Rainbow grinned as she brought her Jetbike down towards the gates of the palace in Canterlot, looking at the two guards who were standing to attention, looking straight ahead as they were drilled to.
“Captain at Arms,” one said, the pair snapping off perfectly timed salutes.
“At ease privates, open the gates,” Rainbow replied, her voice ringing out in a slightly mechanical way thanks to her helmet's filters.
“At once Captain,” the second pony nodded, before lighting his horn, enveloping the large gates and pushing them open, allowing Rainbow to slowly edge inside.
She could have easily flown over the walls, nopony would have been able to stop her, nor would they have tried, but if she was going to do this, she was going to make damn well sure that she did it properly. Plans were still forming in her mind, quickly condensing into an idea that would allow her to finally train ponies to the standard she wanted to. She now realised that, just like on a craftworld, there had to be Guardians to make up the numbers of an army, but the elite would be the aspect warriors. She had already trained Guardians, now it was time to train the next stage.
Reaching the main doors to the caste, Rainbow slipped off her bike, making sure to activate the security systems, before heading inside the caste, making her way towards the throne room once more. It did not take her long to find her way through the winding passages of the castle, and she was soon in front of the great doors to the throne room. Slipping her helmet off, she attached it to her hip, before marching smartly inside.
The room was mostly empty just like it had been when Rainbow had been here a few hours earlier, but there were still a few nobles, presenting their case to Celestia or chatting amongst themselves as they waited their turn. As she walked in however, a hushed silence fell over the occupants of the room, as all eyes rested on her, watching her closely as she made her way to the thrones.
“Captain at Arm, to what do we owe the privilege?” the pony talking to Celestia asked.
“You owe nothing Blueblood,” Rainbow said simply. “This is a matter between Celestia, Luna and I. I would like to speak to you, away from prying ears.”
Celestia nodded, turning her gaze on the other ponies in the room, before back to Rainbow
“Rainbow, if you would wait in the command room, my sister and I will be with you as soon as we have finished our business here,” as Celestia spoke, she turned to look at her sister, who nodded in agreement.
“Of course,” Rainbow bowed, before turning and trotting out of the room once again, turning towards the command room a few doors down.
Before she had begun training the guard to be the force Celestia wanted them to be, this room had been virtually unused, a thick layer of dust coating almost everything. That had all changed when Rainbow had asked for somewhere private to meet with her commanders, or discuss strategies in the future with Celestia and Luna. She still remembered the first time she had been shown into this room.
The room hadn’t been used for years at her first guess, and as soon as she stepped inside, her muzzle had been assaulted by the musty smell of ancient tomes on war. Cobwebs clung to the ceiling, hanging down low around the room as spiders scurried across them, and there was a thick layer of dust that covered every surface, floating through the air to create a soft haze.
Other than the shelves of military books, the room was barren, save for a table covered by a thick cloth. It had quickly been removed, showing Rainbow the large stone table, upon which rested a perfect scale replica of the whole of Equestria, stretching out right to the boarder it shared with Saddle Arabia in the south, and the Griffon Dominion in the north. From the carvings on the side of the table, Rainbow had known it was old, but the replica of the country showed some newer features than should have been possible, such as the Ponyville Dam and some of the newer buildings in Manehatten.
Celestia and Luna had dispelled her confusion, explaining that the table was an old artifact of some considerable complexity and would magically morph to represent the current state of Equestria. Terrain would erode, borders would shift and buildings would rise and fall in real-time, just as they did outside. Small pinpricks of light represented the location of Equestrian guards and soldiers, different colours donating the different unit types, from the faint green lights of local law enforcement agencies to the bright blue lights of the Wonderbolts, nothing was hidden from the board. It was an unbelievably useful tool for strategic planning and deciding upon troop deployments, and thus the command room had been brought back up to proper standards.
Eventually, Celestia and Luna made their way to the room, nodding at Rainbow as the three took their places around the planning table.
“Rainbow, I didn’t expect you back so soon,” Celestia cast her eye over the table as she spoke, carefully noting where her Royal Guard were, checking that they were all still in Canterlot.
“Pressing matters Princess,” Rainbow replied. “Like I said earlier today, I can’t train the entire guard to the standards that I once promised you, but there may be another way, a way an old acquaintance of mine showed me.
“I thought you said you had done all you could do,” Luna pointed out. “I am not doubting you, or this ‘acquaintance’ of yours, but I am eager to know what you have planned.”
“Do you remember when I told you of my rune after I first came back,” Rainbow asked. “The rune of the Swooping Pegasus.”
“Yes, you said it was a personal mark,” Celestia nodded.
“Well, I believed it was, until The Guardian from the Black Library brought me to the Everfree Forest,” Rainbow continued. “The rune doesn’t just have to be my mark, and with your permission, I plan to make it the rune of a temple. My temple, and then I’ll train you warrior’s princess, the ones I promised you.”
“You spoke to The Guardian again?” Celestia asked in surprise. “He came here?”
“I met him in the Everfree,” Rainbow nodded. “He explained some things, and I brought them to you.”
“So, you think that this temple will be a good idea?” Luna asked.
“Yes,” Rainbow nodded firmly. “I can’t train the guard, there are just too many ponies, and not enough time in the world to give them all individual training. But if I had a smaller number, five other ponies for example, I think I’d be able to make the elite force that I promised you. With your permission, I’ll start screening for potential candidates.”
“If you believe this is the best solution, then by all means go ahead,” Celestia mused. “You will be wanting quarters in the city I take it?”
“No, not the city,” Rainbow shook her head. “Too many eyes, too many potential civilian casualties if something goes wrong. I was trained in solitude, away from any civilians, so anypony I’ll train will do the same. There’s a clearing in the Everfree Forest that will be perfect, right here.”
Rainbow quickly looked down at the planning table, finding the Everfree on the map, before picking out the clearing where she had met The Guardian. She tapped it softly, looking between Celestia and Luna, gauging their thoughts on the idea
“Here. If we can build a training area here, as well as accommodation, I can train the ponies efficiently. I think that we’d be combat ready in six months, and up to my standards in a year at the most.”
“Combat ready?” Luna asked. “I thought you said that you didn’t envision the guard having to use their new skills. Why would this new squad be different?”
“One, they will only be a squad, not an army,” Rainbow pointed out. “A small six pony squad will be able to do things that an army won’t be able to manage. Small covert operations, strikes against threats before they become threats. And two, The Guardian told me something before he left. He told me that there was a darkness on our horizon. I don’t know what it is, but I’ll make sure Equestria is ready.”
“If you truly believe that this is wise, I will begin to draw up plans for the construction of this temple,” Celestia nodded. “I will also procure weapons and armour from the Royal Guard stores.”
“That was another thing,” Rainbow said slowly. “If we’re going to be effective, we need more advanced wargear. And the only way that’s going to happen is if Equestria breaks through with technology on its own, or…”
“Or you let us study your own arms and armour,” Luna finished, drawing an odd glance from her sister. “What? It is obvious what Rainbow was about to suggest.”
“I know I’ve kept it from you,” Rainbow sighed. “And I’d rather keep it that way, it’s dangerous and made for nothing but war. But if The Guardian is right, we’ll need it. So if you both give me your word that the only military gear you will begin creating from what you find in my armour, weapons and bike will be for the use of my temple and my temple only, I will allow you to examine them. Use what you like in other fields, but please, limit the use of military technology.”
“Are you sure about this Rainbow?” Celestia asked. “I don’t know how long it will take to reverse engineer your armour, or how quickly we’ll be able to show results. You may not be able to have your armour or weapons back for a long time.”
“I understand that,” Rainbow nodded, placing her helmet on the table and looking up at Celestia and Luna. “Do I have your word?”
“You do Rainbow,” Celestia nodded, her horn glowing as she picked up Rainbow’s helmet. “We will begin studying it at once, as well as constructing this new temple for you and your forces. How are you planning on finding the ponies for this squad?”
“I have some ideas,” Rainbow replied, beginning to slip out of her armour, placing it on the table, before either Luna or Celestia lifted it away, Luna in particular looking extremely giddy at the prospect of studying the alien equipment.
Eventually, Rainbow had completely removed her armour, now standing in all her scarred glory in front of the princesses.
“My bike is outside the palace. I’ll deactivate the security when I leave,” Rainbow chuckled. “Wouldn’t want anypony to get zapped by it when they’re trying to study it.”
“Of course,” Celestia smiled. “I wish you luck Rainbow. And don’t worry about the parade tomorrow. Luna and I can deploy the guards again if you would rather not attend. I know how much you dislike parades.”
“Thanks,” Rainbow nodded, before turning and heading for the door.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Celestia turned to face her sister, examining the weapons and armour Rainbow had just entrusted to them.
“Is this wise sister?” she asked softly, drawing Rainbows sword from its scabbard.
“I believe so,” Luna nodded. “Rainbow trusts this ‘Guardian’, and he believes that this is necessary. As for the weapons and armour, I think Rainbow was wise to ask us not to mass produce this. The more we create, the more ponies will be able to get hold of it outside of the guard. I’d rather not have ponies running around with a sword like that, and if we mass produce them, no matter how careful we are, somepony will manage to get hold of one and flood the underworld with them.”
“If you believe it is wise sister, then we’ll do this,” Celestia smiled. “You’re looking forward to this aren’t you?”
“What, tinkering with advanced alien technology in the hopes of recreating it, both for Rainbow's new squad and for the benefit of Equestria as a whole?” Luna asked with a giggle. “No, what makes you think I’m looking forward to it.”
“You always did like R&D,” Celestia mused, before passing the armour to her sister. “Very well, I will allow you to take charge of examining the armour, and producing new technology from what you learn.”
“Thank you sister,” Luna took the rest of the armour as she spoke, examining each piece carefully. “I think I will contact Twilight as well. From what I’ve heard she’s already started to try and create new technology using what Rainbow told us. I’m sure she’ll jump at the idea of helping me to study this.”
“I’m sure she will,” Celestia laughed softly, thinking of her student, before turning to leave the room. “Good luck sister, I will leave you to your research.”
***
Rainbow made her way through the skies of Canterlot, enjoying the feeling of the wind biting at her mane and fur. It had been far too long since she had flown without her armour on, and she made a silent promise to herself that she would have to try and get out of it more often.
That would have to wait however, as she quickly made her way out of Canterlot airspace, heading towards Ponyville. She had three ponies she wanted to speak to, and after that she’d have to decide if she wanted to take on anymore. Ideally, she wanted six ponies in her squad including her, but she wasn’t about to take on anypony just to fill in numbers. Every member of the Swooping Pegasus would have to be strong, they’d have to be tough, but more than that, they’d have to have that spark to mark them as standing out from the crowd.
Eventually, she touched down in Ponyville, making her way through the town and waving to some of the ponies as she passed by. She still remembered how they had all treated her when she had first come back, but she couldn’t hold that against her. She did look like some cut up freak after all, and it wasn’t their fault that they assumed she was a monster.
Dismissing the thought as irrelevant, Rainbow made her way through the town, until she reached her destination, knocking on the door and waiting for the reply.
“Coming,” Lightning called out, opening the door and smiling as she saw Rainbow. “Oh, hey Rainbow. How’s the guard treating you?”
“Not bad Lightning,” Rainbow smiled, extending her left wing as the pair practiced the wing shake they had first started back at the Wonderbolts Academy. “They’re finished training though. They’re all shipping out tomorrow.”
“Ah, are you shipping out with them then?” Lightning asked.
“No actually,” Rainbow shook her head. “But enough about that, I wanted to ask you how you’re finding your job with the weather team here.”
“Eh, it’s not too bad. Thunderlane is a good team leader, and the rest of the team is nice too,” she shrugged.
“There’s a but though isn’t there?” Rainbow pressed.
“Yeah,” Lightning sighed. “It’s just not the Wonderbolts…you know. It’s not even a large team. Los Pegasus has fifty members, Ponyville has seven full time Pegasus and some temporary stand-ins. I mean, I’m grateful to you for getting me the job, but still.”
“I understand,” Rainbow nodded. “Which is actually one of the reasons why I’m here.”
“It is?” Lightning asked in slight confusion. “What, you want to ask me to join the guard or something?”
“Something like that,” Rainbow smirked. “That is, if you think you’re up to it.”
“You know I’m up for anything you do Rainbow,” she smirked back. “So tell me, what’s the job?”
“I’m putting together a team, kind of a flight team, more like a SpecOps squad,” Rainbow admitted. “We’ll be the elite. So, you want in?”
“The Wonderbolts are the elite of the military Dash,” Lightning pointed out. “I should know, I trained with them.”
“For now,” Rainbow chuckled. “When I’m done, the Wonderbolts will have a lot of competition, but to do that, I need ponies such as yourself who have training in military matters to help kick start things. So, what do you say?”
“I think you’ve got yourself a deal,” Lightning grinned. “So, when do we ship out?”
“Not yet,” Rainbow shook her head. “I’ll come and get you when I’m getting the team together properly, right now we don’t even have the right facilities, I just want to check that my first choices for the team are available.”
“I was your first choice?” Lightning asked.
“The very first,” Rainbow smiled. “Thank you Lightning. I guess I’ll be seeing you again very soon.”
“Yeah, guess I’ll have to get back to training,” Lightning laughed, before closing the door, leaving Rainbow to begin her search for her next potential student.
“Now, where is she going to be?” Rainbow asked herself softly, walking through the town once more, before a rapidly descending shadow fell over her.
Rainbow was instantly alert, darting to the side, before springing at the shape, tackling the Pegasus out of the air and forcing her opponent to the ground, growling at her would-be attacker, taking in her orange coat and her fuchsia mane.
“Oh, sorry Scoots,” Rainbow chuckled awkwardly, getting off Scootaloo and helping her back to her hooves. “The girls around?”
“Nah, they’re both off at their jobs,” Scootaloo shook her head with a grin, picking her scooter back up. “I was practicing for my big race, then I heard that you were in town, thought I’d come say hey.”
“And you’re idea of saying hello is by crashing into me?” Rainbow chucked.
“Well, I learned from the best Rainbow,” she stuck her tongue out as Rainbow as she spoke.
“Alright, well played squirt,” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I wanted to speak to you anyway. You got time?”
“For you? Yeah, I think so,” Scootaloo nodded, looking up at her idol.
“Come on, we can talk on the fly,” Rainbow smiled. “I’ll carry your scooter.”
“No you won’t,” Scootaloo smirked, shifting the small grav generator strapped to her back. “I think I’m more than capable of carrying this while flying.”
With that, Scootaloo took off, soaring into the sky, clutching hold of her scooter. Grinning, Rainbow leapt after her, quickly catching up with the younger Pegasus and matching her pace.
“So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?” Scootaloo asked.
“Do I have to have a reason to talk to me number one fan?”
“No,” Scootaloo shrugged. “But you have a reason all the same.”
“Yeah, I do,” Rainbow nodded, before changing the subject. “How’s the racing business?”
“Good. You’re looking at one of the best scooter racers in Equestria thank you very much,” Scootaloo boasted. “Should keep me going for another year, then I can join the Wonderbolts, well, try to join them.”
“Following in my hoofsteps hey squirt?”
“Hopefully not all of them, I may actually get in the team,” Scootaloo stuck her tongue out at Rainbow, dodging the playful wing strike that was swung at her.
“So rude. I have half a mind to take away my offer,” Rainbow pouted.
“What offer?”
“Oh, just a job offer, nothing big,” Rainbow shrugged with a grin. “You know, flying, danger, elite skills, that sort of stuff.”
“Wait,” Scootaloo asked slowly. “Are…are you a scout for the Wonderbolts now?”
“This has nothing to do with the Wonderbolts Scoots, except maybe that they’ll have some competition very soon,” Rainbow’s grin grew even bigger as she looked at Scootaloo. “I’m putting a team together, the Swooping Pegasi. Lightning Dust has already said she’s in, but I wouldn’t feel right not extending you an invitation.”
“Y-you want me to join a team you’re setting up?” Scootaloo squeaked excitedly.
“Well yeah, if you want to. No big deal,” Rainbow replied dismissively.
“Oh yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!” Scootaloo squealed, throwing herself at Rainbow and wrapping her hooves around her idols neck, letting her scooter fall towards the earth.
“Whoa, careful there,” Rainbow smirked, grabbing the scooter quickly and holding it out to Scootaloo as the young Pegasus unwrapped her hooves from Rainbows neck, blushing slightly. “So, I’ll take that as a maybe?”
“Where do I sign up?” Scootaloo beamed.
“I’ll come get you when the team’s ready Scoots,” Rainbow grinned. “For now, keep training for your races. You never know when you’re going to get to do it again.”
Scootaloo nodded, before zooming off towards the ground, jumping on her scooter and rushing off, letting out screams of glee as she raced back to town, probably to find Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle.
Rainbow smiled as she left, a slight pang of guilt making her feel slightly queasy. She loved Scootaloo like a sister, and she knew that Scootaloo looked up to her like they were flesh and blood. Was it right for her to expose her to the world Rainbow was planning on training her student to see? One full of enemies even among friends. She had the spark Rainbow was looking for, the drive to do better just like Lightning had, but unlike Lightning, Scootaloo had only just become a mare.
Rainbow sighed, before shaking her head and setting off towards her next destination. She had already offered Scootaloo the position, and she’d accepted it. Short of breaking the young mare’s heart, she didn’t have any recourse other than to train her to protect herself from any harm that could befall her.
***
Rainbow eventually reached the familiar rocky plateau that the Wonderbolts academy was set upon, angling herself to land on the long runway that dominated the area, allowing for nice and fast entries. Grinning, she touched down, skidding to a halt just in front of a pair of security guards, who both looked at her in confusion, before recognising her and snapping off a salute.
“Forgive us Captain, we didn’t recognise you,” one of them spoke.
“It’s all fine,” Rainbow nodded. “I’m in armour usually anyway, so I can see why seeing me out of it is a shock. But to business, I need to see Spitfire. Is she around?”
“I believe she’s in her office ma’am,” the second security guard replied quickly. “I can go and see if you would like?”
“No, I’ll go thanks,” Rainbow smiled, before moving past the guards and walking into the main building, making her way through the halls she had walked two and a half years earlier, smiling as old memories came rushing back to her.
Knocking on the door, Rainbow waited for a reply, feeling like a younger mare waiting in front of the headmaster’s office at school, before she was finally called in.
“Rainbow Dash?” Spitfire asked as she walked in. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Still trying to make the guard more like the Wonderbolts?”
“Nope, they’re deploying tomorrow,” Rainbow corrected her. “No I’m here for a different reason.”
“Well sit down, tell me all about it,” Spitfire smiled, indicating the free chair in front of her desk.
Nodding, Rainbow sat down, resting her hooves on the table as she looked at Spitfire.
“Alright, listen in. I’m putting together a team, small scale, dangerous missions. The way it’s organised, it will be almost like another Wonderbolts team, only better trained in military matters and less…publicised.”
“What, did Princess Luna ask you to revive the Shadowbolts?” Spitfire chuckled. “She’s always going on about how they were the first flight team and elite military group before she was banished, but after she went and the EUP was formed, they were seen as reckless and disbanded. The Wonderbolts took over, and the rest, as they say, is history. I don’t think Luna’s ever really got over the fact that her team was disbanded in favour of one more angled towards her sister.”
“It’s not the Shadowbolts, but that isn’t a bad idea. Could give you some competition in flight contests at the very least. But like I said, this team isn’t going to be in the public eye like the Wonderbolts are, they’ll be military through and through, not a flight demonstration team.”
“So the Wonderbolts without the showing off then?” Spitfire asked.
“Pretty much.”
“Wow, I never thought I’d see the day where Rainbow Dash wanted to join something because it showed off less than the Wonderbolts,” Spitfire chortled. “I seem to remember half a year ago you turned down a spot on the team because there was too much military operations involved. Why the sudden change?”
“Because for the last six months I’ve been trying to get back to my old self,” Rainbow sighed. “But that’s never going to happen. My old self died. I’m Rainbow Dash, but I’m the mark two model. I’m the R-Dash 2.”
“I see,” Spitfire nodded slowly. “So why did you come here? This is the Wonderbolts academy, from what you’ve said, your team may soon be rivals.”
“I know, which is why this may seem like an odd request.” Rainbow grimaced.
“You want to organise try-outs don’t you?” Spitfire smirked. “You want to form a team, but if you don’t have the ponies, then it’s just you. Basically, you want me to sign off some of my ponies to join a rival military organisation. Is that the gist of what you’re saying?”
“Pretty much yeah.”
“Oh what the heck, I’m game,” Spitfire chuckled. “I’ll call a general assembly and put them through their paces, see if any meet up with your expectations. How many ponies do you want for this team anyway?”
“Five, with me making the sixth member,” Rainbow shrugged. “I already have two team members, just need to find the remaining three.”
“Sounds like you already have a handle on things then,” Spitfire chuckled. “I’ll set this up. We’ll start in one hour.”
***
One Hour Later
***
Rainbow watched as the fifteen Wonderbolts at the academy pulled off stunt after stunt, showing off everything they had got. Each one was wearing their full kit for military operations, their faces covered by their suits, making it impossible to tell one from the other, save for the numbers emblazoned on their flanks.
Eventually, the fifteen ponies landed once more, looking at Rainbow expectantly. Sighing, she looked between them all, focusing on number one and number thirteen. They had all been good, but only two of them had been really good, so it looked like her team would be five ponies strong after all, not six.
“You were all great, but only number one and number thirteen were what I’m looking for,” she called out. “Since Spitfire’s not here, I guess the rest of you are dismissed.”
Most of the Pegasi groaned as they walked away, mumbling amongst themselves as they headed off towards the barracks. Stepping forward, Rainbow looked between the two Pegasus that remained. Number thirteen was clearly a stallion, and a relatively large one at that, while the other was a mare. Other than that though, Rainbow couldn’t tell. Stopping in front of the stallion, Rainbow looked up and down, before nodding.
“Take off the hood please.”
The stallion nodded, reaching up to his hood and pulling it off, looking straight at Rainbow. His features were smooth, and Rainbow almost found herself calling them good looking, his dark green fur matching what she could see of his eyes through his scraggy brown mane.
“Well then, name?”
“Wavechill,” the pony said simply, not looking down.
“Well Wavechill, you handled yourself well up there,” Rainbow smiled. “But do you know what you’re getting yourself into?”
“No, but I like a challenge,” the stallion replied in the same monotonous voice.
“Well, you’ll certainly get that,” Rainbow chuckled, before moving towards number one. “Well go on, take off the hood.”
“If you say so Rainbow,” Spitfire chuckled, pulling off her hood.
“S-Spitfire?” Rainbow asked, taken aback. “But…what are you doing trying out for a new team? You’re already Captain of the Wonderbolts, you can’t abandon them.”
“Soarin’s been after my job for years, Fleetfoot too,” Spitfire chuckled. “I figured it was time to let them have a go. This way I don’t have to retire to let them both try.”
“B-but…you…idol…what,” Rainbow mumbled, before shaking her head and looking at Spitfire. “You do realise that you’ll be subordinate to a much younger mare?”
“Yes, but a much younger mare who has seen more than I have and is a lot better trained,” Spitfire shot back. “If you’ll have me Rainbow, I’ll gladly join this team of yours.”
“I’d be a fool to say no,” Rainbow chuckled, extending her hoof for Spitfire to bump. “We’re not ready yet, but as soon as the temple is built, I’ll come and find you all. Okay?”
“I look forward to it Rainbow,” Spitfire smiled, bumping the offered hoof.
Chuckling, Rainbow took off, heading for home. It had been a long day, and she couldn’t wait to see her bed again. She’d travel up to Canterlot again in the morning to check how the research was coming along, and to offer any assistance she could, but for now, all she wanted to do was sleep. That was until she saw her house, and the open front door.
Rainbow quietly landed on the front porch, glancing around as she checked for any assailants still outside her house, before slipping inside, heading for her armoury. She had given away her las-blaster and power sword to Celestia, but that didn’t mean she was without weapons, and quickly retrieved a small short sword used by the Royal Guard.
Now armed, Rainbow began to creep through the house once more, before hearing a clanging from the kitchen. Turning towards it, she glanced into the room from the doorway, before sighing heavily as she saw the intruder.
“You know, keeping the spare keys in the same place isn’t the wisest move you could make Rainbow.”
“And leaving the door open when you break into my house isn’t too clever is it G?”
Rainbow placed the sword on the table as she walked into the room, staring up at Gilda as the griffon looked down at her, her features impassive as she looked at her old friend, before finally holding out a talon.
“Junior Speedsters are our lives,” she murmured softly.
“Dive-bombs, soars and daring dives,” Rainbow murmured in reply, placing her hoof on Gilda’s talon.
“Junior Speedsters it’s our quest, to someday be the very best,” the both finished together, before Gilda allowed her talon to fall back to the floor.
“What…what are you doing here Gilda?” Rainbow asked, her voice wavering as she looked at her oldest friend.
“What…I’m not allowed to even see my friends anymore?” Gilda asked. “First you run me out of town, and next, next you say I can’t even come and see you?”
“That’s not what I meant G,” Rainbow insisted. “I just meant why are you here now?”
“Where the heck were you?!” she snapped, her body beginning to shake with anger. “I came back to try and make amends for what I did before, and I looked for you when you disappeared, no matter what those ponies wanted. They said they had it under control, but they weren’t even searching outside of Equestria. I looked all over the world for you Rainbow, and I couldn’t find you.”
“It wasn’t my fault,” Rainbow pleaded. “I didn’t want to go Gilda, believe me I didn’t. I spent two years fighting, bleeding and killing in a worse hell than you can imagine. I died on an operating table Gilda…I saw demons and worshippers of chaos, and survivors of a galaxy wide genocide, reducing a race from trillions to millions in a few seconds. Do you think for a moment that I wanted that?”
“But you could have told me when you came back!” Gilda roared. “You’ve been back for half a year, and you never thought to contact me, to tell me that you were still alive!”
“I didn’t even know you were looking for me!” Rainbow roared back. “If I had, I would have made sure to come and see you personally Gilda!” Rainbow sighed, before sitting down at the table, gesturing for Gilda to sit down on one as well. “You’re my oldest friend Gilda, my first real one too. When we were in flight camp together…you made those some of the best years of my life. I didn’t want to have to choose between you and my new friends, that was hard for me G. You didn’t make it easy and it wasn’t all Pinkie’s fault either.”
“I know it wasn’t,” Gilda nodded softly. “I was an idiot Rainbow, but you still didn’t come after me. Did you…did you even look back when I left? Did you spare a thought for me, or were you too busy with your new friends?”
“That’s cold Gilda,” Rainbow sighed, forcing herself to hold back tears. “Of course I looked for you. I even went to your home in the Dominion, you weren’t there Gilda.”
“I had clear my head, went travelling,” Gilda apologised. “I…I guess I always thought you didn’t want to see me after Ponyville.”
“And I always thought you’d moved on,” Rainbow sighed. “I think we’ve both been stupid Gilda. You…I’ve got a spare room if you want to…well…you can stay here tonight if you want. You don’t want to fly home this late I’m sure.”
“Thanks,” Gilda smiled softly. “So, what happened over the last two years? Like, what in the hay happened to you Rainbow? I mean, you were always ugly, but this is on a completely different level.”
“Say’s the half Lion half Eagle,” Rainbow chuckled. “Well, I guess we’ve got some time. I’ll give you the condensed version…”
***
Many Hours Later
***
“…and so here I am, trying to find ponies for a team to fight a darkness that I know nothing about. For all I know it could be another Tyranid splinter fleet, or Necrons trying their undead hands at the webway again, or it could even be just corrupted creatures from this planet under the influence of Chaos. I just…I don’t know Gilda.”
“You’re doing all you can Rainbow,” Gilda assured her, rubbing her cheek and making sure all the tears she had shed had dried in to her feathers properly. “It’s all anyone can ask of you.”
“But is it enough?” Rainbow sighed. “I want to do this, I want to keep everypony safe, but to do that I need to put ponies in harm’s way. Training soldiers to protect ponies, it seems wrong G, like I’m just training up meat for a grinder.”
“Coming from a much more militant society than you ponies, I’d say you’re doing well Rainbow,” Gilda smiled. “A soldier’s life does unfortunately often boil down to being a living shield for others to hide behind. And because of that, they’re laying their lives on the line Rainbow.”
“I know what a soldier is G,” Rainbow sighed. “I fought with enough of them, and I learnt enough from the Imperium to know what a soldier’s life is, and their life is to die. That doesn’t mean I have to like it though, especially when I’ve trained the soldier’s and guards myself.”
“The fact that you’re so worried about this shows that you’ll be a good leader,” Gilda pointed out. “Care for the ponies in this new squad, fight your hardest to keep them alive, and they’ll do the same for everything they fight for.”
“I guess you’re right,” Rainbow nodded, before taking a deep breath in, contemplating her next move. “So…Gilda, what are you doing at the moment? As in for work. Do you have a job? Or are you just….” She trailed off, trying to think of something to say.
“Relax Rainbow,” Gilda chuckled. “I’m working the rogue weather shift back in the Dominion. We get free reign to travel, and I may have exploited that a bit to come to Ponyville.”
“Well, we do have the Everfree,” Rainbow smiled. “Doesn’t get much more rogue than that.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Gilda nodded. “Still, that’s what I’m doing. I think I can work out what you’re going to say next, but go on, I want to hear you say it.”
“Do you…I don’t know, do you want to come and work with me?” Rainbow asked hesitantly. “I have the final say over who I train, I could easily swing it with Celestia if I had to, and you’d definitely bring some muscle to the team.”
“You’d want a griffon on an Equestrian team?” Gilda smirked.
“Not just any griffon no,” Rainbow shook her head. “But you’re not ‘just any griffon’ G, you’re my friend. And anyway, The Guardian didn’t tell me that a darkness was coming ‘for ponies’, he just said that the darkness was coming, and the planet would need strong warriors, for its inhabitants to be ready. That doesn’t mean just ponies G, so if you want, there’s a space open on the team.”
“I’ll think about it,” Gilda yawned, before looking towards the door. “You said something about a spare bedroom?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow nodded. “Use it for as long as you like.”
“I may take you up on that offer,” Gilda smiled, before making her way out of the room and up to the spare bedroom, Rainbow quickly following behind her, darting into her own room, and falling into a dreamless sleep.
***
Three Weeks Later.
***
Rainbow let out a low whistle as she looked at the building arrayed before her. She had to admit, construction in Equestria was second to none when it came to getting stuff done quickly, and when two immortal princesses were on side, pushing through planning consents and helping to speed production up, things got done pretty quickly.
“So, how did you get it nearly identical to the one of Saim-Hann?” Rainbow asked, turning to face Celestia and Luna.
“Simple,” Luna smiled. “I am the princess of the night, it is my job to survey dreams, I simply found dreams you had of your old temple and replicated them here.”
“Well, you’ve done a really good job,” Rainbow smiled. “How’s the research coming along?”
“Very well,” Luna smiled. “We have already made several discoveries that may help us, and have even started working on some small scale prototype Arc-Tech.”
“Arc-Tech?” Rainbow asked.
“Twilight Sparkle came up with the name,” Luna beamed. “Arcane-Technology. We can’t replicate all of the technology you gave us, but we can use magic to help give of the same effects when combined with our level technology. Thus, Arc-Tech. We may even be able to begin work on a prototype armour system soon. Don’t expect anything near the level you have though, I don’t think we’ll be there for years, if not decades, even with reverse engineering your gear.”
“Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you then,” Rainbow smiled, before looking back at her team. “Anyway, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. May I introduce the ponies I have chosen to train?”
“Yes, we read the files you sent to us,” Celestia nodded, casting her gaze over the ponies, as well as Gilda. “You are sure about these choices? One of your students is practically still a Filly, and another is…”
“A Griffon, I know,” Rainbow finished for her. “They are the ones I will train, and each one of them have joined willingly. With your approval, I will begin basic training immediately.”
“Are you absolutely sure this is necessary?” Celestia asked. “Some ponies in Canterlot, especially those in charge of finance, are worried that the cost of this team and the equipment will far outweigh the usefulness of the team. They believe that the Wonderbolts are a good enough deterrent for most threats, and that a peaceful solution is more practical and desirable.”
“Peace isn’t my profession Celestia, it’s yours,” Rainbow said softly. “War is my profession. If you ever fail in your profession, my team and I will not fail in ours. I promise you, this team will make things safer, all around the planet, for every species, not just ponies.”
“Then go Rainbow, you have my blessing,” Celestia smiled, before nodding to her sister.
A second later, both of the Alicorns lit their horns, before vanishing, leaving the Rainbow with her five new students.
Grinning, she walked towards the temple, pushing the door open and sighing as memories of home came rushing back to her.
“Swooping Pegasi! Welcome to your new home!” she roared, before making her way inside. She had a lot of work in front of her, but something told her that this would all be worthwhile in the end.