• Published 6th Jul 2012
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Legacy of the Pegasi - secret89



An ancient pegasi myth has returned. It will take three special pegasi to turn back the storm.

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Ch. 23: Gifts and Relics

Legacy of the Pegasi:

Ch. 23: Gifts and Relics

Rainbow Dash fluttered above Pegasi Peak. Cold wind whipped and howled through the air, pulling at her wings, but she ignored it. Instead she hovered in the air, her eyes scanning through the clouds. The mountain top was obscured by the misty clouds, allowing only momentary glimpses at the snow capped summit. The clouds were so thick that even the sunlight proved unhelpful. Instead of bright rays, the light filtered through the dull white mists, creating a glowing white that blinded instead of illuminating.

Rainbow Dash frowned. “I don't see it!” She called over her shoulder.

Soarin' flew into view along with Scootaloo, the two hovering up alongside Rainbow.

“It has to be around here somewhere,” Soarin' said.

“Well duh,” Rainbow said sarcastically.

“Not helping Rainbow.”

“Well I'm not really sure what you want me to do. It's like flying at night with these clouds. For all we know we could be about to fly into the mountainside.”

Soarin' sighed. “Just keep looking.”

The three pegasi flew apart, each staying just within sight as they scanned the mountaintop below them.

Rainbow continued to watch the ever shifting clouds, hoping to catch any sign of the cave entrance. Her frown deepened as time passed. Com'on, it's gotta be around here somewhere, she thought. We're supposed to be these super powered pegasi and we can't even find a stupid crack in the mountain.

An idea hit upon her.

“Maybe I can put these powers to use,” she said aloud.

She calmed herself, closed her eyes and reached forth with her aura. She was immediately aware of Scootaloo and Soarin', but directed her aura away from them, instead focusing it like a wave on the mountaintop below.

Com'on aura thingy! Do your stuff!

Seconds passed into minutes.

Rainbow threw her hooves up in frustration. “Oh com'on! You mean to tell me you can't scope out any of that crazy pegasus vision stuff from before? This place was practically dripping with it last time we where here!” She yelled out. She shook her head, sighing. “Talk about inconsistent.”

Her aura pressed back. An impression of almost unapologetic indifference waved from it.

“Yeah, okay, okay not your fault,” Rainbow said. “And now I'm talking to myself,” she added, putting a hoof to the bridge of her nose. I swear I can't tell if it's creepy or not that this thing seems to have a mind of its own.

Shelving the supposed semi-sentience of her aura for another time, Rainbow turned her gaze back to the cloudy scape below. “Could really use Twi's help right now,” she said.

Her thoughts drifted back to Ponyville. Each of her friends had vowed that they would journey with her, citing friendships, a duty to Equestria and just plain stubbornness. Rainbow smiled. Even as she now wished for her unicorn friend's assistance, she knew this was one journey that her friends couldn't do together. The night in the Everfree had proved it. They had finally relented when Rainbow had pleaded with them to remain in Ponyville, to rebuild, help the survivors and to work with Celestia and Luna.

The goodbyes weren't any easier though. Rainbow had no idea how long they would be gone.

A particularly strong gust of icy wind roused her. No time to get sappy. Not now. I'm just going to have to egg-head this one out myself, she thought, refocusing below her. Com'on Rainbow, how would Daring figure this one out?

Scootaloo's aura hit her suddenly.

A moment of terror clutched at Rainbow's chest as she zeroed in from the aura's origin. A thousand images of Scootaloo in some sort of danger flashed through her mind.

She was about to take off when the Scootaloo's voice cut across the roaring wind.

“I think I found it!”

Rainbow shivered, but it wasn't from the cold. She took a deep breath, letting her wings carry her to Scootaloo.

Soarin' had already reached the younger pegasus when Rainbow arrived. Rainbow breathed a second sigh of relief as her eyes looked to Scootaloo.

The other two pegasi were studying the crevice beneath them. Rainbow recognized it as the one she and Soarin' had left from several days ago.

“This is it,” Soarin' confirmed.

Rainbow hovered up next to Scootaloo. “Good work Scoots!”

Scootaloo seemed indifferent, mumbling her thanks.

Rainbow frowned slightly. Scootaloo's attitude was only a touch better and her aura confirmed it. The task at hand seemed to have preoccupied her enough, but Rainbow hadn't forgotten Scootaloo's absence when Spitfire had departed.

But now's not the time for that, Rainbow thought.

“Alright, lets go,” Soarin' said.

The trio descended through the winds and into the mountain. They landed on the stone mesa inside the cavern. A cursory glance revealed that it was the same was when Rainbow and Soarin' had left it, complete with the stone altar and its mysterious markings.

“Woah,” Scootaloo said, her voice echoing throughout. Her head twisted about as she walked slowly, observing the cavern. “So this is what you guys found.”

Rainbow smiled, glad to see some emotion return to her sister. “Yep. This place is special. At least we think it is?” Rainbow glanced at Soarin'.

Soarin' had already moved to the altar, studying its surface. “Trust me on this one, this is going to work,” he said without looking up.

“What, exactly is going to work?” Scootaloo asked with some hesitation.

Soarin' took several steps backward, judging the distance of his hooves from the altar. “And that should be about right,” he said to himself. He looked to Scootaloo. “Commander Hurricane and his lieutenants left something here for us. Something to help us against the Archon. Rainbow and I tried to access it last time, but we didn't have you before. With us three together I think we can get to it.”

Scootaloo looked even more confused. She looked to Rainbow.

Rainbow grinned madly. “We have no idea what's going to happen.”

“Oh. Well I'm glad we cleared that up,” Scootaloo replied with a bit of snark.

“Com'on. Scootaloo you stand here on my left, Rainbow on my right,” Soarin' instructed.

Rainbow nodded, settling next to Soarin'. She could feel a familiar presence echo through her aura.

“Uh... Soarin'?” Scootaloo stammered, taking several steps back from the altar. “I can feel sompony, not you two... and it's really weirding me out right now.”

“Great!” Soarin' replied happily.

Rainbow shot the stallion a glare. “Don't worry Scoots. Still sends shivers up my spine. I can feel Lightning Streak's echo. You're probably feeling Ice Wing right now.”

“Um, okay,” Scootaloo replied warily, stepping up to the altar once more.

“Alright. We need to link our auras together and focus it on the tablet,” Soarin' instructed. “Both of you feed yours to mine, and I'll focus it on the altar. Whatever you do, don't step away or break the link.”

Rainbow nodded. She could see Scootaloo take a deep breath, readying herself.

“Here we go,” Soarin' said.

Immediately Rainbow felt her aura join with Soarin' and Scootaloo. At Soarin's urging, their collective power pooled onto the altar. It randomly flashed with hues of silver, gold and crimson.

Golden light glowed from the etched characters on the stone tablet. They grew in intensity.

“I think its working!” Soarin' shouted.

Light filled the cavern as before, beams stretching upward from the circular engraving on the mesa.

Just as before, Rainbow could feel Lightning Streak distinctive presence build, almost as if the warrior pegasus was just beside her.

A single blink later she was.

Lightning Streak stood only a few hooves away from Rainbow, just across from the altar. Likewise, Hurricane and Ice Wing stood abreast of Soarin and Scootaloo. Each stared like statues at the three pegasi.

“Holy sh-!” Scootaloo yelped, nearly jumping from her station, were it not for Soarin's guiding hoof at her side.

“Relax! This is normal!” Soarin' said. He cast an unsure glance toward Rainbow. “I think?”

Rainbow frowned back, but she too was fighting back her surprise. This is isn't exactly how it happened last time.

The light around the mesa subsided. The light from the altar dimmed.

“Now come, focus your legacies,” Commander Hurricane said abruptly. The other two pegasi beside him immediately came to life. “I will do the rest,” he added.

“I think we're on the right track,” Soarin' said, transfixed by Hurricane's stare.

Not exactly, Rainbow thought. “Wasn't there more of a light show last time?”

“L-lightshow?” Scootaloo stammered. She watched the ghost before her like a hawk.

“Uh, yeah. Weird.”

Rainbow opened her mouth to reply, but the a flash of light before her cut her off.

Aural energy streamed from Ice Wing and Lightning Streak toward Commander Hurricane, pooling around the later pegasus' bladed hoof.

“May this aid those who come after us,” Commander Hurricane recited, exactly as he had before. The light around his hoof shot forth toward the opposite side of the altar, mimicking the light from Rainbow, Soarin' and Scootaloo.

“That they will be worthy of this power,” Commander Hurricane continued to recite.

Rainbow glanced all around her. There was no build up of light. No surge from the aural energies. She shot Soarin' a confused look.

The stallion only looked at her quizzically, shrugging.

The light beneath Hurricane's hoof grew steadily. “And preserve the legacy,” he finished.

“Uh, Soarin'?” Rainbow said.

Soarin' grimaced. “Argh, just hold on, there's got to be more-”

Slowly, three tiny particles of light hovered up above the pool beneath Hurricane's hoof. Each one was tethered by an aural strand colored silver, crimson and gold respectively. They continued to rise, eventually severing altogether, and drifted into the farthest reaches of the chamber, until they disappeared from sight.

“Just a bit longer,” Hurricane said, looking to both of his lieutenants. “The first praefractus is complete. We need only complete it once more.”

“Really?” Lightning Streak cracked an eye open, looking at herself. “That's it? Kinda figured it'd hurt more.”

The stream between the trio surged, slackening between Hurricane and Lightning Streak and flaring between the former and Ice Wing.

Ice Wing groaned, glaring across to her comrade. “You could try taking this a little more seriously Lightning. Soul splintering isn't exactly easy you know.”

Soul splintering? Rainbow thought.

Lightning Streak shrugged. “Hey, I'm serious. All I know is these pegasi better be grateful. One of them is about to get a piece of awesome incarnate,” she quipped. Lightning's gaze turned directly to Rainbow. “You hear that?” She thrust a hoof at Rainbow. “You're getting one hell of a gift, don't go ruining our family name with it!”

Rainbow recoiled slightly, staring between the ghostly hoof pointed at her and the cock sure grin from the pony before her. Though the spectre visibly shocked her with it's direct gaze, it was Lightning Streak's words that held Rainbow's mind. Ruining our family name? But that would mean... Rainbow trailed off. Is it really that simple?

Rainbow looked sheepishly to Soarin' and Scootaloo, but the other pegasi could only gawk. “Uh, I won't-” she started to say.

“By the stars Lightning! We're here to help them, not degrade them! We have one opportunity to reach across time and all you can do is stroke your ego like some braggart?” Ice Wing shook her head. “How foolish they must think us.”

“You're right Ice Wing, please accept my apologies.”

“Good,” Ice Wing nodded. She turned to Scootaloo. “Soon you shall have what you ne-”

Lightning Streak's voice cut her comrade off. “Besides,” a smug grin tugged at her mouth, “if this youth is of my blood, well then they must be as incredible as myself.” She winked Rainbow's way.

For a split second Rainbow could only stare in disbelief. However it quickly faded, changing to match the pony in front of her. “Heh. Hear that? Someone knew I was awesome before I was even born!”

Soarin' and Commander Hurricane both let out a groan.

Ice Wing simply shook her head. “Destined one, you have my apologies.”

“Uh, yeah. No problem,” Scootaloo replied dumbly, a surreal look on her face as she glanced sidelong at Ice Wing.

“Focus,” Commander Hurricane's sharp voice commanded. “We near the second praefractus. Then we can-”

Commander Hurricane suddenly stopped talking. His gaze intensified directly at Soarin', a scowl forming at his face.

Rainbow frowned. She looked to Soarin'.

“Don't look at me. I didn't do any-”

An apparition leaped through Soarin's chest toward Commander Hurricane.

“Luna's arse, what in Tartarus?” Soarin' cursed, looking to his chest.

The cloaked figure sailed over Hurricane's head as the pegasus deftly dodged the attack.

“It's the Tempest Guard!” Commander Hurricane shouted. “Dispatch them! I will maintain the praefractus!

Rainbow nearly jumped from her station on reflex. Here? But how could they know? She thought, before the realization hit her. No. Not now. Not in this time.

Nevertheless, Rainbow still found herself tense with baited breath.

The cavern suddenly swarmed with hazy images of cloaked and armored pegasi. A command was thrown from the horde. “Destroy the traitors!”

Lightning Streak and Ice Wing took to the air in a flash, aural powers shining at their armor. Both immediately collided mid-air with Tempest Guardians. With practiced skill and aural powers at the ready both engaged multiple foes.

Rainbow could only stare, transfixed by the battle that was unfolding before her. Soarin' and Scootaloo were the same.

Ice Wing and Lightning Streak made the fight look easy, even as Rainbow noted the strain and determination on the pegasi's faces. The two continued to circle around their commander, warding off the attackers.

Rainbow Dash noticed a full column of Tempest Guards galloping toward Commander Hurricane. Out of the corner of her eye she caught the faintest glint of lightning.

Lightning Streak shot forward, the echoing sound of thunder behind her. Her helm crackled with electricity, matching the spark in her narrowed eyes. Immediately her wings were coated with the bluish haze of electrical currents dancing along her feathers.

She bolted overhead the advancing column of Tempest Guards, raining streams of electrical bolts downward onto the cloaked pegasi.

Echoing cries filled the cavern as the cloaked attackers were caught in a maelstrom of lightning, left to nothing more than singed bodies convulsing on the floor.

Rainbow shielded her eyes against the flash of lightning. Okay, I want that.

A trio of Tempest Guards dove downward toward Commander Hurricane. The distinctive hiss of magical lances cut through the air, traveling toward the altar.

Rainbow and her friends nearly jumped as it looked like the lances were about to strike them.

At the last second Ice Wing blew past, a solid trail of ice in her wake. The lances struck the ice wall, exploding.

Despite this, the assailants remained undeterred, still on a suicide run for Commander Hurricane.

Ice Wing pulled up in a drastic turn that seemed to defy gravity. In the blink of an eye razor icicles formed at her hoof blades. In rapid succession she fired of a salvo of three.

The ice spears found their mark, impaling each of the Tempest Guards. Ice mixed with blood as their lifeless corpses thudded to the ground, only hooves away from Hurricane.

Seconds continued to pass, as Ice Wing and Lightning Streak continued to fend off the Tempest Guard, but the latter seemed to be limitless in numbers, continuing to pour into the cavern. The two pegasi's defense began to falter, each suffering from an increasing number of injuries.

“Hold them for a bit longer!” Hurricane yelled.

Another Tempest Guard leaped forward through Soarin' to attack Hurricane.

Hurricane's hooves remained planted. Instead he reared his armored head back, and forcefully rammed it into the Tempest Guard's forehead.

A resounding crack echoed through the cavern as the Tempest Guard's body fell limply over the stone altar.

“Sweet stars above,” Soarin' said in awe.

More of the cloaked pegasi poured into the cavern. Together they formed up in a semi-circle around the altar, both in the air and on the ground. Slowly they began to move forward, all the while continuing to fire lances into at the trio.

“Rainbow!?” Scootaloo yelled over the muted battle.

“It's not really here Scoots!” Rainbow called out. Despite her claim, she still found herself awkwardly ducking and dodging in place, even as multiple lances whizzed through her.

“We've got to stick it out for a little while longer!” Soarin' called out.

Ice Wing deftly slashed her blades at one of the Tempest Guards. Blood spilled from his throat as his corpse fell from the sky. The other received an armored kick to the face, blasting him to the farthest reaches of the cavern. “They're closing in!” She called out, as errant lances flew by.

But instead of engaging the approaching Tempest Guards, Ice Wing started to fly in a tight circle around the altar, rapidly gaining speed. Electric arcs danced along her wings as a small cyclone began to form.

“Lightning?!”

“On it!” Lightning Streak replied. She shot into the highest reaches of the cavern, disappearing from view.

The Tempest Guard slowed, but continued to move forward, firing lances into the cyclone.

Below, Hurricane maintained the glowing light at his hoof. Lances reflected off of his electrified wings as he shielded himself from fire. Yet not all could be stopped. Several lances had found their mark.

Rainbow watched as Soarin' stood nose to nose with Commander Hurricane. His eyes watched intently as the battered and bloodied pegasus stood before him.

“It is nearly complete!” Hurricane called out.

As before, three particles of light began to pull from the orb at Hurricane's hoof. Each struggled to separate from their aural strand.

Commander Hurricane's gaze narrowed. He clenched his jaw as the glow beneath his hoof brightened. As his aura pulsed against the orb, he fell to a knee.

Each particle began to tug at their restraint.

Rainbow lost sight of Ice Wing. By now the cyclone had entirely engulfed herself, Hurricane and Rainbow's friends, but lances continued to pierce through, pelting the ground.

Ice Wing's voice cut through the air.

“Now!”

A second later Lightning Streak appeared in a suicide dive toward the ground. Her bladed hoof was outstretched, the glint of lightning upon it. She leveled dangerously close to the ground, pulling into a tight circle around the outside of the cyclone and forcefully dragging her blade against the ground. Sparks flew as the lightning at her hoof intensified. Flames erupted upon the blade just as Lightning crossed into the tornado.

Immediately the cyclone burst into flame, a massive swirling pillar of fire filling the cavern.

Rainbow and the others shielded their eyes against the spinning blaze.

Lightning Streak and Ice Wing were a blur within the tornado. Hurricane had fallen to both knees, but his head remained high. His aura began to glow, extending around his body to shield him. Despite this, the heat began to take his toll, as the pegasus stumbled.

Each particle of light tugged all the harder against their tether.

The Tempest Guard were in complete disarray. Those that were close to the pillar of fire found themselves sucked into the inferno, while those just outside it's reach were bombarded by swaths of fire that erupted from the cyclone. As the cyclone continued to spin, the remaining Tempest Guards clutched at their throats and gasped for breath as the oxygen within the chamber was devoured.

“Ice Wing! Lightning! To me!” Hurricane called out.

In a flash Ice Wing and Lightning Streak landed beside their commander, arcs of electricity and curling flames at their hooves. They were bloodied and battered, both from the onslaught of the Tempest Guard and from their hoof-work. Yet neither spoke, eyes closed as they both immediately linked their auras to Commander Hurricane.

The pool of light beneath Commander Hurricane surged one final time. The three particles of light snapped from their anchor. Immediately they darted into the air, then turned back upon their hosts.

One to Lightning Streak's helm. One to Ice Wing's chest plate. One to Commander Hurricane's blades. The light bathed each relic in a glow, growing in intensity.

The vision around Rainbow Dash, Soarin' and Scootaloo flickered as gusts of wind poured in through the cavern.

The tornado phased into nothingness.

The three points of light continued glow, each shifting to a respective crimson, silver and gold.

The wind increased, sweeping away the ghostly bodies of the Tempest Guard that littered the mesa.

The glowing lights continued to increase. Rainbow and the others shielded their eyes against the ghostly silhouettes before them.

Stillness, silence and light filled the cavern of the pegasi.

“It is done,” Commander Hurricane's tired voice announced.

Rainbow Dash blinked.

The three ghosts were gone. As was any sign of the spectral battle. Only the pool of aural light beneath Soarin's hoof remained.

An echoing, howling wind carried through the tunnels and chambers of the mountain.

“Is that it?” Scootaloo asked, pointing to the pool of light at Soarin's hooves.

Soarin' looked warily from Scootaloo to Rainbow.

“Only one way to find out,” Soarin' said, his eyes settling on the light.

Rainbow nodded. She extended her aura to Soarin' once more.

Scootaloo did the same.

Soarin' took a deep breath. He thrust his hoof into the light.

Rainbow braced herself. But there was no surging jolt. No weighted strain through her aura. Instead she felt a warm, soothing sensation fill her. She could feel her aura strengthen and with it the connection Soarin' and Scootaloo.

“Whoa,” Scootaloo said.

“Yeah no kidding,” Rainbow said. “I feel... I feel closer to both of you. Like before I was talking to somepony on the other side of a cloud. Now it's like-”

“Now its like you're right next us,” Scootaloo finished.

“I think Hurricane's gift was to strengthen our connection,” Soarin' reasoned.

The pegasus took a breath closing his eyes.

Rainbow felt his aura pulse through hers. It moved freely and without restriction.

Rainbow did the same. Her aura responded immediately. It seemed it was now completely at her control.

“This is weird,” Scootaloo said. “But also pretty cool.”

“Yeah, but what does it actually do for us?” Rainbow said, turning to Soarin'. “The connection is great and all, but we need the firepower. Something like what those guys did,” she said, gesturing across the altar.

Soarin' frowned. His gaze lingered at his hoof.

Rainbow followed it. The pool of light was still at the base of the altar.

Soarin' placed his hoof into the light again.

All three pegasi were thrown back from the altar and knocked off their hooves, each landing roughly on the stony ground.

Various groans escaped from all three pegasi.

“Ow,” Soarin' said flatly.

“Ugh,” Scootaloo groaned. “Is that a normal thing?”

“Stars above are you kidding me!” Rainbow yelled. “Now it does the zappy surge thingy?” She said, slowly getting to her hooves.

As she did, Rainbow felt a tingling at her hooves. It was followed by a crackling noise.

She looked downward. Small arcs of lightning danced about them.

“Holy-!” Rainbow exclaimed skittering across the mesa.

She could feel the excitement in her aura. Unconsciously she tapped into it.

The lightning at her hooves intensified, bluish arcs racing up her legs. “Gah! Getthemoffme!”

Soarin' and Scootaloo fared no better, each contending with their own 'gift'.

Soarin' swatted his wings about as electrical arcs curled around them. Scootaloo yelped as she found her hooves permanently frozen to the floor, large chunks of ice around them.

Abruptly Rainbow lashed out with her aura, catching Soarin's.

The lightning around her hooves disappeared, only to be immediately replaced by growing ice. “Oh com'on!”

Lightning jumped around Soarin's hooves. Scootaloo flapped awkwardly in the air as errant bolts shot from her wings.

One whizzed by Soarin's head. “Hey! Watch it!”

“Not. My. Fault!” Scootaloo said through clenched teeth as she wrangled against her wings.

“S-Soarin'! Any b-b-bright ideas?” Rainbow said through chattering teeth as she tried to free herself from the floor.

“Link up with me!” The Wonderbolt ordered.

With some difficulty Rainbow ignored the ice as it continued to slowly creep up her legs. Closing her eyes she tried to calm her mind and focus on her link to Soarin'.

A dull thud echoed through the chamber.

Rainbow cracked an eye open.

Scootaloo got awkwardly to her hooves, her wings still fidgeting with electrical sparks.

Rainbow smirked at the grounded pegasus.

Scootaloo glared at Rainbow. “Not a word ice cube,” she growled.

Rainbow's connection to Soarin' faltered. Abruptly, the ice at her legs crawled to her chest.

“Not helping!” Soarin' scolded.

Rainbow refocused, still astounded at the ease with which her aura connected to the others. Guess Soarin's got a point. And going out as a glorified icicle is not what I had in mind.

Rainbow's connection melded with Soarin's and Scootaloo's. She could feel Soarin' guide the stream, taming the raw power that afflicted them. Slowly the crawl of ice on her body slowed to a stop. Likewise the lightning on Soarin' and Scootaloo tempered to small sparks.

With a final heave from Soarin' the surging aural power extinguished. Rainbow quickly severed her link. Yet even as the ice disappeared from her hooves and her aura calmed, Rainbow could still feel the rampant undercurrent within her.

“Okay, now I KNOW that wasn't a normal thing.” Scootaloo quipped.

“Clearly we have some control issues,” Soarin' remarked.

“Ya think?” Rainbow said.

The pool of light still simmered at the base of the altar, though greatly diminished in its radiance.

Soarin' began to trot toward the light.

Rainbow rushed forward, blocking the stallion with her hoof. “Are you nuts?”

“There's more here Rainbow,” Soarin' said evenly. “And we need all the help we can get at this point.”

“I think I'm with Rainbow on this one,” Scootaloo said. “That didn't exactly feel good,” she said, absently looking to her hooves.

“Fine. I won't touch it with my hoof. I'll use my aura instead.”

Rainbow groaned. This has bad idea written all over it, she thought. “Fine. But don't say I didn't warn ya.”

Soarin' nodded.

Rainbow watched as Soarin' approached the light. She felt a tremor in her aura as Soarin's reached forward.

The light pulsed, then winked out.

Soarin' frowned. “Huh. That's not what I was expecting.”

Rainbow sighed. “Well at least we can lea-”

Blinding light erupted from atop the altar. It was quickly followed by a similar glow from the stone circle etched in the mesa floor.

The light from the altar dimmed to only a glow, matching that from the circle.

A glint of light caught Rainbow's eye.

Up above, three small spheres of light descended from the heights of the cavern. Each glowed a different hue; one of crimson, the second silver and the last gold.

“Hey check it out,” Rainbow said, pointing to the to descending light. “It's those light things from the vision.”

The trio watched as the three points of light descended to eye level within the circle of light. Two remained close to one another, while the last hovered on the far right side of the circle.

The three points of light glowed brighter. As they did so, streams of light branched out, ushering in hazy images akin to the vision only minutes before. The streams continued to fill the circle, painting valleys and mountains ranges, cities and cloudscapes, deserts and oceans.

The three points of light dimmed, but still remained. The streams of light reached one another, completing their work.

A map of Equestria stretched before Rainbow Dash, Soarin' and Scootaloo.

“It's a map?” Scootaloo asked, walking toward the projection, her hooves resting at the edge of the San Palomino Desert. “Hey, there's Cloudsdale!” She said, pointing toward the cloud city. The crimson hued light hovered just above it.

Rainbow looked over the map. One to Cloudsdale. Her eyes drifted westward where the second light rested. One to Los Pegasus. And the third?

“Across the eastern sea,” Soarin' said, answering Rainbow's thought. “Though I couldn't tell you what's there.”

The last point of light was barely visible, it's dim light obscured by the mists that surrounded the map. As she looked at it, Rainbow realized that the last point of light was deep within the mists, at a place far outside of Equestria.

“So what are they?” Scootaloo asked.

“They're the same lights from the vision,” Rainbow said. “From that soul splintering thing they were talking about.”

“And they're the same colors as our auras,” Soarin' added, rubbing his chin.

“So... they want us to go to those places?” Scootaloo asked. She walked into the map, squinting at Los Pegasus.” But what for?”

It was a fair question. Hurricane and his lieutenants had made it clear that the three of them were them had received some kind of gift, and if the out of control lightning and ice was anything to go on, it had worked. Why then would they send them somewhere else? What else is left? Rainbow thought.

“Why would they bring us here, just to send us somewhere else?” Rainbow asked, looking to Soarin'.

The stallion frowned. “Hurricane mentioned preserving the legacy. He also said something about focusing their legacies.”

“That ball of light fused with Ice Wing's chest plate,” Scootaloo said. “Which means...”

“Which means they're scattered all over Equestria,” Rainbow groaned, putting a hoof to her face. You got to be kidding me. “So we come here to get all these cool powers and stuff, and after they dangle being all badass in front of us, we still have to go find these 'legacies' just to use this so called gift!” Rainbow huffed. She hung her hoof in the air as if teasing a small dog. “You want this? You really want it? Well no can do champ!” She snapped her hoof away. “Here's some cruddy consolation prize! Have fun saving the world!”

Soarin' rolled his eyes. “I don't think Hurricane and the others were just about to leave their legacies lying around. And I don't think they'd be able to use their powers without them. Twilight doesn't leave the Elements of Harmony just anywhere does she?”

Soarin' had a point, Rainbow had to admit. When not in use the Elements were kept under lock and key. Rainbow sighed. Still doesn't make it any easier for us.

“So what do we do?” Scootaloo asked.

“Hurricane said to preserve the legacy, and we need them to focus our new powers,” Soarin' said, flicking off a stray spark of electricity from his wing. “At least I think we do,” he shrugged.

Rainbow sighed. “Scavenger hunt it is then. At least they had the decency to mark them on this map.”

“Then that's the plan. Recover the legacies and defeat the Archon.”

Rainbow nodded. Finally, there was some certainty ahead.

“Uh, not to punch a hole in your plan Soarin',” Scootaloo said, “but what are we going to do about that one?” She pointed to the far edge of the map.

The Squirt had a point. Rainbow looked again to the lone orb of light. A journey to such a place, wherever it was would take a long time. A very, VERY long time, she thought.

“We'll,... we'll figure that one out when we get to it,” Soarin' said hastily.

“Fine by me,” Rainbow added. For too long they had been on the losing side of things. Now they finally had a clear direction and purpose. “I'm ready to kick some Tempest Guard flank. Where to first?”

“Probably would be best to avoid confrontation for once Rainbow,” Soarin' said.

Rainbow stuck her tongue out in protest.

“But to answer your question,” Soarin' said, ignoring Rainbow, “we'll head to Cloudsdale. It's closest to Pegasi Peak, and I think I have a pretty good idea where the legacy relic might be.”

“I'm ready,” Scootaloo said, a small grin finding its way to her face.

“Rainbow?” Soarin' said, looking to the other mare.

“Like you even need to ask Soarin'?” Rainbow replied with a smirk, leaping into the air.

The Wonderbolt rolled his eyes, but there was a small smile on his face as he and Scootaloo joined Rainbow.

Together with Soarin' and Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash flew from the chamber in Pegasi Peak, out into the open sky. She brimmed with confidence and determination, bolstered by the renewed link between her comrades and the mission ahead. For once, there was clarity, a way forward and a means to finally stop all the madness that threatened them all.

A steely resolve marked her face. And that's all we'll need.

The three pegasi turned northward. Cloudsdale and the faint hues of its rainbow falls awaited on the horizon.

Author's Note:

And another chapter complete. Hope you all enjoyed it.

Please let me know what you think. Critiques of course are preferred, but I like to hear back on anything you guys might be thinking about.

Until next chapter,

-secret89