased and a rainbow circle appeared behind her and the balloon. She pulled of her signature Sonic Rainboom. She blazed passed the beach and galloped into the desert, leaving behind a rainbow trail with every step. Rainbow Dash saw Trismegistus and blew past him. Pinkie pie said, “Wheeee.” in the balloon. The other ponies held on to the basket and prayed that the  balloon wouldn’t rip under these speeds. At the finish line, Scorpio saw something in the distance. She took some binoculars and saw that it was Rainbow Dash galloping at speeds few ponies could manage. Rainbow Dash had passed the finish line. The crowd cheered for her. She tried to stop. But Rainbow Dash’s momentum kept her going for five minutes. She slid onto the sand used the friction to stop. Her hooves were burning in pain. The crimson magic expanded away from Rainbow Dash and revealed her wings. Scorpio lowered the balloon down and Rainbow Dash’s friends exited the basket. Scootaloo went up to Rainbow Dash. “I knew you could do it!” Rainbow Dash flew up.”It was a piece of cake.” Scorpio saw Trismegistus cross the finish line. He saw Rainbow Dash fly around in victory. The sight of it angered the giant scorpion. Scorpio said, “Don’t even think about it.” Trismegistus whimpered and went to the gate. Scorpio went back to Rainbow Dash and said, “Congratulations. You finished the test.” She led the to the gates as the cheering crowd disappeared. Trismegistus disappeared and became cerulean particles. The particles formed the sign for Scorpius (♏) on the gates. “There are still some more trials left,” Scorpio said. “I hope you’re ready.” The ponies nodded. “We’re ready,” Rainbow Dash said. “Then we shall meet again. Maybe Trismegistus will race fairly this time.” Scorpio said. “Wait,” Twilight said, “You knew that he cheated?” “We needed to test how Rainbow Dash would act when severely disadvantaged,“ Scorpio said. “I’m sorry, but we need to see if you were worthy enough to gain entry. Be warned that the next trials may be worse.” “We’ll be careful,” Twilight said. “Thanks.” “You’re welcome,” Scorpio said. “And good luck.” The ponies entered the gates.