The Rainbow Pigment

by Jetstream S

The Celestial Trials: Green

Rainbow Dash flew towards the double doors that barred her path. The same doors that had defied her earlier attempts at opening them. The red stripe in her mane and tail was pulsing brighter with every wingbeat as she approached her goal. While executing a perfect high-speed turn at the end of her flight run - just in front of the doors - Dash unleashed two double kicks against both her targets. Using the second door as a springboard for her return flight, Dash flipped herself back over and landed to view the results.
 
Each attack hit home, her hind legs carving deep imprints, the direction of Dash's turning movement still visible in the first. The first door struck fell away - ripped off its hinges, bounced off its twin, landed on the floor behind and then rocked to a stop on its newly created craters. The second hit had lost a small amount of Dash's original momentum, but still contained sufficient power for the blow to warp the metal. The springboard and the secondary impact did the rest - the pressure proving too great for all but the top-most hinge.
 
The second door hung limply, bent and twisted around the point of impact - the last metal hinge stopping it from joining its twin on the floor. The hinge whined in complaint at the weight, but as the door settled into its new location, the noise stopped.
 
"Whoa." Dash exhaled as she looked at the results, the red stripe losing its light as she approached the now-open doors. Or what was left of them.

She finally got a good look at the doors' true size. Not only were they taller than the clock tower that graced Ponyville's town hall, each door was as wide as Applejack's new barn. The material was almost as thick as the ancient oak that was Twilight Sparkle's home and the library of Ponyville. To anypony less than Rainbow Dash, they would have been impossible to move.
 
Those doors had withstood millennia of use. You could have been a little more careful... Star Prism admonished, with a mix of pride and awe.  A gentle push with the power would have been enough.
Dash simply blew her fading mane from her eyes again and huffed. "Shouldn't a' got in my way," she smirked.

She flew up and landed on the door that had completely fallen, the metallic clang of hoof on metal ringing out and echoing into the blackness ahead. Beyond the doors, Dash could see little of the room beyond - the moonlight of the corridor windows couldn't penetrate the darkness inside. She paused and looked down at the doors, noting a red glow outlining her hoof prints all the way at the base of the indents.

"Well, let’s get this over with.... the suspense is killing me."

Dash wasn't sure whether she was referring to the Trials or as to why Princess Celestia had deemed it important enough to hold a meeting at night.
 
The suspense won't be the only thing that tries to kill you. Prism observed drily to Dash.

After a few minutes of walking a normal pace, she finally came to the end of the tall overturned door. Were it not for the full moon shining through the windows behind her, she would have fallen flat on her muzzle. She jumped less than gracefully, using her wings as a brake to cushion the fall. Unbeknownst to Dash, the attempt at braking had strewn waiting dust about in a large cloud. She inhaled some, causing her to cough and sputter. She silently cursed under the wing she brought up to shield her nose and mouth. Wanting to leave the area, she walked ahead.
 
As Rainbow Dash continued into the unlit room, leaving the remnants of the ancient doors behind her, she pondered what could await her in the darkness ahead. Despite what Star Prism had said - that he couldn't remember the nature of the tests she was about to face - she figured it would be worth a shot.
 
Hey - Prism! How many tests can I expect to face? Dash asked, probing for any information she could get.
 
A short, musing silence followed.

Now that depends.
 
Depends? On What? Dash interrupted with a tone of challenge.

It would depend, on whether or not that door was a large enough obstacle to count as a sufficient trial.

Rainbow looked back and eyed the doors with an eyebrow raised in astonishment.

"Are you kidding!? Those doors were heavier than... than-"

Than what? At a loss for words already Rainbow Dash?

She could hear a light chuckle and the clearing of a throat.

However, I can tell you this - there is one challenge to be faced for each of the Celestials.
 
Star Prism fell silent after this - almost as if he'd already said too much or perhaps was really limited on the aid he could give. That would have been a rather unnerving thought for anypony - anypony other than Dash that is. The internal fire of pride that had flared up during Star Prism's little display bolstered her, giving her a sense of confidence that, whatever was thrown her way, she could overcome it. She hoped - remembering that the mare of the mystical group had implied that another had tried these tests - with less than successful results.
 
Her own thoughts were interrupted by a glowing something falling in front of her. She pulled back before realizing that it was a small object and took a closer look. It was a green gem - that was shining from an inner light.
 
An emerald? I bet Rarity would be able to tell what it is.

Rainbow Dash didn't think much about the consequences of her next action. As the gem seemed to be the only light source in a pitch-black room, Dash moved to pick it up. She needed the light the gem provided to see.
 
As the tip of her hoof brushed the surface of the gem - its light flashed. Dash blinked the magical green light out of her eyes. She felt strange for a split second before realizing something other than a mere flash had occurred.
 
She found herself - not inside the palace, but somewhere else. The walls weren't the marble-like stone of Canterlot Castle, but were of rough textures and a sandy hue. Lining the walls, held in rusted cages, were wooden torches ablaze with flame.
 
Dash reared back in surprise before looking around for the green gem. It was nowhere to be found.

Oh no. No, no, no, no ,no. This cannot be possible.
 
What can't? Do you not believe your eyes? Can eyes lie? This was stated with barely hidden amusement.
 
Dash wasn't amused, and had half a mind to show it. She had just been taken from Canterlot to someplace - where the hay is this place anyway? - rather different. Her hooves shuffled slightly as she tried to get her bearings, disturbing the thick layer of dust that lay all around.
 
No answer was forthcoming, so Dash took it upon herself to find out. The question was where to start? Another quick glance around her confirmed that she was in a torch-lit corridor - which apparently hadn't been cleaned for decades, if the floor dust was anything to go by.
 
Not seeing anything that distinguished one way from the other, Dash mentally shrugged and started heading in the direction, that she thought, she had originally been traveling in.  Her hoofprints were left as the only defined marking on the ground.
 
Dash walked slowly, keeping a look out for anything that could tell her where she was. The walls maintained their silence and monotonous looks throughout the labyrinthine complex. The only way she could tell where she had been from where she hadn't were her own tracks.
 
Great. I'm going around in circles. Dash thought as she spotted tracks ahead of her. She paused by them. Wait.... those aren't hoofprints...
 
The dust had been disturbed by a single furrow that implied something had either slithered or been dragged along. Since it was the only other sign of anything being here, Dash looked both ways along the marking to see if she could work out which direction to head in. As she did so, a wall torch highlighted an object lying alongside the furrow.
 
Dash moved closer to it. The object was a helmet - a very familiar one. A violet helmet, with a pair of white racing stripes running over its crest. Scootaloo's helmet.
 
What? How?  A tentative hoof reached out to pick the helmet up as Dash automatically looked around for the distinctive scooter - as well as the filly - that normally went with it.
 
"Scootaloo..." the name slipped out quietly and unbidden when the search turned up nothing. A flicker of movement caught Dash's eye. A shadowy cloaked figure was just slipping out of the range of the last visible torch.
 
Dash's eye twitched and she launched herself after the figure, her wings beating double-time, kicking up the thick dust in two outward gusts. Scootaloo's helmet was clutched close to her torso by one foreleg. She wanted answers - and she was going to get them. No matter what.
 
Dash lost count of the number of turns they had taken during the chase, but she had to finally admit defeat. The mysterious figure knew the area much better than she did and had disappeared from view. The ground held no clues either - at some point they had gone from a dusty, easily marked surface to an area that had been recently cleaned.
 
Having little other choice, Dash continued ahead - where a large lit opening awaited.
 
Through the opening, Dash could see a wide open cavern lined with sandy pillars - each pillar had a blazing torch attached. Above was a circular opening that exposed the night sky - through which a full moon was creeping into view. Directly below this eye was a raised altar-like platform surrounded by bowed figures in cloaks - similar to the one she had chased.
 
One of them looked up - not at Dash's side corridor, but through the opening towards the moon.
 
"It's nearly time. We should retire to our solitary meditations." Every cloaked figure left silently - except for the one that had raised their head and spoken. That one looked back at the altar and spoke once more before leaving.
 
"I'm sorry - but know this. You will always be remembered for your sacrifice."

Dash's coat began standing on end at his words.
 
With the last of the cloaked figures withdrawn, Dash could clearly see what lay chained on the altar. The small unconscious form of an orange filly. Scootaloo.
 
Dash flew towards her - but paused as she noticed something else. Six circular discolorations were evenly spaced around the altar. Two of them were glowing silver from the moonlight, the other four remained black against the light brown.  Linking each circle and the altar was a thin line.
 
Dash knew they were important - but how and why? She racked her brain. As she did so she looked around - wary of the fact the mysterious group could return. In a way, she hoped they would so she could teach them a ...permanent lesson. Now she was paying more attention to her surroundings, she could see that Scootaloo was dead-centre to the circles.
 
That can't be good. Wait.... a central altar directly underneath a window to the sky... I know this one... Dash looked closer at the altar, looking for a specific detail... a tiny hairline crack that formed a smaller version of the altar-shape. Ah, there it is. It formed the mini-altar with Scootaloo still central to both versions.
 
Now to see if.... Dash paid attention to the two pillars closest to the altar.
 
As Dash studied the pillars, the third circle filled with the same ominous, silvery light.
 
Tiny wires - barely visible in the moonlight - linked, not just the nearest pillars, but all of them to form an intricate net over the altar. The parts that Dash could see gleamed like razor-edges. So definitely not going to swoop in.... that could be painful....
 
The whole layout was now too familiar to Dash - apart from the minor detail of it being night rather than day. Daring Do and the Eclipse Diamond!
 
Huh? What?
 
You know - Daring Do - the most awesome explorer/archaeologist ever! She faced something similar to this - when she had to rescue her guide from a mad cult that believed that only a sacrifice could stop the sun being devoured by the Demon of Darkness?
 
Can't say I do know that particular one.
 
Lame...... Well, she did it by switching out the trapped guide for a saddlebag filled with pebbles to prevent the weight trigger from going off. I don't have one of those... so time to improvise.... Dash looked around before carefully placing Scoots’ helmet on the ground. She'd need all hooves free for this.
 
The fourth circle filled.
 
The orange, purple-maned filly started to stir. Still groggy from whatever had knocked her out, she tried to clear her head. All she could see was the moon overhead. Then she could hear a tapping noise from the side, she turned her head that way. There was her idol - Rainbow Dash - attacking the ground with her hooves. Blinking a bit, Scootaloo tried to clear her vision - both the red and green stripes in Dash's tail and mane were glowing. They didn't glow normally. Scootaloo wanted to ask Dash what she was doing, but her tongue was still furred up from the prolonged forced lack of awareness.
 
Dash finished what she was doing, and picked up the broken flagstone. That should do it.... now to switch this for Scootaloo.  She turned to the altar, where she could see Scootaloo was staring at her with both awe and curiosity burning in her eyes.
 
"Don't worry kid. I'll get you out of here."
 
Keeping her flight low - to avoid the odd netting, Rainbow crossed the distance between them. She frowned at herself for forgetting the chains. That was easily fixed. Placing her replacement weight down, Dash snapped the chains in her forehooves.

"Keep still Scoots." Dash hoped that the filly would do as she was told and not trigger - whatever it was - that was waiting.
 
Once the chains were broken, Dash pondered the next problem - the actual switch. Daring Do had it easy - the filled saddlebag only took one hoof while the guide could use the other for support during the switch. Dash was using the two for the flagstone fragment. Floating backwards a bit, Dash tested the weight if it was tucked in one foreleg. It would make for some awkward flying, but it wouldn't be for long.
 
"I'm going to flip you on to my back, Scoots. Get ready to hang on."
 
Scoots nodded as the fifth circle lit up. The after-effects of her sleep were beginning to wear off to be replaced by adrenaline.
 
"Ok. Go!" As Dash spoke, she flew forward, grabbed Scoot with one hoof, and flipped her onto her back while using the other hoof to slide the flagstone into place. Not waiting to see if it worked, Dash streaked out - feeling Scoots settle onto her back and get secure. The only pause she made was to pick up Scootaloo's helmet and pass it up to her passenger with one smooth scoop.
 
Making her way to an area free of thin threads, Dash prepared to make the escape. As she made her careful ascent, she asked.
 
"How did you get here?"
 
"I was foal-napped!" Scootaloo replied indignantly, while tying on her helmet one hoofed.
 
"Foal-napped!?!" Dash exclaimed. Internally, a war started between with the need to punish the foal-nappers and to get Scootaloo back to safety - slowing her as they approached the hole in the roof.
 
"Yea. I was riding my scooter on the way to visit Zecora when a bunch of cloaked figures started to follow me. I didn't hear what they were saying, but their gestures made it clear enough that they were up to no good. I sped up - giving them a workout and getting some of them lost in the Everfree. They were fast - but not as fast as me!" Scootaloo explained as Dash finally made up her mind to get Scootaloo out of there. "I thought I'd lost them when a green spinning-thing appeared right in front of me. I braked and swerved to try and avoid it. But it got me anyway...." Scootaloo's voice turned sad and angry, "I heard my scooter get wrecked on something on the other side."
 
"Never mind that kid. I'll get you a new one. It'll be twenty percent cooler than the old one and a lot faster too." Dash said.
 
"Really? That would be so awesome!" Scootaloo practically cheered before going back to her tale.

The pair flew out of the hole into the night sky. Their combined shadows were cast onto the altar below.

"Those creepy cloaks were there, and they got me as I was crawling from the wreckage. They dragged me into a weird looking cavern where one of them tried to chain me to a big rock thing - but I kicked that one's flank."
 
That's my Scoots. Dash thought as Scootaloo really got into her retelling.
 
"But after that, a group of them came in and gave me something. Next thing I know - you're attacking the ground something fierce and your mane and tail were glowing red and green."
 
A small flash of pride shone in Dash's eyes while behind them, in the cavern, the last circle lit silver. The lines started to glow and the altar itself absorbed that light before reflecting it up to the full moon. Then it was consumed by a blast of green light. The same green light that teleported Dash.
 
Before Dash could say anything, green light filled her vision again.....
 
What now?
 
 
Some distance away, a single green-cloaked unicorn watched events unfolding with bright emerald eyes and a satisfied smile on her face. The night air ruffled her cloak, revealing a dark green coat and a golden mane and tail. A long green stripe lined the portion of mane on her neck and tail.

She had been worried that this subject wouldn't have been prepared for the Trial of Insight. She was glad she was wrong - even though it wasn't often she liked being proved wrong.
 
Her contemplation was disturbed by the approach of a red cloaked figure, the Red Celestial Mage, Kuvvet. Though his face wasn't visible, she could tell he wasn't in a good mood.
 
"Kavrama - you overstepped your authority. You placed the life of an innocent foal in jeopardy. That is not in any of our practices."
 
The green-cloaked mare considered her next words, knowing full well she had upset her leader.

"But it is our job to test those who potentially bear the Pigment. It wouldn't be a true Trial if nothing was at stake."
 
"It is true that our job is test the Bearer." Kuvvet fixed Kavrama with a harsh glare, "I trust you have not forgotten why. The Pigment was created to protect the innocent, not to threaten them."
 
Kavrama blinked at his vehemence.

"I do not forget. Do you really think I'm so heartless that I would allow harm to befall a foal?"

Kuvvet slammed his hoof down, creating a deep crater; the red streak in his mane glowing fiercely.

"If you so much as harm a feather on that foal's wing," Kuvvet tapped Kavrama's horn roughly with his hoof, "I'll make sure you will never perform another spell again."

He turned, allowing his power to subside. His flowing cloak grazed Kavrama's nose as he did, making her flinch.

The scowl that parted the Green Mage's muzzle could have shattered a vanity mirror with the sheer rage emitting from it.

At least she passed...