The Phoenix Foal

by Sir Barton

The Prophesy

The Prophesy of the Phoenix Foal

After Chaos is made still
And the shadowed sire banished into cold
The two who are of three shall rule briefly in harmony
Until shadow divides the two for a thousand years
And leaves one to rule alone
Towards the end of this solitude
There will be born an heir of the air
A descendant of the first line
They will know death before life
Pass through fire and dust
And from ashes they will be born
Through an act of will alone
To rise like the Phoenix
To claim the clouds home
They will crown themselves with thunder
Trail a cloak of broken light
And with six they bind together
Unlock love from dreaded night
Yet from hidden heart from darkness
The shadowed sire again shall crawl
Until their form from love’s light shattered
But their power not lost to all
A friend fallen from good graces
A fellow cast from spired heights
To shadow’s venomed comfort
To vengeful crown in darkness gleaming bright
Before all those bound
Of hoof and horn and wing
The one by death shall stand alone
Before the dread named darkness
More feared than endless night
While before them be the choices
Of death or for all reveal the light

Okay… Rainbow Dash thought as she reread her mother’s translation of the ancient pegasi script in the book. The two who are of three, she figured were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The two alicorns had defeated Discord, whom the passage simply called ‘Chaos’, by turning him to stone. That was probably the ‘stilled’ part.

Spending a thousand years as a statue didn’t exactly rate high on the list of ‘thing’s to do’ for the borderline hyperactive pegasus pony. Still there was something to the passage now that she thought about it. She knew the parts that referred to her ‘birth’, if it could even be called that. She guessed there wasn’t any other way to describe it really.

There was the part that described her connection to her closest friends, ‘with six they bind together, unlock love from endless night’. They had come together under Twilight’s guidance to reunite the Elements of Harmony, and save Princess Luna from her alter ego of ‘Nightmare Moon’. But it had been Rainbow’s first Sonic Rainboom that had connected the six long before that, coinciding with them each earning their cutie marks.

The next part, probably referred to King Sombra, and the Crystal Heart, but after that … she wasn’t sure. It seemed to suggest a destiny of sorts but … she couldn’t figure it out. Could Luna become Nightmare Moon again? Could Twilight, or one of her other friends fall to the dark side and the power of this ‘shadow’ thing? Daring Do was right, prophesies were a lot easier to read in hindsight.

Rainbow Dash looked over the passage again, gently stroking the brilliant pink silk bookmark that bore the twin thunderbolts of her mother’s cutie mark embroidered in dazzling electric-blue as she lay on her bed. The actual ancient pegasi version was probably more poetic, Dash figured, than her mother’s translation. It had been the last thing her mother had been reading the night she had died.

And I died with her … The thought trailed through the sky blue pegasus’s head as she recalled what her father had told her only a few days earlier.

What she remembered most was the ghostly image of her mother, Firefly, standing opposite her in the bedroom’s mirror affirming what Rainbow had finally realized, but couldn’t bring herself to believe until then: she was the Phoenix Foal. She was the true heir of the Pegasi royalty, the master of the Sonic Rainboom.

That was all awesome stuff, stuff she had promised her father that she would not tell a single soul about. Promised with her mother’s personal unbreakable vow. But that didn’t matter. Rainbow brushed the forelock of her rainbow colored mane out of her eyes, wiping a tear away in the process. The most important words she’d heard that night were the last ones her mother, Firefly, had said to her before Rainbow had passed out.

You are my daughter.

Author's Note:

As promised here is the (re-created) "Prophesy of the Phoenix Foal".

Interestingly, I started writing this piece in my head before Season 3 Episode 13 had aired so It was a bit odd to see Rarity doing Rainbows 'destiny' as a weather pony. Until I realized what I was seeing. Rarity under the influence of Dash's 'destiny' is controlling virtually the whole of Equestria's weather, horizon to horizon. Rarity is capable of affecting even massive seasonal shifts in temperature and precipitation sunburn to flash frozen frostbite and neck deep snow in the blink of an eye. This level of power is easily on the level of Twilight's exploits, and may rival that of Celestia and Luna's control of the sun and moon.

Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed this tale I've now told. Comment's and thoughts are appreciated as always, and pending the events of Season 4 ...

The Phoenix Foal will return.

Sir Barton (One Old Racehorse)

Comments

[Skeeter The Lurker]

...It's over...?

For now? Hm.

Bit of a lackluster ending, but not bad. Look forward to the next installment.

~Skeeter The Lurker

[Sir Barton]

3160429 Yes, this part is. It was only ever meant as a writing exercise, and to focus on the dramatization of the transition between Firefly and Rainbow Dash.

The Phoenix Foal concept is not done yet, all things willing. I have a follow on piece in mind but I want to see about some other projects first. If the sequel gets its wings, it will be a separate piece but will have a stinger posted here first, most likely.

[Skeeter The Lurker]

3160456

Mmm.

The only way to give it wings is to write it. So... Write it. I'll be waiting.

~Skeeter The Lurker

[rarerarity]

DUN DUN DUUUNNNNNNNNNN!!

[Monochromatic Rainbow]

It shall return? I suppose I shall keep and eye on this then.

[Siras-chi]

That's a scary thought, with rarity in charge of all of Equestrian weather. Though it would all be fabulous.

[Sir Barton]

3160631 My spell-check said good. Actually it accepts both spellings it turns out.

[fferror]

The actual ancient pegasi version was probably more poetic Dash figured than her mother’s translation.

Need some punctuation there; commas, for instance.

as she recalled what her father had told her only a few day earlier.

"a few days"

she more remembered was ghostly the image of her mother

"the ghostly image". Also, "more remembered" is a bit awkward.

She was the chosen heir of the whole of the Pegasi

"the whole of the Pegasi" isn't grammatically correct. You might just say "of the pegasi", or if you want something more elaborate, "of all the pegasi". Also, "pegasi" isn't capitalized, any more than "humans" or "ponies" or "bears" is; species names aren't proper nouns.

[Sir Barton]

3172925 Thanks, self editing is hard when your brain knows what you wanted to write, even if it's not what hit the page.

[fferror]

3173841
One more minor one:

but couldn’t bring herself to believe until then, that she was the Phoenix Foal.

That comma should be a colon, and you can drop the "that".

[Sir Barton]

3174859 Again, thanks.

[Sir Barton]

3221272 Yes, this part is done, for now. Any sequel will depend on several factors, my pending promotion being one of them , the other being a very large non-pony writing project that has financial implications . Time is always a factor, where is a Temporal Dilation Device when you need it?

P.S. do feel free to check out From Now to Eternity

[Sir Barton]

3221904 Actually my preference is for either a heavily modified DeLorean , or a phone-booth.

[Wing Zero 032]

The next part, probably referred to King Sombra, and the Crystal Heart, but after that … she wasn’t sure. It seemed to suggest a destiny of sorts but … she couldn’t figure it out. Could Luna become Nightmare Moon again? Could Twilight, or one of her other friends fall to the dark side and the power of this ‘shadow’ thing? Daring Do was right, prophesies were a lot easier to read in hindsight.

It's already happened (in the official comic book main series), and the result: NIGHTMARE RARITY!

I can't beilive I Just found this story just now, I honestly hope there will be a sequel inspired with the events of the incoming chapters of season 4

[Sir Barton]

3355119 Actually, that was an allusion/reference to the Nighmare Rarity comic arc, congrat's for spotting it.

[Wing Zero 032]

Thanks, yet I still can't beilive that I haven't seen this story up to last night, I banged my head against the desk for that

So, do you have any plans for the sequel or will the story will continue with newer chapters as soon as season 4 and the comics comes out?

[Sir Barton]

3356215 My objective is a challenge to try and weave the story around the cannon events, I want to see what happens with some characters in S4 before committing. I have a plot line drafted but want to see what comes before resorting to the AU tag while I flesh out the story. I also have two other projects ongoing so this one gets to warm the benches for now.

Thanks again for the up-vote and fave.

[Wing Zero 032]

3357147 You're welcome, keep the great work and thanks for the heads up for the sequel, I'll be looking forward to it while being on alert for its relase

[Sir Barton]

3613100 Yup. Gotta update I guess.

[deletingthisaccount]

Well I was interested in reading this one since you mentioned the phoenix as an important motif in your life. And you didn't disappoint, this was a really neat read and very moving. You may want to give it a look-over and edit out some awkward sentences, since you look to have improved a lot in writing between this and ASD. I'm headed to Ponycon "Marebourne" () with a friend on the weekend so I'll be distracted but can totally run through this for you next week. It makes me wonder how long it's been since I drew a phoenix... Oh, and this picture:
aviatstudios.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/chinesePropagandaPostersLeapForward3.jpg

[deletingthisaccount]

3875391 Oh sorry.
Bifrost is a reference to Thor or the actual mythology? I'm leaning toward the movie since "Auroras" replace the literal Rainbow Bridge. (Which remind me: the Melbourne production of Das Rheingold [Der Ring des Nibelungen] featured a rainbow bridge represented by two lines of showgirls with huge feather fans in the colours of the rainbow. It was gorgeous to watch.)

[femikol]

This is such a good story!!!!!!!!!!

[Sir Barton]

5885896 Thank you very much.

[Dusk_Writer]

Wow this was an amazing story I am so faving this

[Auren Dawnstar]

I can't believe I let this sit in my "Read Later" pile as long as I did. Just...wow.

It does make one wonder what might be hidden in Rainbow's bloodline. Aside from some rather obvious unique features, there's also the difference between being a highly skilled pegasus and being able to do things no other pegasus could hope to match.

[Cerulean Voice]

Nice poem.

Now I really want that sequel. I should hope that your writing has improved over the past two years.
Like, I really want that sequel.

[Cerulean Voice]

Here, have a review.
Overall I found this a nice read, but there were many things that dragged my experience down.

[Kikio3000]

Awesome story; it's very interesting! :D

[ElectroPHX228]

Ok, I like it. It's very self rooted without any intervention to the cannon (yet). Especially that last poem. Very well done. The premise of this story is unique in its own way. When I first started reading this, I had a very different mind set. I originally thought that in some point in Firefly's life she would die but instead of dying she would change, almost like reincarnation *cough*Doctor Who*cough* while assuming a new identity as Rainbow Dash. But it blew my expectations right out of the water. And that storm being added in with scientific reasoning involving the Everfree's "natural" nature. It reminded me of my OC's cutie mark (Stormy Night). I would definitely love to see a sequel as well as explore that prophecy a little more. Plus you gave me a more realistic reason as to why my OC can produce lighting when flying. I hope to see more stories involving this idea in the future.
-ElectroPHoeniX228

[ThatOneHybridFusion]

*A grand piano softly plays in the distance.
*It's song doesn't signify an end, but a beginning.
*The story will soon close, but another will open.
*It's just up to you to find it.