The Thestral With The Golden Halo

by DougtheLoremaster

Chapter 21- The Final Exam

The white alicorn stood before the tiny filly pegasus, wings fully extended to their massive Seven hooves in length. Her horn glowed a golden amber, and before her was a swirling pool of magic. A window to the past. It slowly went dim as Cozy Glow watched herself, surrounded by friends. The interface showing 51 friends gained, 0 lost. Hazel smiled and spoke to her. “You’ve beaten my game. Just one task remains; The final exam.”

The window vanished and Faust stepped forward to hug Cozy Glow, unable to watch, the tears forming in her eyes, any longer. The celestial deity spoke to her, as her wings wrapped around the prone form of the young pegasus. Her voice was soft, her words were true and Cozy Glow could hear them clearly. “Young one, in this plane of existence all are given their own destiny. Your actions and your choices determine what your destiny will be. It’s never predetermined though many claim it in my name. Nor do I make the choice for you.”

Lifting up a single, downy feathered white wing, Faust peered into Cozy Glow’s eyes. Her next words were chilling as she continued. “The only thing that is certain of my children is all decisions will be accounted for. Be it fair or perhaps unfair in other’s eyes, my role is to allow my children to grow and change as their choices so choose their path. Young one, you were sentenced to an eternal torment and sent there by my own daughter’s anger.”

Cozy Glow shivered. She saw the flashes of her last moments, and her eyes grew wide with fear. “NO, STOP! CELESTIA, NO!”

Faust gently nuzzled her neck. “It’s alright, shhh, you are safe now. what’s done is done. However, there may yet be more to your story.”

Feeling the gentle embrace of Faust, Cozy Glow came to her senses. The afterthought still caused her to shiver, “I-I-don’t un-understand.”

Smiling, the white alicorn spoke to the tiny filly. “Tell me Cozy Glow, do you honestly believe you deserve a second chance at life? Before you answer, I want you to think about it. Consider all the variables of what it could mean. You have all eternity and no time at all to decide. Time will not move forward anywhere in existence until you have an answer for me.”

Placing a hoof to her chin, Cozy Glow felt she was missing something important in those words. “Variables?”

Faust nodded and her horn began to glow. As Cozy Glow watched her curiosity rose as six books, thousands of pages thick appeared before her. “Containing the entire history; past and present of the six greatest offenders in existence, these books are your assignment from me.”

As she spoke, Cozy Glow notice the title of the closest one: Twilight Sparkle. As she cast her eyes across the others, she saw very familiar names. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity ...Fluttershy? No way. “Oh don’t judge their books by the names they carry, rather by the content inside. Read through them, learn the truth, learn what they did.”

Cozy Glow was still a bit shell shocked and stared straight ahead as Faust finished. “And when you have, there will be one more book, just one; yours.”

“Mine?”

Chuckling as she ruffled her wings in excitement. “Oh my, yes. Every single child of mine has a story. Looking at yours will show you what you left behind.”

Her eyes grew more somber. “However, regardless of your age in life, nothing shall be watered down here. You will see the most horrific of incidents; massacres, murders, wars...none of it shall be hidden from you.”

Her eyes softened as she finished her thoughts. “I have stopped time. Everycreature, everything throughout all existence have been frozen. It shall remain that way until you have no doubt as to what your answer will be. Do you move through my gates, or do you go back to try once more?”

Cozy Glow stared at the alicorn in confusion. Faust’s face was mysteriously obscured from her vision, though she stared at it directly. “Even now your heart is unsure. Otherwise, you would see my face.”

Glancing down at the books once more for a split second, Cozy Glow opened her muzzle to ask a question only to find Faust had vanished. After a few moments of trying to process what happened, the young pegasus turned her attention to the books. Why them, though? Taking the one labeled “Rainbow Dash” she opened the cover and began to read.

From the first word, Cozy Glow found herself watching the events. The entire life of Rainbow Dash played out before her eyes. Birth, to fillyhood, to adulthood. Though, she didn’t remember the coupe de te or the assassination of several nobles being in the history books. This doesn’t sound like her at all. Wait, why is this saying B.H? As she watched mesmerized, a grisly scene played out before her eyes:

***

Rainbow Dash, strangely having no cutiemark, snuck through the weather factory snapping pictures. That was before grinning like a madmare and tossing a burning jug of cider into the core. The explosions were thunderous, and the proud city of Cloudsdale slowly fell from the sky as pegasi screamed in terror. Those that couldn’t fly, were crushed upon impact and the town below was completely decimated. As the city fell, Rainbow's right wing was severed by the debris from the explosion and she found herself spiraling towards the ground.

“You’ve lost your way, my daughter.”

Opening her eyes, Rainbow Dash found herself staring at an ivory white alicorn; staring down at her with opaque teal eyes. “Who are you, what do you want? I’ll tell you nothing! Torture me all you want, Celestia I won’t betray them!”

A voice beside the alicorn was heard chuckling. “Oh how adorable. Look at how fierce she is. Even in the afterlife before her maker, she remains loyal to her friends. So cute, eh, Faust?”

“Faust?”

The cyan pegasus’s eyes blazed with hatred. “It’s all your fault!”

The ashen gray alicorn who had spoken glared at the pegasus. “Watch your mouth in my sister’s presence, you-”

“Shhhh, Hazel it is fine, let her vent.”

Hazel looked at her sister and upon seeing the small smile appear on her muzzle, Stayed quiet. Faust spoke softly and warmly. “Go ahead, my daughter. Give me your rage and pain; I will take it all.”

“You caused this war! It’s your fault she died! It’s your fault my life unfolded that way!”

Cozy Glow watched in utter disbelief as Rainbow Dash ranted for several hours, everything from her upbringing to her life choices. How it was all Faust’s fault. The entire time the smile on Faust’s face never once faded, her voice never raised or lowered. Her stance remained solid as her sister watched in silence. Finally, Faust calmly approached her and wrapped a wing of soft feathery down, around the mare. “Shhh, my child dry those tears. I’m afraid you’ve been misinformed as to my role in your life, however. I had no hoof in the pain that befell you.”

As she spoke Rainbow Dash was shown a window to her past. “From your birth, you had my wishes and blessings, as I left you to live and learn in your own way.”

The scene changed to Rainbow in highschool. “Though I always observed your progress, I never interfered.”

Scene after scene played. First date, marriage, her daughter and her daughter’s death. “I am always watching, but my children must learn for themselves. Your fate or destiny is never of my choosing-”

The scene of her dying played. “But of the actions you and others have chosen. Do you understand?”

“YOU STOLE HER FROM ME!”

The cyan pegasus pointed an accusing hoof at Faust. Hazel’s muzzle opened as her eyes blazed with hellfire, only to find a white wing covering her muzzle. The look Faust shot her spoke very clearly. “I will handle this.”

Turning back to Rainbow Dash, the celestial alicorn asked her calmly. “Tell me, who told you I took your daughter?”

“They said it was your fault she died.”

Slowly shaking her head as she eyed Hazel, who was stepping forward, Faust asked again. “Who told you this?”

“The high priests of the moon!”

Faust hid her smile as she turned to her sister. “Hazel, I believe this is your area of expertise. Would you be so kind?”

As Hazel stepped forward with a glare, Rainbow Dash began to cower. Faust’s eyes immediately ignited with a spark of rage, causing her sister to freeze in fear. “Civilly, if you would.”

At once, Hazel stammered and swayed in her position. “Y-yes Faust o-of course.”

Turning her attention to Rainbow, Hazel spoke in her silky style as a blush appeared on the cyan pegasus’s cheeks. “Tell me of this high priest you admire, sweety.”

Cozy Glow watched as Hazel mercilessly flustered Rainbow Dash to the point the pegasus could barely stand on her hooves until Rainbow screamed out. “I won’t betray my family!”

The gray alicorn narrowed her eyes and as her horn glowed, she growled. “Family would NEVER do this!”

As Rainbow watched, panting from exhaustion, the full scene of her daughter’s death played out. The high preist raise a stilletto and plunged it into the screaming, chained filly. “No, no that’s not-”

“You were duped, brainwashed into thinking we were the enemy. Betrayed by your so-called family and your daughter paid the price. Your daughter left that world crying into my wings you imbecile! It was I who guided that scared soul through the gates. It was my sister who comforted her and told her she was loved and all the while her mother, her selfish, stupid mother was all she asked about.You know nothing of family!”

Sitting there dumbfounded, Rainbow Dash watched as Faust stepped forward and gently raised her wings. “That’s enough Hazel. Please go get the others; they’ll need a guide.”

Hazel glared at Rainbow Dash. “She belongs in Tartarus, Faust. They all do.”

Shaking her head slightly, Faust turned her attention to the pegasus as her sister vanished from view. “Loyalty is an admirable trait, my daughter. A rather rare one as well in ponykind. While blind loyalty can be…”

Gesturing at the scene of her daughter’s lifeless form, Faust told the pegasus. “Destructive, as you have seen…”

As Rainbow hung her head in absolute defeat, the celestial alicorn used her hoof and raised her muzzle until they made eye contact. “However, that sense of loyalty you possess could bring light to another’s darkness. And that is why you have appeared before me.”

The cyan pegasus seemed confused. “Huh?”

Cozy Glow felt a twinge of pain as she watched Faust calmly explain. “Your daughter has passed through my gates. She is well, comforted and rather happy. I felt you should know. However, you won’t be able to see her again.”

“That’s my daughter, let me see her!”

The fire momentarily ignited in Faust’s eyes. Her voice rose, though only just. “You committed quite the hateful acts. You declared war not against the mortals but against me, the very one who gave you life. You ruined many lives and families under the banner of loyal to the cause. Were you to be judged as you are, you would be sent to Tartarus; my sister’s realm.”

Rainbow Dash shivered slightly and found a warm wing wrapped around her in a hug. “So that’s it, then? I’ve lost her forever? I failed her in life and even now in death.”

Faust’s eyes carried tears as her sorrow was convey in her words. “Sadly, one door must close for another to open. You may have lost her, but you have a chance to make sure others don’t suffer the same fate.”

“I don’t under-”

“The mortal realm is fraught with loneliness, pain, and dischord. What if there were those who carried the greatest traits a pony could possess? What if there were those who could protect the harmony of the realm and spread true wisdom of each trait? And Rainbow Dash tell me…”

As Faust spoke her horn glowed and a window containing five blurred figures appeared. “What if you could be one of those and prevent that loneliness? Even if only to help…”

The image changed and cause Cozy Glow to gasp. The mirror showed the form of an orange handicapped pegasus crying in despair. “A single broken heart, that lost their own mother.”

Pointing a wing at the image, Rainbow asked. “Who is that?”

“Her name is Scootaloo, though without some support and guidance her name may not matter.”

“What are you talking about?”

Faust hung her head as she whispered in sadness. “She is tired of living in loneliness, in despair, with no one else in the world to love her. Her thoughts are dark, her heart cries in pain. And the poor filly wants it to end.”

“You mean-”

Silently Faust nodded. Rainbow stared at the filly. “Can’t you stop her?”

Shaking her head from side to side, Faust responded.”I told you, I do not interfere.”

It was then Cozy Glow saw a side of Rainbow she never knew. The cyan pegasus’s eyes began to tear up. “Could I really make such a difference?”

Faust stayed silent for a moment and gave a shrug.”Maybe, maybe not. There is never a guarantee, though your presence could change everything. Tell me, Wouldn’t trying to help at least be better than watching as another falters because you didn’t?”

“I’ll do it.”

“You understand you may not suce-”

Stamping her hoof as her eyes blazed in determination, Rainbow Dash shouted at the celestial. “I don’t care! She doesn’t deserve to go through this! Never again! I won’t stand idly by again while friends and family suffer! I-I-”

Faust smiled warmly as the pegasus finished her sentence with absolute conviction. “Wasn’t there when my own flesh and blood needed me most. I won’t stand by and leave another behind, NEVER AGAIN!”

At that moment, a multi-colored lightning bolt striking from a cloud appeared upon her flank. Faust spoke in a motherly manner, though her voice carried her approval.”Then show me. Show me the true depths of your loyalty, Rainbow Dash!”

Suddenly, Cozy Glow found herself in Ponyville hovering as Rainbow Dash stood on a cloud looking down at a purple unicorn with a rather familiar cutiemark...Princess Twilight? Wait what? Where were her wings? Rainbow Dash was calling down. “I can clear this sky in 10 seconds flat!”

***

Looking at the page, she had just turned to, Cozy Glow saw the letters A.H in the title. “It was at that moment; she became the Element of Loyalty.”

The soft voice of Faust caused Cozy Glow to face her. Though the celestial creator’s face was still mostly obscured from her vision, Cozy Glow could now make out part of a smile. “Why are you showing me this?”

Instead of being answered outright, she was only given a rather cryptic response. “Hmmm, I wonder. Perhaps you would like to discuss what you’ve learned from her tale. Maybe then you’ll understand.”

Cozy Glow grew curious as Faust gestured towards a circular table adorned with a tea set and… Stuffed animals? “What’s that?”

“A tea party!”
Cozy Glow began to laugh, the idea of such a powerful being having rather childish tea party was too much to bear. “Are you serious?”

Faust stayed quiet, letting the young filly get her laughs out. As Cozy quieted down, Faust gave a small chuckle. “I am indeed. That very table is where my sister and I had a tea party eons ago to decide how to create the pegasi.”

The laughter and color drained from the filly’s face. Faust spoke in her gentle, soothing tone once more. “Shall we go there then and discuss your thoughts, my daughter?”

Cozy Glow still stunned by her previous statement, stammered. “Er-y--yes let’s F-faust.”

Together, the two trotted towards the seemingly filly-based tea party at the table where countless things were created long ago, by Faust and her sister; Hazel.