• Published 8th Jul 2013
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The Rainbow Pigment - Jetstream S



After a stunt goes haywire in her very first Wonderbolt air show, Rainbow Dash will learn the true reason for her being the only "rainbow maned" pegasus around.

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The Orange Trial Part Two

The Orange Trial: Part Two

Caldius had taken several branches of the acacia tree, laying them in front of Dash. She looked at them with a hungry, almost yearning look. Her stomach let out a feral growl, much to Caldius’ amusement. She blushed, looking away and holding her stomach.

“Shut it,” she whispered to herself.

Caldius continued eating, paying no mind to Dash and her boiling hunger.

How does he even stomach this stuff?! she thought, grimacing at the undoubtedly painful crunches emitting from his mouth.

“Okay, okay, hold it!” Dash called over, pushing the thorny twigs away. “How am I even supposed to eat these?! You haven’t even shown me how you do it!”

Caldius simply looked at his student, smiling to reveal several thorns between his teeth. Dash grimaced, looking away.

“What is there to know?” he asked with a straight face. “You simply eat and be happy!”

Dash’s brow furrowed for the hundredth time and her wings fanned. She flicked one of the branches, sending it a few feet out. Exhaling a loud sigh, she laid in front of the prickly parsels. Looking at them, her stomach growled again. Her wings folded back to her sides and she laid her chin on her forehooves, still eying the thorny branches.

How.

How does he do it. How does he eat those thorns like they’re cotton candy.

The mere thought of cotton candy spurred a leap in the burning sensation in her stomach and she groaned.

A familiar and unwelcome voice was there to answer her questions- and drop some humor to lighten up Dash’s situation.

What if i told you that Caldius is really just a big foal?

Dash’s ears perked instinctively toward each other as the voice between them sounded.

Great. You again? How many times have I told you to-

Shut it? Too many to count, Star Prism interrupted. Answer me this. How many times has my advice helped your recent situations?

Dash opened her mouth to speak, getting Caldius’ attention.

“Okay, Star Prism,” he called over to Dash. “Your meddling is doing nothing to help her Trial. If you recall, this was your most challenging trial,” he sneered.

“Oh really?” Dash called out, addressing Star Prism.

Yes, well…

Yes well nothing!” Dash yelled. “Unless you can teach me how to turn this crap into a bag of hay fries, I don’t wanna hear it!”

Star Prism was silent.

“My dear,” Caldius said. “You are going to get nowhere with that attitude. Others may not unlock the power for you,” he assured.

Dash’s ears drooped and her wings twitched. She knew she would eventually be forced to eat something, and as far as she could tell, the only edible substance within this hole of Tartarus was the thorny branches before her. She nearly spat at them, wishing they would become a nice, daisy-filled sandwich.

Caldius looked over to Dash, raising an eyebrow. Come on, Rainbow Dash…

She pictured the delicious sandwich in her mind clearly, tasting the flavors and texture of the flowers’ delicate petals and the succulent centers. The bread, seasoned with basil and oregano, warm and crunchy, fresh from the Cakes’ fire.

Her saliva could’ve filled a small pool.

Right then, she felt something. A familiar surge of power throughout her body, originating from the roots of her mane. A particular spot on her head, where she knew the orange section of her mane stemmed. She opened her eyes, looking at the branches before her as they shimmered with an orange glow.

Caldius was now on the edge of his magical recliner, watching as his student worked her inner magic.

“What’s going on…?” Dash asked.

Immediately, the orange aura surrounding the branches dissipated, and Dash felt light headed as the glow from her mane faded. Her legs gave out, neck following. She fell in a crumpled heap, much to Caldius’ dismay.

He shook his head with disappointment, leaning back into his chair. Tossing a pebble from the previous explosion’s debris into Dash’s head, he laid back and looked into the black abyss above.

“You cannot doubt yourself, even for the slightest moment, Rainbow Dash. Our power is based on our confidence to accomplish the task at hoof. Even the slightest shake in that confidence and…”

He threw another pebble at her, missing her forehead by a centimeter.

“You’re lying in a crumpled heap from the backlash of a force too great for your weakness to command.”

Dash stirred, using her wing to lift herself up. Her leg took the wing’s place, hoisting her body into a standing position. She wobbled a bit, looking at Caldius with varying levels of focus.

“I must say, that is quite a feat. I’ve never seen anypony get up from a backlash like that,” he said.

“Yeah… well get used… to it,” Dash spat between breaths. “You aren’t gonna get rid of me that easily.”

Caldius giggled, levitating the branches over to her once again.

“Again.”

Dash rubbed the back of her head, trying to get the dizziness to fade. Undeterred, the vertigo remained, rendering her utterly defenseless. If this had been any of her past trials, she would’ve been nothing but an indention in the floor. Thankfully, this was a trial of the mind, not physical prowess.

Shaking her head again, Dash’s wings flared with determination as the unbearable sensation of hunger boiled in her stomach.

“Okay, this is it,” she mumbled.

Calduis chuckled to himself, picking his teeth with a leftover thorn. “Actions speak louder than wor-...”

A loud crunch and a squeak sounded from his left. He turned to see Rainbow Dash, mouth clamped shut around the acacia branch he had been levitating. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth, and her pupils were contracted. A tear began to flow from her eye as she began to chew where she stood.

Caldius couldn’t believe it. Through sheer desperation and hunger, Rainbow Dash had bitten the acacia branch clean off - and was chewing it. He quickly teleported the branch and its pulped half from her mouth, much to Dash’s dismay. She let her mangled mouth fall open, blood falling from the corner of her lips like a leaky tap.

“Goodness, Rainbow Dash,” Caldius exclaimed. “You really must work on your impulsive nature.”

Dash was beginning to feel the brunt of the injuries she had inflicted on herself from the frantic bite. Her eyes were watering, teeth clamped shut, and her ears were as flat as they could go against her head. Never before had she experienced such pain, even when she had broken her wing in several places. Her legs buckled and she collapsed to her belly, letting out a loud yelp.

“What was I thinking?!” she yelled, half obscured by her clamped teeth.

Caldius shook his head in disappointment. “Nothing, obviously.”

Why do you insist on hurting us? It feels like I just took a white hot ember and ate it!

Star Prism’s words did nothing to lighten the mood, only grinding Dash’s mood further. She stood, still leaking blood from her mouth. Caldius swiped his horn, leaving a thin magical wisp in its wake. The wisp took shape and enveloped Dash’s head. By this point, Dash was more than willing to tempt fate and find out what he was planning. Hopefully it was an end to this searing pain.

Caldius mumbled some words, and his eyes shone a bright orange as Dash’s head was wrenched upright. The torn gums and mangled cheeks mended, making Dash shriek in pain. But as soon as it began, the pain subsided and was replaced with a cooling sensation. Her mouth was fully healed, even a tooth that had been chipped during one of her unfortunate crashes long ago had been filled and restored.

The magic that held her upright vanished into a sparkling shower, letting Dash fall back to her belly. She looked up at Caldius, whose horn was glowing a dull red at the tip. He had used a large amount of magic, the results clear to Dash in the sense that her mouth felt normal as ever. Calduis, however, was breathing a little deeper and noticeably faster.

“Rainbow Dash,” he began. “This is the final time I will seal your wounds. This is your only warning.”

Dash nodded and stood up, instinctively running her tongue over her new gums and cheeks. She looked back over to the branches, sighing a little.

“Alright, so now what. I just “imagine” what I want and make it happen?”

Caldius nodded and sat on the floor. “... Put broadly, yes.”

Dash looked at the branches again, picturing them clearly in her mind.

“But remember,” Caldius interrupted again. “To harness the power is one thing, but to control it is quite another.”

Dash rolled her eyes, but took his advice into deep consideration. If there was one thing to learn from her recent experiences, it was that she did not have all the answers. Her all-knowing personality was diminishing in stature quicker than she had hoped, but she knew this was the only way to press on and survive.

She prepared herself, feeling the familiar rumble of her stomach adding fuel to her mental flame. She pictured a daisy sandwich, topped with the ripest, reddest tomatoes and lettuce greener than Rarity’s Nature Festival gown. Her mouth watered as the orange portion of her mane flickered to life once again, shrouding the largest branch in a shimmering aura.

Caldius watched, again anticipating what he hoped to be Dash’s comprehension of his power. The aura intensified, orange hue deepening and light shining brighter until the branch had disappeared within. Dash’s forehead was glistening with sweat as her mind fought to hold the image within. She could feel something reaching out, grasping the branch tightly in its grip. It didn’t hurt, nor did it feel like she herself was doing the action. She was completely still save for her wings fluttering lightly with strain. The light slowly but surely began to fade, accompanied by a gust of wind and a circle of dust expanding outward from the light.

As the light faded, Caldius looked on, not sure what to expect. He knew she was desperately hungry, but her grasp of his power was still very limited. As such were the constructs she could create. Nevertheless, what he saw was nothing short of shocking.

As the light faded, a lone sandwich sat on the floor. Caldius cocked his head a bit, trying to comprehend the choice. A sandwhich. Out of everything she could’ve made, she chose a sandwich. He shook his head as Dash opened her eyes and the light faded. He could see tears of joy lining her cheeks as she picked it up in trembling hooves.

Mutilatory inhalation was one way to describe what happened next. In all of five seconds, the foot long daisy sandwich was gone. The only evidence of it ever having been there was the slight bulge in Rainbow’s gut. She released a belch that would trip the Richter Scale, falling to her back in total bliss.

“No… Words…” Dash gasped between a series of smaller burps.

Caldius chuckled a bit, looking at her with a mix of pride and wonder. At least she has the basic concept, he thought.

"So, a sandwich, huh?" Caldius asked as he walked over.

Dash simply nodded as she lay there, still digesting the magical morsel. "What? You want one?" she sneered.

“Enough with the backtalk. You’ve had your fill of food. Now we get into the serious actions,” Caldius all but snarled.

Dash looked at him with narrowed eyes as she rolled to a standing position. She was feeling much better already, ready to take on anything. She readied herself, looking at her opponent with eyes reignited with the passion of challenge.

“Bring it,” Dash quipped as she extended her wings and widened her stance.

Caldius’ flowing cloak dissolved away into a mist of orange as he too widened his stance. Another branch of acacia hovered past Dash’s head to settle beside him. His eyes seemed to unfocus as he concentrated, and in a brilliant flash of orange, the acacia branch had formed into a large, menacing broadsword.

Dash’s ears flattened as she looked up at it and backed up a little. This was the real thing now. Caldius would now attempt to kill her in an effort to secure the knowledge of his power within her. He let out a grunt as the sword came down, nearly taking Dash’s extended wing clean off. She had rolled to the opposite side to avoid, but Caldius had anticipated this, turning the sword horizontal and sweeping along the ground toward his target. Only her quick thinking and mastery of her body saved her as Dash pushed up off the ground, taking flight. The sword dropped from his grip as Caldius attempted to disable her flight. A chain of orange formed around her midsection, pinning her wings to her sides.

She began to fall from the good thirty feet she had gained, flailing her legs in a vain attempt to remove the chains. An Idea flashed through her mind, and she pushed against the chains with her wings. The red in her mane flashed to life, granting her the unnatural strength to break the chains and pull out of her fall. Not waiting to see what else Caldius had in store, Dash focused on clearing her mind, trying to think of a suitable weapon - one she could wield.

Caldius was impressed at her use of Kuvvet’s power. She had done it quick and efficiently, countering his restraints. What was more, was that she could focus the power into a certain area of her body. Or, at least that’s what it looked like.

He quickly scooped up three pebbles, immediately forming them into small metal balls, complete with menacing barbed spikes. With a flick of his horn, he launched the metal spiked spheres toward his opponent.

For Dash, everything seemed to slow as she saw the incoming threat. Everything in her field of view turned a light shade of yellow, causing the projectiles to glow brightly against the darkness. She used this time to her advantage, moving her body in a way that all three missed at the same time. As soon as they passed, her vision returned to normal, and she hovered in place, wondering what happened.

“Well well,” Caldius shouted up at her. “It seems you are more in tune with my counterparts’ powers that I thought!”

Dash smirked, crossing her forelegs. “Gonna have to do better than that!”

Calduis smiled and shook his head as the metal balls clinked against the ground in the distance. “Ever so egotistical, Rainbow Dash.”

His magic encased a rock many times his size from the crater created earlier. Dash watched while remaining in her hovering position, wondering what he was planning next. The boulder suddenly split into multiple, long fragments, each sharpened to a shining tip. Dash raised an eyebrow and cracked a smile.

“Come on, you think those can hit me?” she called down.

Without a word, Caldius sent three of them flying at her. The sharpened spears cut through the air with a sharp whistle as they homed in on their mark. Again Dash relaxed and allowed the power to course through her and time seemed to slow, allowing her her to dodge each with excellent efficiency.

Caldius held back the remaining javelins, looking up at her with a hint of anger. “Come now, Rainbow Dash, do you expect to pass a Trial by using the power of the previous?”

Dash blew a raspberry and remained hovering. “Hey, whatever keeps me from getting impaled will suit me just fine!”

Caldius scowled. "Then make a shield!"

He extended his telekinetic grip to a pony-sized slab of separated stone, lifting and throwing it up to Dash. She flinched for a moment before the vivid image of a large, round shield took root in her mind, and the stone was suddenly encased in a new, brighter aura—her own.

Caldius smiled as Dash showed no hesitation. The stone radiated with the orange energy as Dash focused on her construct. Just visible behind the growing light was the unmistakable shine of metal, and the upper portion was adorn with decorative swirls.

Dash opened her eyes, and what hovered before her ignited the fire of pride: a large steel shield with her cutie mark emblazoned on the back. She hoped it was on the front as well...

"Very good, Rainbow Dash!" Caldius called, still holding the menacing javelins at the ready. "Let's hope that shield is as strong as your ego!"

Dash paid him no mind as she slipped her foreleg into the shield's straps. She could feel a connection, magic flowing from her body into the shield, fortifying it. She held it at the ready, the bright orange shine of her mane casting a shadow onto her opponent below.

Caldius looked up at the hovering mare, feeling the spark of pride as his student wielded a construct of her own. The metal rivets formed a perfect circle around her cutie mark, standing in defiance to the waiting points of his spears.

"Prepare yourself!" Caldius called as he brought a spear above the rest.

Dash held fast, determination fueling her guard. Caldius launched the stone spear at her; the point whistling through the still air. Dash saw as it flew with tremendous speed toward her, and she braced with her shield pointing full front.

Caldius had his teeth clenched so hard blood would be seeping through the gums as the spear traveled to its mark. As the point met the metal of his target, Caldius looked away, expecting a falling pegasus. However, the sound of stone shattering and metal ringing graced his ears in all its horrendous beauty as bits of the stone javelin rained down around him.

Dash peeked from over the shield as the defeated projectile fell away. She smiled a huge, triumphant smile and nearly cheered for herself. However, another whistle caught her attention and a spear shattered against the shield. She was caught off guard and the impact knocked the shield off her leg.

It sailed far into the shrouded edges of the area, the magic fading from it and reforming into the slab of rock from whence it came. Dash looked down at Caldius, who had a cocky smirk plastered on his face.

"Too sure of yourself, too soon!" he called up. "Perhaps you should stick to dodging and running like a coward!"

Dash's teeth clenched and her muscles flexed in outrage at his remark. NOPONY calls me a coward...

She didn't respond, thinking of a way to defend and win against Caldius—and prove she was anything but a coward.

Her eyes lit up in confidence and her plan was formulated. She suddenly and deliberately closed her wings, falling to the ground. She flapped once to soften the landing, kicking up dust and small pebbles as she touched down. The red in her mane flickered to life, and she stamped her hind leg on the rock below, crushing it.

Caldius looked on, steeling himself for whatever came next. Dash's eyes closed as the red in her mane returned to its usual glossy look. Caldius took a small step back and felt the corner of a large piece of stone protruding from the granite. He made a mental note of it and stood still.

In a flash, Dash's eyes opened and the orange portion of her mane was alive with a light that would outshine the Canterlot Lighthouse. The fragments of rock beneath her shot up and formed a ring above her, circling her body. Caldius was unphased by the light and stared at her with puzzled awe. Wow, when did she become so adept?! he thought, readying the stone javelins once again.

"Alright Caldius! I'm tired of playing games!" Dash yelled as the rocks circling her began emitting the same orange glow that surrounded the stone spears in Caldius' grasp.

"It just so happens-"

"Can it!" Dash interrupted. "See if I'm a coward now!"

The rocks floating above Rainbow wrenched into small shuriken and blades of all shapes. Caldius watched with a smile but was nearly panicking on the inside. The blades would surely put an end to his little game if they found their marks. He stepped back onto the rock and found it to be much larger than previously thought. As the blades began to spin quicker and quicker in their circular pattern, Caldius turned and jumped, dropping the spears from his magical grip. He levitated the large slab of stone and formed it into a wall of cinder blocks.

Dash looked on, unphased as the stone wall loomed well above her height. She focused on the surrounding blades, sending one flying at the wall. It glanced off, showering the ground with sparks. Dash smirked and concentrated on her remaining ammunition.

Caldius had his back to the wall, wondering what to do next. He had dropped his weapons out of fear and the inability to focus his levitation spell. By now, they had reverted back to simple slabs of stone as the magic left them. He looked around, seeing bits and chunks of rock littering the ground. Luckily, they were all the ingredients he needed.

"I must say, Rainbow Dash," he called, levitating over a dozen small rocks and splinters of wood. "You are quite skilled, of that there is no doubt!" He concentrated, forming the debris into a multitude of sharp objects.

"Uh huh," Dash replied. She knew something was up.

Caldius, confident with his weaponry, jumped over the wall, slinging every single one of his ten blades toward Dash. She jumped, responding by throwing her own. Some of the blades clashed in mid air, sending a shower of sparks in all directions. Caldius felt one graze his shoulder, taking a clean cut of his orange coat with it.

Knowing he was treading dangerous waters while out in the open, Caldius resorted to one of his most powerful and secret techniques.

"Come on!" Dash yelled. "Haven't I proved myself yet?!"

Caldius had jumped into the crater, laying flat. "First of all, its proven, not proved", he called. The broken earth began to conform to his body as his magic soaked into it.

Again Dash scoffed and kicked a pebble. An orange spark leapt from her hoof into the pebble, warping it into a piece of metal for a few moments. Right. Control.

"Alright Rainbow Dash!" Caldius called from the crater. "Are you ready to see what this power can really do?!"

His voice sounded very muffled and Dash widened her stance, seemingly ready for anything. "What's wrong?" Dash called back. "You sound like you're choking on a... a..."

Dash's next words were caught in her own throat as Caldius emerged from the crater, adorned in what could only be described as a suit of earthen armor. His body was completely covered from muzzle to tail in plates of polished geode and granite, leaving only small holes for his mouth, horn, and eyes.

Dash's face turned cold and she stepped back as Caldius began to walk to her. His hoof steps crushed small craters into the floor as he approached. The orange portion of her mane began to flicker and die, Dash having lost all confidence that any attack would work.

Rainbow Dash.

Dash stopped her backward pacing as Star Prism's voice echoed through her mind.

Uh, kinda busy not trying to get myself killed here. What do you want? Dash answered.

I remember when I took this trial. I was able to beat Caldius back until he pulled this trump card. The Crystal Armor.

Caldius had stopped, training his eyes on Dash as she was seemingly lost in thought. "What will you do now, Rainbow Dash?!" he asked, stamping the ground hard with both forehooves.

You must NOT let his antics fool you into thinking you cannot win!

Dash had a thought. She knew she could reinforce her objects with sheer will alone, and that if hers was stronger, she could destroy any of his constructs.

You're right. I can win. I will win.

Dash stood taller and her eyes narrowed as the orange in her mane rekindled its light. She took a step toward Caldius, who immediately cocked his head in confusion. Never before had anypony dared to defy him in his armor, much less advance on him. This mare was clearly a step up from the rest. As if that hadn't been proven already.

Yes Rainbow Dash… You can defeat any of his constructs! Now, take him down!

Dash knelt down and picked up a rock. She closed it in the cleft of her hoof, formulating a plan. She slowly looked up to Caldius, her face the epitome of mischief. Caldius paid her no mind, continuing to walk as tall as he could to maintain his superior stature. She began tossing the rock as one would flip a coin, smiling deviously as she caught and held it tightly. In a flash of orange, the rock moulded around her hoof, forming a crystalline glove. She waited, beckoning Caldius with her primary feathers.

In all his years as the sole master of his power, Caldius never imagined he would face an opponent with a confidence higher than his own. Rainbow Dash had already far exceeded his expectations, effectively mastering his power in less than two hours. She truly is a marvel of magic…

“I commend you on your exceptional abilities, Rainbow Dash,” he began. “But alas, I grow weary of your company.”

Dash steeled herself, focusing everything she could muster into the crystal glove. It physically hardened around her hoof, making her wince a little. She put her hoof down to balance herself for a spring, the crystal striking the stone floor with a sharp *clink*.

THIS ENDS NOW! NOPONY OVERCOMES ME!” Caldius yelled as he leapt for Dash.

With a loud scrape, a large serrated blade slid from an unseen slit in his foreleg armor as Caldius held it pointed at Dash. Her ears laid flat as the piercing echo ground against her eardrums.

“A little obnoxious with the sword, huh?” Dash called, rubbing her ear with her uncovered hoof.

Caldius closed the yards between them in his bound, his hulking form casting a faint shadow on Dash as he descended, blade held straight for her chest. She knew that if her plan were to work, she would need expert precision. A single millimeter off base would result in death, or at the least a critical injury.

The whistle of the blade aimed to take her life caught Dash’s ear as Caldus neared. Her left foreleg flexed hard, ready to meet his blow with her own. This would be the deciding move. The decision of who was stronger willed - and Dash had no intention of losing this day.

As the pair met, Dash reared back at the last possible second, bringing her crystal-shod hoof to bear. She focused all her energy, confidence, and will into this final punch, throwing it all forward and connecting with the tip of Caldius’ blade. The result was a shock to both parties.

When the opposing weapons finally collided, Caldius’ blade shattered against her blunt, powerful crystal. She followed through, shattering it all the way to the base and continuing the punch’s motion, eventually hitting his armored face. As it did, Dash’s crystal finally gave in, exploding in a shower of shards against Caldius’ bare cheek. He was sent in the opposite direction in a split second, allowing whiplash to throw his senses for a wild loop. However, the extensive damage caused by Dash’s punch was more than enough to disable any further attacks that Caldius had panned.

The fight was over. Rainbow Dash had won.

She stumbled, the force of her punch too great for her balance to maintain. Falling forward, she caught herself with her now free hoof, looking up to her flying opponent.

Too dazed and confused to think of a method to slow himself, Caldius slammed into the ground, sliding through the stone and eventually coming to a rest on his side. His eyes fluttered open, greeted with the sight of Rainbow Dash landing near him.

"Alright.. I think that's enough," Dash sighed. She walked over and sat by him, extended her wing, and nonchalantly straightened the feathers.

Caldius' armor began crumbling as he attempted to move. Dash folded her wing and got to her hooves, backing off a little. As he stood, Caldius' armor began cracking and chipping away. He was standing fully again, his helmet splitting like a watermelon and falling to the floor. What it revealed made Dash reel back in surprise and fear. Caldius' jaw was hanging from the left joint, the skin over the right torn and revealing the dislocated side clearly.

Without a word—as if he could talk anyway—he began reaching for his jaw, clasping it and yanking violently upward. A loud pop and a quake of pain from Caldius nearly made Dash wretch. He adjusted himself, readying to speak.

"Well. I do believe you've proven your mastery over my power," he said.

His voice reflected the soreness of his loss and the pain that now came with speaking. He walked up to Dash, who backed away instinctively.

"I shouldn't keep you here longer than I must. Here."

A small gemstone appeared in front of Dash's face with a flash.

"You have passed my trial. Now go."

Dash reached out for the gem, and like the last, it jumped to greet her hoof and mended with it. She seized up, the world spinning in front of her eyes as she fell to her side, unconscious. Caldius stamped the floor, causing an orange whirlpool of light to be summoned beneath her sleeping form. She slipped from the room, swallowed by the portal as Caldius sat down, magicking a few rocks to serve as a bench. He looked to his acacia tree, still in tatters, and sighed. His armor fell away and his orange aura surrounded his torn flesh, mending it to the best of his abilities.

It was still going to scar.