Chapter 91 - Frightening Test
On Wednesday night, Cozy Glow glared at a letter back from Tartarus. It was from Tirek, and it did not provide her the answers she wanted from him. He told her she was wasting her time. Rainbow Dash really was a master mev who had at least two fledglings. That meant Equestria had a reserve already in place to combat a massive drain on the land's magic. Cozy knew he was holding back something though she could not imagine why. Didn't he hate Twilight and her lackeys, Rainbow Dash included?
Plus, Cozy Glow was only mostly convinced Rainbow Dash was a master mev. Princess Cadance had played the part of her victim for the Nightmare Night show, but from what Cozy Glow heard from others, the alicorn princess was known to have and use her magic the following day. As such, maybe Rainbow Dash was not a master mev—or not like the ones in the red book.
The annoyed filly fumbled through her books again, intently studying the mystical magnet section. She re-read about mevs from the book Rainbow Dash showed her. Then she looked up other artifacts that caught her interest and stopped at the sight of a dark necklace with a red gem called the Alicorn Amulet. Mystical magnet. A mev pack. She tapped a hoof thoughtfully to her chin. Then she smiled. Oh, she was so clever. Now she just needed the right time and place to enact her idea.
As Cozy busied herself with such things, the Student Six found themselves scattered from each other underground, beneath the library of the school. They had all seen Twilight Sparkle talk oddly to them and somehow magically teleport them away from each other in this strange place.
Gallus stared wearily around an enclosed space and could hear Rainbow Dash's wicked laughter somewhere above and outside from where he was. She knew he hated feeling trapped. "Why are you doing this?" he asked with evident fear in his voice.
"I thought a late night snack would be nice. Besides, you know what you have to do, don't you Gallus?" Rainbow's voice taunted.
Gallus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "It's a test. If there's a test, there is a way out."
"Good griffon," Rainbow's playful voice approved.
His claws reached for the lights. He figured out some lights made the place tighter while some made it expand and eventually worked his way out. He was none too pleased to not find Rainbow Dash anywhere in sight.
Elsewhere underground, Smolder flew to meet two chatting mares who were having tea together—yet again. This encounter was the second time.
A familiar sky blue rainbow-maned figure with a playful, mischievous smile descended and looked at her. "Why don't you join the party?" Rainbow teased.
Smolder looked at the pegasus and held out a scaly arm to ward off the idea. "This is so not for me."
"You sure?" Rainbow Dash questioned. "I don't know, looks like it might be fun. Maybe they could help you out."
The other mares nodded. "She's so cute and adorable," one said.
"But maybe she's afraid of being cute and adorable," the other said.
At that, the hovering pegasus chuckled. "I know what that's like. But you know, if she is scared, then I can have a little snack while I'm here." She closed her eyes with a contented smile and rubbed her stomach with a hoof.
Smolder stared up at the teacher with indignance. "No! You can't. I can do this!"
Rainbow Dash eyed her with a taunting smirk. "Prove it."
The actual Rainbow Dash was nearby but not actually underground with the students. She was lifting weights in her gym that same night when a familiar sensation gave her pause. She sensed an uptick of fear regarding herself in particular even though Blitz and Grant were her only company.
The students had to study for a test, so she knew they would not be stopping by tonight.
Grant barely counted as company, except that he responded at the same time as her mev senses were feeding her the fear in question. The idol glowed from within her saddlebag.
Rainbow Dash pulled him out and stared side to side before turning her eyes red and yellow to activate his liveliness. "What's going on? Do you know?"
"I was hoping you could tell me, Master," Grant replied. "Something is happening to Gallus."
"I'll check it out. I have to put you away for now," Rainbow said.
"So be it, Master, but please, if I can help in any way…" Grant started to say.
"Yeah, sure. And if not...I'll bring you out once I know Gallus is safe," Rainbow informed the idol.
"Much appreciated," Grant replied. His liveliness turned off.
Rainbow placed him back in the saddlebag and dismissed Blitz. She could follow the sense of fear herself. It led her directly to the school library and eventually an open grate with glowing crystal formations branching upward and leading to a cave below. At that, the master mev smiled. "What beautiful magic," she uttered. "It's like the Tree of Harmony." She paused at a realization to herself. "Oh, maybe it is the Tree of Harmony."
"Master!" Rainbow heard Gallus' voice. He sounded one edge.
"Gallus, you're alright," Rainbow turned and greeted him with a smile.
"What's the big idea trapping us down here? I thought you gave warnings now!" he pointed at her angrily.
"Whoa, settle down," she raised her hooves defensively as she hovered. "I didn't trap you. I sensed fear of me all the way to the gym and came to investigate. Grant was worried," she explained.
"Grant?" Gallus asked.
Rainbow Dash pulled the idol out from her saddlebag.
It glowed. "Is he alright Master?" Grant's voice asked.
Gallus' jaw fell. He had never been allowed to hear the idol talk.
"He's a little mad at me, but I think we're in a misunderstanding here," Rainbow admitted.
Before the griffon could respond and explain further, "You!" came another angry, young voice. Smolder approached the group wearing a blue dress, make up, and a tiara. "How dare you put us in here like this! Didn't you get enough out of scaring us the first time and on Nightmare Night? What, did you still have some extra changeling magic in you to be Twilight?"
"Huh?" Rainbow Dash asked. Her face scrunched up in confusion.
"I've been with her this evening, and she didn't trap any of you." Grant glowed and spoke in Rainbow's defense.
Smolder stopped in her anger and blinked in surprise. "Did Grant just...talk?"
Gallus nodded seriously.
A crackling sound emanated from above, and branches closed in further around the grate.
Rainbow Dash looked up with the two students. "I might not be having fun with your lot tonight, but the magic in this cave is," she told them. With an interested smile, she asked the pair, "Is it a game?" The playful look and tone were all too familiar to the two students there.
They stared at her in confused shock, then each shook their heads to snap themselves out of it.
"It's a test," Gallus explained.
"Did you see any of our friends up there?" Smolder asked her.
"Nope, the library was empty," Rainbow Dash informed them.
"We better go find them," Gallus suggested. "Unless of course, you can fix this all up for us Master."
The nearby crystal branches glowed in response to the suggestion.
"That's cheating," Rainbow translated, again with a playful smile. "Go ahead. Grant and I will stay here in case they come back. I'm sure at least that much would be alright."
Gallus and Smolder nodded and left.
After a short period of time passed, Gallus returned with Silverstream.
"Master! Did you set up the test?" Silverstream asked with keen interest.
"Ha, I wish," Rainbow admitted freely. "It's so intense! And the fear…" She licked her lips.
They all sensed Ocellus and Smolder approach.
"Where are Yona and Sandbar?" Silverstream asked them.
"The way out is closing!" Gallus alerted the group.
"Master, what are you doing here?" Ocellus asked.
"Well, I originally came to investigate, but now, I'm just eating. Hope ya'll don't mind," Rainbow said and rubbed her stomach.
"No time for all this, we aren't leaving without those two." Smolder gestured toward where she hoped they were in another part of the cave.
They all heard a sound approach and soon Yona's voice as well. She greeted them, "Yona find you guys!" She gasped. "And Master." There was a notable amount of spiders with her.
The other students recoiled from those spiders though Silverstream calmed herself enough to respond, "Hey, Yona. Who's your spider army?"
"Yona always scared of spiders but then Yona meet Spindle!" Yona held out a hoof and showed them one of the spiders up close.
The other students leaned in and heard the spider squeak.
"Yona realize no reason to be afraid! Spiders and yak friends!" Yona declared. "So Yona ask new friends for help finding old friends!"
"Do you think your new friends can help us find Sandbar?" Gallus asked.
Spindle gestured in a direction, and the five students soon followed.
Rainbow Dash trailed them since Sandbar was the last of the group.
When they arrived, they saw Sandbar pointing at an illusion of Rarity and Rainbow Dash, telling them off. "If I have to give up on them to make you proud, then you aren't the ponies I thought you were. I don't care if I disappoint you. You disappoint me."
The fake Rarity and Rainbow Dash smiled and disappeared in a flash.
"So even though you can't be copied by changeling magic, an illusion of you can be made?" Ocellus asked the real Rainbow Dash.
"I think it would depend on the source," Rainbow informed her. "I'm pretty sure this magic is from the Tree of Harmony, which is linked to the land, which is the source of my power. We got it all sorted, so it's not like I mind either. I'm sure the tree's counting on that."
"Come on, we need to get out of here!" Smolder reminded everyone.
The group hurried to the enclosing crystals.
Sandbar led and couldn't get out.
"Now can you help us?!" a desperate Gallus asked Rainbow Dash.
Just then, a purple glow caught the group's attention. It was an image of Twilight glowing and sparkling all over. She levitated in the air but was not flapping her wings. She smiled. "Master, how kind of you to join us this evening."
"Ah, you must be the Tree of Harmony—or something like that. We'll go with Twilight Tree. It is a pleasure to meet you in a way we can talk to each other verbally," Rainbow said, putting a forelimb to her chest and politely bowing in a hover.
Twilight Tree giggled. "Same."
Silverstream pointed and asked in her own hover, "The Tree of Harmony turned into a sparkly version of our headmare to talk to us? Did I miss a chapter in class?"
"Yup," Rainbow declared proudly, folding her forelimbs. "It was Magic is Mysterious last Tuesday."
Silverstream gasped in horror and shame.
Gallus nudged the young hippogriff with an elbow. "She's just messing with you."
Rainbow Dash winked. "Gotcha."
All the students laughed, Silverstream included.
After the laughter died down, the Twilight image informed them all, "Like all living things, I change as I grow. As I have grown, so have my abilities."
"I'm a bit rusty on Pony history, but since when does the Tree of Harmony trap creatures in a cave with their biggest fears?" Gallus asked, his anger renewed from earlier accusations on Rainbow Dash.
"You chose what you saw in my roots, not me," Twilight Tree told him.
Sandbar gasped with a realization as he told the others, "Our friendship got us past our fears!"
Twilight Tree nodded and continued, "You were more concerned with each other's well being than your own. You were strong when your friends were weak. You let each other in and showed that you would be there for each other, no matter what." She spread her wings wide and declared strongly, "Friendship is in your nature."
With a whooshing sound, the crystal branches retreated, allowing for enough room for the students to make their exit. The vision of Twilight was gone.
"That's your cue," Rainbow Dash told them.
They began to leave, but Gallus noticed the master mev was not following them. "Aren't you coming, Master?" he asked her.
"Not yet," Rainbow told him. She passed him Grant. "You can chat it up a little longer if you want until I'm back. Take care of him."
"Sure, thanks," Gallus agreed with a smile and departed.
Rainbow Dash stood alone.
A pony figure glowed and materialized in the form of Fluttershy.
Rainbow blushed and stroked the back of her mane bashfully. "Cute." She scanned the cave walls. "So...you've grown this much, huh?"
Fluttershy Tree nodded pleasantly.
"Did you uh...are you...why I am what I am?" Rainbow Dash asked her.
Fluttershy Tree nodded. "I had a say in the matter, yes."
"Look, I don't mind, I love being a master mev, but is there a reason you didn't just ask or offer or whatever with this kind of ability?" Rainbow pondered aloud and gestured at the vision with a forelimb.
"I couldn't back then. My projection and imitation powers stem from the mean pony copies you brought to me," Fluttershy Tree explained. "If you recall, we did not speak verbally then either. The magic has had time to develop further."
"Oh, right," Rainbow replied. "That's kinda cool. Do you have a visiting hours policy? If Twilight knew about this, she'd come here with a million questions and fill up lots of books with your answers and so on."
"I would like to keep some mystery. Tell her I will do my part to protect Equestria and will appear when I see fit," Fluttershy Tree offered. "The same goes to you, of course."
Rainbow nodded. "Of course. Sure, I get that. Thanks then. It really was really cool to meet you in a way we can talk to each other."
Fluttershy Tree smiled sweetly in response. "I agree. I am glad you are enjoying your calling. Keep up the awesome work, Master Rainbow Dash. Now...farewell."
"Farewell Fluttershy Tree," Rainbow said with a modest smile.
She flew upward to find six tired students excitedly telling the idol of Boreas about their test. They were nearly finished with the tale, and Smolder yawned.
"We can't go to sleep now," Sandbar said. "We'll miss the test."
"The test! I nearly forgot," Gallus realized.
"Whatever do you mean?" Grant asked. "You just told me about it. You all passed beautifully."
"No, he means the other test. The one from the real Headmare Twilight we're supposed to have today," Silverstream informed the idol with a sleepy voice.
"Master, what is happening to them?" Grant wondered.
"They're just tired and falling asleep," Rainbow explained. "Don't worry kids. I got this. I'll explain to Twilight what happened and get you an extension."
"Oh, thank you Master," Silverstream said, closing her eyes and resting her head on her arms.
"Time to go back to your usual state, Grant," Rainbow informed the idol as she took it from Gallus.
"Very well," Grant consented with a whisper.
She put him in her saddlebag and sat on her haunches for a moment to smile and admire the scene. She exhaled and questioned to herself if she should just leave them there or put them in bed. Rainbow Dash didn't have to ponder long as she sensed another presence approach. Her head turned, and Cozy Glow gasped in a strange startle, backing away.
"Surprised to see me?" Rainbow asked with a mischievous smile.
Cozy Glow nodded nervously. She gathered her thoughts quickly and told Rainbow Dash, "I just went to get my notes to help them out, and was trying to find a certain one, then got distracted by a bunch of others and caught up in some stuff. I lost track of time, and when I got here, I saw you. I just can't believe you looked right at me just as I got here. To be honest, it was kind of creepy...like you really are a vampire."
Rainbow Dash chuckled and replied, "Cool," taking the remark as a compliment.
"Say, why are you here anyway?" Cozy wondered.
Rainbow Dash stretched for a moment. "Research," was all she answered. "Think you can help me get these six to their rooms?"
Cozy nodded. "Did something happen to them?"
"Adventure! Friendship! Awesomeness!" Rainbow joyfully declared and added, "With a dashing taste of fear on the side."
The filly with her chuckled. "Professor Dash, you say the strangest things."
"I get a little weird sometimes, especially at night," Rainbow Dash freely admitted.
To the surprise of them both, they heard the library door open and in walked Sweetie Belle.
"Oh hi," the young assistant greeted the pair with a smile. "I'm just grabbing some books for....whoa, what happened?" She saw the group of sleeping students on the floor.
"A story for later," Rainbow told her. "However, you've got good timing. Cozy was about to help me get these kids to bed. I could use your help too. I think I can get everyone but Yona. Is your magic strong enough for her?"
Sweetie Belle blushed. Her magic had grown stronger the past several weeks, as she had hoped in being the master mev's assistant. "Yes, Rainbow Dash, it is."
"Awesome, let's do this. Get my saddlebags too, will you? Cozy, help me get Ocellus, Smolder, and Sandbar on my back."
Cozy did as Rainbow instructed. Rainbow grabbed Gallus and Silverstream, one with each forelimb.
"I do believe five is my limit," Rainbow Dash admitted.
"You're really that strong?" Cozy asked at the sight of Rainbow Dash carrying five sleeping creatures.
"Heh heh, a hero's got to train, you know," Rainbow replied as she smiled between strained breaths.
Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle had taken the saddlebags and magically lifted Yona. "See ya Cozy. Take care."
"Yeah, see ya Cozy Glow," Rainbow added.
"See ya," Cozy Glow replied. She politely waved them off.
After they left, she returned to where she had found the entire group, trying to piece together just what had happened while she was gone. It all sounded very intriguing. A curious glow from the grate caught her eye. She approached and scanned it. Then her lips curled into a small smile.
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Great chapter!
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Thank you!
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You’re welcome!