• Published 23rd Jan 2013
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Swooping Pegasus - FenrisianBrony



Rainbow Dash. A Pegasus who disappeared for 2 years is back. And she's got a story to tell.

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A.N.
Music for this chapter, courtesy of Rainbow Ninja for pointing it out, and Makkon for uploading it to Youtube.Enjoy



Not giving her time to react, Juhani span round, pivoting on the ball of her right foot and bringing her left foot up into Rainbows gut. Grunting, Rainbow fell backwards, managing to keep her footing, but unable to do anything other than defend herself. Each time Juhani swung the sword, Rainbow managed to move her own weapon into the way just in time, deflecting the blows as they came.

Slowly, Rainbow was forced back across the room until she collided with the wall. Not letting it phase her, Juhani jumped into the air, twirling as she did so, and using her sword to knock Rainbows weapon out of her grip, before knocking her to the floor.

“Thirteen point two four seconds. Not bad. We might make an aspect warrior out of you yet.” Juhani smiled, sheathing her sword and offering a hand to Rainbow.

“I don’t think many other could have held up for that long.” Tar’nek mused, jumping down and standing beside Juhani. “How long did you last again Goroic?”

“Eleven point five five seconds.” Goroic sighed. “But she has an advantage.” He protested, walking towards the group.

“Yes, we all know. She was on Hannibal. Kaliden told us all, remember.” Jolee said exasperatedly.

“Right here.” Rainbow said bashfully, scratching the back of her head with a forehoof.

“She trains. You may go about your business.” Kaliden ordered, before turning to Rainbow. “Your training shall last for one hundred cycles. After ninety, you will face your trials. Complete these trials, and you shall be named a Hawk of the god Khaine. Fail, and your training must come to an end. Walk your path, and let fate decide for you.”

“I will not fail you Exarch.” Rainbow said, conviction rife in her voice.

“I know you won’t.” He said softly, before turning an exiting the room. “Your training shall begin at dawn. Rest, for tomorrow, you will receive none.”

***

“You can already fly, so that makes this next part of your training easier.” Tar’nek began, walking around Rainbow.

He was resplendent, completely clad from head to toe in the armour of the Floating Assault. On his back, the Swooping Hawks wings were vibrating slightly, almost in a pulse like fashion, as if they had a mind of their own.

“However, I have seen you fly, and that is all you do. Here, I will teach you to dance. To make the wind your ally, and to bend the very air to your will. This is what I will teach you. One rule. Stay above the clouds.”

With that, his armours wings vibrated faster, until they were almost a blur, propelling him upwards in a flash.

Rainbow took off a split second later, following Tar’nek into the sky. Like Tar’nek, she was also wearing full armour, although hers was not the sophisticated armour of the elder, instead making do with the battered and dilapidated armour she had worn on Hannibal.

Regardless of the armours ill-fitting nature, Rainbow followed the form of the Eldar, as he raced across one of the mighty training halls that made up the majority of the shrine. She found that she could stay within sight of him, but could neither gain ground on him, nor match his moves at the speed he was making them.

Suddenly, Tar’nek changed course, pulling an almost 180° turn and heading straight at Rainbow. Surprised by the suddenly approaching Eldar, Rainbow dived in an attempt to avoid him, but Tar’nek was faster, turning without bleeding off any speed, and smashing into Rainbow, wrapping his arms around her, before softly landing and releasing Rainbow.

“Not bad rainbow. Not bad at all.” Tar’nek said, removing his helmet and smiling at Rainbow, “But you made several key mistakes. Firstly, you were following me. For that, you should have been higher. I hold both speed and experience on you. There is only one counter to greater skill.”

“Which is?” Rainbow asked, panting slightly.

“Knowledge and Patience.” Tar’nek said simply. “When pursuing prey, fly higher than they are. Look down upon them and chose your moment to strike, when they believe they have escaped you, is when you must strike. If you follow a greater, stronger opponent, they will turn and you will become their prey.”

“I understand.” Rainbow said, nodding.

“Do you?” Tar’nek asked, before taking to the sky again. Smiling, Rainbow flew after him.

For four days, the same pattern of attempt after attempt was repeated, each time, Rainbow would adjust her strategy, and each time, Tar’nek would be one step ahead of her, allowing her to believe she had got him where she wanted him, before he turned and brought her back to the ground. She was getting closer though, and had even managed to evade him for almost a full day, before he had finally caught her and taken her to the ground once more.

“We begin at first light tomorrow Rainbow.” Tar’nek said, panting heavily.

Rainbow simply nodded, before slinking off to her quarters to rest.

The next day, Rainbow and Tar’nek entered the field, ready for another chase. Without a word, Tar’nek activated his armour, and disappeared above the artificial cloud cover.

Per her new found experience, Rainbow did not take off immediately, instead opting to run along the ground a bit, moving almost five hundred meters away from where Tar’nek had taken off, before flaring her own wings and soaring into the sky.

Breaking the cloud cover, she continued her vertical ascent, continuing until she was far above the clouds, before finally levelling out and stopping, landing on one of the higher clouds and looking down at the field.

For almost an hour, she scanned the entire area, searching for Tar’nek, but it was in vain. After another half hour however, her luck changed, and she caught sight of Tar’nek, darting between the low lying clouds. With a smile, Rainbow anticipated his course, and when he was approaching the area directly below her hiding spot, pushed herself through the cloud, and dived.

Holding her wings next to her body, she began to pick up speed, moving faster and faster, until she was moving at near Rainboom speeds. Stretching her hooves out in front of her, she continued to fall in silence as Tar’nek approached, before opening her mouth and letting a high pitched screech that would have put Gilda to shame.

As she let fly with the screech, Tar’nek looked up, and even with his helmet on, Rainbow could tell that he was shocked. This momentary lapse in concentration was all she needed, and without slowing down, she wrapped her arms around the midriff of the Eldar warrior, dragging him below the clouds and depositing him on the floor.

“No, not bad at all.” Tar’nek laughed, rolling over and removing his helmet.

“Patience and Knowledge.” She replied, laughing as well.

“You have done well rainbow. There is nothing more I can teach you. Remember these lessons, when the time comes for your final test.”

***

Makhutar stood in front of Rainbow, stripped down to a short armoured war skirt, exposing a large tattoo that covered his entire chest.

“You proved yourself to Tar’nek. Beat him in the skies, and demonstrated both the strength needed to pull him below the clouds, and the intellect to use the environment to your advantage.” Makhutar said, walking in front of Rainbow.

Rainbow had also forgone the use of armour for this portion of her training, and had instead opted to wear a version of the original training garment she had been given, although this one was modified slightly to allow her wings to come through.

“I however, will not be testing you by pitting you against me. Rather, I will be showing you how to regulate your own mind, as well as making sure that you are truly up to the cut in regards to physical strength. Now, I will show you how to do this.”

Walking over to a small table, Makhutar reached for a Spirit stone, bringing it over to Rainbow and showing it to her.

“This is an empty Spirit Stone. Very much like the one that you are wearing around your neck. Using this, I will be able to force you into a dreamlike state, known as the path of the dreamer. I will be entering the dream on your first time with you, to ensure that you are safe, but in future, I will be watching you. As a rule, you should always have someone that can act as your dream watcher, especially for extended periods, but for this run, you will only be under for a few minutes, and in the safety of the shrine.”

“I’m ready.” Rainbow said, shifting anxiously from hoof to hoof in anticipation.

“Good.” Makhutar said, before closing his eyes.

Immediately, Rainbow felt a cold wave flood over her body, quickly spreading from her head down to the tip of her tail. Slowly, she felt herself slipping away from her body, until she was completely incorporeal, and was no longer capable of feeling her own body.

“Rainbow.” Came the voice of Makhutar, echoing around the dark space that Rainbow now occupied.

“I’m here.” She called out.

As she did so, a small trail of mist blew in front of her, swirling around, before condensing into the form of Makhutar. At the same time though, it wasn’t Makhutar. He was bigger, not taller, but his muscles were physically bigger. His face was much more angular, and if pony culture was similar to Eldar culture, made him look much more handsome than he was in real life.

“You look…different.” Rainbow said uncertainly.

“This is not the physical world Rainbow. Our original form does not have to be the one we emulate in here.” He smiled, before his form slowly began to ripple, moulding into the form of a completely different species, this one having blue skin and was wearing a set of yellow body armour. “See?”

“Yes.” Rainbow nodded, before attempting to focus on something in her mind. She immediately conjured up a simple idea of herself, but bigger, and focused on it.

Her form rippled like Makhutars had done, before reforming. Instead of being more muscled though, her wings had grown to be about three times their usual size, and immediately caused her to fall to the floor under their weight.

“You’ll get used to it.” Makhutar chuckled, before he began to fade.

Groaning on the floor, Rainbow felt herself being pulled back to her body.

With a start, Rainbow felt sensation of feeling streak back through her body, and she took a long ragged breath as she sat bolt upright, before looking over at Makhutar.

“It increases in ease with each time.” Makhutar informed Rainbow, before pulling up a chair. “For the next stage of your training, you will be required to enter the dreamland again. You came to this temple because of your past, and how it haunted you. You need to face these fears, and the only way to do this, is via meditation. So sleep, little pony. Sleep, and face what scares you the most.”

Nodding slowly, Rainbow lay down on the floor, emptying her mind, and feeling the cold sensation spread through her body again.

***

Once again, Rainbow awoke and immediately felt as if she had suffocated in her sleep, drawing along ragged breath into her lungs, before sitting up and looking around.

Quickly, she caught sight of Makhutar, and got unsteadily to her hooves, walking over to the expectant Eldar.

“Well?” He asked, looking directly at her.

“I was on Hannibal.” She said hollowly. “I saw Elarique. I saw Talvan. I even saw Elensar. And they all died again, and again, and again. I relived every moment of their deaths, and tried everything I could to save them, and I couldn’t.”

“We cannot change the past rainbow. No matter how much we wish we could.”

“I know that now. The past is behind us, and can’t be altered, no matter how much we want it to be. I regret that they are dead, but they wouldn’t want me to continue to mope over their deaths.”

“Well done. Acceptance is the first step on the path to forgiveness.” Makhutar smiled, patting Rainbow on the back. “You can move on in your training now Rainbow.”

“What?” Rainbow asked, “But Tar’nek took five days.”

“How long do you think you have been under my guidance, Rainbow?” Makhutar asked.

“A few hours. A day at the most.” She replied.

“It has been almost twenty six cycles since you entered the dream state.” Makhutar replied with a slight smile.

“Oh.” Rainbow said, amusement perforating into her voice.

“Your next port of call is Faren. He will teach you how to shoot.
***

“This is the mark seventeen lasblaster that is used by our shrine.” Faren proclaimed, holding up a slightly bulkier version of the weapon she had used in the closing minutes of Hannibal. “It is slightly older than the mark eighteen and nineteen that some shrines prefer to use, but packs a much more powerful punch, as well as having a longer range, all this is at the expense of pack life, but that is a trade of that Kaliden is willing to make.”

Faren handed rainbow the weapon, who took it easily, and flapped her wings, balancing herself upright, before holding the weapon across her chest.

“Done this before?” Faren asked.

“Hannibal. I had a shuriken rifle that ran out of replacement cores. I found a lasblaster and used that. More advanced I think. It was less bulky at the very least.”

“A mark nineteen.” Faren nodded. “Ren’lof’s forces always favoured that weapon.”

Walking over to a small corridor, Faren pressed a few buttons on his gauntlet, and a target materialised at the end. It looked almost like the Eldar, but was more brutish, and was wearing armour similar to the armour Rainbow had been given.

“A human?” Rainbow asked.

“A guardsman specifically.” Faren corrected. “Now, shoot him.”

Complying quickly, Rainbow brought her weapon up, sighting down the barrel and zeroing in on the targets head. Just as she was about to squeeze the trigger, a massive, and very real, explosion erupted behind the target, and everything went to Tartarus.

The human instantly ducked down, a small pile of rubble forming in front of him as he did, and he covered behind it. Rainbow looked over at Faren, unsure of what to do, but the Eldar just looked on expectantly.

Understanding what he was driving at, rainbow once again sighted down her rifle, doing her best to ignore the explosions that were still blossoming around her target. She watched as the target slowly rose up, poking the top of his head over the rubble. Grimacing, Rainbow pulled the trigger and let fly with a blistering barrage of crimson lasers. Every one of them flew wide, and the target immediately stopped moving, before fading from sight again.

Rainbow looked over at Faren, who was shaking his head, before he walked over and placed his hand on Rainbow.

“Never let yourself be distracted. You let the explosion delay your targets death. Never fire off more than you need. Fully automatic fire is inaccurate, and only good for covering fire. This weapon is a laser weapon. That means that as long as you can keep the weapon on the target, the laser will hit them. Now, again.”

***
For days, rainbow continued to train under Faren, consistently getting better, until she could pick out the exact target he set her from a group of near identical targets, and land a perfect shot on its head. She had slowly been moving between standard human targets, all the way up to Orks and even managing to kill an imperial Space Marine after a few shots.

She had also been taught about one of the deadliest weapons at the Swooping Hawks disposal. Their grenade packs. Used when flying, they could fire off multiple grenades of varying types, ranging from plasma to haywire, giving her a weapon to use against enemy vehicles. The launchers she wore were taken from a Swooping Hawks armour, and had been tightened to fit her. They weren’t perfect, but it allowed her to get training in with them.

“Today, you finally show me if you are ready to move on Rainbow. The art of the Hawk is in the air. You must learn to fire accordingly.”

Nodding, Rainbow took off, readying her rifle as a target materialised. She smiled as she looked at the human, before she disappeared into a squad of other human soldiers.

Smiling again at the deception of her target, Rainbow flew over their heads, dodging the fire that they were aiming in her direction, before diving towards the squad, bringing the lasblaster up and firing a single shot. The shot slammed home, knocking her target off her feet as a hole opened up in her head.

As quickly as they had appeared, the other holograms faded, and Rainbow flew back to Faren.

The Eldar smiled, before nodding once.

“Goroic.” He said simply, before turning and leaving.

“Thanks.” Rainbow said, before she turned in the opposite direction and walked towards where she knew Goroic would be waiting.

***
Rainbow passed Goroics tests with ease, relishing in the strength training that she was given by him, and managing to keep up with him in the various cross training runs that they both participated in.

It didn’t take her long to earn Goroics respect, and soon, she was signed off by him as well, being sent to her penultimate training session, this time with Juhani.

***
“You have already proved yourself as a capable student in the art of sword play. Now, you have to learn how to truly defend yourself. By the time I am done, you will be more than capable of going toe to toe with all but the most dedicated students of the sword.”

“I’m ready.” Rainbow said, shifting uneasily in her training garment.

“Prove it.” Juhani grinned, donning her helmet, and throwing a sword to Rainbow, before she drew her own weapon.

Catching the blade, Rainbow sprang forward, only to find that she was no longer there. Spinning around, she brought the blade into a low block just as Juhani lunged at her from behind.

Catching the blade with her own, Rainbow felt herself being pushed backwards, and unwilling to repeat what had happened the first time she had crossed blades with the Eldar, flapped her wings and flew backwards, breaking the lock.

“Good.” The Eldar growled, before lunging again, feinting to the right, and drawing rainbows attention, before bringing the pommel of the sword whipping round into Rainbows muzzle, knocking her to the floor.

“Ow.” Rainbow said, massaging her jaw as she got back to her feet.

“The blade is not the only part of a weapon rainbow. Keep that in mind.” Juhani pointed out, before readying her weapon again. “Again.”

***

For days, Rainbow and Juhani sparred, and each time, Rainbow was forced to the floor by the vastly superior opponent. Slowly though, she was getting better, and could keep the duels going for a good five minutes, before Juhani exploited a mistake she had made.

The final day of her allotted time with Juhani came, and Rainbow found herself squaring off against Juhani for what was, one way or another, going to be the last time.

Readying her weapon, Juhani raised her sword into the Eagle high block, while Rainbow dropped into the Serpent low block. No matter what Juhani had tried to tell her, she could not make the Eagle block work, and so had adopted the lesser used, and more aggressive Serpent block instead.

With a snarl, Juhani lunged forward, bringing her sword down on Rainbow. Jumping back, Rainbow raised the sword, angling it away from herself so the blade would be deflected rather than caught on the sword. Flapping her wings once, Rainbow sped toward Juhani, who was forced onto the defensive by her blows.

Activating the wings on her armour, Juhani sped into the sky, disappearing among the clouds. Grinning, Rainbow followed her, slicing through the air above her, she breached the cloud cover, and brought the blade up just in time to block Juhanis strike. Finding herself being pushed downwards, Rainbow went with it, falling slightly and overbalancing Juhani. Speeding round, Rainbow brought the blade down on the base of one of the wings of Juhanis armour, causing it to stop moving.

Turning around, Juhani grabbed hold of Rainbow just before she fell through the clouds. Twisting and turning, the pair grappled as they fell towards the ground. Flaring her wings, Rainbow slowed the descent of both of them, and angled herself so she was on top as they finally hit the ground.

Landing on top of the Eldar, Rainbow grabbed her sword, placing both of the blades against the Eldars in an X shape.

“Match.” Rainbow smiled, dropping the blades stepping off the Eldar.

“Tar’nek taught you the skies well.” Juhani laughed, getting to her feet and removing her helmet. “There is nothing more I can teach you. Jolee needs to see you now.”

“Thank you Juhani. Maybe we can do this again.” Rainbow said, smiling.

“Keep performing like that, and you can count on it.” Juhani smiled back.

With that, Rainbow turned and left the room, moving to find her last instructor.

***

Rainbow walked into the room that Jolee was in, reflecting on the past ninety eight cycles. She had gone from being skilled in non-aerial acrobatics, to being able to fight in both ranged and melee combat. She had grown physically larger, and could run for longer, and move faster, than she had ever dreamed of, laughing at the ease with which she’d probably be able to beat Applejack in the running of the leaves. She had even learnt how to control her very dreams for periods of self-meditation.

Entering the room, Rainbow looked around in awe at the glass display cases that held suits of Swooping Hawk armour.

“Like what you see?” Jolee asked.

“They’re beautiful.” Rainbow said breathlessly, walking up to one of the cases and looking closely at it.

“Normally, I would allow the spirits of the armour to guide you to your suit, but clearly, this presents problems for you and your different physiology.” Jolee explained, gently pulling Rainbow away from the armour.

“So what’s going to happen?”

“I’m glad you asked. I enjoy a challenge. You offered me one. Come.”

Jolee turned and walked further into the room, bidding Rainbow to follow him. Turning a corner, Rainbow caught sight of another glass case, set apart from the others. What was inside however, did catch her eye.

The armour that was displayed was beautiful, and more important, was designed for a four legged creature. Her, to be specific. It was a light blue colour, with various small red stones set into it at various places. The final part that caught Rainbows eye was the gap in the front of the armour, and she immediately felt pull on the spirit stone armour her neck.

“It’s…”rainbow began.

“I know.” Jolee smiled.

“Why can I feel this pulling towards it?” Rainbow asked, holding up the spirit stone, before letting it fall back on the chain.

“How much do you know about past members of this shrine? Specifically those that decided to walk the path of the Exodite.”

“Nothing at all.” Rainbow admitted.

“We have had very many members in this shrine. Very few have ever left to walk another militant path. Almost all of them have left to see another shrines path, on their way to walk the path of command. Only one has ever left to become an Exodite. Do you know who that was?”

“No. But I have a feeling you are going to tell me.”

“He left, at the same time another promising warlock left. You met both of them. You have talked of them both many times.”

“You don’t mean…”Rainbow began, finally getting what Jolee was talking about.

“Elarique was a member of this shrine. Talvan was his friend. This armour was once his. Kaliden gave me permission to repurpose it. That spirit stone is Elariques yes?”

“His empty one, yes.”

“Then that is why it calls to you. The remains of the spirit inside can sense the familiarity of the armour.”

Pressing his hand against the glass, a small flicker of lights happened under his fingers, and a moment later, the case swung open, revealing the armour.

“Now, you will don the raiment of Khaines hawks. Now we clothe ourselves for war.” Jolee intoned, walking over to another display case and repeating the motion, opening the case and removing a part of the armour. “Copy my movements exactly.”

Pulling the lower leg armour out, Jolee slipped his legs through them, before placing the armour on his feet. Rainbow copied the movements, taking the back leg armour, and slipping into it. It felt like it was hanging off her body slightly, but she continued to follow Jolees movements.

“Now we don Khaines bloody raiment. Now we become his airborne death.” Jolee intoned, Rainbow not far behind.

As she continued to don her armour, she continued to follow Jolees movement, flowing from the serpent block up into the Diamond strike, before finally finishing in the Gizka aim.

For almost an hour, rainbow and Jolee continued the dance, donning their armour at the same time. As she continued, the armour began to become tighter, until it felt like it was nothing more than a second skin.

Finally, Rainbow and Jolee reached for the helmet, and slowly lowered it onto her head. Instantly, her vision was tinted in green, and she momentarily recoiled at the difference in her sight, but she kept her nerve, and continued to follow Jolee.

“Now we have donned Khaines bloody raiment. Now we have become his airborne death.” Jolee finished, before standing in front of Rainbow. “You are whole Rainbow Dash. A member of the Swooping Hawks.”

Rainbow stood stock still for a moment, before she finally moved forward. She found that it was easy to move, even with the armour on, and didn’t even feel like she was wearing anything.

“One more thing Rainbow.” Jolee said, holding out the spirit stone that Rainbow had taken off before she started. “Place this within your armour. The spirits inside both need to coincide.”

Nodding, Rainbow grabbed hold of the stone, and gently slipped it off the chain it was on. Delicately, she slipped it into the groove of the armour that was designed for just this purpose, and instantly felt a wealth of knowledge flood into her.

She remembered fighting the humans at Calidex VIII. She remembered presiding over the victory at Therom.

They were part of her, and yet, they weren’t her.

Collapsing to the floor, Rainbow writhed in pain as a million thoughts arced into her brain, spreading out and threatening to engulf her completely.

“Rainbow! Listen to my voice!” Came the urgent voice of Jolee. Even though he was right next to her, it sounded like he was miles away, and speaking through water. “The armours spirit is rebelling against you. It senses the presence of the spirit stone is different than yours. Talk to it, make it understand, or lose yourself to the armour.”

With a grunt, Rainbow nodded, before forcing her will into the armour, focusing on her own personal experiences.

Creating a sonic Rainboom over Cloudsdale to win a race.

Meeting Twilight in Ponyville.

Standing up to the Nightmare.

Killing chaos cultists at Frent II

NO! That was not hers. She did not fight at Frent II, and she had never seen a cultist.

She had helped to defeat Discord. She had stood against the changelings in Canterlot. She had even helped Twilight and Spike to defeat Sombra, but she had never killed anything other than Tyranids.

“Rainbow.” Came a voice, emanating from deep within the armour.

“Who’s there?” She grunted.

“You know me Rainbow, and I know you. You’re wearing my armour.”

“Elarique!” She asked in shock, her eyes flying wide open.

“Focus on my voice. Do not lose yourself to me.”

Scrunching her face up, Rainbow followed the instructions, slowly pushing the foreign thoughts out of her head. Finally, when they had completely disappeared, she stood back up, and looked at Jolee.

“That reaction was not unexpected, although I had no idea it would be as intense.”

“Thanks.” Rainbow breathed weakly, smiling beneath the helmet.

“Come. Kaliden will want to see you. It is two cycles before you were due to finish, which is impressive.”

Nodding, rainbow followed Jolee out of the room, and began to walk towards the centre of the shrine, hopefully, towards Rainbows final test.