After a stunt goes haywire in her very first Wonderbolt air show, Rainbow Dash will learn the true reason for her being the only "rainbow maned" pegasus around.
Solutions to war, famine, disease and societal collapse are not easily happened upon. For Celestia and Luna, the solution was a mystery for eons, until their top six battle mages forged a plan from their very essence. To unite their absolute individual powers into one worthy host. One who could put an end to the horrors plaguing the budding nation of Equestria.
Only one pony was ever worthy. His deeds and heroism ultimately culled evil and hatred from Equestria and allowed peace to reign. After this achievement, the power vanished of its own accord upon the natural death of its wielder.
However, it seems that something in the shadows has provoked the lost power's return in the form of a new carrier, and she's going to find out her true destiny through a series of literal trials by fire.
(Updated on 3/1/2019, I'm ashamed that its been almost 5 years since my last chapter update...)
This is my take on the origin of "Super Rainbow Dash." Shout out to the creator of Super Rainbow Dash, Super Klonoa. My apologies for not finding out who you were sooner!
Thanks to unexpectedly high ratings, this story has been moved from an experimental work to a full production. Edited by the AwesomeAmazingRegular... uh.. "Solid" SolidFire.
By: Jetstream S in collaboration with Luna Silverscale
Chapter One: Realization
I'm still wondering where to begin, even after the past year, my thoughts are still swimming with questions, with answers being seaponies after a shipwreck. Even though smarts isn't my normal repertoire, I'll try to make this as intricate as possible. See? I can talk like an egghead from time to time.
Well, I guess it's better to start at the beginning like a normal author would. But keep in mind, I don't have a quill and parchment as a Cutie Mark, so forgive me if I make a mistake... or two. Sit back, relax and grab a cold daffodil shake or something, because this is gonna be one hay of a ride.
The year was 1324, (I don't feel like writing out one thousand three hundr... Damn.) Anyway, the day had finally come where I was gonna show my stuff as the newest addition to the Wonderbolts. It was only three in the afternoon and Iwas starting to get extremely nervous...
The locker room of the Cloudeseum was cluttered with the flailing wings and loud conversations of her teammates as Rainbow Dash zipped up her brand new Wonderbolts uniform. The mirror in the back of her locker reflected the image she had longed to see ever since her first airshow with her father. She smiled again as she realized for what she thought was the trillionth time that day as she remembered: Her dream had come true.
The rest of her team was already headed toward the entrance to the stadium while Dash hung back a ways. The anxiety was beginning to grip and tug at her already pounding heart. She knew she was more than capable of keeping the routine in check, but even the slightest thought of failure was sending her confidence reeling. She felt the light embrace of a large wing around her shoulders as she stopped.
"C'mon Dash, its your first show! I wouldn't be late if I were you," Soarin said. His voice was unusually soothing.
Rainbow turned to look him in the eyes. Those bright green eyes that always seemed to melt away any shred of doubt no matter the situation.
"Yea sorry, I'm just a little nervous," she chuckled uneasily.
"Oh come on, a flier of your caliber was meant for this. I know you can do it." He flashed his trademark grin, further reassuring the ailing mare and washing the butterflies from her stomach.
Dash began to blush furiously as Soarin locked his eyes with hers. Those green irises always seemed to have a direct line to her inner mood dial. It wasn't until he had cleared his throat for the second time that Rainbow snapped out of her stupor.
"huh, wha-" Rainbow stumbled.
Soarin found her predicament quite amusing and expected. He had known about her crush for weeks now, but wanted to see if his hunch was correct. This little episode all but proved it.
"So, dinner on Friday?" he asked.
Dash froze, but a smile was creeping uncontrollably onto her face. She had waited for this moment ever since the night at the Gala those years ago.
"Y-yea! I'm totally up for d-dinner on Friday... W-with you..." she stammered. A whole week away? Why not tonight?
"Well alright then," he whispered, "I'll pick you up around eight, but right now," he looked out to the entrance to the stadium, "we got a show to put on!"
He began flying toward the entrance, waving his foreleg for her to follow. Even with all the anxiety... and total heart tug... She could tell today was going to be the best day of her life.
Now lined up, the Wonderbolts were now ready to begin. As the announcer outside began his introduction, Spitfire gave the command to "open wings". The team systematically opened and stretched their wings, mentally going over the routine. This was it. Rainbow Dash's moment of truth. She was finally going to be a real Wonderbolt! The sheer joy had extinguished the fire of anxiety and she was now preparing to live out her dream.The chatter from the crowd outside erupted into cheers as Spitfire flew from the entrance closely followed by the rest of the team. The light outside nearly blinded her as she followed at the rear, saving her entrance for last. Luckily, her eyes adjusted quick enough for her to keep track of her team in front. Judging from the crowd, the rainbow colored streak from her tail seemed to highlight the team's entrance quite nicely.
"MMMMares and gentlecolts! Please join me in welcoming... the Woooooonderbolts!" The announcer exclaimed. "And for the first time ever performing in the team, let's stomp our hooves for the newest member: RRRRRainbow... Daaaaaash!"
Rainbow was following the intro perfectly as the rest of the Wonderbolts all barrel rolled around her, creating spirals of smoke that extended from the entrance all the way up into the sky. They ended their dizzying spiral with a massive explosion of sparks in the shape of Rainbow's cutie mark. Rainbow was left hovering in the center of her mark, waving to the crowd with both forelegs.
The roar from the crowd intensified as she hovered, taking in the newly found attention. She even spotted a group of very rugged stallions with each letter of her name painted on their chests in all colors. A large blush formed on both cheeks as she watched them go crazy along with the rest of the crowd. Bright flashes of cameras were everywhere and they all seemed to be focused on her.
"So Dash, how'd ya like your first introduction?" Spitfire yelled over the crowd.
Through her emotion-filled waving, Dash yelled back, "Nothing short of awesome!" with tears in her eyes.
Spitfire beamed and lowered her goggles, motioning for Dash to follow. Dash pulled down her own goggles, flying to her place at Spitfire's left flank. The entire team did a smooth fly-by over the stands, then climbed into another steep arc. This was where things were supposed to get really interesting.
As the Wonderbolts reached the top of the arc, they leveled out, rolling over the top and flying level on their backs toward the center of the stands. Dash wasn't quite used to flying upside down while level, but her determination and pride would not see her fail. She remained level and focused, remembering what the next move was. They reached the stands, pushing up into a climb from their upside down positions. Simultaneously, Spitfire activated the cartridges of smoke on her flanks followed by Dash and Soarin. As a shock to the crowd, the remaining three members broke off, smoothly flying back into the opening from where they had first flown out. This left the two most experienced fliers... alone with the rookie.
Dash wasn't as easily fooled as the two veteran fliers would think. The change in air density and noise was enough to tell her that nothing was following her. She was alone with her idol and love interest.
THIS should be interesting, Rainbow thought.
They were nearing the center of the stadium again and now was time for the real show to begin.
"Team, reverse slide!"
As soon as Spitfire's words met their ears, Rainbow and Soarin broke off from her flanks, banking into each other. Rainbow yawed over Soarin, resulting in a perfect crossover behind their leader. They both completed the roll, becoming level again. Upon doing so, they were now perpendicular with Spitfire and pulled up at the exact same time. The trio then began another upward spiral before activating their smoke cartridges to create three corkscrews of smoke. They eventually rejoined, flying level with the ground and nearing the center of the Cloudeseum.
Rainbow was painfully aware that exceeding her teammates' speed was strictly off limits. The second stage of Wonderbolt training all but drilled that into her head. But soon she would get the chance. Her chance to attempt what nopony in history had ever attempted. She would warp and control the Sonic Rainboom into a dazzling display of light with nothing but her speed. She called it The Counter Rainboom.
Dash's subconscious nearly slapped her as she began veering ever so slightly away from Spitfire's proximity. The quick maneuver she used to negate the drift was smooth enough not to be detected by the crowd watching below. Spitfire finally angled up, activating the sparkler nodes on both flanks. A brilliant trail of sparkles shined between the silvery columns of smoke as the trio rocketed up into the bright blue sky.
Soarin, and Rainbow Dash deactivated the smoke, leaving spiral pillars in perfectly aligned height with bright sparkles fizzling out between them. They came together again, Rainbow at the lead this time. They were unnaturally high, and all were having trouble breathing. Rainbow looked back to her right flank, where Spitfire soar. They locked eyes, Spitfire nodded, and the signal to start the finale was given.
With a smile that stretched across her face, she adjusted her goggles and shot straight down. The fans watched in heavy anticipation from the Cloudeseum as the rainbow streak flew ever closer to the ground.
Being this high, Dash could see the Cloudeseum as one of Joe's doughnuts as she looked down. Spitfire dived, closely followed by the rest of the team, leaving Rainbow hovering. The plan was to count to ten, do a few more aerobatic maneuvers for the cameras, then initiate the final trick of the day. She went over the trick in her head
"Oh no... no no NO NO NO!!"
She was approaching her correct speed too late. She was in the exact center of the Cloudeseum when the familiar sound and release of energy was heard and felt. She immediately pulled up, unnaturally shattering gravity's pull in the process. Startled fans seemed to watch with glazed eyes partially expecting to be obliterated. But the wave of prismatic energy did not reach them. In fact, it seemed to be condensing back to the point of it's summoning.
She instantly regretted not practicing this outside the show, but Spitfire insisted on her ability to do it. Dash was beginning to think her Idol might have been wrong as the enormous ring of prismatic light began pushing her nearer and nearer toward the stands. No! Please, somepony, ANYpony, help! She could feel tears beginning to grip at her eyes as the air between her and the energy lessened in density. She also knew that if the energy were to touch her, she would be completely mangled. She had to stop it. Somehow.
NO! I won't let this happen! Thousands of innocent ponies...
Dash could feel something beginning to stir within her. Something she had never felt before. Her vision was getting clearer, she could feel the strength within her wings begin to amplify, and the speed in which she was orbiting the lethal energy wave was increasing exponentially.
I WILL save them, even if it costs me my life!
The fireproof fabric of her suit was beginning to smoke as the friction from the air began to superheat it. Dash let out a final yell just before increasing her speed further.
A blinding flash of light, a massive pressure concussion, and and a towering column of light later, the scenario was over. Dash back winged, slowing to a stop to admire her work. The energy from the Rainboom was shooting upward into multiple swirls of prismatic light
"Heh. Close call there," she sighed with relief.
The crowd began to cheer, but their cheers were short lived, replaced by gasps and murmuring hushed tones. Rainbow paused for a second wondering why her vision was no longer obstructed by her goggles. She reached a hoof up to rub her eyes - when she took notice of her new color. Her pupils reduced to pinpricks as she took notice of the glowing white appendage in front of her face.
"What the HAY?! I don't remember bleaching my coat!"
Her voice was louder than she anticipated, making a very visible blush cover her now white cheeks. She examined herself further, attempting to rub her mane in confusion but feeling nothing meet her hoof. She felt... bald?! It was then she took notice of the thousands of cameras that were still flashing. They were taking pictures of her?! NOW?? She attempted to hide her head under her hooves, still feeling nothing, when a flicker of color danced across the upper portion of her field of view. I don't even wanna know... she thought.
From nowhere, a sudden exhilarating rush of strength filled her limbs and body. She examined herself to find her uniform had somehow vanished, leaving her naked and her coat glowing an unnatural white. She looked down, or tried rather, when something around her neck poked at her chin. She could make out a red tip outlined with gold when she looked down as far as she could.
"Strange, is that... What is the Element of Loyalty doing on my neck?" She asked herself.
Patting it, she heard the metallic clang of hoof on metal to confirm the bizarre occurrence.
"Fire!" somepony from the crowd yelled, "Rainbow Dash is on fire!!"
Rainbow immediately began flailing her forehooves, feeling nothing but the flowing of her mane, that wasn't even there as far as she could tell. Through her flailing, she accidentally hit herself in the face. Hard. Her vision swam for a moment, making her flying more erratic than a hover. It was then that Soarin and Spitfire had joined her in the middle of the Cloudesium.
"Rainbow Dash... is that you?" asked Soarin
The look on his face clearly suggested he was staring at somepony else. He hovered closer, before jumping back, seemingly in pain.
"What the... what's with that heat?
Rainbow was now even more confused, realizing Spitfire was also staring with pure awe. Rainbow suddenly felt the urge to fly. Fast.
"Uh, gimme a sec."
Rainbow flapped as hard a she could, straight up. The result was an immediate sonic boom, knocking Soarin and Spitfire into the stands and making sitting ponies fall to their backs. She was ascending with inpony speed, the pressure wave that followed shattering any cloud within a dozen feet of her thin mach cone. Again she felt the release of energy that a Sonic Rainboom produced, but she felt herself flying even faster and producing several more circles of energy behind her.
From the ground, it seemed like a never-ending stream of outward shining color was blossoming from Dash's former position. The portion of audience that wasn't cursing Dash's name to Tartarus for the face-full of sonic boom had begun cheering again, basking in the light of the beautiful prismatic display above.
Dash had finally regained what little self control she had, flapping upward and halting her climb. She looked out over the world, whose atmosphere was clearly visible from the dull dark blue she found herself in.
"Sweet Celestia..."
She was looking at the planet from the outer exosphere, somehow surviving with no air to breathe. Realizing that shouldn't have been possible, she immediately flapped hard again, parallel with the world. She angled down, still flapping with strength that she could only describe as... super. Before she could blink, a mountain had appeared in her line of sight a mountain had become one with her face. Expecting a very painful collision, she snapped her eyes closed, but to her surprise, the mountain didn't stop her. She simply went right through the rock, leaving a pony-sized smooth tunnel. In her shock, she stopped midway into the mountain, and lost her mind.
"Sweet Celestia's flank, what's going on?! I'm literally chest deep in the middle of a freaking mountain!"
Her breathing was comparable to that of a pony who had been holding theirs for a minute or so.
She still felt a small heat radiating from her body, and the surrounding rock began to glow a dark red. She was still in her flying position, forelegs and hind legs stretching fully in both directions.
"Ok, gotta stand," she said to herself.
With little to no effort she stood, her body and extended wings carving into the bedrock. She also took note of the fact that she wasn't breathing, but felt great. The new Rainbow Dash-sized enclosure was starting to turn a dull red, absorbing the intense heat radiating from the mare. She rubbed a rock with the forward edge of her hoof, and the space was lit with a shower of sparks.
With no warning, she suddenly began to feel weak, and the heat began to make her sweat. A thought occurred to her about her new appearance and the sudden burst of energy. Was she... special, in some way?
Rainbow lifted the quill from the parchment, thinking.
"Pfft, 'course I'm special. Although I'm still wondering why I'm writing this in third pony... where was I? Oh yea..."
All at once, the white glow began to fade, leaving the red hot rock's glow to take it's place. Her hooves began to feel hot, to the point of pain. She scrambled to get off the hot rock, but as far as she could tell, she was trapped in an oven. She knew she wasn't back to normal yet, but when she was, she knew she would burn alive. The sudden change in state seemed to offer a degree of invulnerability, but it seemed to be running out.
In her panic, she began beating on the rock face opposite of the small tunnel. The strange alabaster hooves in her view began to fade, and she could feel her strength begin to drain. Her hind legs felt as though they were candles, her hooves being the wicks. Being essentially bone, they could withstand the heat, but not forever. She poured what little strength remained into one final blow, connecting both forehooves with the rock. She was rewarded with a loud crack, followed by her falling forward.
Again Rainbow put the quill down, imagining the light from the cracks as her freedom was assured. Looking back, she knew stopping in a mountain for a panic attack wasn't the best option, nor was it the right time as her power was nearly diminished. She knew her abilities well now, but she was a foal in the scale of knowledge back then.
She tumbled out of the hole, her coat now completely normal. The opposite slope of the mountain was steeper than most, so she slid on her belly down the face. She began to feel strange, as the world began to swim in her vision. A curtain of black began falling over her view, and she finally lost consciousness.
Now, I don't remember much after I woke up, until I found myself lying in some sort of cage...
"Uhh... mfg... what, whats goin on?!"
Rainbow snapped awake, fully aware she was in a very enclosed space. She jumped to her hooves, staring into a very black room. Stepping forward, her muzzle hit something solid, making her fall back. She reeled around, regaining her jelly-like stance. Her gaze came face to face with a mirror. What she saw was unlike anypony she had ever seen in her life; That pony being herself. Her reflection was... was...
Rainbow released the quill, thinking hard on the image that had managed to burn itself into her mind in all of the two seconds she stared.
A matted mane, a portion of witch was slightly cut, and a large bruise spread across her left shoulder. She looked away into the darkness as a sound reached her ears. Flicking involuntarily, her ears traced the direction of the sound, and sure enough, the dark outline of a pony stood mere feet away. She let a menacing low growl escape her muzzle, readying for a spring.
"Calm, my subject..."
Rainbow's face instantly released it's tight scowl and her body eased as Luna's voice graced her ears.
"Princess, what's going on, where am I? Does this have something to do with what happened earlier?"
Luna raised a hoof, silencing Rainbow, "You are needed in Princess Celestia's keep. It would be wise to not keep her waiting, as she has very important matters to discuss with you."
As she turned to leave, Rainbow stopped her.
"Princess," Luna stopped and turned to the captive pegasus, "why am I in a cage?"
Luna's gaze hit the floor, before a bright flash of magic opened a hole in the cage.
"My apologies. Celestia was worried that you might try to leave as soon as you were awake. The matters are that important I'm afraid."
The palace was quiet as Rainbow Dash exited the confined room. Luna had vanished, and she was left to find her way to Celestia's keep alone. Having been there only a few times in the past, she wasn't exactly sure where she was going, especially in the darkness. She looked around the moonlit hall and saw the thousands of cobwebs lining the ceiling, cracked glass windows, and ones that were completely blown out, lining the walls. The place looked ancient.
Ah, I remember this well...
Rainbow froze. A voice, seemingly from nowhere, had echoed quietly throughout the corridor... or so she thought
"Who's there?! If anypony tries to sneak up on me they're gonna have a bad time!"
Nothing returned her threat. Only the sound of wind blowing lightly through the battered windows filled the hall. Her bruised shoulder and flank pulsed with every step, making her seethe as her jaw clamped shut. She fumbled to the wall of the hallway, taking some of the weight off her injured shoulder by leaning up against it as she walked. Several attempts to blow her unusually matted mane from her eyes ended in failure and she resorted to using the wall as a makeshift comb.
Having cleared her mane from her face, she continued to traverse the seemingly endless hallway. After a few minutes of walking rather painfully, Rainbow's shaken mind remembered her wings. She attempted to extend them only to be brought to the ground by a lightning bolt of pain unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her scream echoed throughout the hall as she collapsed into a pain-ridden heap. The muscles that powered her wings felt like they were ripping apart as she struggled to return them to their folded position. She fought to hold back the tears as her wings fell limp to her sides. The attempt was futile as tears began falling to the floor.
After laying there for what seemed like minutes, the pain in her back and wing roots gradually withered away and she attempted to stand. She again accomplished this by using the wall as support and using her good foreleg to hoist herself up. The hallway was still mind bogglingly long, and she had a ways to go.
"I still don't understand what happened earlier and why," she said in a half whimper and whisper to herself. The questions still continued to cloud her mind as she slowly walked down the hall. The moon shone through the symmetrical windows along the hall, providing some form of light. As she walked, her head began to feel slightly congested and the hall started to contort slightly.
Questions and answers, questions and answers...
Rainbow immediately stopped again and looked around.
"Who's there!?" She yelled.
The only reply was the echo of her own voice.
I see, we still haven't met. Allow me to introduce myself.
Rainbow's head was reeling from the voice's constant change in volume as she began walking faster, trying her best not to stumble over her hanging wings. She couldn't tell where the voice was coming from, but from what she could tell, it wasn't hostile.
My name is Star Prism.
Rainbow stopped. The voice had evened out in its volume and she could tell it was a stallion.
"Uh, Rainbow Dash," she replied hastily.
I know, the voice said again, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time now.
Rainbow's head was beginning to even out again as the voice talked, but it was still pounding. She stumbled again as she resumed her walking.
"What are you talking about? Better yet, who, or what are you?" She asked, looking around the hall.
The voice chuckled before answering, If I told you, you wouldn't believe me.
Rainbow frowned a little at the answer, "Believe me. After the day I just had, I'm willing to believe anything," she assured.
For longer than she hoped, the only sounds she heard were her hoof steps on the marble floor and her slightly labored breathing.
"You still there?" She asked.
I've always been here, it replied. And as to the matter of what I am... You'll find out soon enough, it said reassuringly.
Rainbow rolled her eyes and kept walking. The end of the hall was in sight, and a massive set of double doors loomed before her. The ever so annoying mane again fell into her view, and she didn't try to move it again.
"Jeez I hate this thing!" she suddenly yelled.
But it does hold the key...
The voice was back again.
"Key? Key to what? All I see is a red, orange, and yellow mess!" She seethed.
Details, details. In due time Rainbow Dash.
Her head began reeling again as the doors came closer. She began stumbling away from the support of the wall and she was forced to use her injured shoulder to keep from falling. She quickly realized pain was something she could only deal with if she had the right mindset. Now wasn't the time.
She fumbled with a pain ridden gasp to the floor, landing square on her injured shoulder. She cried out in pain, and she lay still for a little while.
"What happened to me?" She asked aloud.
I think you mean, What almost happened to you.
Rainbow blinked a few times wishing for the hall to stop contorting.
"AND WHY IS EVERYTHING SPINNING?!" She screamed.
The voice seemed to sigh before answering.
The side effects after the first time are quite painful and disorienting, aren't they?
"How in Tartarus would you know?!" Rainbow instantly retorted.
Passing out on the slope of a mountain isn't exactly the best idea, the voice stated, But you did get lucky on account of the fact that certain species of bear like to "play" with their food. You were lucky your pegasus friends were able to find you before it had exhausted its fun.
Rainbow bit her lower lip only to taste blood. In the dark room before she couldn't see the finer cuts and bruises on her face and chest. She brought a hoof to her mouth and rubbed her chin. She brought said hoof into the moonlight from a window to see dark and shiny red against light blue. Using her good leg, she hoisted herself up and again leaned on the wall shaking her head in an attempt to clear the dizziness. Although the attempt failed, she still relaxed a bit, knowing that her injuries could have been far worse. She silently thanked whoever saved her.
"You never answered my question," Rainbow said.
Her tone was now even as the doors came within spitting distance. The edge of her attitude was beginning to dull.
Like I said, in due time.
"Typical, mysterious voices that withhold the truth until some huge and dramatic self realization occurs," she thought.
She swore she heard a faint giggle.
Out of all the novels she read and the "rules" that accompanied them, the main character always had some sort of self realization following a dramatic, horrific, or peaceful event.
Dash's curiosity was giving the silence little time to linger.
"How long has it been since what happened?" Rainbow asked. She knew the voice would answer this time.
Just a few hours. That is why you are still injured.
She sighed an inner sigh of relief. As she finally approached the door, the size was beginning to become overwhelming. How was she supposed to open a several hundred pound door in her condition? Her wings were useless, her shoulder was still in agonizing pain, and just the fact that her head was swimming made it so that even if her other injuries weren't there, it would be next to impossible to coordinate an effective kick. Another quick glance revealed there were no handles.
"Great, now what..." Rainbow pouted.
A short silence.
"Hey, whatever you are, you seem to have a lot to say. And now, when I need a way past this door, you aren't saying a thing. What gives?" She asked in annoyance.
More silence.
"Oh come on! I know you're some super mystical spirit or whatever! Can I get a little help or something?!" She yelled, flailing her good leg.
Your constant babbling won't do anything to open this door, the voice replied cheekily.
"I'm willing to bet a hoof to the face will..." she thought.
Unfortunately no, it won't. Do try to be a bit more serious about the matters at hoof, hmm? The voice annoyingly stated.
"So you can read my thoughts, you obviously know more about this whole situation than I do, and I can't see you. Do you know what that makes you?" Rainbow growled.
I don't know, nor do I care at this point, Rainbow Dash. All I know is that you have a task to complete. By which I mean opening this door.
Rainbow began to speak, but the words caught in her throat. It was true that the voice had done nothing to be considered wrong by her, but just its sudden appearance at this time was enough to arouse suspicion. This 'spirit' or 'ghost' also had quite a mouth and sense of humor; one that she herself seemed to share. She turned around and put her back to the right door and slid down to her haunches, wondering what to do next. The voice finally returned.
Do you remember what exactly happened back at the Cloudeseum?
Rainbow probed her brain for the information the voice needed.
"I messed up real bad on the stunt I was doing for the finale... Then I remember trying to stop the wave from reaching the crowd. I knew if it did, every pony there would have been killed. So I used my speed to keep it back, but I realized I simply couldn't do it. I called upon anything or anypony who was listening for help... and something answered my call. I felt something within me unlock, and I suddenly began filling with a strange, I don't know, energy? Power? I don't even know what to call it!"
Strength.
"Yea, whatever. All I know is I started to feel really strange... and everything went all bright. I could feel this surge of energy I've never felt before and I could fly faster than I ever had in my life! I used my new found speed to drive back the Rainboom and complete the trick. When whatever happened... happened, I could do what I couldn't do before, which was saving those thousands of ponies."
Rainbow paused for a little bit, anxious to hear what the voice had to make of all that. She turned her gaze back to the towering doors, and placed her good foreleg against it. She pushed lightly, but as expected, the door held firm. She pushed as hard as her undamaged foreleg would allow, but still no movement, not even a creak. She looked around the wall surrounding the door for any means of passage. Nothing met her eye.
"Darn it! How am I supposed to open this thing?!" She yelled.
You can't.
Rainbow quietly mumbled something incoherent to anypony that might be listening.
You know, petty insults will get you nowhere. Do you know why your mane is the way it is?
Dash flicked the hair from her view with her free hoof and simply scoffed. "Why would I care?"
Your mane is far more special than you think, Rainbow Dash. Let's visit some friends.
Dash's left brow shot up, "Wha- huh?"
The corridor once again began to twist with a sickening motion. She felt light headed as the hall began to transform from an ancient broken down mess into a vast open room before her eyes. The walls of the hall expanded and dissipated while the ceiling, as tall as it already was, began lifting into a sea of black. The windows that weren't already broken shattered and the glass rained down over the mare below. Dash quivered under the glass as it came down, unable to use her wings to shield herself. Moments after the initial change, the moon slowly faded and the new area was now nothing but an inky black. The walls, glass, and ceiling had now completely faded, leaving only the bare floor and the mare that stood on it unchanged.
From within the blackness, a light appeared. Dim at first, but increasing in size and intensity. Dash looked at it from a distance, and decided to move toward it. As she did, it moved higher, and higher, before exploding into a massive sphere of radiant white light. From the ground she heard a dull clanking sound, followed by three large pillars rising from the floor. She looked around at the new bright area, her curiosity now boiling.
"Hey, what just happened?" Rainbow asked, hoping the voice would have some kind of answer.
Just watch, the voice answered with a new found sense of optimism.
Rainbow watched as three ponies faded into view mere inches from where she was standing. Out of instinct, her ears dropped flat and her face put on a scowl that could melt iron as she tried to look as aggressive as possible.
The first, bore a dark red gilded cloak that utilized a long hood to shroud its face. It was tall and rather bulky, but she could see a horn. She assumed it was a stallion by the thick muzzle that was barely protruding from the hood.
The second, bore a simple light blue carapace, showing its slender sky-blue legs. It looked to be shorter and more compact than the other two, so Dash assumed it to be a mare.
The third, stood tall and lean with tight fitting, smooth lemon-yellow armor. His hood matched his red counterpart, so Rainbow couldn't see his face.
Rainbow calmed a little as they stood before her. They hadn't tried anything to label them suspicious.
"And who exactly are you three?" Rainbow barked.
They simply stood still, only the slight breeze ruffling their robes and hoods.
"Hello??"
Dash walked up to the one in red slowly, watching and waiting for an attack to come. Up close, Dash could hear him mumbling something, but she couldn't tell what.
"Hey spirit dude. Star Prism?"
Back away.
Rainbow used her good foreleg to jump back to a respectable distance.
"Why? What's gonna happen?" Rainbow whispered.
You are looking at three of the Six Celestial Mages, the voice haughtily stated.
Rainbow eyed the three ponies looming before her. "Why just three? Where are the others?"
These three are the ones that you are most attuned with. The others will be awakened when you are more attuned with your other abilities.
She raised an unamused eyebrow, "What now?"
The voice let another audible sigh echo throughout her mind, I'll explain later.
Rainbow sunk to her haunches, absolutely peeved at the fact the she would have to sit through another boring lecture. Still, Twilight's little episodes could make this guy seem like a kindergarten undergrad in comparison.
She looked out, back at the three ponies. Something oddly familiar loomed about them as they stood motionless. Their heads were sunk as they continued to mumble incoherently. Dash again brushed her mane from her face, sitting and watching them.
She could feel something strange begin to surround her as she sat. The air around her was growing warmer and more course. She noticed something emanating from her left; directly from her wounded shoulder. Her eyes widened as the throbbing in her shoulder began to gradually cease. She slowly looked over to see an unnatural purplish glow surrounding her shoulder and flank. She attempted to struggle out of the magical grip, but she couldn't move. The glow began to intensify as the three ponies' horns began to glow brighter and brighter. She looked down to her shoulder to see the bruise begin to fade and mend. The pain was now non-existent as the aura left it.
She could feel the warmth spread to her back and wing roots as the tempo of the ponies' voices changed. She clenched her jaw as the muscles began to heal and reattach to each other. She breathed a sigh of true relief as her wings began responding to her mental commands. The aura shifted again to her forehead for a mere second before separating into a bright yellow, sky blue and dark red. The thick strands of magic then flowed back to each of the three ponies' horns.
Dash sat there, completely shocked. "Did they... Did they just-"Heal you? Indeed they did. We couldn't have you going through the Trials as you were, now could we?
Rainbow's expression deadened from amazed to suspicious once again as the word "trials" graced her ears.
"...Trials?" She groaned.
I believe an explanation is in order. Kuvvet?
"Indeed it is," A voice from her front stated.
Rainbow's ears shot up, and she flew into a high hover as the unknown voice was heard.
"Quite the speedy one eh? Looks like Velocita's practice has a strong influence on her."
"Are one of you three down there talking?!" Rainbow called.
"Yes. We used our magic to mend your wounds and revitalize your body," the same voice said. "My name is Kuvvet, and I am the Red Celestial Mage."
The red-cloaked muscular unicorn looked up and removed his hood. A large red stripe lined the forelock of his light blonde mane.
His voice was deep and clear, accompanied by a slight ghostly echo.
"I am Velocita," the cyan unicorn used her magic to levitate her hood, "I am the Blue Celestial Mage." Her bright blue eyes descended upon the pegasus before her, and she smiled. Her light scarlet mane bore a long blue stripe from follicle to tip, from what looked like the exact position Dash's blue stripe was situated on her mane.
The final Mage, adorned in a slender yellow armor, removed his hood to reveal himself as another unicorn. His brown mane was highlighted with a bright yellow stripe down the left portion of his forelock, much like Rainbow's.
"Hey red guy, what's your name again?” Dash asked.
"Kuvvet," he replied. He seemed to be slightly annoyed.
Kuvvet's stripe was on the right of his mane, while Velocita's was on her neck mane. After mentally putting their colors together, Dash knew something was up. She allowed her mane to fall into her view again, and each color from right to left, yellow, orange, and red aligned with the three Mages standing before her. The only thing that didn't add up, was the blue being where orange was.
Star Prism's earlier words echoed through her mind: "Your mane is far more special than you think..."
"So you guys are the reason behind my mane?" Rainbow asked.
The Yellow Mage walked forward slightly, using his magic to brush her mane from her view. "Do you know why Star Prism brought you here?" He asked.
Rainbow put on a very unamused look. "No, that's why I'm utterly confused right now." Rainbow sarcastically stated. The reply brought three eyebrows up in question.
She sighed heavily, "Of course I don't! I don't even know who you three are or what happened earlier!" Rainbow yelled, "All I know is I'm awkwardly stuck in this room with three--"
Four, the voice corrected.
"FOUR ponies I don't even know!"
She landed on all fours at Kuvvet's hooves, looking up at the muscular unicorn.
"Surely you can tell me what's going on?!"
The large stallion looked down at the pegasus addressing him. He tilted his head down, looking into Rainbow's rose colored eyes with his own fiery red ones.
"The colors of the rainbow were not always as they are," Kuvvet began, "When the last great war was fought, Celestia had attempted to fight the griffon king, Camalus, many times. However, every time they fought, Camalus would succeed in wounding Celestia to the point of her being incapable of maintaining consciousness. Many times we thought she had been killed, but her magical influence never ceased to amaze us, and she would be back on her throne in as little as a day."
Rainbow's curiosity was once again piqued as she listened. A question soon wormed its way into her mind.
"But if the griffon king wounded Celestia, why didn't he finish the job? How did she escape so many times if she was unconscious?" she asked, a sense of urgency lining her words.
Kuvvet seemed happier at Dash's sudden spike in interest, and he continued.
"We were attuned to Celestia's physical well being through a magical link. Every time she was in danger, we would intervene and take her away. Her soldiers would always find a way to fight off the remaining assault."
Dash was a mixture of thoughts and feelings as what he told her sunk in.
"If you guys are 'all powerful' unicorns or whatnot, why didn't you just take care of the griffon king yourselves?"
Kuvvet's eyes became narrow as he looked down at the pegasus addressing him. "You speak of matters you do not yet have the mindset to understand," he growled.
His voice, accompanied by the ghostly echo, brought Rainbow Dash down a few pegs, and she returned to listening quietly.
"After much debating and many trials, finally we created the power to eradicate the Griffon Faction and restore peace to the world."
Kuvvet sunk a little where he stood.
"But to do it, we needed a soldier. A soldier of the highest caliber in strength of mind and soul. One that could bear the enormous task without backing down. A soldier like Star Prism."
"I'm flattered really," a familiar voice to Dash's right said.
She jumped a bit before looking over to see a white stallion, about her age, standing there. His yellow irises looked like rings of gold around the pupils. One thing that Dash immediately noticed was his wings. They were large compared to hers. She wondered how he was able to move them at all. His mane was a very dark blue, almost black and straight with a light yellow highlight down the middle.
"Ah, Star Prism, there you are," Mahiri said.
Dash stared questioningly. "That's the dude in my head?" she thought. Her eyes raked across his body, taking in his well-built frame and corded muscles. His Cutie Mark was quite intricate: A six colored shield with two strangely shaped wing-like objects sticking from the sides. She raised an eyebrow, bit her lower lip, and smiled slightly. "Looks like Soarin might have some competition," she thought.
Unseen to Dash, Star Prism's face lit up in a bright red blush at her thoughts, and he cocked an eyebrow. You aren't bad to look at either, Rainbow Dash...
The yellow adorned unicorn finally took a step forward to embrace the young pegasus, the motion to which he returned. Rainbow spotted a sort of flash in Mahiri's eyes as his horn exploded in a bright yellow flash. The magic encased his body, somehow allowing him move with incredibly sharp motions. He began side jumping around Star Prism with a sheen of delight on his face.
Rainbow stepped back, watching with pure awe. The Yellow Mage was so fast and accurate that his motions seemed to blur into a circle of yellow transparent light. She could see Star Prism in the middle, seemingly asleep with a small smile on his face.
"Been a while since I've done this..." he whispered.
Without warning, Rainbow began to feel light headed and saw a glow of yellow begin to emanate from her forelock. A slight pulse of energy centered on Star Prism blew outward in a small ring of air, and a second stripe of deeper yellow manifested itself on his mane. It seemed to pulse with a strange power, and Star Prism opened his eyes to reveal them to be a bright neon yellow. He extended his hind leg out behind him with a stream of yellow light following it so fast and accurately that Mahiri was hit. Right. In. The. Face.
With a loud "OOF!" the Yellow Mage was sent cartwheeling across the floor, violently slamming his head against it over and over as he went. Rainbow's jaw dropped as Star Prism looked over at her and smiled, closing his eyes. As he did, the yellow stripe vanished from his forelock, and his eyes were again yellow when he reopened them. Rainbow noticed that the glow from her own lock of yellow had faded, and she again felt normal.
"That was some move, Star Prism!" Mahiri called from the darkness. "You might've drawn blood that time, Congratulations."
Star Prism himself couldn't help but chuckle as Mahiri walked into the light once more to reveal he had lost a boot, his helmet, and hood. Even Kuvvet and Velocita seemed amused.
"Too bad," Star Prism stated, "but I'm not the one in need of training."
He looked over to the cyan pegasus, and gestured for her to come over. Rainbow complied, hesitant at first, but the fire of pride was beginning to catch and she absolutely had to show them what she could do. As Mahiri returned to his place among his kin, all three looked at Dash. Red, blue and yellow eyes sized her up as she made her way over to Star Prism, and he draped a foreleg around her neck.
"This," he rubbed Rainbow's mane with his free hoof, much to her annoyance, "Is the one I was telling you about. Extremely competitive, athletic, fast, agile. She also bears the mane."
"Star Prism, you know that merely having a colorful mane does not make her the chosen one," Velocita stated dryly. "Do you not remember the other? The stallion with the yellow eyes? You tried to prove to us that he possessed the power, but he never did. He failed every trial, was nearly killed and we had to erase his memory!"
Star Prism raised a hoof to silence the disgruntled mare of speed, "I've seen her use it."
All three mages exchanged glances, and looked at Dash.
"Can you?" Kuvvet asked, "Can you harness the power of the Pigment?"
Now it was Rainbow's turn to be confused once more. "Come again?" She asked.
Star Prism brought a wing to his face and scratched his forehead.
"Rainbow Dash, do you not remember what happened? The speed, the heat and the mountain? What about the fiery mane and white glowing coat? Did that not strike you as odd? During that short time, you had done what nopony in over one thousand years had been able to do. You brought out the Rainbow Pigment and used it to its full extent!"
Rainbow was again staring in awe, half not knowing what she was being told. She did indeed remember the strength, her coat turning a vivid white, the unnatural speed, and even the equine drill she had become just afterwards. In a way, she kinda felt sorry for the mountain. She looked at the three mages, wondering what was going to happen next. Her wings were practically aching with suspense.
Kuvvet stepped forward, bowing slightly. His magic encased Dash's right shoulder, and he mumbled something under his breath. A small flash and tiny painful pinch later, something had appeared on her shoulder. She looked over to see a small symbol of a six pronged circle. Each prong was a different color of the mages, and the yellow, blue and red ones were pulsing lightly.
"This seal is in tune with your current comprehension of your power. As you can see, your current talents lie in speed, strength, and agility," Kuvvet stated.
Dash couldn't help but stand a little taller and spread her wings halfway, showing off her expertly preened feathers.
"However, those traits alone do not make a true hero in the eyes of the Six. One must be in tune with all aspects of the prism if one is to gain unreachable power. These trials will ensure that you truly are in tune with our teachings."
"Teachings?!" Rainbow blurted. "You haven't taught me anything! All we've been doing is standing here and talking about things that happened a few hours ago! How is this supposed to --"
"You obviously haven't been paying attention," A mare's voice called from behind.
Dash was suddenly aware that the blue mare was missing, and she whirled to see Velocita inches away from her muzzle. She backpedaled, only to watch her disappear and bump into something at her back. Using her wings, she flapped hard once, sending her flying several feet skyward. But again, something hit her back and her heart sunk. She whirled to see Velocita smiling down at her.
"My, my, a single flap and you're this high? Quite a feat," she laughed.
Dash didn't know whether to feel pride or insult at her constant giggling, but her thoughts were interrupted by a violent connection with her abdomen that left her breathless. All Dash could do is watch as the blue mare's hind leg sank further into her belly, and all she could do was let out a painful "Huh!"
Velocita's smile turned from playful to serious as Dash recovered and grabbed her leg with both forelegs. The prismatic mare had recovered far quicker than Velocita had expected, using her strength to send the unicorn flying with a hard throw downward. Dash smiled as the flailing unicorn was sent tumbling down to the ground.
Hm, the fact that she could recover from a kick like that is astonishing, Velocita thought as she tumbled downward. Looks as though I'll have to pick it up a few pegs--
Before Velocita could blink, Rainbow Dash was following her down, face to face. The Blue Mage could see the blue stripe in her mane begin to shine as her eyes faded from rosy red to a very light cerulean. She was getting serious.
She DOES have it! she thought, her mind screaming at her to move before her adversary could connect a hoof to her face.
With a squeak of fear, Velocita teleported back to her starting position beside her stallion counterparts while Dash pulled up from her dive and skidded across the floor to a halt. The blue stripe faded back to its normal glossy appearance and her eyes returned to their natural rose color.
Star Prism looked at the panting Blue Mage and shook his head slightly. A smile formed on his lips and he looked over to the snarling Rainbow Dash.
"You wondered what teachings Kuvvet was talking about? Well that was one, the teaching of speed."
Dash's mood evened out slightly as Star Prism attempted to add some sense to the sudden outburst. However, despite his attempt, Dash's attitude again descended into anger at the claim.
"What do you mean speed?! All she did was teleport!" she yelled. Her mane was beginning to glow ever so slightly and ruffle from an unseen breeze.
"The art of true speed and teleportation are two very different concepts, Rainbow Dash," Velocita quickly stated. "I just move too fast for you to see."
"Oh really?! Wanna try that again?!" Dash yelled as her mane began to rise further and a sheen of white energy began swirling around her.
She couldn't stand losing, and she wanted to get back at the mare that made her do so. She remembered the power from earlier that had made her nearly invincible... and she wished for it back so she could teach her a lesson in Rainbow Dash 101. She. Did. Not. Lose. Unfortunately for her, the power was lurking just beneath the surface, more than ready to take her up on her request.
Kuvvet stood a little taller, recognizing the power within Rainbow Dash beginning to surface.
"Calm, Rainbow Dash,” Mahiri called. "We did not wish to anger you. We simply wished to see your power. Now that we have, it is time to put it to the test." The Yellow Mage shuffled a little where he stood, fearing the power would overwhelm the trembling pegasus.
Dash was having trouble concentrating as she felt a massive build in strength begin coursing throughout her body. She could see a faint white glow surrounding her vision and she looked down at her hooves. They were becoming lighter in color and the feeling of her mane was beginning to disappear. The ground beneath her hooves began caving in, sending swirls of dust around her in eddies of gray. She was feeling absolutely amazing as the euphoria of power began to grip at her mind, filling it with ideas that only a supreme being would think to do. Her eyes began changing from light rose to dark red and her teeth were clenching so tightly that blood was surfacing from the gums that held them. Her lips began curling into a twisted smile.
"Star Prism!" Kuvvet shouted. "You MUST calm her before she loses complete control!"
Prism was already running to the ailing mare before Kuvvet had said anything as he was fully aware of the growing severity of the situation. He stopped just shy of the growing sinkhole beneath Dash.
"Rainbow Dash, can you hear me?!" Star Prism yelled over the rushing wind.
Dash began to float slightly as the eddies of air began rushing under her partially folded wings. Her eyes snapped open, casting their bright red gaze over the pegasus addressing her. Her coat was becoming encased in white, the soft glow spreading slowly downward from her brightly glowing mane.
"I was once like how you are now, young, volatile, and open to any and all possibilities that power had to offer..."
The white glow had fully encased her wings.
"Trust me when I say, the cost of choosing power over comrades is not the way to wield the power inside. I know... I hurt somepony close to me very badly when I first fell to the temptation..."
The glow was now creeping along the length of her back, halfway between the base of her wings and the beginning of her flanks.
"I learned that day that any power can corrupt the user, whether it be light, or dark!"
Dash's mind was beginning to break free of the sudden block as Star Prism's words began reaching her. She thought of her friends, how they never let her down, and how she would never abandon them. She thought of Scootaloo. How would she react to seeing her idol like this? At the mercy of something she was born to control?
"That power has a mind of its own, twisting its host like a virus into a tool for its own use! You MUST be stronger than its enticing influence Rainbow Dash!" Star Prism yelled once again, silently praying that his words were getting through.
These new thoughts began to clear her mind of the invasive power's influence, letting her come down from her power-crazed hype. Her mind was fighting furiously against the alluring thoughts the power had voraciously implanted into her mind. She could feel the power nagging at her with the promise of unlimited power; at the cost of losing her friends. Images of the throne, money, power danced across her vision. However, the prospect of perfection left out a crucial part of her being: Her friends weren't in any of the visions. "Not... HAPPENING"
"I... will NOT... be the one... to betray my... FRIENDS!" She shouted over the wind.
She was fighting for control with every ounce of mental power she had, gradually forcing the power back from the trigger that released it. She could feel something forming around her neck, starting from the rear of her mane and moving down both sides of her neck. She was winning the fight.
Star Prism looked back toward the mages, who were wide eyed and standing like statues.
"She's doing it! She's winning the fight!" He yelled. He nearly jumped with glee at the sight and sound of the Element of Loyalty forming completely and securing itself with a loud click!
A bright flash of light was seen as the white glow suddenly left her by contracting into the Element itself. The Element of Loyalty was pulsing with a dull red light as Rainbow remained hovering. She slowly began to drift down, but all at once fell onto her side in the hole she had created. Star Prism was silently thanking anything that might of helped her win the fight, and he slid down into the hole where Rainbow Dash lay.
"Uhhng..." Dash moaned as her vibrant rose eyes fluttered open. "Why does my head feel like somepony took a jackhammer to it?" She weakly called to nothing in particular.
"You have done it. You have passed the first test in your trials. The battle for control of your power was won, and you will never have to face it again. It is yours."
"So I can shoot lasers and buck through concrete now?" She groggily asked in a half jokingly manner.
"However, you will still have to unlock its more in-depth aspects, but I know you can do it. The trials ahead will be difficult and harrowing, but know this; no matter what you face, I'll be there by your side, in spirit." Star Prism began to fade as Rainbow Dash got up from her earlier collapse.... and mind.
He was now completely gone, and the three mages were walking up the hole.
"I am shocked that a pony of your mindset was able to resist the Pigment's call," Kuvvet said with disbelief.
"Yea yea, I'm not gonna let some thing take me over. That would be Soooo uncool," she haughtily stated.
Still a little disoriented, she extended her wings and sloppily flew from the hole, landing a few hooflengths from the three mages.
"From the Six," the three stated in unison, "we grant you permission to begin the Trials."
The Red Mage held out a hoof. "Take this," a small red glow began pulsing from the stripe in his mane, "Those doors can be heavy," he winked.
Rainbow Dash extended her own hoof out to touch his, and the red in her forelock lit up with a bright glow.
"What is th--" She was cut off by Mahiri, "Good luck..." All three mages began to fade and Dash simply nodded, still unsure of what to do.
The massive room regained its hall-like appearance as the mages faded completely. Rainbow Dash was again in the massive hall where she had first encountered the doors. She got up from her haunches, turned toward the towering doors, and sighed.
"Great. I STILL don't know how to open these!" She yelled, slamming her hoof as hard as she could into one.
To her astonishment, her hoof sank through the door as if it were merely a thick cloud. The red in her forelock was glowing just enough to cast a very faint glow on the new crater. Her eyes bulged as she ran a hoof over it.
"So this is the power..." She whispered.
She composed herself, stepping back and preparing a barrage of hits for the doors. If they wouldn't open cooperatively, she would make them open. She took aim at the door again, this time turning around for a solid buck. She reared up, striking the doors with a massive hit that caused her hind legs to disappear into them. She huffed and blew her partially glowing mane from her face while she yanked her hind legs from the steel in which they were embedded. She needed another solution.
"Oh come on!" She yelled. "There HAS to be a way to open these things without taking forever!"
Upon completing her rant, she rammed her head into the doors out of frustration. What happened next startled her. When she removed her head, there was an imprint of it bent into the metal. She couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright, time to pony-up and take these things down!" She yelled, spreading her wings.
She could almost hear the doors begin to mock her as she flew back toward the entrance of the hall. She braced, ready to put every last ounce of her one hundred and ten pounds into the next blow.
She took a deep breath and took off, wings beating as hard as they would allow.
Written by LunaSilverscale in collaboration with X-Ray One and edited by SolidFire.
Rainbow Dash flew towards the double doors that barred her path. The same doors that had defied her earlier attempts at opening them. The red stripe in her mane and tail was pulsing brighter with every wingbeat as she approached her goal. While executing a perfect high-speed turn at the end of her flight run - just in front of the doors - Dash unleashed two double kicks against both her targets. Using the second door as a springboard for her return flight, Dash flipped herself back over and landed to view the results.
Each attack hit home, her hind legs carving deep imprints, the direction of Dash's turning movement still visible in the first. The first door struck fell away - ripped off its hinges, bounced off its twin, landed on the floor behind and then rocked to a stop on its newly created craters. The second hit had lost a small amount of Dash's original momentum, but still contained sufficient power for the blow to warp the metal. The springboard and the secondary impact did the rest - the pressure proving too great for all but the top-most hinge.
The second door hung limply, bent and twisted around the point of impact - the last metal hinge stopping it from joining its twin on the floor. The hinge whined in complaint at the weight, but as the door settled into its new location, the noise stopped.
"Whoa." Dash exhaled as she looked at the results, the red stripe losing its light as she approached the now-open doors. Or what was left of them.
She finally got a good look at the doors' true size. Not only were they taller than the clock tower that graced Ponyville's town hall, each door was as wide as Applejack's new barn. The material was almost as thick as the ancient oak that was Twilight Sparkle's home and the library of Ponyville. To anypony less than Rainbow Dash, they would have been impossible to move.
Those doors had withstood millennia of use. You could have been a little more careful... Star Prism admonished, with a mix of pride and awe. A gentle push with the power would have been enough.
Dash simply blew her fading mane from her eyes again and huffed. "Shouldn't a' got in my way," she smirked.
She flew up and landed on the door that had completely fallen, the metallic clang of hoof on metal ringing out and echoing into the blackness ahead. Beyond the doors, Dash could see little of the room beyond - the moonlight of the corridor windows couldn't penetrate the darkness inside. She paused and looked down at the doors, noting a red glow outlining her hoof prints all the way at the base of the indents.
"Well, let’s get this over with.... the suspense is killing me."
Dash wasn't sure whether she was referring to the Trials or as to why Princess Celestia had deemed it important enough to hold a meeting at night.
The suspense won't be the only thing that tries to kill you. Prism observed drily to Dash.
After a few minutes of walking a normal pace, she finally came to the end of the tall overturned door. Were it not for the full moon shining through the windows behind her, she would have fallen flat on her muzzle. She jumped less than gracefully, using her wings as a brake to cushion the fall. Unbeknownst to Dash, the attempt at braking had strewn waiting dust about in a large cloud. She inhaled some, causing her to cough and sputter. She silently cursed under the wing she brought up to shield her nose and mouth. Wanting to leave the area, she walked ahead.
As Rainbow Dash continued into the unlit room, leaving the remnants of the ancient doors behind her, she pondered what could await her in the darkness ahead. Despite what Star Prism had said - that he couldn't remember the nature of the tests she was about to face - she figured it would be worth a shot.
Hey - Prism! How many tests can I expect to face? Dash asked, probing for any information she could get.
A short, musing silence followed.
Now that depends.
Depends? On What? Dash interrupted with a tone of challenge.
It would depend, on whether or not that door was a large enough obstacle to count as a sufficient trial.
Rainbow looked back and eyed the doors with an eyebrow raised in astonishment.
"Are you kidding!? Those doors were heavier than... than-"
Than what? At a loss for words already Rainbow Dash?
She could hear a light chuckle and the clearing of a throat.
However, I can tell you this - there is one challenge to be faced for each of the Celestials.
Star Prism fell silent after this - almost as if he'd already said too much or perhaps was really limited on the aid he could give. That would have been a rather unnerving thought for anypony - anypony other than Dash that is. The internal fire of pride that had flared up during Star Prism's little display bolstered her, giving her a sense of confidence that, whatever was thrown her way, she could overcome it. She hoped - remembering that the mare of the mystical group had implied that another had tried these tests - with less than successful results.
Her own thoughts were interrupted by a glowing something falling in front of her. She pulled back before realizing that it was a small object and took a closer look. It was a green gem - that was shining from an inner light.
An emerald? I bet Rarity would be able to tell what it is.
Rainbow Dash didn't think much about the consequences of her next action. As the gem seemed to be the only light source in a pitch-black room, Dash moved to pick it up. She needed the light the gem provided to see.
As the tip of her hoof brushed the surface of the gem - its light flashed. Dash blinked the magical green light out of her eyes. She felt strange for a split second before realizing something other than a mere flash had occurred.
She found herself - not inside the palace, but somewhere else. The walls weren't the marble-like stone of Canterlot Castle, but were of rough textures and a sandy hue. Lining the walls, held in rusted cages, were wooden torches ablaze with flame.
Dash reared back in surprise before looking around for the green gem. It was nowhere to be found.
Oh no. No, no, no, no ,no. This cannot be possible.
What can't? Do you not believe your eyes? Can eyes lie? This was stated with barely hidden amusement.
Dash wasn't amused, and had half a mind to show it. She had just been taken from Canterlot to someplace - where the hay is this place anyway? - rather different. Her hooves shuffled slightly as she tried to get her bearings, disturbing the thick layer of dust that lay all around.
No answer was forthcoming, so Dash took it upon herself to find out. The question was where to start? Another quick glance around her confirmed that she was in a torch-lit corridor - which apparently hadn't been cleaned for decades, if the floor dust was anything to go by.
Not seeing anything that distinguished one way from the other, Dash mentally shrugged and started heading in the direction, that she thought, she had originally been traveling in. Her hoofprints were left as the only defined marking on the ground.
Dash walked slowly, keeping a look out for anything that could tell her where she was. The walls maintained their silence and monotonous looks throughout the labyrinthine complex. The only way she could tell where she had been from where she hadn't were her own tracks.
Great. I'm going around in circles. Dash thought as she spotted tracks ahead of her. She paused by them. Wait.... those aren't hoofprints...
The dust had been disturbed by a single furrow that implied something had either slithered or been dragged along. Since it was the only other sign of anything being here, Dash looked both ways along the marking to see if she could work out which direction to head in. As she did so, a wall torch highlighted an object lying alongside the furrow.
Dash moved closer to it. The object was a helmet - a very familiar one. A violet helmet, with a pair of white racing stripes running over its crest. Scootaloo's helmet.
What? How? A tentative hoof reached out to pick the helmet up as Dash automatically looked around for the distinctive scooter - as well as the filly - that normally went with it.
"Scootaloo..." the name slipped out quietly and unbidden when the search turned up nothing. A flicker of movement caught Dash's eye. A shadowy cloaked figure was just slipping out of the range of the last visible torch.
Dash's eye twitched and she launched herself after the figure, her wings beating double-time, kicking up the thick dust in two outward gusts. Scootaloo's helmet was clutched close to her torso by one foreleg. She wanted answers - and she was going to get them. No matter what.
Dash lost count of the number of turns they had taken during the chase, but she had to finally admit defeat. The mysterious figure knew the area much better than she did and had disappeared from view. The ground held no clues either - at some point they had gone from a dusty, easily marked surface to an area that had been recently cleaned.
Having little other choice, Dash continued ahead - where a large lit opening awaited.
Through the opening, Dash could see a wide open cavern lined with sandy pillars - each pillar had a blazing torch attached. Above was a circular opening that exposed the night sky - through which a full moon was creeping into view. Directly below this eye was a raised altar-like platform surrounded by bowed figures in cloaks - similar to the one she had chased.
One of them looked up - not at Dash's side corridor, but through the opening towards the moon.
"It's nearly time. We should retire to our solitary meditations." Every cloaked figure left silently - except for the one that had raised their head and spoken. That one looked back at the altar and spoke once more before leaving.
"I'm sorry - but know this. You will always be remembered for your sacrifice."
Dash's coat began standing on end at his words.
With the last of the cloaked figures withdrawn, Dash could clearly see what lay chained on the altar. The small unconscious form of an orange filly. Scootaloo.
Dash flew towards her - but paused as she noticed something else. Six circular discolorations were evenly spaced around the altar. Two of them were glowing silver from the moonlight, the other four remained black against the light brown. Linking each circle and the altar was a thin line.
Dash knew they were important - but how and why? She racked her brain. As she did so she looked around - wary of the fact the mysterious group could return. In a way, she hoped they would so she could teach them a ...permanent lesson. Now she was paying more attention to her surroundings, she could see that Scootaloo was dead-centre to the circles.
That can't be good. Wait.... a central altar directly underneath a window to the sky... I know this one... Dash looked closer at the altar, looking for a specific detail... a tiny hairline crack that formed a smaller version of the altar-shape. Ah, there it is. It formed the mini-altar with Scootaloo still central to both versions.
Now to see if.... Dash paid attention to the two pillars closest to the altar.
As Dash studied the pillars, the third circle filled with the same ominous, silvery light.
Tiny wires - barely visible in the moonlight - linked, not just the nearest pillars, but all of them to form an intricate net over the altar. The parts that Dash could see gleamed like razor-edges. So definitely not going to swoop in.... that could be painful....
The whole layout was now too familiar to Dash - apart from the minor detail of it being night rather than day. Daring Do and the Eclipse Diamond!
Huh? What?
You know - Daring Do - the most awesome explorer/archaeologist ever! She faced something similar to this - when she had to rescue her guide from a mad cult that believed that only a sacrifice could stop the sun being devoured by the Demon of Darkness?
Can't say I do know that particular one.
Lame...... Well, she did it by switching out the trapped guide for a saddlebag filled with pebbles to prevent the weight trigger from going off. I don't have one of those... so time to improvise.... Dash looked around before carefully placing Scoots’ helmet on the ground. She'd need all hooves free for this.
The fourth circle filled.
The orange, purple-maned filly started to stir. Still groggy from whatever had knocked her out, she tried to clear her head. All she could see was the moon overhead. Then she could hear a tapping noise from the side, she turned her head that way. There was her idol - Rainbow Dash - attacking the ground with her hooves. Blinking a bit, Scootaloo tried to clear her vision - both the red and green stripes in Dash's tail and mane were glowing. They didn't glow normally. Scootaloo wanted to ask Dash what she was doing, but her tongue was still furred up from the prolonged forced lack of awareness.
Dash finished what she was doing, and picked up the broken flagstone. That should do it.... now to switch this for Scootaloo. She turned to the altar, where she could see Scootaloo was staring at her with both awe and curiosity burning in her eyes.
"Don't worry kid. I'll get you out of here."
Keeping her flight low - to avoid the odd netting, Rainbow crossed the distance between them. She frowned at herself for forgetting the chains. That was easily fixed. Placing her replacement weight down, Dash snapped the chains in her forehooves.
"Keep still Scoots." Dash hoped that the filly would do as she was told and not trigger - whatever it was - that was waiting.
Once the chains were broken, Dash pondered the next problem - the actual switch. Daring Do had it easy - the filled saddlebag only took one hoof while the guide could use the other for support during the switch. Dash was using the two for the flagstone fragment. Floating backwards a bit, Dash tested the weight if it was tucked in one foreleg. It would make for some awkward flying, but it wouldn't be for long.
"I'm going to flip you on to my back, Scoots. Get ready to hang on."
Scoots nodded as the fifth circle lit up. The after-effects of her sleep were beginning to wear off to be replaced by adrenaline.
"Ok. Go!" As Dash spoke, she flew forward, grabbed Scoot with one hoof, and flipped her onto her back while using the other hoof to slide the flagstone into place. Not waiting to see if it worked, Dash streaked out - feeling Scoots settle onto her back and get secure. The only pause she made was to pick up Scootaloo's helmet and pass it up to her passenger with one smooth scoop.
Making her way to an area free of thin threads, Dash prepared to make the escape. As she made her careful ascent, she asked.
"How did you get here?"
"I was foal-napped!" Scootaloo replied indignantly, while tying on her helmet one hoofed.
"Foal-napped!?!" Dash exclaimed. Internally, a war started between with the need to punish the foal-nappers and to get Scootaloo back to safety - slowing her as they approached the hole in the roof.
"Yea. I was riding my scooter on the way to visit Zecora when a bunch of cloaked figures started to follow me. I didn't hear what they were saying, but their gestures made it clear enough that they were up to no good. I sped up - giving them a workout and getting some of them lost in the Everfree. They were fast - but not as fast as me!" Scootaloo explained as Dash finally made up her mind to get Scootaloo out of there. "I thought I'd lost them when a green spinning-thing appeared right in front of me. I braked and swerved to try and avoid it. But it got me anyway...." Scootaloo's voice turned sad and angry, "I heard my scooter get wrecked on something on the other side."
"Never mind that kid. I'll get you a new one. It'll be twenty percent cooler than the old one and a lot faster too." Dash said.
"Really? That would be so awesome!" Scootaloo practically cheered before going back to her tale.
The pair flew out of the hole into the night sky. Their combined shadows were cast onto the altar below.
"Those creepy cloaks were there, and they got me as I was crawling from the wreckage. They dragged me into a weird looking cavern where one of them tried to chain me to a big rock thing - but I kicked that one's flank."
That's my Scoots. Dash thought as Scootaloo really got into her retelling.
"But after that, a group of them came in and gave me something. Next thing I know - you're attacking the ground something fierce and your mane and tail were glowing red and green."
A small flash of pride shone in Dash's eyes while behind them, in the cavern, the last circle lit silver. The lines started to glow and the altar itself absorbed that light before reflecting it up to the full moon. Then it was consumed by a blast of green light. The same green light that teleported Dash.
Before Dash could say anything, green light filled her vision again.....
What now?
Some distance away, a single green-cloaked unicorn watched events unfolding with bright emerald eyes and a satisfied smile on her face. The night air ruffled her cloak, revealing a dark green coat and a golden mane and tail. A long green stripe lined the portion of mane on her neck and tail.
She had been worried that this subject wouldn't have been prepared for the Trial of Insight. She was glad she was wrong - even though it wasn't often she liked being proved wrong.
Her contemplation was disturbed by the approach of a red cloaked figure, the Red Celestial Mage, Kuvvet. Though his face wasn't visible, she could tell he wasn't in a good mood.
"Kavrama - you overstepped your authority. You placed the life of an innocent foal in jeopardy. That is not in any of our practices."
The green-cloaked mare considered her next words, knowing full well she had upset her leader.
"But it is our job to test those who potentially bear the Pigment. It wouldn't be a true Trial if nothing was at stake."
"It is true that our job is test the Bearer." Kuvvet fixed Kavrama with a harsh glare, "I trust you have not forgotten why. The Pigment was created to protect the innocent, not to threaten them."
Kavrama blinked at his vehemence.
"I do not forget. Do you really think I'm so heartless that I would allow harm to befall a foal?"
Kuvvet slammed his hoof down, creating a deep crater; the red streak in his mane glowing fiercely.
"If you so much as harm a feather on that foal's wing," Kuvvet tapped Kavrama's horn roughly with his hoof, "I'll make sure you will never perform another spell again."
He turned, allowing his power to subside. His flowing cloak grazed Kavrama's nose as he did, making her flinch.
The scowl that parted the Green Mage's muzzle could have shattered a vanity mirror with the sheer rage emitting from it.
At least she passed...
She huffed, before vanishing in a bright green flash.
A series of green flashes lit the room where Rainbow Dash was sent. She came out of the portal, letting a yelp of surprise as she saw a wall headed for her face. She extended her wings in a vain attempt to stop herself as the portal behind her sealed. knowing she was going far too fast, she finally turned to her side allowing her back to take the brunt of the collision. She hit the wall of rock hard, bouncing off backwards slightly and falling a few feet to her side. The dimly lit space was small to say the least, about the size of Applebloom's bedroom. Small candles lit the way into a pony-sized tunnel in the wall.
Shakily, Dash rose to her hooves. "Owwww..." she moaned as she rubbed her back with her wing. She was surprised to find her wing was uninjured. Her thoughts immediately went back to the orange filly that was supposed to be on her back.
"Scoots?! Scootaloo!!" she called out.
The room was lit enough to let her see that her only company was the settling dust. Her heart sank.
Was that fun? Star Prism asked trying to hold back laughter.
"Sh-shut u-up.." She stammered, trying to get her regain her bearing.
Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers... He couldn't help but giggle, Rainbow Crash.
"What..." Rainbow was practically fuming.
You heard me.
"For your sake I'm gonna pretend I didn't," she growled.
Looking into the makeshift hall, she could see an opening near the end that seemed to blossom into a far bigger room. If she was anywhere, Scootaloo would be there. She swallowed what little fear was left in her, and trudged forward.
----
Kuvvet paced through the enclosed area that was the site of the Red Trial. He gave everything a last look over, making sure all testing material would work correctly and at the time it was supposed to. The test of physical and mental strength would be like no other she would face, and he wanted to make damn sure Rainbow Dash would master his practice. From the exit of the room, a bright green flash shined through followed by a yelp and a muffled thud.
"Looks like she's here," Kuvvet sighed. "Time to get to work."
From outside, Kuvvet could hear a faint feminine voice.
"And so it begins..." He used his magic to close off the tunnel at both ends as she entered it. He could hear the yells of anger and fear as he began closing them toward one another.
"HEY! WHAT GIVES!?" She squealed as the walls inched closer.
With each passing second, the two walls closed in another five centimeters with a ground shaking rumble. She could make out a faint red glow coming from the two sides. She thought of the red unicorn from earlier. The Red Trial.
"Red.. red.... What the hay is red?!" she racked her brain for the information.
Thinking back, she remembered the muscular stallion adorned in a red gilded cloak. Tall, muscular... Strong!
"That's it! Strength!" She yelled.
Kuvvet smiled as her voice reached him through the rock. Although very muffled, her realization was enough to make him feel some pride for his "student".
"Alright... If I can just stop these things from...moving..."
She ran up to the stone in front, bracing her forelegs against its surface while digging her hinds into the loose gravel that made up the floor. She pushed, but the wall still kept coming. Harder and harder she pushed, but her hooves simply made the ground streaked with two lines of disturbed gravel. She needed another way out, and fast.
She quickly jumped to the middle of the enclosing space and sat down. She tried her best to drown out the fear of being crushed in order to think about what to do. Despite her concentration, the rumble of the walls nearing her flanks and muzzle began to strip her of her nerve, and she began to panic.
What would Scootaloo think if she saw you like this? Star Prism suddenly asked.
His question seemed misplaced among the intense moment, but it did begin to make sense. Rainbow Dash... Scootaloo's idol. The all go, no quit, hard flank, rainbow maned pegasus of pegasi cowering in the middle of a small room?! No.. I won't let this be the end...
She could feel the power begin to stir within as the red stripe in her forelock began to glow dimly.
Let it go Rainbow Dash. The power to stop these rocks is within, you just have to release it! Make your body able to stop them!
Images of her friends, of Scootaloo, of her mother and father, and of Soarin graced her mind as she slowly stood, opening her eyes. To anypony standing to her front, her eyes would have been a fierce shade of red. Her forelock was glowing brightly with a pulsing light, and her legs felt like they could move a mountain. She calmly approached the rock, and with one quick motion, slammed her hoof into it. The blow punched through the dim aura, stopping both rocks cold.
Kuvvet reeled at the sudden blow to his aura. His concentration on the telekinetic spell driving the rocks was broken, and he knelt slightly from the magical backlash. Oh my, she's far stronger than I thought... he thought in a panic.
Dash smiled slightly as she bashed the rock again. It was cracking and splitting like a peppermint under her teeth.
"Hm," she breathed, "one more should do it."
An idea crossed her mind as she positioned her hoof for the final strike. Whoever was moving these things had to be on the other side, and unicorn magic relied on line of sight and intense concentration. She figured the caster was just on the other side of this rock. Her smile turned evil as she turned around and lined up for a massive buck.
Kuvvet was finally able to stand up as he heard another slam echo throughout the area. He saw the hairline cracks in the stone growing as yet another blow shattered it further. He concentrated on the spell again, using his power to hold the rock together and push it back.
Dash was met with yet another red aura between the cracks. it seemed to be mending the cracks and pushing the rock at the same time. She would have none of that.
She extended her wing, using it to stop the rock in its track. She then spun, connecting the back of her leg to the rock. Again, the red aura shattered and the rock completely exploded this time. Kuvvet was taken off guard as the rock -now in pieces- hurtled toward him. He involuntarily created a barrier of red, deflecting the larger pieces. He then lowered the shield, looking at the entrance to find a very annoyed and very strong Rainbow Dash. The red stripes in her mane and tail were glowing brightly. she began walking slowly
"Alright, "Kuvvet", just what the HAY is the big idea with you trying to crush me?!" Dash yelled. Her voice was far louder in the enclosed space, but both were too out of it to notice.
Panting, Kuvvet rose to his hooves again.
"I'm impressed... You used your bare hooves to crush solid granite. Not even Star Prism could do that his first ti--"
"Can it, "Mr. Red," Either you tell me what happened to Scootaloo or I'll do what I did to that rock to your face!"
Kuvvet flinched slightly at the threat, before letting a smile of challenge cross his muzzle. He was hatching a plan to truly bring out her inner strength.
"What did we do with whom?" Kuvvet innocently asked.
Dash let a snarl escape her lips, eyes boring into Kuvvet with an extreme desire to kill. "Don't act like you don't know who I'm talking about..." Dash spat so hard it shattered a nearby rock.
Kuvvet could feel his own power emanating from the prismatic mare... and it was interesting to say the least.
"You know, addressing me in that tone of yours will not get you any closer to your answer..." Kuvvet mocked.
Dash was practically thinking of many different ways to kill the stallion before her. Her rage at herself for losing Scootaloo and at the ponies responsible for foalnapping her was beginning to climb to unbearable levels. She needed release, and she was about to unleash all of her rage upon Kuvvet's skull.
"Oh come now, Rainbow Dash, do you really think your strength can surpass mine?" Kuvvet asked the fuming mare, sharpening her desire.
Rainbow Dash simply stomped the floor, creating a crater so large that she had to hover to avoid falling. Several rocks fell from the ceiling, cracking over her head. She simply shrugged off the blows and continued staring at Kuvvet with murder in her eyes.
Kuvvet's smile only widened at the little display. "So you're ready then?" He asked, widening his stance and taking off his robe and revealing his hulking muscles. "Let's see what you can do."
Dash snapped as her forelock and tail streak of red began pulsing wildly. The Red power of strength coursed through her forelegs, and she blasted from a hover into supersonic flight, straight toward Kuvvet. She reared her left foreleg back, steeling herself for a massive punch to Kuvvet's nose. However, as soon as Dash brought all of her rage forth into her hoof, Kuvvet's horn lit up once again and he lifted his own left hoof catching hers. The force of the collision was so massive that the ground behind Kuvvet's hind legs was blown apart and the wall behind him was caved in so hard, coal formed on the spot. Dash simply remained hovering, mouth agape and her sense of power suddenly dwindled down to that of a filly.
"That's...not..possible.." she gasped through labored panting. "I put everything I had into that hit!" She yelled.
Kuvvet, still holding Dash's hoof, looked behind him to see the glittering coal now lining the wall. "If all you can make with your strength is a little coal, you really aren't worth my time." Kuvvet deadpanned.
He then pushed Dash hard all the way back to the entrance of the tunnel, where her back impaled the rock.
"A hint?" Kuvvet called over.
Dash mumbled something under her breath as she peeled herself out of her personal indention in the rock face.
Ohhhh, good one, Star Prism laughed.
"Shut it," Dash commanded.
Kuvvet laughed to himself, seeing the raw potential before him. This could get messy... he thought.
Dash landed on all fours, undamaged by the collision. She again looked over at Kuvvet, who was standing unmoved in front of the now ebony-black wall. She decided on another attack, still wanting to see the red unicorn in pieces. Knowing she would have to change her tactics, she thought only deception would be the key to a successful, painful attack.
"Alright Red, what's your "hint"?" Dash called over, her voice itching with suppressed rage.
Kuvvet smiled. "Anger will get you nowhere. The purpose of the Pigment was to protect the innocent, and you just tried to murder an innocent."
The amusement radiating from his smile was almost sickening. Dash spat again, this time blowing a hole in the far wall of the massive room. "You call yourself "INNOCENT"?!" Dash roared. "You foalnap my little sister, you ponynap me, you would have KILLED Scootaloo if I hadn't stepped in, I have this random stallion poking around in my head, and NOWYOU'RE saying I'm WEAK!? You're anything BUT innocent!!"
Kuvvet's brow furrowed at the accusations. "I take responsibility for the actions of my kin, I am sincerely sorry for Scootaloo's earlier," he cleared his throat, "predicament. I have conversed with Kavrama personally, and I can guarantee that she will not be brought any harm."
"Who's this "Kavrama"?" Dash interrupted. "Is that the pony that foalnapped Scoots?! You better hope I don't find her until I see Scootaloo is safe, GOT IT!?"
You're so funny when you're angry, you know? Star Prism stated. Oh the drama, it almost burns!
"Well, if we're done with the formalities..." Kuvvet stomped the ground, "what do you say we get down to business..."
Dash grinned. "Let's."
Kuvvet and Dash tore after each other, hitting both pairs of forehooves dead center of the room. The ground erupted underneath the pair, forcing them down into the earth. Kuvvet was holding back a considerable amount of his power, but he needed to teach Rainbow Dash, not kill her.
With a short burst of strength, Kuvvet threw Dash into the side of the newly formed crater, sending dust erupting into the air like a concave volcano. Dash coughed, recovering and nailing Kuvvet in the cheek with a hard punch. Kuvvet couldn't feel any trace of his magic in the blow, indicating that Dash was still hot with rage. He needed to defuse the ticking time bomb he was exchanging blows with before her mind was consumed by hatred.
Recovering from the blow like it was nothing, Kuvvet grabbed her foreleg, and put it into a lock. He then used his hind leg to pin her wings to her sides and the position was rather... compromising. Dash struggled in vain to get Kuvvet off of her, cursing loudly and flailing her unpinned legs.
"Rainbow Dash, you must listen to me! The Pigment is directly affected by the emotions of the wielder. The rage you're feeling right now is affecting your ability to control your power!"
Dash stopped flailing, straining to lift her head from the dirt and look at her captor.
"You must let go of your anger if you are to pass this test, and you will be able to control the power within at will!"
Dash considered for a moment, attempting to let go of the anger that bound her. She relaxed, physically softening under Kuvvet's weight. The Red Mage released her and jumped from the crater, watching as Dash's breathing slowly returned to normal. He could feel a small glimmer of his power beginning to surface, as Dash carefully converted her anger to sheer determination. The red in her tail and forelock began glowing slightly, before exploding in a bright flash to a constant radiant glow.
Dash could feel the emotions flowing away as she picked herself up, and she noticed her mane was glowing fiercely. She turned, locking her gaze with a proudly smiling Kuvvet. Dash felt like she could take her new found power further, and decided to test it. With a menacing smile of confidence, Rainbow Dash lunged at Kuvvet; his expression changing from admiration to dead fear. Kuvvet barely had time to use his own power before accepting the blow Rainbow Dash had wanted to give him since arriving, and instead of being ripped apart, the Mage of Strength was sent careening into the coal-lined crater.
Kuvvet's impact was nothing short of devastating, sending him deep into the rock. When Dash exited the crater, she looked into the hole he had created, seeing a bright orange glow lining the entirety of the "tunnel". Unbeknownst to her, Kuvvet's impact was so powerful that the friction had superheated the coal, and his body had compressed it into a massive diamond in the shape of his toned back. Rarity would have died from astonishment right then and there.
A faint grunt echoed through the tunnel as Kuvvet regained his composure. "Most impressive, Rainbow Dash... Most... Impressive."
Dash couldn't help but feel a sensation of pride. As she did, the red in her mane and tail returned to its normal glossy sheen. Kuvvet was walking back through the tunnel, carrying something on his back. His face and horn seemed to be carving through the rock as he walked. Dash could see a small trickle of blood from his lip as he neared the entrance, and he simply walked carved through the rock, jumping down. The diamond he was carrying was easily worth a few million bits.
"Congratulations, Rainbow Dash, you just used my back to make your first diamond."
Dash's mouth was agape as Kuvvet slid the back-shaped diamond off his back and onto the ground with a loud thud.
"That's...mine?!" She stammered.
"Yes, and you've effectively mastered my teachings..." Kuvvet trailed off, preparing himself for one final blow.
This blow would be the deciding factor, determining if Dash actually had his teachings down. Without warning, Kuvvet reared his right hoof back, let his power come forth at maximum, and let fly a mighty punch. Dash caught his hoof; her mane again glowing brightly along the red seams. Again, the pressure between their hooves caused the ground to crater and crack beneath them, but this time, neither adversary moved so much as a millimeter. Kuvvet was truly putting everything he had into this battle, but Rainbow Dash simply smiled and put out just as much power as he did. She was ready to move on.
Between the two, the pressure was only increasing as they pushed harder and harder, forcing the ground below to warp and crack. Kuvvet began breathing heavily as his horn began to pulse brighter.
"What's wrong Red? You look like you're having trouble keeping up." Dash whispered.
Kuvvet lowered his head, blasting a bolt of red into the ground between them which was still being forced together with their combined strength. The ground began to twist into a spiraling whirlpool of glowing red and dirt. Kuvvet's horn lit up in a blinding red flash- the sign he was laying the last of his strength down on the proverbial table.
"I...am not finished...yet!"
Kuvvet followed his words with a final massive push that sent Rainbow Dash sliding backwards into the side of the crater. Dash's surprise turned to awe as she looked past Kuvvet, resting her view on the spiraling earthen disturbance.
"If... you cannot keep... our combined strength over... that... this entire place will come crashing down... and NO amount of strength will be able to keep those rocks from... crushing us BOTH."
Dash's expression changed from awe to horror over the time it took Kuvvet to utter those strained words. Behind him, the spiral was becoming more and more unstable, spreading out and covering a larger portion of the still growing crater. The walls began to shake as the disturbance widened further. Dash realized she was still being held back, and the clock was ticking.
"You're insane!" She yelled, returning her gaze to match Kuvvet's.
"On the... contrary... your inability to... defeat me is.. INSANE!"
He pushed even harder, maxing out his strength. Dash's face contorted with strain as the red in her mane began to fade slightly.
"What's the matter... Rainbow Dash? Is my power exceeding yours?! Will you let yourself die tonight... all... because of your own... failure?!
That was it. Rainbow Dash was NOT called a failure by ANYpony. The red in her mane again flared as cracks began protruding from the spiraling hole in the ground. She regained her composure, pushing back with all her might.
"You might wanna..." Dash was finally gaining ground, pushing Kuvvet's hind hooves over the disturbance, "Brace yourself!"
Kuvvet had finally reached his limit. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he had trained in the past, no matter HOW much power he had inside, Rainbow Dash was finally overwhelming him. He smiled a little inside, knowing full well he had accepted his defeat, and needed to inform her of the awaiting trials... and the gem.
Kuvvet closed his eyes and let a smile cross his muzzle. Dash continued pushing, now holding Kuvvet's forehooves firmly over the disturbance. The resulting pressure radiating from their combined power was containing the eminent death bearing cyclone beneath them. In fact, it seemed to be condensing back to its point of summons.
"You are doing it... Rainbow Dash..."
Kuvvet opened his eyes to see the spiraling red begin to rotate faster as it was drawn into a single point. The point grew into a small, crystalline rock, and that was when Kuvvet began fading.
Dash could feel Kuvvet's hooves losing strength, and she opened her eyes to see him smiling and fading. The area had ceased its rumbling and rocks had stopped falling. Everything was quiet save for the shimmering mage in front of her.
She released her hold on his hooves, falling weakly to the floor of the crater. Her blurring vision fixed on a small red gem, pulsing with a red light.
"Congratulations Rainbow Dash, you have proven that your power of inner strength far exceeds my own. You have proven that you can draw from this power using the mindset it was intended for: Determination. You have passed the Red Trial."
Dash's eyes fluttered for a moment, trying to hold on to consciousness in order to hear what Kuvvet had to say.
"Be warned, four more trials await, and they will be just as challenging as mine. I wish you the best of luck."
Kuvvet's voice was growing more ghostly as he faded halfway.
"Before I go... I must mention the gems. Each trial's reward harbors a gem that when acquired, will unlock full access to the specific power of the color it represents."
Dash looked up at Kuvvet, smiling dumbly and reaching a weak hoof over to the waiting gem. She touched it, and it flashed wildly before flooding her mind with the information she required to use the power at will.
Before Dash finally gave in to her weakness, a thought crossed her dimming mind as Kuvvet smiled and disappeared completely: What happened to the green gem?
Before she could figure anything else out, sleep wrapped itself around her like a warm blanket, gently removing her from consciousness.
Princess Luna stalked through the halls, her mind less on her route and more on previous events. Her posture, flared wings and a glare that would put a cockatrice to shame, made sure that no-pony would bother her in her musings.
Her guards had been too intimidated by her mood to escort her from the Royal Solar Antechamber. Perhaps they figured that none would dare to approach the Night Monarch while she was displaying such an unwelcoming disposition. Or perhaps they were afraid that they would cause Luna to relapse into Nightmare Moon if they provided an unwanted escort.
Her elder sister burst into her domain - waking her up in the process. Instead of her normal very vocal complaining at being woken up early - well five o'clock in the afternoon was early for the Night Princess - she considered her sister carefully. It seemed her normally calm sister was worried about something. That wasn't good.
"Why do you wake me before time?" Luna finally said, her drowsy tone betraying her irritation at the disruption of her sleep.
"Forgive me, sister, but something has come up. I need your aid."
That brought Luna to full awareness - Celestia never had admitted to needing aid from the alicorn of the night before.
"What is it, sister?"
"I'll tell you on the way - follow me." Celestia led the way to her antechambers, Luna a few steps behind.
"I don't know much in the way of details at this time, but a peculiar event has occurred within our borders." Celestia began, "Lulu, would you hold the fort and coordinate the responses while I seek out the source? I will most likely need one of your caging spells as well."
Luna couldn't believe her ears - it sounded too good to be true.
She snorted derisively. Of course it had been too good.
"Of course I will, sister. You can count on me." Luna focused one of her cage spells into a remote section of the castle. A section that wasn't used by the general populace. "If you need the cage, its behind the last door of the West corridor. Third floor." It took some doing - she hadn't cast spells beyond her line of sight for a millennium or so. But she knew that section of castle rather well - it was the part her quarters were in after all.
Celestia smiled in relief, "Thank you so much." A golden glow around her horn produced a tottering stack of papers on the desk. Luna could only gape at them and use her own dark blue aura to prevent them falling as Celestia's magic withdrew. Celestia then teleported away, before Luna could object.
'Well I said I'd do it.....' Luna walked over to the pile, her thoughts slipping into the old form of address due to irritation, 'though we should have known that 'coordinating the responses' was Tia-speak for paperwork.'
Luna's attention was brought back to the present, most of that paperwork was actually done after releasing Rainbow Dash - she hadn't realized how many interruptions Tia had during the day. Though it did make a change from the usually quiet Night Court.
"I'm not going to complain of being bored due to lack of visits ever again." Luna muttered, deciding she preferred the serenity of her Night to the hectic business of the Day Court.
Though the reports of a multicolored comet striking a mountain within Equestria's borders was disturbing. There weren't any comets scheduled for today - let alone on a path that would hit Equestria. She knew that - she was the one that controlled that particular astronomical phenomenon after all.
Luna had lost count of the number of reassurances she'd written to those that lived in the shadow of the afflicted mountain; that it was still stable, it wouldn't collapse and most certainly wasn't a sign of the end of the world. Each of those letters had been dispatched by Royal Courier, escorted by team of guards. Luna had made sure there was a geological expert in each group, to available to answer any questions posed - as well as to provide professional reassurance to those her word wasn't enough.
She still hadn't issued a formal statement about the event, apart from informing the officials in residence that Princess Celestia had taken it upon herself to investigate and further information will be available in due course. Luna didn't want to issue any information that could be proved false in her sister's investigation.
She had learned the hard way that making proclamations before all sides could be considered led to, what Tia referred to as 'tabloid fodder', only in private, of course. Luna already had a lot of bad press due to her past as Nightmare Moon, she didn't need any more Public Relation disasters.
I wonder if Rainbow Dash found her way to that meeting... Luna thought, feeling guilty that one of her cages had been used to hold her, as well as for the fast abandonment to get back to the paperwork. She would never have guessed that Celestia would have caged one of the Element Bearers. Her wings relaxed and folded. Her glare softened into a distant gaze as she pondered both the reports and Dash's current condition. I should have at least summoned an escort for her - that wasn't fair of me - expecting her to find her way while injured.
Luna decided to seek out Dash, if she wasn't still in conference with Celestia, - and try to apologize for the cage - again.
That course of action resulted in a discovery. Luna found the double doors rendered completely unusable. The left door was twisted and leaning, the top hinge being its only support - though soon that would buckle and fall to the strain of holding up the heavy door. The twin on the right was already on the ground - though in a similar state - bent from some unknown force.
Luna slowly approached the doors - not wanting to believe her eyes. Her silver-shod hoof gently prodded the downed door. It was solid. As much as it could be with all the damage it had sustained.
Her shoes weren't true silver, of course, for that metal was too soft and malleable to support an alicorn's weight, but were made of an alloy that had been affectionately termed 'moonsilver'. Moonsilver maintained the shine of true silver, but had the strength of steel and were as light as clouds. It was a difficult alloy to make - mainly as enchantments were weaved into it during the forging process. That was the only way the metal could have durability as well as the low weight.
Luna mentally cataloged the state of the remains - for they couldn't rightly be called doors in their current condition.
Both had sustained multiple indentations consistent with being struck by hooves, whether in frustration or anger, she couldn't say for sure. Luna paused to compare her own hoof with these. Smaller, so not the work of a fully-grown alicorn...
Alongside the hoof indentations in the fallen door was an imprint of a - is that a face? - Luna blinked at that, not really believing that somepony would not only head-butt the metal, but leave such a dent. The more she studied it, the more that disbelief was overtaken by amusement. Her face crinkled up as she tried to contain bubbling laughter.
A small snort, I wonder how Tia would react if I placed an image of a face on the moon?, followed by a few filly giggles escaping, before Luna managed to block them with one of her moonsilver shoes. Her eyes widened, as she remembered the cause of her mirth. The damage on the double doors still needed to be cataloged in full. She already knew that they couldn't be repaired, but knowledge of the damage and what caused it would be important for the replacement set.
Turning her attention back to the fallen door, Luna went back to the task of assessing the totality of the damage.
Further along was a gouge, that ran to the inner edge of the door, indicative of applied directional force. A force that was powerful enough to rend this door from the hinges - the remains of which displayed signs of sheering. That last must have hit both of these doors....
Luna glanced over at the left one, there was clear secondary damage from the ricochet of the first colliding with it on its way down. Leaving her inspection of the right remains in favor of studying the less damaged - though not by much - door, Luna continued her list. More deep indentations of the same kind as the first set were the first to be added - looks like this door was hit by a well-aimed back-kick, though that was not the final blow that opened the doors.
About the same height as the others trench was the continuation of the directional blow. Shallower, easily assumed to be the result of the loss of momentum and power on the initial strike that took out the first door. But still strong enough to create a distortion of the metal... Slightly deeper indents were located at the end of the strike. Extra force had been applied there - maybe to provide an extra boost to escape the other doors path. Luna shook her head, that theory seemed wrong somehow, the secondary damage wasn't close enough to be the true reason.
Luna frowned as she took final stock. That damage was rather immense, considering the doors had been made of metal thicker than most of the palace's support columns, she did wonder if some magic had enhanced the attacker's strength. Her horn lit up - her dark blue aura running over the scars, into the open wounds of the metal and into the blackness behind seeking traces of any enchantment.
She found something she did not wish to see. The deepest part of each strike pulsed red. In the room beyond, a small green spark flared up and then died. Luna's eyes widened in shock as her mind recognized the powers that answered her search.
A little known fact of magic was that every caster left a unique signature - that could be read by another. Mistakes were possible - especially if multiple casters had combined spells and formed an overlay in the area, but since these resonating 'after-images' were separated and this section of the castle had been relatively magic-free for so long - there was no chance of making a misidentification.
This meant that Luna was able to identify the sources, no matter how much she wished it was not so. A trickle of worry crept around her mind, causing her to douse her magic. Though what she had already observed was not so easily erased.
"The Red Mage's aura - Kuvvet's blessing did this....," Luna gasped, staring wide-eyed at the doors, before her gaze drifted to where the ember of green had briefly glimmered in the darkness. "And that was Kuvrama's, the Green Mage.... for both to be seen in close proximity can mean only one thing. The Pigment is free!"
Her damage report on the doors and the recommendations for the acquisition of replacements slid from her mind as terror coated her thoughts in ice. The Pigment is on the loose! Bad, Bad, Bad. How? What? Really, really bad.
Luna seemed unaware of the little shuffling dance her hooves performed - she was subconsciously hopping from one to the other as her thoughts melted and descended into chaos. Her subconscious movement took her from one door to the other - her eyes darting about as if scanning the shadows. The Pigment is free - but that can't happen. No! No, no no, nononono ! And its here - inside the palace! That power should never have been contained and concentrated. Now its out - here! There's a super-weapon inside the palace.... and its already started to destroy....
Luna remained frozen with indecision - apart from the nervous hopping of her hooves Multiple courses of action tumbled around her mind.
No. I must think clearly. For the sake of Equestria. Luna took a deep steadying breath. It helped. A little. Her thoughts weren't acting like out of control pinwheels anymore , but her hooves just wouldn't stay still. Her wings were also twitching, another physical sign of her agitated state. Luna took another breath as she formulated possible plans.
Action Plan One: Alert the Royal Guards. Pros: More ponies to look could help locate the Pigment faster and contain it. Cons: The Pigment is a super-weapon, and very dangerous. It has also been kept secret from the general populace. Alerting the Guards would almost certainly create a panic in the citizens.
Action Plan Two: Go after the Pigment myself. Pros: Limits knowledge of the problem, therefore less chance of generalised panic. Cons: It is a super-weapon. Not a good idea to face one alone.
Action Plan Three: Inform Celestia of the Pigment's 'activities'. Pros: I'd have back-up. Plus the extra advice would be helpful. Cons: Celestia's in a meeting with Rainbow Dash. She stayed up for that - therefore it is important and I cannot interrupt. It is also Night, my domain - how can my own sister trust me to rule, if I cannot act solo and run to her for aid over every problem?
Luna blushed slightly at that. She had relied on her sister a lot in the few years since her return. The changes caused by time had taken some adjustment to get used to. It was about time she did take charge and lessen the burden on her elder sister. So that leaves...
Action Plan Four: Find a way of stopping the Pigment. Pros: Finding a weakness would enable a more positive resolution. Understanding how the Pigment was contained would ensure a stronger prison this time around. Cons: I Don't know how much time it'll take.
Once decided on a course of action, Luna transferred her energies into expeditious movement. Luna galloped along the corridors, thinking furiously. There must be some way to stop it. A distant memory resurfaced, that of a particular item that Celestia always kept sealed away in the Vaults. And I think I know where the answer is...
She exited onto the nearest balcony and hurled herself into the air. For a moment, she hung suspended in the night sky, then her wings unfolded. The stars twinkled above and the moon dimmed slightly as she wrapped her wings in borrowed magic, her flight carrying her swiftly and silently towards the part of the castle that contained the hidden Canterlot Vault.
Knowledge of and access to this hidden Vault was strictly controlled, it was not the one that contained the Treasury of Equestria - and only the jewel in her crown combined with her magic aura provided the key. Well, one of the keys anyway - her sister's crown jewel and magic made up the only other.
She soon reached the hidden door of the vault, located just behind Celestia's throne. Using her right forehoof, she tapped a certain tile on the floor, the moonsilver channeling Luna's magic into it. What followed would be considered by the common pony to be impossible. Luna sank through the ground; magic opening and sealing the floor as her body slid through.
On the other side, she ended up on all fours, as if she had risen from the floor she was currently standing on. She shook herself lightly, not being accustomed to that vertigo-like feeling. What lied ahead of the small, candle-lit room was a massive pair of doors, split only by two small circles. Trotting over to them, Luna encased her crown's gem in her magical grip, popping it out and inserting it into the bottom hole. Dull clanking and ground shaking thuds thundered all around within the walls, and the doors slowly drifted apart.
Luna knew what she was looking for, and soon located it. A white-covered book that had no title or author, only a circular design with six equal segments each colored in a different shade. Red, orange, yellow, blue, green and violet wedges taunted Luna with a promise of answers within.
Re-inserting her crown's main jewel, Luna flicked through the book with her magic finding nothing but frustration. The written words inside defied her comprehension. She stomped her hoof, before a smile crossed her face.
What better pony to solve this mystery than Twilight Sparkle? Tucking the book under her wing, Luna left and resealed the vault. Now all she needed to do was send this book to Ponyville Library, where its custodian awaited.
Once the book had been sent on its way, Luna went back to the destroyed doors. This time accompanied by most of the castle's cleaning staff. She pointed a silver hoof towards the mess,
"Would you be so kind as to clean this up for us?" Luna asked, before continuing past the revealed archway into the darkness beyond. On her way to find Dash, apologize and return to her normal Night duties of watching over the dreams of ponies.
The cleaning staff gaped at the mess and wondered how one Alicorn Princess could cause so much damage.
Luna didn't think much of her use of the royal plural, after all it is in my section of the castle, but it was your creation that caused it Tia. She did however make a note of the names of the staff she had appropriated for the difficult task, and resolved to ensure their next bonus reflected the service they were doing. She may even manage to ensure their silence on the matter with some extra vacation time...
Silence. Everything surrounding Rainbow Dash felt like something out of a serene cinema as she lay there, sound asleep. She was aware she was sleeping, feeling the energy slowly but surely returning to her muscles and revitalizing her being. Truthfully, it was the best sleep of her life.
Unfortunately, the trials that were still awaiting completion were finding a way past her mental barrier of serenity, forcing her from any more restful sleep. She thought of Scootaloo… how she wasn’t there to protect her from her captors… how she wasn’t there for her now. She must be so scared right now, wherever she is…
---
A bright red flash filled another seemingly empty room as the sleeping Rainbow Dash appeared from nowhere. She merely stirred slightly, curling up into her normal sleeping position. The area’s only other occupant let a bright smile crack his muzzle as he walked over to her. He bent down, removing his gilded golden hood. He reached out a hoof to wake her, when a sinister idea popped into his mind. Let’s have a little fun…
“PRIVATE DASH!!” he screamed.
In a panic, Rainbow shot into the air, torn from her peaceful sleep into an uneasy position of attention. Her heart was beating at a pace only known to her, for any other pony’s would have given out.
“Sleeping on the job Newbie?! I oughta have you court martialed!!”
Dash’s heart suddenly returned to normal… and so did her frazzled mind. That isn’t Spitfire, she thought. Her vision focused to see a yellow adorned unicorn stallion, just taller than her, standing there with a playful look on his face. His face carried the features of a colt, the only thing separating him from colt status being a bit of peach fuzz in his upper lip.
“Mahiri, right?” Dash deadpanned.
“Aw c’mon Dashie, you say my name like it was a pile of salt on your tongue! Say it with feeling! With gusteau!” he commanded playfully, puffing out his armor plated chest.
“Don’t call me “Dashie” first of all,” Dash said, walking forward and forcing Mahiri backwards. “And get out of my face. You woke me up… and everypony who’s anypony knows I don’t like it when ponies interrupt. My. Sleep.”
Mahiri continued smiling, his horn lighting up. Before Dash could say anything else, a zipper manifested itself on her lips with a yellow flash, and Mahiri used his hoof to seal it from her left to right.
Dash’s facial expression could level a small building from the sheer unamusement. This yellow adorned stallion (she thought he was a stallion, but judging by his attitude he might as well have been a small colt) had just zipped her mouth shut as if she was some cartoon character who was talking too much. The red in her mane and tail lit up brightly as she stared at Mahiri, the ground beneath beginning to crack under the mental strength she was effortlessly applying. Taking the hint, Mahiri dispelled the zipper, soon wishing he didn’t.
“WHAT THE HAY WAS THAT?!” Dash yelled in anger. “I swear to Celestia, if you do that again, I’ll smash your head like a watermelon! Got it?!
The Yellow Mage nearly burst into laughter at her empty threat. He only succeeded in keeping quiet by performing the same spell on himself. Seeing the zipper from the other side somehow made Dash a little less angry, and a little chuckle escaped before returning to a rigid scowl. Mahiri caught her suppressed chuckle and raised a happily amused eyebrow. He began to speak, but only succeeded in letting a few inaudible mumbles escape due to the zipper. This finally sent Dash over the edge, making her burst into laughter.
Dash was feeling better than she had all night at the present time. She had a hunch that Mahiri was simply trying to lighten the mood, seeing as though the last two trials had been very stressful and tiresome. From his shenanigans, it seemed to be working. Mahiri unzipped his lips, able to smile again.
“You see? Any and all stress can be alleviated with a simple laugh. Tell me, how do you feel now?”
Dash’s laughter had reduced to a light chuckle, and she smiled slightly. “A little better, thanks.”
“Good,” Mahiri cooed, “quick, what’s your favorite color?!”
Dash furrowed her brow again, trying to see the logic in the sudden question.
“Uh…”
“Time’s up!” Mahiri interrupted. “It should be obvious! Yellow is the best color!”
Dash crinkled her nose, knowing full well that her true favorite color was--
“Think fast!”
A flash of light caught her eye as Mahiri flung a metal object at her from point blank range. It was impossible to dodge, but it seemed to miss anyway, striking the ground and skidding with a shower of sparks across the concrete floor.
Dash’s eyes were wide as Mahiri stood in his throwing posture, a twinge of uncertainty lining his painted smile.
“When I said, “think fast,” I didn’t mean about your next monologue…” Mahiri smirked.
Dash’s vision suddenly began to swim slightly, accompanied by a harrowing sense of disorientation. She could feel a warm trickle down her right cheek as the dark room began to seem lighter… then darker… and lighter again.
Dash began losing focus, swaying to and fro, her wings involuntarily extending to maintain her crumbling balance.
“Don’t… call me… Dashieeeeee……” she slurred, falling flat on her muzzle, then onto her side.
Mahiri facehoofed, mentally scolding himself for throwing a poisoned kunai. He then looked down to the paralyzed mare, unsure of what to do. The poison was a neurotoxin used by griffon hunters of olden times. It usually took down a full grown elephant with ease.
Boy, those Curare plants sure do the trick eh? Better give her the antidote before she can’t breathe.
Using his magic, he brought a small syringe-type vial of clear liquid and injected Dash just under the shoulder blade. Her eyes focused from their crossed state, and the room finally came to a standstill as the antidote took effect. She inhaled deeply and slowly rose to her hooves with the aid of her wings for balance. She focused on Mahiri, positively livid.
“Hey! What the hay was that!?” she shakily yelled, panting.
She wiped her cheek with her left hoof, causing her to lose her balance and fall partially to her side. She took a good look at her hoof, seeing it was slick with blood.
“What did you hit me with?!”
Mahiri flinched before shrugging and putting away the syringe under his armor. “It might have probably been a sorta, kinda, maybe poisoned kunai?” he hesitated.
Dash was almost beside herself, feeling the rage and the Red Power begin to stir. Her mane and tail’s red stripe began to shine, and the ground beneath began to shake and crack. The thought of a scar on her cheek was more than her already fragile patience could bear, and she rushed at Mahiri as fast as she could.
Seeing this, the Yellow Mage smiled a little, gracefully stepping aside the train of anger that was Rainbow Dash. He then flicked his head, creating a magical wall of yellow in front of her. Unable to dodge, she flew face first into the wall, cracking it like a pane of glass and sliding down to her belly, heavily disoriented. The red in her mane died down again, as she was in too much pain to focus on her power. Her cheek throbbed with a heavy sting and on her forehead rested a large bump that resembled an enormous mosquito bite.
“I’ll get you for that,” Dash groaned, much to Mahiri’s amusement.
“That’s the spirit Dashie. Now, come get me,” he taunted, lowering into a position that would make a dog want to play.
The wall holding Dash partially up fizzled out, making her fall onto her chin. Dash’s bemusement level was already in the negative, and she shot to her hooves, having gained all sense of balance and coordination back. She turned to see Mahiri still in his playful pose, taunting her with a hoof to come get him. Wanting nothing more to oblige, she again lunged for him, only to barely see him step out of the way again to meet another wall of yellow. This time she was able to stop herself a little better than last time, and she hit the barrier with both forehooves, shattering it.
Still trying not to laugh, Mahiri’s position hadn’t changed as far as Dash could see. It was like he moved without moving…
Seriously? Star Prism chimed. When are you going to see that he is just playing you? He knows you will never be able to catch him, and he wants to make the most fun out of it as he can before the Trial is over.
Dash’s only response was a cooling exhale and a light nod.
“So what now?” Dash deadpanned.
You must look for a way around his technique. He moves far faster than anything in this world, and your eyes will never be able to follow his movement unless you see the world as he does with his own power.
“And how exactly do I do that?” Dash asked, knowing Mahiri was getting impatient by his stiffening smile.
Good question.
Dash waited for more information, only to be rewarded with nothing but silence. Star Prism was messing with her. Again.
“Come on now Rainbow Dash, will you not try to pass your Trial? I’ll give you a proclamation. If you can take these,” a pair of small bells materialized with a yellow flash, “you pass. If not, well, at least I’ll have my fun while you try!”
Again the fire of pride was fed by the Yellow Mage’s words. Facing him, Dash steadied for another head-on attack. The last time, Mahiri jumped to the left. If she could follow him…
She leapt, beating her wings once and hard, flying straight toward her target. She reached for the bells, expecting Mahiri to dodge. Instead, he jumped, smoothly cartwheeling over and looking Dash in the eyes the whole time. That same smile of his. It made her furious.
Not wanting to fail again, Rainbow halted her mad dash just in front of the yellow wall that appeared in front of her and she used her new power of strength to push upward, following Mahiri expertly. Mmm, she’s learning, Mahiri thought as Dash tore after him. Faster than Dash could see, Mahiri’s magic sparked to life, creating a small yellow plate of magic that he used to land on and push off in a different direction. This was the secret to his uncanny maneuverability.
To Dash’s eyes, only a quick flash of yellow and a golden blur of Mahiri disappearing crossed them. She whirled, seeing the blur become whole again about twenty yards away. Mahiri bent his armored foreleg toward himself, egging Dash on.
You know, this is getting you nowhere,Star Prism deadpanned. I said, think like he does…
Dash considered his words and immediately thought of a certain pink mare. All those times she had been there when she had flown far and wide to get away, it was like Pinkie was predicting her own moves before she even knew where she was going.
Guess you aren’t as dumb as you made yourself out to be all those years… Star Prism trailed off.
You’re lucky I can’t see you right now, Dash growled inwardly.
“What are you waiting for, Dashie?” Mahiri called.
He had conjured a cup of steaming liquid and the plate of magic was now a large armchair. Dash could swear she saw a monocle.
“Gimme a sec, Yellow Snow,” she sneered back.
Mahiri crinkled his nose and took a sip of his beverage before promptly tossing it away in a fizzle of yellow magic. “A comedian eh? I like that! Tell another joke!”
Dash’s own nose crinkled, hating seeing Mahiri so relaxed and nonchalant about the ordeal taking place. As much as she wanted to pound his teeth down his throat, she knew she couldn’t, let alone catch him. Yet.
What would Pinkie do? Star Prism suddenly asked.
You mean besides hopping around and throwing parties? How the hay should I know? Dash answered.
Her tone carried a bit more ice than she had meant to give, but given her current predicament, nopony could blame her. After all, if there was one word to describe Mahiri’s “Trial”, it was frustration.
“Hello over there?” Mahiri called. He was now wearing a shimmering yellow top hat.
“Do you take anything seriously?!” Dash yelled, trying not to laugh from the ridiculous costume over his existing armor.
“Oh come on Dashie, you know what they say…”
“No I don’t,” she interrupted.
Mahiri chuckled a bit before dispelling the magical garments and armchair. “They say, “too much stress can lead to the inability to think… and the inability to think in the heat of battle could get you killed.””
Mahiri’s tone was taking a rather unpleasant dive from cheerful to serious as he spoke, the magic from his horn pulsating rapidly and the room becoming rather cold. Dash could see her breath.
“Wha- What’s going on,” Dash fearfully asked, taking note of the air becoming foggy.
“What?” Mahiri asked. “Did you think this was going to be an easy Trial just because I don’t act as though the world depends on you passing?”
That was rhetorical, Star prism cut in. It actually does.
“I am not like the others. Agility does not come naturally. It is a skill that must be mastered through years of focus and intense training. What you’re about to learn took me over two hundred years to master. You will learn it in five minutes.”
Dash’s eyes widened, taking in what Mahiri had just said. TWO hundred years?! That’s impossible! He looks younger than me!
Appearances can be deceiving, Rainbow Dash. I’d pay attention, he looks ready to-
Again, Mahiri let fly a kunai, striking Dash’s left shoulder. Yet again it missed, only the very edge slicing into her skin. It embedded in a shimmering yellow wall; a drop of blood hanging from the blade’s edge.
-Attack…
Dash reeled from her hovering position, holding her shoulder with her right hoof and glaring at Mahiri.
Okay Star Prism, that’s the last time I’m gonna take a hit from this guy. Tell me how to kick his flank so I can get outta here!” she yelled inwardly.
“You sure like those knives don’t you!” she yelled. “Why don’t you put those away and fight like a stallion?!”
Mahiri’s face of stone didn’t express any emotion or acknowledgement of Dash’s request. He simply reached for another kunai. Dash had enough. Her thoughts again went back to Pinkie, trying to strangle her memories for any hint to her strange abilities. She tapped into any memories she could muster; and they amounted to quite a bit.
“I won’t be hit again by those knives!” she called over, her right hoof slick with the blood from her shoulder.
“We’ll see,” Mahiri called back, holding four more kunai in his magical grip.
Mahiri is used to his adversaries staying still while he attacks. If you haven’t noticed, you’ve been still the whole time. He’s trying to get you to move. So move!
As if on cue, another knife launched from the aura of yellow, whistling through the air straight at Dash’s chest. If the she didn’t move, this one would impale her. Acting on instinct, Dash flapped as hard as she could, with the Red power adding to the force. She felt and heard the dull scrape off the kunai as is glanced off the very tip of her left hind hoof. She could hear the knife skidding along the ground as it passed.
“Alright Rainbow, just predict his moves, easy enough… right?” she said to herself.
Easier said than done, Dash.
“Do you HAVE to have something to say every time I do?!” she yelled, causing Mahiri to tilt his head in confusion.
“Talking to your imaginary coltfriend over there, are we?” Mahiri called, taking something from his armor and snickering.
If Dash had learned anything about Mahiri, it would be his deadly accuracy and lack of seriousness. Not to mention his every intention of killing her.
Dash eyed Mahiri carefully, waiting for a sudden move or flash of yellow. He seemed to still be digging through his armor, looking for something. Probably something sharp, she thought. She hovered in place, thinking of a way to get to the bells. She had just barely seen how he’d avoided her last time, creating a magical plate and using it to jump in a different direction. If she was to follow that type of maneuverability, she would need magic of her own.
One of the many perks about carrying the Pigment, is that each and every one of the powers of the mages are at your disposal. As you may have guessed, the only way you were able to outmatch Kuvvet was by using his own power along with your own. All you have to do is find out how to unlock and control them.
I already know that! But how do I do it? Dash snapped back.
Good question, but I’m not you, so I can’t answer that.
Just wait until all this is over… Dash threatened.
If you would just calm down and think things through, we’d already be finished.
Dash’s mind reeled as it came to a sudden realization. The reason she couldn’t keep up and land blows wasn’t because she wasn’t fast enough, it was because she was too eager and extremely impulsive. Through this realization, she could feel herself relaxing, and regaining control over her body and mind. She saw what to do.
Finally…
Dash ignored him, focusing on Mahiri who had seemingly found what he was looking for. A small piece of parchment with strange symbols inscribed onto the yellow surface.
“This should make things more interesting!” he called over.
Run. Now.
“What, why--” Dash asked before Mahiri tossed the paper over his shoulder and disappeared in a flash of yellow.
Dash saw a glimmer of yellow and felt a puff of air hit her back, and she whirled to see Mahiri floating right there, with forehoof reeled back as if to hit her.
“Hey, wha--”
Mahiri brought his hoof forward, hitting Dash square in the stomach and sending her flying in the direction of the strange paper.
Dash had never been hit so hard in her entire life. Her stomach felt like a railroad spike had been hammered into it. She could taste a slight tinge of blood in her throat, and she was still flying toward the mysterious piece of parchment.
Dash, I’d advise you to change your current trajectory. NOW.
As much as Dash wanted to, the pain in her stomach was keeping her from doing anything. She kept flying, opening her eyes to see Mahiri furthering in distance and holding a hoof over his eyes. He had essentially used her as a golf ball.
As she was flying and going down, she could hear a sizzling sound behind her. She strained to look behind, to see a faint fire glowing on the ground.
Mahiri watched as Dash didn’t pull out of her fall, and he knew the paper bomb would blow her to pieces if it exploded near her. He knew her time was running out.
Not wanting to see if she was going to be turned to gazpacho, Mahiri snapped into action, zigzagging through the air using his magical plates. He nearly broke the sound barrier in his dash, using a concussive blast to slow himself to avoid a painful collision.
Dash was still flying backwards, extending her wings to act as an air brake. It was then she was violently grabbed and flung to the side. Mahiri immediately covered himself in a protective ball of shimmering yellow, literally taking the blast head-on. To any other pony, the blast would have seemed impossible without magic. The ‘simple’ piece of parchment somehow exploded into a towering fireball at least fifty feet high, blowing Dash even farther than Mahiri had thrown her. The concussion nearly made her throw up, and the impact with another yellow plate to her belly finally made it happen.
She retched, sliding off the plate and falling hard onto her butt. She then fell to her side, sputtering and choking on the bile. She was still confused as to what had happened, but her anger was rising as was her will to fight. Her shaken mind then returned to Star Prism’s words… If you’d calm down and think things through, we’d be done already…
Dash wiped her mouth, spitting out as much of the tainted saliva as possible, leaving her mouth quite dry. She sat up, wincing through the pain in her stomach. Her gaze settled on the massive cloud of dust and falling debris about fifty yards away, and she could make out a glow of yellow within the darkness.
It wasn’t until then that she truly recognized the size, or lack thereof, the room actually was. She looked around slightly, noticing that there were essentially no walls, but darkness in every direction, including up. Somehow, this space was lit with an unseen, dull light.
She began walking toward Mahiri, weary of any sudden attacks. She saw him as the dust settled, huddled in a ball near the epicenter of the crater. He uncurled, standing and turning to Dash, smiling again.
“You’re welcome!” he chirped.
Dash was torn between feelings of hate and thanks as she knew he had saved her from his successful attempt to kill her.
“You really expect me to thank you after you nearly killed me? But OH, its okay because “I changed my mind at the last second?!”” Dash yelled in protest to Mahiri’s self desired thanks.
Mahiri lowered his ears, plastering them against his helmet. Unsure of what to say, he seemed to mumble to himself.
“That’s it, I’m ending this now,” Dash calmly said.
Mahiri raised a brow, surprised at Dash’s sudden confidence.
Ok, calm down, let the stress melt away…
Dash sat on her haunches, slowing her breathing and feeling her pulse slowly begin to decelerate. She kept one eye slightly open to keep track of the Yellow Mage. To her surprise, Mahiri also sat, removing his helmet to reveal his yellow highlighted mane. Again, the yellow highlight’s position matched her own, right down the left side of his forelock. So Dash sat, trying to releive the stress from her mind and focusing on what to do next.
You’re almost there. Now you must find Mahiri’s power inside of yourself. Once you do, you must learn to focus it into reality. Remember, the power is there, but you must project it using your own will.
Dash nodded inwardly, and proceeded to look inward for the Yellow power of agility.
Wandering the mind isn’t as easy as one might think. One must first get past the illusion of self limitation. Things your brain doesn’t see as possible, are indeed doable. Such as being a separate being inside of your own mind. For reasons unknown to her, it was anything but hard. She’d never done this before, and it was beginning to creep her out.
“Well, you had me worried for awhile there,” a voice said.
Dash turned herself in the void to see Star Prism, lying on his back with wings extended and forelegs crossed behind his head. His dark blue mane slithered in an unseen and unfelt breeze as he floated, eyes closed with a smile on his muzzle.
Dash, whatever she was, looked around in the starry void. It was like looking through a camera into the night sky, but the sky was everywhere. It almost made her sick with the floating feeling.
“Do you know where we are?” he asked without moving his mouth.
Dash tried to speak, but nothing came forth.
“Why can’t I talk?!” she yelled in her mind.
The resulting boom in voice rocked Star Prism, and his smile dimmed a bit.
“Not so loud,” he commanded.
Again, his mouth didn’t move. Dash took the hint, using her thoughts to communicate.
“Ok, I have a psychotic unicorn that’s trying to kill me, and I’m stuck in here. Let’s make this quick, huh?” Dash quickly thought.
Star Prism rose to his hooves, standing on nothing. He then approached Dash’s ghost-like form.
“Think of your body. Imagine yourself here.”
Dash did what she was told, visualizing her own body as if it were in a mirror. She could feel herself begin to materialize, starting from the bottom of her hooves, to her belly, to her mane and tail, then finally the top of her ears could be felt.
“Okay, I never want to do that again,” she thought, resisting the urge to vomit.
“Yeah,” Star Prism thought. “It’s always like that the first time. Now, about your current… situation. Mahiri is a master at what he does because he is calm, efficient, and extremely accurate.”
“And?” Dash interrupted.
“And all of those traits come hoof in hoof. For example. He cannot be accurate without being calm and collected. If he were to lose his cool, his moves would become more sporadic, rather than controlled. As such, the likelihood of him hitting his target, namely you, at that speed drops drastically.”
Dash pondered his words.
“So all I gotta do is piss him off? Sounds easy enough.”
“No Dash, it isn’t that simple. Angering him would release his full power. At which point, if you are not in tune with the same power, he can and will kill you.”
Dash shuddered a little, remembering what Kuvvet was like at his peak. She imagined what Mahiri would be like, having the speed at which he moved now doubled or even tripled spelling certain doom for her.
“So what now, Sherlock? Do I keep getting my flank kicked and playing mare in distress while he has his fun?”
Star Prism scoffed.
“Since when did Rainbow Dash, the greatest flyer in Equestria, let anypony push her around? If you really want to beat him, the power to do so is inside you, waiting to be wielded.”
Star Prism floated over to Dash, looking into her eyes. He tapped on her forehead, smiling.
“All you have to do is find it.”
Dash was in a sort of daze, those yellow irises almost hypnotizing her. She had seen handsome stallions before, but Star Prism’s sterling white coat and feathers really knocked her for a loop. The starry sky began to turn from black to a shade of evening purple as Dash stood there, mesmerized.
“Dash?” Star Prism asked, waving a hoof in front of her face. “Dash? C’mon, snap out of it,” he insisted, a deep blush shining fiercely under his white coat.
Star Prism smiled before fading into the now black sky. Dash turned back to see him gone, and she began wandering the vast expanse of her own mind.
-~-~-~-~-
Mahiri paced around Dash’s body, waiting for her to do something. She had been laying there for a good five minutes, allowing a small puddle of drool to form around her left cheek. Her eyes were half lidded and dull, seemingly lifeless. However, the occasional obnoxiously loud snore snuffed out any thoughts that death had found her.
He conjured up a shimmering yellow chair and sat down, taking off his helmet to reveal his navy blue mane with a single bright yellow streak down the forelock. His bright yellow armor began to shimmer and disappear, revealing his bright golden coat.
He turned, examining his cutie mark. In his thousand year slumber, he hadn’t seen it, and he was itching to catch up on older memories. The mark was comprised of a trio of black fading triangles in a triangular fixation, as though they were following each other at a dizzying speed orbiting around the Six’s insignia. On the insignia, one of the portions was a bright yellow, while the other colors remained dull and lifeless.
A stir from Rainbow Dash caught his eye, drawing his attention away from his flank. The sudden change in position made him wonder just what was going on in that head of her's…
-~-~-~-~-~-~-
“WAAAAAAHHH!!!” Dash screamed as several massive twisters chased her through the emptiness.
She had been thinking about all the bad weather scenarios as she was searching for Star Prism’s “solution”, and every one of her bad thoughts had come to life. Massive thunder clouds and hail storms chased her all around until Star Prism, once again, showed up and extended his wing, clotheslining Dash. The weather anomalies seemed to vanish as her focus was painfully torn away.
“Having fun?” he cheekily asked.
“Shut up,” she groggily said back. “What the hay is going on?! My past weather disasters are chasing me like rabid dogs!”
Star Prism simply smiled and extended his wing, offering her to take it. She grasped his wing with her's, hoisting herself up. It was then she noticed she was standing on nothing. The floor resembled the sky, dark as twilight with an endless sheen of stars.
“Now that I look at it, it's pretty awesome,” Dash whispered.
“Unfortunately, now is not the time for sightseeing, Rainbow Dash. There is still Mahiri and the other three Celestials to deal with. I am here to offer my final trinket of advice before I must not interfere any further.”
Dash gave a look of confusion, before nodding.
“Do you remember the insignia Kuvvet had placed on your shoulder?”
Rainbow looked to her left shoulder, seeing the tattoo-like symbol pulsing slightly within the red portion.
Dash again nodded.
“That insignia isn’t just a fashion statement. It is quite literally a gauge for your current magical potential. It is in tune with what you have learned and unlocked.”
Dash examined the hexagon carefully, seeing that it was neither on her coat, or the underlying skin. It was simply hovering as though a magnet was under her skin. The red portion was glowing decently bright.
“So I’m guessing I pretty much have Kuvvet’s “skill” down?” Dash asked.
Star Prism grinned, and shook his head. “Far from it. Brute force alone is not enough to win a fight. it also takes strength of mind and an unbreakable spirit. Two things you have yet to obtain, Rainbow Dash."
Dash blew a portion of her forelock in annoyance, clearly remembering how she had beaten Kuvvet with a single, massive push.
“Seemed like more than enough to me,” Dash retorted. “Plus I got a giant diamond that’s gonna blow my 401K out of the water.”
Star Prism’s face turned emotionless as Dash’s comprehension showed no signs of enlightenment.
“Even in your own mind, you still cannot locate the truth,” he sighed.
“Not like you’re doing a lot to help either, Prism.”
Shrugging off her remark, Star Prism again motioned toward the insignia on her shoulder.
“As I was saying, the insignia on your shoulder is attuned with your spiritual energy. Each of the Celestial Mages’ powers are available to you upon dire need, or simple request.”
Dash opened her mouth to speak, but Star Prism held up a hoof to quickly silence her.
“What happened earlier was not your doing. Your thirst for revenge on Velocita had activated the safeguard within the Pigment. Remember, it was created to serve the ponies of Equestria, not harm them. What happened earlier, to put it mildly, was a test. The Pigment sensed the feelings that you were experiencing, and saw an opportunity to escape and usurp your control.”
Dash was sitting on her haunches, listening intently.
“Had you not remained loyal to your friends, the Element of Loyalty would have never appeared and sealed the power inside.”
“But what if I had abandoned them?” Dash asked, her curiosity boiling.
Star Prism looked away and grimaced. “Nothing you should know, Rainbow Dash. You passed, and that’s what matters.”
Dash sulked a little, her curiosity not as answered as she’d hoped. Star Prism looked around at the starry sky and ground, thinking.
“Now, about Mahiri. What did he do for you when you first met him?”
Dash thought for a moment, images of their meeting from her own point of view conjuring from seemingly nowhere. The images displayed themselves on a sort of screen with no definite shape. She recalled how Mahiri had attempted to calm her during their first meeting. How he had used simple hilarity to nearly put an end to her unpleasant feelings. She realized that if she remained calm, she could think far straighter and more accurately than when she was riled up and anxious. She had always known this, but in these situations, it was nearly impossible to keep calm and remain focused.
Dash’s eyes went wide as the realization set it. That was his secret.
“So Mahiri is always calm? That’s his secret?” Dash asked.
Star Prism nodded and smirked a little. “Yes, he is… difficult to anger. But the mastery of his inner peace is what allows him to access the power of Agility. As you probably know by now, that is what you have to master in order to gain access to the power to defeat Mahiri.”
Star Prism nodded as Rainbow Dash stood, beginning to look around for a way to return to the fight. Dash looked around a little before flaring her wings in annoyance.
“How do I get ba--”
Star Prism had walked over and used the leading edge of his wing to hit Dash over the head. She stumbled, her mind reeling as she shakily turned to him. The world began to shake and ripple as Dash’s mind began to shut down. Her final action as she lost balance and fell was a small grin of thanks as the floor became transparent. She fell head first, looking up as her body began to dissolve.
Silence.
Mahiri looked up from his cutie mark as a fidget from Dash caught his attention. He stood, popping his neck and walking over Dash. He smiled as her eyes opened slightly, and reached out to take her hoof and help her up.
“How was your little trip?” Mahiri asked.
“N-not bad,” Dash slurred.
Dash took Mahiri’s hoof, hoisting herself up. A sudden ringing in her ears forced them down, and her nose crinkled as her jaw clamped shut. A massive headache ripped through her forehead and down into her neck. She stumbled, but Mahiri was there to hold her up.
“Wha- what’s going on?” Dash asked, partially deaf to her question.
Mahiri smirked a little.
“The side effects of entering one’s own mind- and especially for staying that long- are painful, huh?” he chuckled.
“You know, I’ve heard something like that bef--”
The headache seemed to intensify as Dash regained her balance.
“Can I make this migraine stop?!” Dash asked, or rather yelled, through gritted teeth.
Mahiri had already begun sifting through his armor for the poisoned kunai. The Curare-coated blade would be enough to stop the pain, but any overdose into the bloodstream would prove fatal. He found what he was looking for and took the handle in his magical grip.
“This might sting a little,” Mahiri said as he lined the blade up to pierce Dash’s shoulder.
Dash flinched a little as he poked her, just enough to draw a bead of dark red. Dash’s muscles began to unclench as the small amount of poison began doing its work. Her head soon began to even out, the pounding pain ceasing and her vision returning to normal.
“I-I didn’t know you to be the medical type…” Dash whispered under the influence of the drug.
Mahiri smiled warmly.
“Well, we couldn't have you fighting as you were, now could we?”
Dash’s face relaxed, knowing her trial had yet to be completed. She struggled to stand, the poison having not yet run its course.
“Dash,” Mahiri cooed, “You must wait for the poison to wear off before you can fight. Believe me, you won’t be able to complete the trial with that running through your veins.
Dash scoffed.
“Try me,” she growled.
She managed to stand, wobbly at first, but she gained a solid stance. She thought back to what Star Prism had said, and she relaxed to her fullest extent. Mahiri watched as Rainbow Dash had overridden the small amount of potent poison, standing straight. The fact she didn’t collapse onto her muzzle was a surprise in and of itself. Unknown to Dash, Mahiri had readied another syringe of the antidote, but he had replaced it within the confines of the armor after she managed to stand. He knew she had won that battle.
“So what now?” Dash asked, feeling the effects of the poison beginning to taper off.
Mahiri materialized the bells again, hooking the shimmering yellow noisemakers to his armored belt.
“Come get them,” Mahiri called as he darted away, leaving a cloud of dust in Dash’s face.
Dash immediately held her breath and began counting. The poison had all but vanished from her body, releasing its hold on her muscles. The difficulty she was experiencing while breathing had ceased. Now she only needed to get her mind under control so she could wield the power necessary to win this.
She focused on remaining calm, feeling her muscles tense and relax in a smooth rhythm. She could feel something begin to spark within her, something she had experienced only once since she got here: the feeling of inner peace. Her fears and abject feelings all washed away from her mind as she relaxed, allowing a more keen aspect of her surroundings to replace them. She could feel each individual muscle flexing and unflexing, each breath entering and exiting her lungs. She could hear every sound, every whisper of life within the dark space that surrounded them. The familiar tingle of the power awakening tickled her mane and tail as the yellow stripes lit up.
Mahiri braced as he watched, knowing that she would easily be on par with his own moves if she sustained the power. Dash opened her eyes, the ring of cerise encircled in a ring of gold. Her gaze landed on Mahiri with a cold force of pure, absolute control. He knew this was going to be fun.
“Well, it would seem you found out how to control my little piece of the Spectrum,” Mahiri laughed.
Dash looked at herself, marveling at the clearness of her view. She was encircled by an sheen of thin yellow light, rising from the floor in a circle around her. From what she could see, her own muscles were giving off a sort of signature, following the nerve impulses that directed each individual muscle to move. This was what it was like to read other’s moves before they even made them. The true secret behind the art of Agility.
She looked up from her legs back to Mahiri, seeing a system of nerve impulses from his head to his limbs. He turned slightly to the left, revealing a massive channel of nerves from his inner forehead branching into his horn. She paid no mind to that, focusing on his legs for any sign of attack.
Mahiri knew better than to just rush her this time. In the instant his brain sent the command, Dash would know and come up with a parry. He would have to find a way around his mirror image.
“Hey Dash, think fa--”
Before Mahiri could complete his sentence, Dash had already anticipated his move to go for a kunai, and was now rocketing toward him in a helix style flight. Her speed and trajectory made it nearly impossible for her opponent to line up an accurate throw. Dash was upon him in an instant, bringing her right hind leg to bear on Mahiri’s chest. She had never taken her eyes off of her intended target, and was shocked by what she saw. The light that was the nerve impulses moving through his chest had all at once retreated, leaving nothing but a dark hole where his chest was. She suddenly understood why as she made contact, seeing his facial expression remain the same as he was sent flying.
So he’s blocking the pain by controlling the pathways his nerves take, huh? Pretty cool…
Mahiri righted his back flipping spin, creating a wall of yellow and using it to land hard. The yellow flickered and his hoof fell through for a second before solidifying and supporting his weight. He looked up, seeing Dash standing in his former spot, mane glowing a fierce yellow and the red dying out a little.
“Clever mare, combining the power to create fast…”
A chip of his chest armor fell away, landing loudly on the ground beneath.
“And painful strikes…”
Dash was watching from afar, seeing the bright glow of electricity being passed by Mahiri’s nerves. From this distance, though, the many lights seemed to blend together creating a big grainy blur.
“What are you yammering on about over there, Mahiri?” Dash called, expecting a move to be made.
“Just admiring your blow, Dash.” Mahiri called back.
He levitated the piece of broken armor, tossing it over to Rainbow Dash with several loud clunks. It slid to a halt within reaching distance, and she picked it up, smirking a little.
“I think you dropped something, dude!” she wisecracked, tossing the sliver of armor aside.
Arrogant one, isn’t she? Mahiri thought to himself.
“Looks to me like I can cease to hold back!” Mahiri called, bracing himself for the fight of his life.
Never before had he faced an opponent of Dash’s caliber, that caliber being his own. From his days as Celestia’s personal guard, taking down Equestria’s enemies as easily as he crushed a cockroach, he was always accustomed to being the one on top. Every fight, every drop of blood that surfaced was never his own. But now, looking down to his chest at the slowly forming bruise, he realized something. This was one matchup he could not win.
Mahiri dispelled the barrier keeping him suspended, lightly falling and landing on all fours. He readied himself mentally and as physically as he could for the incoming assault that was bound to happen any second.
Dash was standing there, watching as Mahiri manipulated his nerve pathways like a pegasus foal playing with its cloud blocks. She knew he was attempting to divert the sense of pain away from his limbs and chest. She would have to hit him from behind to inflict the most amount of damage.
Easier said than done, Rainbow Dash…
She blinked in surprise.
When did you get back? Dash asked within her mind.
When did I leave?
Rainbow snorted loudly at Star Prism’s antics while she prepared her assault on Mahiri. She scraped the ground with a forehoof, enticing a loud scraping against the empty, black room. She slowly tensed and relaxed her muscles, flexing her wings and shoulders thoroughly.
Without a word, Dash launched into the air, flying in the most unpredictable pattern she could muster. She could see Mahiri preparing to launch a volley of kunai, so she pulled up, gaining altitude for more room to dodge. Sure enough, she could hear the sound of blades cutting through the air, and she watched in amazement as her body seemed to instinctively twist and dodge the lethal projectiles.
Mahiri reached again for more kunai only to find his supply was depleted. From the looks of the cyan pegasus, none had found their mark. He prepared to go in close, allowing his armor to shimmer away in a brilliant shower of yellow. He removed his helmet, setting it on the ground.
“Alright Rainbow Dash!” he called. “I believe we’ve had enough fun beating around the proverbial bush, wouldn’t you agree?”
Dash looked down, smiling a little at Mahiri’s eagerness.
“Alright, dude. Whatever you say!”
Mahiri began his usual head-on assault, jumping up to meet her where she hovered. Without his armor, he was many times faster than before, climbing the eighty feet in mere seconds. Rainbow Dash was caught off guard, flying back and blocking his punch just before impact with her face. She winced at the impact, regaining her stance and attempting to throw Mahiri off. Up close like this, he seemed bulkier than his armor let on.
Mahiri threw punch after punch, all either missing his target completely or parried away by Dash’s opposing limbs. Both parties were at a virtual standstill, unable to land any effective blows on each other.
“You fight well!” Mahiri breathed over the impacts.
“I know!” Dash managed to reply.
Mahiri laughed, bringing his hind leg to contact with Rainbow’s stomach.
Dash reeled at the blow, as Mahiri completed the combination of hits with a downward elbow strike to Dash’s cheek.
The mare careened toward the ground, the red portion of her mane erupting into its brilliant shine just before impact.
The room's darkness was no concern to Princess Luna. It embraced her like an old friend as she went beyond the reach of the last moonbeam's light. Luna's steps echoed softly as if the shadows silenced sound as well as dousing any light sources. To the cleaning crew, it appeared that the Night Princess merged with the shadows and disappeared. Her fading hoof steps the only sign she'd passed by.
Once Luna got to the approximate location of the green ember that had answered her magic search, she created a small will o'wisp light to scan the area. A small signal usually means a focus was used for the magic...
The dancing light revealed something else; or rather somepony else. Rainbow Dash.
"Rainbow Dash. What are you standing around in the dark for?" Luna queried, as she approached the pegasus. Her nerve endings stood on edge as Dash didn't reply and continued to stare straight ahead.What has happened to her?
Luna directed her light closer, then recoiled. Rainbow Dash's eyes were covered in a green film and the green stripes reflected Luna's magic - taking on the appearance of glowing.
A very soft rustle drifted into Luna's ears - her heightened senses pinpointing the source. Reacting quickly, Luna turned her head and threw her light towards the cause of the noise, hoping to catch the culprit off guard.
It only partially worked, she did see the culprit - but the culprit was ready for her. The light bounced off an easily raised shield, and a long-suffering voice spoke out.
"You are too predictable, Princess Luna. Though perhaps that is as much my fault as it is yours."
The figure stepped forward, lowering the hood and allowing the wisp's light to fall on her face. Magic light glinted off emerald eyes and highlighted a golden mane.
"Kavrama. It has been a long time, too long for you to mess with this world." Luna observed, "Release Dash from your hold, and be at peace."
Kavrama glanced at Dash's form and then back at Luna. With a contrite smile, her reply came.
"I'm afraid that's not possible. I cannot change what has been done."
"Then I will." Luna stated firmly, turning back to Dash. Her horn gathering magic as Luna sought the shape and form of the enchantment used to hypnotise Rainbow.
Kavrama raised her hood again, disguising her own horn lighting up. Kavrama focussed on the distracted Princess and carefully wove a net around Luna's mind. "I cannot let you interfere, Princess. I'm sorry." The net tightened, causing Luna to freeze. Her mind held in a fugue state.
You passed the broken doors, wrapped up in thoughts about the unusual reports. You failed to pay enough attention in the dark and tripped over the edge of the fallen door. Kavrama wove the net threads into a new memory and erased the one of finding Dash and meeting her.
Pressure pushed at the new threads, making Kavrama frown. What is fighting back? Luna can't be. More magic poured out forcing the false memory back into place. It dislodged again as the unknown force made its displeasure known.
Holding the memory in place, Kavrama sent out a questing trail of magic to find the source of resistance. She found it, a self-contained entity. One with a mind of its own - and this mind was angry at the intrusion. Knowing she couldn't keep two minds frozen while working, Kavrama sent a powerful mental shock at this entity. This shock overwhelmed it - and Kavrama was able to finish her memory replacement. She was rushing too much to notice that the other entity absorbed the real memory into itself before being knocked out by the shock. That took more than I thought it would... that other mind was a surprise.
Kavrama surrounded Luna with a green aura. For the false memory to stick, Luna had to come back to her senses next to the doors.
A bright green flash lit the room, the cleaning crew's collective eyes drew towards it. As one, everypony yelled "Changlings!"
Then they scattered as fast as birds startled by a predator.
Kavrama had teleported Princess Luna to a location a few inches off the ground, next to the end of the fallen door. Once released from the magical transportation, gravity took over and Luna landed face-first. Kavrama winced at the impact, before taking her own leave, her emerald eyes darkening as she faded out.
The impact shook the Princess out of her enforced reverie. Ow! She raised her head and brought her hooves back under her. That wasn't our most graceful descent. She got back up and used her magic to dust herself off. I hope our subjects didn't get startled by the lack of balance.
Glancing back, Luna could see that no pony was left of the clean-up. I think they can forget the extra holiday.... She was slightly put out that none had come to her aid, as well as for them abandoning their posts.
An itch started in the back of her mind, the same itch that usually meant that she'd forgotten something - yet it came from a different section of her mind. A section she didn't wish to open. Tossing her ethereal mane, Luna resumed her path - this time paying attention to the fallen door.
As she walked into the darkened room again, the itch got more insistent. Luna sighed internally, paused and strengthened the barriers she maintained against her mental resident. The itch didn't go away completely, but was reduced to a manageable, ignorable level.
Her moonsilver shoe brushed against something on the floor. Something magical. The enchanted alloy reacted with the residual magic left behind, causing a light source to flare up. This light flickered between green and dark blue.
Luna levitated this pulsating light, so she could examine it closer. It was a gem, clearly green even with the light contained within turned blue. Odd...
While the light was blue, Luna could catch glimpses of a strange scene. They seemed disjointed, unconnected, almost like a dream sequence. As she examined the gem, and the scenes shown, a nagging pressure built in the back of her mind.
This was one she knew well, it was a call to duty. Somepony in the dream realm was facing a lucid nightmare. While Princess Luna couldn't stop nightmares completely, she could at least deal with the more dangerous ones. Lucid nightmares tended to have longer lasting effects on the victim and as such needed to be dealt with - swiftly.
Luna closed her eyes, and used her magic to cross the realm barriers. Her physical form was left behind while her spirit travelled.
The entry to the dream realm was rather featureless: a grey fogbound land that stretched as far as the eye could see. A dream-walker could influence the surroundings however, and that is what Luna proceeded to do.
Dreams formed from the fog like bubbles rising. Coloured tints indicted the type of dream within. For example: rose-tinted bubbles contained dreams of love, sky-blue were wishing dreams. The colour of lucid nightmares rendered the dream bubble opaque - they were solid black. This was what Luna looked for - so she could step in and soothe the dreamer.
She found it - or rather it found her. A ball of shadow ruffled her wing feathers as it darted past. Now that shouldn't happen.... get back here bubble!
Luna shot after it, her wings working effortlessly to keep her aloft. She overtook the bubble, and turned to face it. This time, the bubble followed Luna's mental commands to stay still.
Luna approached, and placed her hoof against its surface. She pressed forward, in a stepping motion to enter the dream. The surface resisted, there was some other power underlying this lucid nightmare. Frowning, Luna lowered her horn to touch the surface; a concentrated application of magic was enough to remove the barrier to her entrance.
Inside the dream, Luna hovered over familiar tree tops. Everfree Forest - one of the more common places in nightmares....
As she looked for signs of the dreamer, the sound of crashing caught her attention. It seemed that there was something disturbing the undergrowth. Luna descended in a silent circle, and soon found the cause.
A group of hooded, cloaked figures seemed to be pursuing another smaller figure through the woods. I think I found the cause as well as the dreamer....
Luna flew like an owl above the pursuers, ever watchful for an opportunity to divert and remove them. An overgrown bramble there, a raised root here. Just some subtle changes of the surroundings, manipulating the course of the dream to allow escape.
Only one problem - the dreamer wasn't heading for safe ground, but further into the Everfree. Luna followed the dreamer to get them onto the road out, but was foiled by a green vortex that swallowed the dreamer up.
A dreamer that was familiar to Luna. Back-lit by the green vortex, riding on a distinctive red scooter was Scootaloo.
Kavrama, you do not mess with fillies like Scootaloo. And you do NOT mess with my REALM. Luna narrowed her eyes at the vortex, and used her own magic to slip through to the other side. The vortex resisted Luna's passage and threw her off her intended trajectory.
When she recovered her equilibrium, she spotted Scootaloo's abandoned, damaged scooter and immediately looked around for the filly. A slightly dazed Scootaloo was being dragged off into a strange looking temple-thing.
Luna didn't like the look of that, so propelled herself after the retreating figures.
Keeping herself aloft, Luna concealed herself in the shadows that played on the ceilings. Hmmm, lets see if I can change the scenario. Luna sparked her magic - thinking to alter Scootaloo's status from prisoner to exalted guest. Her magic was immediately snuffed out, by the same power that had originally blocked her entry. It was also accompanied by a migraine from the magical backlash.
Ow! I get it... no interference.... Luna mentally muttered and massaged her head. She could only watch as the procession continued. Her horn sparked once more, dislodging Scootaloo's helmet, in the vague hope that they'd stop to pick it up and she could then intervene. Physically if not magically.
They didn't stop.
A large resistance barrier blocked Luna from continuing. No matter how hard she pushed, or how she tried to slip through a crack: this barrier didn't budge. Frustrated, Luna tried the horn trick that got her past the first one.
Her magic flowed outwards over the barrier, then condensed backwards rushing back towards Luna's horn. The returned wave was mixed with another's power, resulting in a searing pain that ran from the horn-tip right down to the magic centre of the mind.
Ow, ow, ow! Luna instinctively tried to recoil away from the source of pain, and teleported herself away from the barrier.
The physical contact between horn and barrier severed, the pain slowly reduced allowing Luna's mind to clear. She found herself outside the complex, hovering in the night sky. She spotted Scootaloo riding on Dash's back while cheering.
Looks like she's resolved her own nightmare. Luna thought, but no sooner as it formed Kavrama's green magic flared up again - this time taking Dash out of the dream. Leaving Scootaloo mid-air and falling.
Kavrama.... you better hope I don't catch you..... Luna mentally swore, as she sped towards Scootaloo.
Performing mid-air acrobatics that would put the Wonderbolts to shame, Luna caught the filly and softened the impact on her back as well as the impact for Scoots. Even a filly, if going fast enough, would normally have caused hurt to both on collision - intentional or not.
Luna's wings raised to form a soft guard on either side while Scootaloo regained her breath and balance.
"Princess Luna! Where did Dash go? How did you find us - well - me, since that green thing took Rainbow? Was that the same thing that brought me here and wrecked my scooter? What was it anyway?" The questions tumbled out in fast succession from the active filly, to the partial amusement of the Night Princess.
Sounds like she wasn't winded at all.... though the fact she hasn't realised this is a dream worries me.
Luna smiled as she answered the questions as fully as she could.
"I'm not sure on Rainbow's new location. I followed you - or rather I followed your captors. Yes it is the same thing and it is a magical portal of sorts." As she spoke, Luna tentatively tested her magic again. No immediate pain or magic suppression seemed to occur, so Luna changed the scenery. Instead of the temple, an open courtyard garden, graced with a central fountain came into being.
Scootaloo was too preoccupied with Luna's answers and thinking of more questions to notice the faint glow of magic that shone through Luna's starry mane.
"Then who captured me? Did you know them? Are they a wanted criminal gang - that has evaded local law for so long that you've felt the need to step in?"
"Something like that - though I only know the ring leader." And she will pay. Luna answered, she figured that was partly true and wasn't sure if she could explain what was going on to the filly's satisfaction. Angling her flight downwards, Luna headed for the ground in a gentle glide.
It was then that Scootaloo noticed the change.
"Umm, where are we?"
"This is my sanctuary." Luna replied, with a sly grin as she landed alongside the fountain "A replica of my favourite foalhood grounds. It is also where I gained my Cutie Mark all those centuries ago."
At the mention of Cutie Marks, Scootaloo jumped off Luna's back.
"Think I'd get one here too?" Eyes shining as she looked around for something that hinted at her destined talent.
"Perhaps you will." Luna blushed as she scuffed her hoof along the fountain's lip. "Though I was hoping that you'd like to fly with me?"
There was one thing that Scootaloo wanted more than her cutie mark - and that was to be able to fly like Rainbow Dash.
"Could you show me how do some cool tricks?" Scootaloo asked, her wings flapping from excitement, then her face fell, "But I probably wouldn't be able to do them with these wimpy wings - they're too small to be any good."
Luna knelt in front of Scootaloo, and whispered conspiratorially.
"I'll tell you a secret. I had small wings too, once," then she winked, "I'll teach you, tricks and all."
"Really?" Scootaloo perked up.
Luna smiled and nodded. "Ready?"
"Of course I am."
"Then let us begin."
Luna coached Scootaloo, starting with some simple wing exercises to build strength - and to loosen the muscles up. If she remembers this dream - they'll help in reality too...
The repetitive motions were boring to Scootaloo, though if they got her flying she'd put up with the boredom. That didn't stop her mind from wandering however, going through one more wing stretch, Scootaloo couldn't help but ask:
"What would the group want with Dash though?"
Luna paused in her exercise count to frame her reply.
"I have some suspicions, but I'm certain that Rainbow Dash can handle whatever comes her way."
Scootaloo immediately blurted, briefly forgetting that she was addressing one of the Princesses.
"But if you don't know where she is, how can you know she'll be able to handle things?"
Luna had no convincing answer for Scootaloo's logic.
"Rainbow Dash freed me from the dark side created by my own insecurities, when I was powerless to do so myself. I have to believe she can face this as well." Luna looked directly into Scootaloo's eyes, "But if she needs aid - we'll both be there for her. Now back to flight training."
Under Luna's tutelage, Scootaloo continued to absorb the information given, before making her first attempt to put it into practise.
Scootaloo's wings strained to gain enough lift: her hooves left the ground. Then the filly fell forwards, overbalanced from the unexpected ascent.
"That's it - just try not to lean forwards as you take off." Luna encouraged.
Each lift-off attempt achieved more - longer periods of sustained airtime, though Scootaloo quickly got bored with the yo-yo effect of Luna's basic flight lessons. She wanted to fly. So she started to add directions.
Adding directionality proved to be a bad idea. All that achieved was to destabilise her form, though it clued Luna in to her difficulties.
"The simplest form of directional flight is that of a forward glide. Using what I've already taught you about lift, take a running start to get airborne. Then use that momentum to keep yourself aloft for as long as possible." Luna instructed, wondering just how much basic wing power Scootaloo could generate.
Scootaloo took a deep breath before starting her run, her wings moving in sync with her hooves to attain the required lift and momentum for a basic glide. It worked, Scootaloo stayed airborne for just ten seconds.
Luna subtly lit her magic up, highlighting the leading feathers on Scootaloo's wings, wincing at the pain the simple charm was causing her.
"Again, this time a little faster and longer."
Scootaloo tried again, the basic glide being maintained with ease - this time lasting for nearly thirty seconds.
"Now lets try a gliding turn. Once airborne, dip the leading wing in the direction you want to go in." Luna coached, then clarified, "That is, dip your left wing for left turn and the right for a right turn."
Scootaloo nodded, launched herself from a running start and added a turn. Successfully, though it did reduce her airtime again.
Luna smiled, and then proceeded on to powered flight - flight that required wing beats to maintain.
These lessons proved more interesting and problematic. Wing powered flight was harder overall, but was closer to what Scootaloo had expected. As such she was… over-enthusiastic in her attempts.
On the first attempt, Scootaloo ascended further than was wise. She also made the mistake of looking down. Luna looked like a filly and the ground was rather distant.
The emotional part of Scootaloo's mind was ecstatic. This is so cool! I'm flying!
The logical part of the mind was worried about the lack of protection and that took priority. This caused her wings to miss a beat and for Scootaloo to start falling.
Luna spotted it, and called up a crash mat underneath the falling filly, ignoring the ache the magic caused. The set was guided down softly.
"If you find yourself not in control of your flight and falling, just remember this. Lock your wings in an extended position and use the slowing effect to glide into a safe landing," Luna told Scootaloo, before demonstrating the recovery glide. "Now try again - with less height this time."
It wasn't long after mastering the glide techniques that Scootaloo become proficient enough in flight that Luna could dismiss the crash mat. Scootaloo was flying slowly around the fountain under her own power. Her speed picked up as her confidence grew.
Luna watched as Scootaloo attempted some more advanced manoeuvres, gently issuing verbal corrections on wing position and posture.
Even an eager Scootaloo ran out of energy in the end. Landing alongside Luna, Scootaloo managed to pant out.
"That ....was.... awesome... Thanks Luna."
"My pleasure, Scootaloo. Time to put you to bed."
Luna wrapped Scootaloo in her dark blue magic, placing her securely on her back as an exhausted Scoots closed her eyes.
The courtyard faded out to be replaced by the mist of the dream realm. In front of Luna, Scootaloo's dream bubble floated, no longer black but a vibrant blue.
Sweet Dreams Scootaloo.
Luna returned to the physical world, with a smile on her face. That is, until her eyes landed on the gem still held in her telekinetic grip. The itch in her mind returned with a vengeance, along with a migraine.
The gem still shone - but this time stayed green. Luna frowned at it, bothered by how the gem could be linked with the troubles in the dream realm. This gem must have been Kavrama's focus. Luna recalled the small ember of green she had spotted with her earlier magic scan. If I find her... she better have a good explanation for her meddling in dreams - otherwise...
Luna merged the gem with her crown, flinching as pain flowed from powering the spell. The green gem settled on top of the pointed crest. What ever was in that dream was really powerful for it to have affected this form as well....
Luna continued on, the mystery of that power occupying her thoughts. The itch of the back of her mind pushed aside once more.
Why do you not listen? Have events in the dream realm not told you there is a bigger problem here?
The shock wave created by Rainbow Dash's fast ascent from a stationary hover bowled both the experienced stunt flyers backwards.
Soarin was hit first, simply as he'd approached Dash before being forced back from the heat.
Spitfire had been smarter and stayed back from the flames - though she had openly admired the speed and courage Dash showed in stopping the mistimed Rainboom. Plus the fire effect did look cool.
As such, Spitfire had an extra split-second to react.
The wave pushed both Wonderbolts towards the stands and further apart. Spitfire concentrated over the uncontrolled tumbling, remembering the Dizzitron coaching she had put every single Cadet through. Now was the time to put her own teachings into action.
Spitfire flared her wings and began to slow her own spin sufficiently to regain control. Once basic control of the aerial somersaults had been achieved, Spitfire could focus on the rhythm of the air molecules and 'ride the wave' up and over the stands.
The worst part over, the perfect finish would be for the Wonderbolt pair to meet up in the exact epicentre of the sonic boom. With that in mind, Spitfire - ever the consummate professional in stunt work - flipped back over and spiralled into position; only to find that Soarin' wasn't there to meet her.
In fact, he'd tumbled into the upper tier of stands, having not pulled off a recovery in time to prevent a collision.
Shaking her head slightly, Spitfire angled her flight towards Soarin' - her hoof giving a subtle signal to the watching, non-performing section of her team that she could handle this. Though, she did send them after Dash. Saving hundreds of lives in one day is a lot to deal with for anypony - let alone a new recruit.
Upon reaching Soarin', Spitfire could see that he was still dazed. Not that she could really blame him - dealing with an unexpected sonic shockwave could disorient even the best flyers. Thank Celestia that I'd put the Dizzitron through its paces every time we have a seasonal recruitment drive. As well as test it the day before the final exams.
Helping Soarin' from his prone position, Spitfire muttered:
"A few more sessions on the Dizzitron wouldn't go amiss."
A slurred, automated 'Yes Ma'am' was issued by the stunned stallion. What happened to Rainbow Dash? And why didn't she feel the heat from the fire?
Soarin's musing was interrupted by a glimpse of three teammates leaving the Cloudeseum from the performer's archway carrying saddlebags of emergency supplies. As indicated by the bright red cross on the nearest. His eyes drifted from them to catch Spitfire's gaze.
Spitfire knew what he was silently asking.
"They're going after Dash." After a brief pause, Spitfire added, "Go on, you featherhead, join them." Spitfire watched Soarin go after the leaving group and sighed as she turned to the task of clearing the fans from the stadium. Why did I ever think having those two love birds on the same display team was a good idea?
------
Pinkie Pie bounced along, happy as always, greeting other ponies as she went.
"Afternoon Daisy - how's the garden coming? Roseluck, good to see you're feeling better after that last scare you had."
She continued on, wondering what fun things her friends had planned. All except Rainbow Dash, Pinkie already knew her plans - first performance with the Wonderbolts today. Oooo I should plan a Congratulations on a First Superiffic Stuntacular Flight for Dashie!
As Pinkie planned out the party, her bouncing stopped and her whole body shook. My Pinkie Sense is telling me of a Doozy!
The trembling suddenly eased off.
"That's odd... doozy's are very rare. Wonder what this one is for?" Pinkie started looking for the cause of the doozy - even though it wasn't often that the trigger for her Pinkie Sense was so easily revealed.
Her entire torso underwent an even greater Doozy-signal as she looked northwest. Hmmm, that means the doozy's going to occur in that direction. The shaking subsided as a bright flash followed by vertical prismatic spirals appeared in the sky. Pinkie paused, staring at the display. That's so pretty.....
Her thoughts were interrupted by her Pinkie Sense leaving completely - though not before another full body quake. That was it! That was the Doozy! And what a delightful Doozy it was.
She continued bouncing, needing to get work on Dash's Surprise Superiffic, Stuntacular First Wonderflight Party. Not that Pinkie Pie thought party planning was work.
Her plans were interrupted by a Sense Combo - one that she'd never had before. First her nose felt warm, followed by a twitchy tail and ended with a pinchy knee.
Hmmm, what could that one mean? I know twitchy tail means something falling and pinchy knee means something scary is about to happen, but I have no clue what a warm nose means....
"I'll have to ask Twilight what she thinks." Pinkie Pie changed direction mid-bounce and headed for the library.
-------
Applejack was standing by her market stall in Ponyville's central square - actually it was her apple cart, Sweet Apple Acres didn't have the bits to spare to get a proper stall set-up - when her attention was drawn skyward.
"What the hay...?"
In the north-western part of the sky was a vertical column - no a twister - of multi-coloured light.
"If ah didn't know any better, ah'd have said that was a Rainboom..." Applejack resolved to speak with Twilight at the end of the market day to see if she knew what that sight was.
-----
Rarity was serving customers in her Boutique, when a few newcomers entered.
"Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique." Rarity issued her standard patter, adding, "please look around, I'll be with you shortly."
As they followed Rarity's suggestion to browse, they talked among themselves. Rarity knew it was unladylike to eavesdrop, but she could not help overhearing some of their conversation.
It seemed there had been quite a to-do at the Cloudeseum earlier that afternoon. During the premier performance of the Wonderbolts' newest member, a stunt resulted in that member catching fire. The new Wonderbolt then proceeded to fly up and out - leaving the other two performers to smooth things out. Although, the captain - Spitfire, was it? - had to do most of the work since the other member had been knocked out by the stunt's shockwave.
Rarity only knew of one new recruit in the Wonderbolts' ranks: Rainbow Dash.
Oh my. I simply cannot believe that Rainbow would just leave and let her colleagues do the work. She wouldn't leave an injured pony either - no matter what her condition was. Her eyes widened as the gossip sank in. Rainbow Dash had caught fire - and was now on her own.
This calls for extreme measures... and Twilight, of course.
-----
A group of startled birds gathered on Fluttershy's windowsill. Their anxious chirping interrupted a quiet teatime.
"Oh my goodness! Whatever could have occurred to scare you so?" Fluttershy exclaimed in her usual soft tone, as she opened the window to let them in. The birds took the invite and fluttered in, all of them telling their stories at once, confusing the poor pegasus.
"So a loud noise disturbed your nap and an unusual lightshow destroyed a mountaintop?!?"
The birds, now more comfortably settled inside the cottage home, were able to clarify and confirm the story.
Which only served to worry Fluttershy further. She sped round the room, packing a saddlebag full of various supplies and serving more birdseed to her unexpected guests.
"I really must do something... perhaps Twilight knows about it? What if she doesn't?" Fluttershy left the cottage, flying fast as she could towards Twilight's library, calling back over her shoulder to her bunny companion.
"Be good and play nice with the others Angel."
The last thing she saw before going out of sight, was Angel Bunny giving her a cheeky salute.
-----
Twilight was reading up on the recent diplomatic treaties and proposals that concerned Equestria and its neighbouring, as well as distant lands, when Spike called to her.
"Twilight - you've gotta see this!"
Looking up from her studies, Twilight eyed her assistant warily, before getting up and moving towards the window the young dragon was staring out of.
"What is more important than gaining knowledge of the current diplomatic situation of Equestria and -…", her words were cut off as Twilight caught sight of a prismatic column twisting upwards and dissipating in the upper atmosphere.
"What is that...?"
Spike shrugged, "I thought you'd know."
Twilight didn't, but she knew how to find out;
"Spike, collect up every book we have on Atmospheric and Astronomical Phenomenon."
Spike got to work, and Twilight started her investigations. She got so wrapped up in this side-quest that she nearly missed the knock on the library door. Spike, however didn't.
Four of their friends stood there, with varying expressions on their faces. From Pinkie Pie's cheerful 'I've got a great puzzle for Twilight' look, through Applejack's open curiosity and Rarity's concern, to Fluttershy's look of timid horror.
Pinkie Pie didn't need any more invitation than the open door to bounce in and start speaking. The others were more polite and waited for permission to enter. Spike gestured them in.
"Twilight! Twilight! My Pinkie Sense told me of a doozy and then I had a combo that I'd never had before. Warm nose, twitchy tail and then a pinchy knee." Pinkie's words tumbled over themselves faster and faster, only for AJ to place a calming hoof over her mouth.
"Simmer down, sugarcube. Twilight's not going to be able to keep up with your fast-talking."
"I quite agree. How any pony can speak so fast and expect another to have a civilized and clear reply, I have no idea."
"Ummm, there's a bigger problem than Pinkie's speed of speech...... I mean, something damaged a mountain and startled my feathered friends..... *meep*" Fluttershy hid behind her mane as her voice petered out.
Twilight Sparkle eventually got her guests settled and had each of them tell their stories one by one. This took some time, and afterwards Twilight tapped the side of her head with a hoof in deep contemplation.
"I can't help but wonder if all those events are connected..." Twilight speculated, "but what would link an unusual lightshow, Pinkie's odd Sense, tales of a firey Rainbow Dash and the damaged mountain?" She started pacing
"The occurrences are too close together to be simply coincidence, although some of the stories are bound to be hyperbole." Twilight threw a reassuring glance over at the group, "Not that I doubt your words in any way, I am sure you all reported what you heard and saw accurately. This will need close study and detailed investigations."
Twilight beamed, "If we all pitch together, we can find the answer."
------
Soarin and the rest of the Wonderbolts caught up to the scout sent after Rainbow Dash.
"See anything, Eagle Eye?"
"I did, but you're not going to believe it." The scout replied, none could keep up with Rainbow in speed, but with endurance flying, and a lot of luck meant that Eagle Eye could catch up. A simple gesture indicated the mountain below.
Soarin and the support team flew down to take a closer look. The scout circled overhead trying to spot the downed pegasus.
Eagle Eye was right..... I don't believe it. Soarin' gasped as he took in the mountain face - in particular, the tunnel that now ran through it. While inspecting the tunnel, a loud call from Eagle Eye caught their attention.
"Far side and hurry - looks like we have company."
The group sped round the mountain, and spotted Eagle Eye diving towards the base. They followed Eagle down to spot what he meant by company. A group of bears - that were converging towards a rocky spot. Thankfully they weren't Ursas.
The Wonderbolts formed up and prepared a false attack run on the bears. With the team's agility honed from the stunt performances, they could fool the bears into thinking their numbers were greater.
Some time later, the bears - discouraged by the fast flyers that refused to be swatted – vacated the area. Eagle Eye glared after them, making sure that they didn't come back as the equipped section came towards the rocks he was hovering protectively over.
Nestled between the rocks, was the unconscious and injured form of Rainbow Dash. Her coat’s color had returned to its normal cyan, her multicolour mane was no longer made of fire and she was no longer radiating extreme heat.
As the medic packs were brought out, a gentle warmth grew around them. Eagle Eye was the first to react,
"Princess Celestia! This is an unexpected honour."
The rest of the Wonderbolts paused in their tasks to turn and bow to the Solar sovereign. Soarin' did the same - though his gaze kept sliding towards Dash as he genuflected to their main sponsor, even if that fact was generally unknown to the public.
"Rise, my little ponies. I am only here to help." Celestia replied, walking towards the fallen Dash. Golden light surrounded them all, easing any aches their wings had gained from the flight out - as well as healing any bruises and cuts gained from facing the bear troupe.
Soarin' felt his head clear - flying out after that crash was not a good idea - though he had not noticed any discomfort from his exertions. The aura faded, Rainbow Dash didn't appear to be healed, but it was hard to tell considering the dust and dirt of her landing location.
"You needn't worry about Rainbow Dash. She will be taken to Canterlot, where she can recover from her ordeal." Celestia was now alongside Rainbow, and golden light wrapped around them both as the Princess teleported them both away. Though if what I suspect is true, Rainbow will have an even greater ordeal ahead.
Part of Soarin wanted to go to Canterlot, but his more logical side told him to report to Spitfire. After all, Princess Celestia said Dash would recover there. I can always visit later.
None of the Wonderbolts had any reason to doubt their Princess - though it was a highly irregular occurrence - so the medical kits were repacked and they took flight back to Wonderbolts Academy. The Academy also served as a base of operations as well as a training ground.
While the others stored their equipment, Soarin' flew straight to Spitfire's office. His knock on the door was swiftly answered with a curt 'Enter'.
Soarin' entered the room to find Spitfire staring at a pile of paperwork. Injury reports always create a mess.....
"Update on the condition of Rainbow Dash, ma'am."
"Please tell me it’s good news. The PR department have been on my back about the situation since I returned." Spitfire fixed her piercing gaze on Soarin'.
"Well, I..... you'll have to be the judge of that yourself." Soarin' fidgeted under her scrutiny.
Spitfire sighed, "Let's hear it. What's the damage?"
Soarin' summarised the search, the tunnel in the mountain and the fight with the bears.
"As to Dash's status and location, Princess Celestia showed up and took her to Canterlot to recover."
"Princess Celestia just showed up?!?" Spitfire was incredulous.
"Yes, ma'am, and teleported herself and Dash away."
"Thank you for your report. Tomorrow go to Canterlot to see Dash, dismissed."
Soarin left with a salute.
Spitfire rubbed her head with her hooves. Explaining this to PR is going to be a massive headache....
------
The afternoon turned to evening; Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy had to take their leave - younger sisters and cute critters needed their caretakers.
The sun set and even Pinkie's eagerness to find out what her Pinkie combo meant couldn't compete with the time.
Twilight continued working into the night, not willing to give up just yet.
--------
Like Twilight, Spitfire was working late on the draft report for their Public Relations Department to refine and issue.
Unlike Twilight, Spitfire wasn't going to obsess over the details and was more than willing to let others do the worrying for her. As such she was happy with her draft and re-read it before placing it into the PR's in-tray.
'At approximately 15:15 on October 6, an experimental stunt was premiered.
This stunt had a minor technical hitch: the anti-inflammatory coating actually caught fire, resulting in a shock to the performers. It did, however, perform a protective function instead, meaning the performer in question is not harmed from the heat and flames.
Further information will be made available in due course.'
-------
Twilight rubbed her eyes as words started to blur, she still wasn't anywhere close to a solution. Her book-littered desk was lit by silver moonbeams, and the lateness of the hour began to sink into Twilight's mind. Still not going to give up.
A quiet knock on the door drifted to her ears. Twilight glanced over at Spike - sleeping away on top of a pile of books and answered the door cautiously. Who could be calling at this time?
A gray mailmare with mismatched eyes greeted her.
"Delivery for Princess Twilight Sparkle. Royal Express from Canterlot."
A hoof extended a white book and a clipboard towards her.
"Oooo." Twilight's eyes lit up at the sight of the book, almost missing the next request.
"Would you mind signing for it?"
Twilight took the offered quill, signed and wrapped the book in her magic. This is one I haven't seen before! Wonder what this one's about.
Twilight closed the door, examining the book for a clue as to what was contained within. No title, no author's mark, just a six-coloured circle on a background of white.
Curious, Twilight opened to the first page - to see no known written language. Celestia must want me to translate this to further my studies. Glee filled Twilight Sparkle as she set to her new task.
Mahiri’s magic fizzled out, allowing him to fall into the dust cloud where Rainbow Dash had landed. Immediately, he was able to see the inner dust cloud highlighted in a sheen of red light.
“Ah, so it seems Kuvvet has come to your rescue yet again,” he called down.
Through the dust, he couldn’t see Dash, but he knew she was unharmed. After all, the embodiment of Kuvvet’s magic would never submit to such a feeble attack. He landed on another pane of yellow magic, well within the cloud of dust and red light.
Rainbow Dash’s eyes fluttered open, her irises a bright crimson and the stripe of red in her mane and tail radiating a flowing energy.
Mentally, she took stock of her situation. She turned her head, feeling the mangled rock of the floor shift against her left cheek. The red power of Strength was surging through her, aiding in the recovery of her senses. She regained her bearings in less than a few seconds.
Then she remembered how she ended up in a crater on the floor in the first place.
Mahiri descended further into the dust, keeping his golden eyes settled on the epicenter of the bright red light. Suddenly, something unexpected occurred. The red light was beginning to flicker out, being replaced by a golden hue. A large smile crept across his face in anticipation.
Ok, Rainbow Dash, Star Prism called to her from within. I do believe we’ve wasted enough time fooling around with our host.
Dash smiled; Star Prism’s words sounding rather humorous despite her situation.
Alright, Star. Let’s end this.
Dash’s mane was now a glowing mix of bright gold and deep red. She used her wings to push up, landing on all fours. Through the dust, the pulsating shine of Mahiri’s nerves was clearly visible, and she braced for her assault.
Mahiri was no stranger to the nature of sneak attacks. He knew Rainbow could see him; as he was looking at the intense brightness of her nerves. Their eyes locked, and Dash harnessed the power of agility once more to initiate combat.
She jumped, hard and accurately straight toward Mahiri, rearing back for a punch. As usual, Mahiri dodged, countering Rainbow’s blow with one of his own to her extended shoulder. She couldn’t feel the blow, but knew it hit since she was knocked back a few feet. Without her thinking about it, a prismatic square of magic formed behind her, allowing her to use it to push off from and get another quick jab at Mahiri.
To his shock, a beautifully crafted pane of prismatic glass-like magic had formed behind Dash, perfectly mimicking his own technique. She was on him again in a flash, an odd glow of yellow and red lining her cerise eyes.
In the next instant, Rainbow Dash’s hoof sank and twisted into Mahiri’s cheek, sending him flying into an uncontrolled spiral with incredible speed.
The smirk on Rainbow’s face was arguably the most satisfying she’d ever had, seeing her tormentor being fed a piece of his own medicine. Mahiri had to manually fix the dent in his cheek as he crashed to and skipped across the floor. Had be been actually alive, that kind of blow would’ve taken his head clean off. Still skidding, he released a burst of magic to levitate himself, flipping to all fours.
Dash could see Mahiri begin to right himself, and she took off as the prismatic pane of magic vanished from behind her. In two seconds, she was on him again, throwing punch after punch.
Mahiri began dodging, the force of Rainbow’s punches blowing him back whenever he had no choice but to block instead of dodge. The ferocity of Rainbow’s attacks matched Kuvvet to a tee, and her speed nearly matched that of-
“Oof!”
Rainbow had successfully landed a hard hit to Mahiri’s midsection, knocking the wind from him and sending him flying again. Instead of waiting for him to regain his bearing, Dash decided to strike while the iron was hot.
Again, the prismatic magic formed at her flanks, and she used to brace against to send her flying after her opponent. As they met, Rainbow attempted to land another blow, only to be roughly countered by Mahiri in mid-flight. He pushed her hoof away, simultaneously landing himself a solid blow to Rainbow’s belly with his hind leg.
Now it was Rainbow’s turn yet again to wince in pain. She was knocked a few feet up, and Mahiri fired a concussive blast of magic into the air right in front of her.
“Whoa! Watch it!” Dash yelled.
Mahiri simply smiled, pointing up.
Dash turned cold, hearing the sound of an explosion, tumbling rock and rushing air above her. She looked up, an unfamiliar outline of yellow encompassing several unseen and massive structures; falling straight at her.
She looked back to Mahiri, who had already darted away. Upon looking up again, she worked to analyze the rocks’ path of descent. She simply wasn’t fast enough to dodge the massive boulders, one the size of a common cart dropping onto her head and cracking like an egg against her scalp.
Mahiri was watching from his new position, biting his lower lip and fearing the worst. But as the boulder fell apart, and Rainbow’s wings were still beating, his frown of worry warped into a smile of admiration. My, my. A blow like that would’ve killed any other mage than Kuvvet. She truly does possess his magical prowess. He began climbing back to meet her on his panes of magic, watching her with utmost caution as she hovered. He moved closer, seeing a thin sheen or red magic highlighting her body, swirling as oil does on the surface of water.
“Tisk tisk, Rainbow Dash. The object it to dodge the rocks, not use your head,” Mahiri joked.
Rainbow simply stared straight, a bright prismatic pane of magic forming under her hooves. She folded her wings, dropping onto it. The yellow portion of her mane and tail erupted into a bright shine, and a sheen of yellow energy formed at her hooves in a circle around her. She turned, eyes now a unnaturally bright gold.
Mahiri nearly froze with fear.
“So. You want a fight? You GOT one,” Dash hissed.
Something was off about her voice. It sounded to Mahiri like a mix of his own and hers. He began to sweat, watching the fruits of his meddling begin to bloom into something he could never survive against.
Rainbow Dash was now the embodiment of his own power.
He took a step back, watching with visible horror as Dash’s prismatic magic extended to let her walk toward him.
“What? You aren’t chickening out, are you? I thought you were the boss here?”
Dash’s words mind as well have been spat as she neared Mahiri, eyes still a fiery gold.
“R-Rainbow Dash…” Mahiri stuttered, still backing away. “Think… you mustn't lose control.”
Dash paused her advance, looking around at herself. The yellow sheen of energy that encased her body shone brightly, her forelock was still blazing its bright yellow, and she also noticed the yellow stripe within her cutiemark also alight with a shining aura.
“Lose control? Nonsense, I feel great,” Dash said, eying Mahiri. “The mirror image of what you’re about to feel, Blondie.”
Seems her vocabulary has also been amped up a little. Vista… stay outta this… He thought, still backing away.
Dash was finished with Mahiri’s shenanigans. She had harnessed the Yellow Power to its fullest extent, and unlike before, she was ready to use it to finish him.
She snapped into action, moving far too quickly for any normal pony to see. The Yellow Mage himself was having trouble keeping up with her as she homed in, landing a solid punch to his face.
His helmet left his head, flinging from his horn like a ring-toss in reverse. The force had sent him flying with enough speed to create a mach cone around his body. Rainbow Dash wasted no time, using the prismatic fields of magic to follow him without using her wings. In seconds, she was in position to stop, extend her elbow and halt Mahiri’s flight by sinking it into his back.
A muffled exhale came from Mahiri as his back was bent unnaturally backward, Rainbow’s red stripe flashing to life upon impact and fading almost immediately after. She adjusted, creating another pane of magic beneath him and bringing both hooves together down on his cheek. He careened downward, smashing through the magical barrier headfirst as though it were a window. However, before he reached the ground, a yellow platform shimmered to life beneath him and only served to dampen his fall as he smashed through it.
He picked himself up, wiping blood from his lip and coughing some up. The strange fact that he wasn’t really alive made this seem surreal. He heard the clop of hooves on the concrete ground behind him, and he spun to face the greater power.
“Well…” He coughed again, dry this time. “I do believe you’ve gained quite the comprehension of my power…
Dash had walked close enough for Mahiri’s horn to touch her forehead.
“So,” Dash began in a harsh tone, “we done here?”
Mahiri looked her in her now golden eyes. As fast as he could, he shot his hoof at her face for a surprise hit.
Dash’s eyes flicked to Mahiri’s shoulder as a pulse of light, brighter than the rest, traveled down his back and into his foreleg. She immediately extended her wing, pushing it out in front in a blur of yellow-sheened cyan. Mahiri’s hoof sank into her feathery appendage, stopping a few millimeters from her nose. It was a perfect display of the Yellow Power.
Mahiri was again stunned at Rainbow Dash’s incredible reflexes. She had effectively mastered in twenty minutes the skills it had taken him all his life to develop. As he stood with his hoof entangled in Dash’s feathers, a smile snaked across his muzzle with a line of fresh blood from the corner.
He knew she had called upon the power willingly this time, as her calm demeanor remained in the face of harrowing odds.
Dash lowered her wing, taking Mahiri’s hoof with it. A single primary feather drifted down between them. She looked to her wing, shaking it a little. Her golden gaze shifted back to Mahiri.
“You just cost me a primary feather,” she said, her voice again interlaced with his own. “For that, I’m gonna cost you your teeth…”
In a flash, she spun with a pivot motion on her forehooves, connecting her rear hooves with Mahiri’s jaw. He was sent spiraling through the air like a rag doll, vortices trailing all four hooves and horn. He righted himself in the flight, flinging several knives at Rainbow.
She saw the glints of metal headed her way, and she jumped out of the way.
Seeing the knives would fail, Mahiri extended his magic outward, enchanting them.
Rainbow watched as the knives glowed a soft yellow, turning to follow her. She began shifting paths through the air, using her new found magical abilities. She formed one prismatic pane of magic after another, using them to jump out of the way of the lethal knives. When she would jump away, one knife would always lodge into the very spot on the magic she had occupied.
She had reduced the number of knives to only three, turning her attention to Mahiri once again. He had been standing on his own square of magic, controlling the knives like some sort of mad puppet master. An idea flashed in her mind - a way to end this. She knew he wasn’t alive, as her earlier attacks would have easily killed even the toughest ponies.
One of the three knives homed in again; Dash barely avoiding it and taking the loss of a sliver of glowing mane. The second knife had homed in, Rainbow hearing the whistle of air running over its razor edge. She twisted her body, feeling the cold scrape of metal over her right flank and shoulder. She landed on a new pane of magic, quickly jumping to avoid the third that squealed in from the left side. She began moving toward Mahiri, constantly moving to avoid the flurry of constantly incoming knives.
Mahiri’s mind and “body” were at ease, but his magical abilities were being stretched to his limits. Repairing the major internal damage done by Rainbow Dash earlier, along with keeping himself in the air and keeping Dash occupied from well over three hundred feet away had his horn glowing red hot from pure strain. There was no way he could hold her off for much longer.
Rainbow Dash had moved within close looking distance, seeing Mahiri in visible strain. He was losing his edge. She began moving faster toward him, astounded that her body was able to handle her extreme moves without tiring.
Must be that freaky magic… She thought with a smile. Her body was empowered with a supply of the highest end magic available, altering her muscles and to perform the extreme maneuvers. She could only hope it wouldn’t be a pyrrhic victory for her body.
“Hey Mahiri!” She called, still avoiding the knives. “I can see you slipping! Do yourself a favor and cut it out before I make you!”
Mahiri didn’t respond and for all Rainbow knew, he hadn’t even heard her. She didn’t like being ignored, and had now begun a full assault on his position. The knives had begun to chase her; Rainbow counting on them to match her speed. She began running, using the prismatic magic as a helix-style highway to bore in on Mahiri. With each step, she increased her speed, becoming a glowing blur of yellow light with the trio of knives hot on her heels.
Mahiri opened his eyes, seeing nothing but a flash of prismatic light as Dash halted her mad sprint with a final burst of magic, allowing her to jump high and watch as her plan was set into motion. Mahiri had taken his focus off the knives, looking to Rainbow with bewilderment. Her sudden change in path was soon made clear as the sound of three sharp objects penetrating armor could be heard.
Mahiri looked down, allowing his magic to flicker out. He fell to the ground, landing on his hooves, before losing his stance and falling to his belly. Rainbow Dash had fluttered down, landing a few feet away. She smiled wide, seeing the three knives protruding from Mahiri’s already damaged chest plate. He was breathing hard, a puddle of red expanding from under him.
Her smile instantly twisted into a frown, the realization that she had probably just killed him catching up with her.
“Oh sweet Celestia… I-I’m so sorry… I-”
Mahiri raised a hoof weakly. “H-Hey… Don’t worry. This b-body isn’t my own…” He assured her.
His foreleg dropped with a thud and he spit up globs of blood to the floor. His breathing suddenly ceased and his eyes glazed over.
Dash stepped back, a false sense of terrible guilt making her power diminish and her body revert to normal. She began to tear up, dropping to her belly and allowing her wings to go limp.
"M-Mahiri...?" She stuttered, her voice heavy with sadness and suppressed crying. "I didn't mean to... I mean... I-I..."
Star Prism could feel Rainbow's guilt and sadness, and he opted to reveal the truth before her sadness turned to anger that would be directed toward herself.
Rainbow Dash, Prism said as soothingly as possible, Do not worry. Mahiri's body is merely a very high level illusion spell. His real body died over one thousand years ago. He cannot be truly hurt.
As if on cue, Mahiri suddenly jumped up, removing the knives with loud slick noises. He dropped the knives to the floor, the clangs making Dash shoot into the air in fright.
"Hey!" She yelled, the scare angering her at first. Her anger suddenly turned to massive relief as Mahiri was standing tall, his wounds totally healed. The three holes in his chest plate revealed the golden coat on his chest, and the puddle of blood on the ground had dissolved into a mist of yellow.
She immediately swooped down embracing him in a tight hug. "I thought I Killed you!" She yelled, breaking the hug.
Mahiri shook his head and laughed a little before replying. "Oh, no. You couldn't do that if you tried."
Dash had a quick flash of challenge in her eyes, before the very thing she feared took her by surprise. Her body had succumbed to the extreme strain of the previous battle.
"Oh... no..." She slurred, collapsing to her stomach. Her muscles burned like fire and her eyes stung as though whiskey had been thrown in them.
Mahiri placed a hoof on her shoulder, smiling softly. "Rainbow Dash, I want you to know that your performance in the earlier fight far exceeded my expectations."
His compliment was met with a loud snore, and he chuckled with amusement at the snoring mare before him. He took something from his armor, setting it in front of Rainbow's sleeping form before using his magic to teleport away in a bright flash.
"Good luck, Rainbow Dash..." Mahiri's voice reverberated through the air as a farewell.
A bright ring of orange light surrounded her, and with a slight change in sleeping position, she sank into the floor.
A stout unicorn was resting atop a large acacia tree when a bright orange flash erupted from the black emptiness above. He looked up, focusing his bright tangerine eyes toward the light with a smile.
Better late than never, he thought. Getting up, he took a branch of acacia and put it in his mouth, chewing with a pleasant sigh. Another so called “Pigment Bearer”? That’s the second one in a year. He hopped from the tree, landing on the concrete floor with a loud clop. He walked calmly, focusing his magic around his rather short body in order to release his inner power. The Orange power of Endurance and Willpower.
Dash’s form fell through the darkness, wind rushing over her feathers. Her weary eyes fluttered open, instantly closing again from the rushing wind. Despite her predicament, her demeanor didn’t change in the slightest. She was used to waking up like this - falling off clouds during her naps had happened on occasion to her.
Her wings snapped open to stop her careen towards the earth, making her go from ‘sack of flour’ to a ‘feather in the wind’. She floated to the ground, sliding to a stop on the smooth, cool concrete. Her wings folded to her sides, and she let out a rough snore as she again fell asleep contently.
Caldius swallowed his mouthful of acacia branch, the large thorns breaking audibly as they were pushed down his esophagus. He spat out a knot from the wood, hitting the sleeping Rainbow Dash on the forehead. He hoof-pumped the air in triumph.
“Heh, still got it,” he chuckled to himself.
He walked over, sitting by the prismatic mare. Her frame was covered with bruises and cuts, and her mane was all but totally matted. Her wings fared no better, the feathers astrewn in various directions. Mahiri must’ve done a number on her, he thought. Let’s see if Vista’s healing spells still reside within my memory…
Caldius began to focus, his horn encasing itself with a bright orange glow. The soft orange aura enveloped Dash’s body and her cuts sealed while her bruises mended. She stirred in her sleep, a pleasant grin spreading across her muzzle as her feathers re-aligned and were gently pulled back into place.
He blushed, knowing pegasi who preened each other usually had some sort of romantic or family relationship. She was probably thinking her special somepony, if any, was beside her in her dreams.
“Soarin… Cut it out…” Dash mumbled with a giggle as the orange aura faded, leaving her coat virtually spotless and her feathers straightened.
Caldius’ smile straightened a little, bummed that yet another mare was out of his reach. Damn… he thought, looking down at the attractive, sleeping mare before him. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all.
He bent down, poking Dash’s shoulder with his sharp horn.
“Hey, kid. Get up,” he commanded flatly. “I didn’t heal you so you could sleep all night.”
Dash stirred, her eyes shooting open and her smile reducing to a pucker. She jumped to her hooves, the yellow and red stripes in her mane and tail shining with a ferocious light.
“Who’re you?!” Dash yelled, her wings spread as wide as she could manage; the classic pegasus’ intimidation method.
Caldius backed away slightly, but only so he could get her wingspan into his field of vision. “Wow, what beautiful wings you have,” he charmed.
Dash’s face turned from a snarl to a confused, blank stare as the light from her mane flickered out. “Uh... thanks?”
“You are very welcome. Now, as to the reason you are here-”
Dash help up a hoof, closing her wings. “The “Orange Trial” I presume?”
“-Yes. My name is Caldius, and I am the Orange Prismatic Mage.”
Dash rolled her eyes. “Gee, I couldn’t tell from the orange gilded cloak, orange eyes, horn, andorange coat,” Dash deadpanned. “I’m not much for fashion, but you guys are hard to look at sometimes.”
Caldius looked at himself, and back to Dash. “Well take a gander in a mirror sometime, then tell us we’re hard to look at,” he rebutted with a smug grin.
Dash’s eyes narrowed and the red portion of her mane glowed with a faint but easily visible light in the surrounding darkness.
“Mister, with the day I’ve had-”
“Four actually,” Caldius corrected.
Dash’s jaw would’ve dropped to the floor like one of her fillyhood cartoons if it could. Her ears flicked a few times, wondering if she had heard correctly.
“... What did you say?” she asked, her voice a few octaves deeper than normal.
“What? About you being here four days?” Caldius snickered.
Dash dropped to her butt, head hung low as the thought of Scootaloo tore through her mind. She looked up to Caldius, who was now sitting in a brightly shimmering orange loveseat.
“What?” he asked, a sly grin still on his face.
“But how... HOW have I been here four days?!” Dash cried, her eyes threatening to let a few tears forth.
“Oh, I dunno…” Caldius couldn’t contain his pent-up laughter. He let it go with a long, almost manic laugh.
Dash looked back up, clearly confused and on the edge of anger. “What?! You actually fell for that?! Hah! You’re more gullible than you look, that’s for sure!” He continued laughing.
Rainbow’s mood was punched in the gut, and she cascaded over the edge of anger. She let loose a yell of rage, thoroughly getting Caldius’ attention and making his laughter cease. She lunged at him, her mane remaining dull as her mindset again turned to murder. She wanted nothing more but to see this unicorn choked with his own horn.
She lunged, feeling no aid from her internal power as her anger took over. She was far slower than earlier, throwing her off and allowing Caldius to nimbly jump out of her path. Dash lost her focus for a fleeting moment, plowing face first into the acacia tree’s trunk. Her orange host simply sat where he had jumped and shook his head.
“Quite the impulsive one, aren’t you?”
Rainbow lifted her face from the tree, feeling a warm trickle down her face. Her blood boiled with rage- this time at herself.
“You know, I just used a considerable amount of magic to heal you, and this is how you repay me?” Caldius scolded.
She lifted her head from the tree, wiping her forehead and looking at her now dark red forehoof. She sighed, feeling her wound begin to pound and her vision double slightly.
“W-whatever…” Dash slurred. “So fix me again or something.”
Caldius frowned a bit at the mare’s demand. “Why? So you may embarrass yourself again?”
Dash attempted to rebut, but her speech slurred as her headache intensified. She collapsed, her wings flailing in a vain attempt to help her to her hooves.
Caldius chuckled to himself as he watched the rather pitiful sight.
“Whatever is the matter, ‘Rainbow Dash’?” her orange tormentor called over with strained empathy. “I thought you wanted to fight, not fall over like a helpless filly!”
Dash ground her teeth as his words hit her pride like a ton of bricks. She focused through the intense pain in her face and forehead, trying to block out her feelings of rage. She knew that the only way of winning these battles was to remain calm at all times and think things through. Easy enough… right?
“A-alright, let’s think things through here…”
But NOW it hurts to think, Star Prism interrupted. TRY not to hurt yourself, and by proximity, ME.
Dash shook her head violently in an attempt to shut him up. She could almost feel him in there being rattled around, cursing her name to the High Creator. It wasn’t until an acacia branch slammed into her flank that she finally snapped out of her stupor.
“HEY!” Dash yelled as she spun to see a large, thorny branch floating in a light orange aura.
“What the hay was that for?!”Dash yelled, looking from her now bleeding flank back to Caldius.
“Pay attention, “Dashie’,” he snickered.
Dash leaned over to her flank, pulling a massive thorn right from under her cutie mark’s lightning bolt. She spat it out, glaring at Caldius with a scowl that could melt steel.
“Okay Mr. Sherbert, what do you want?!” Dash hissed.
Caldius cocked his head to signal his confusion, before gesturing toward the floor behind Dash. She turned and looked down, seeing a dull glowing yellow crystal just within touching distance of her left hind hoof. She immediately recognized it, thinking of Mahiri as she turned to pick it up.
Caldius sat down, levitating another acacia branch over to eat. This was gonna be a helluva show. Rainbow reached for it, jerking her hoof back as an arc of yellow lightning jumped at her from it.
“What gives?!” she yelled to the crystal.
She quickly looked around with a raging blush, realizing that she had just yelled at an inanimate object. Geez. This trial crap is getting to me…
Caldius was holding a hoof over his mouth, trying to keep from breaking his “professional” image. Her antics had provided him with the most amusement in centuries.
“Just touch the damn thing alre-”
A bright flash of yellow erupted from the crystal, enveloping the shrieking Rainbow Dash in a dome of intense yellow light. Her screams were cut silent as the knowledge of Agility seeped into her mind, forever to be stored and used at will. As quickly as it appeared, the magnificent yellow dome of light had dissipated into a fog-like mist. The mist was funneling into the yellow portions of Dash’s mane and tail, making her go limp.
Caldius used a thorn from the tree to pick his teeth clean of his earlier meal before tossing it into his mouth and swallowing it whole.
“My, that was quite a display. I admire your abilities to create light shows," Caldius snickered. "Tell me, can you do anything useful?"
Dash awoke from her stupor, strangely calm. She could feel herself tapping into her power, her confidence and mental stability returning.
She was facing away from Caldius, seemingly looking into the blackness of the surrounding space. Her mane burst into a bright, shining red as she slowly turned to face him.
Caldius' cloak disappeared in a shimmering orange mist and he widened his stance. Dash's eyes glowed a bright crimson as they settled on her target.
"Enough showboating, Rainbow Dash! Show me you can harness MY power!"
Without a word, Dash's hind legs dug into the concrete floor from the force of her jump. Her wings snapped open and she flew straight toward Caldius, trailing a transparent line of red energy.
Caldius simply stood still, pointing his forehead forward. The contact came within a second, the tip of his horn exploding in a bright orange flash upon impact. The pressure concussion of the two opposing forces crushed the ground beneath, resulting in a massive crater similar to the one Rainbow had previously made in her fight against Kuvvet. The two combatants were hurled to the opposite and farthest reaches of the visible area, each bouncing a few times before skidding to a stop on their hooves.
The acacia tree was nearly blown over, rebounding and hanging over the edge of the smoldering crater.
Caldius had wavered only slightly, shaking his head and blowing a puff of air up onto his horn. His eyes finally locked onto Rainbow’s form. She was standing rigid and tall, a light aura of foggy white surrounding her form. Her breathing was even and slow, and she lowered her head with a puff of air from her nostrils.
“So!” she called over through the dust. “What’s your oh-so-special power?”
Caldius smirked, reaching out with his telekinetic grip to the acacia tree’s horrifically thorned branches. He took a branch, snapped it off, and tossed it over to Rainbow’s hooves.
“Eat it!” he commanded.
Rainbow looked down at the thorn-emblazoned branch, cocking her head. The white aura that surrounded her form faded, and her eyes returned to their natural ceruse.
“Uh, you’re joking, right?” she called back, leaning in to sniff the branch.
A bright flash of orange lit up the space just in front of her, and Caldius appeared. Dash’s initial reaction was a defensive stance with a loud snarl. However, the look on his face seemed to quell her thoughts a little, and she relaxed her stance with a curious look.
“What?” Dash asked, staring at him with uncertainty.
Caldius levitated the branch over to her, positioning it near her mouth. “Open wide!”
Dash’s face twisted with fear, looking at the gnarly branch and imagining the thorns tearing her mouth to shreds.
Caldius’ nose twitched as he looked at Dash. He knew instantly what was going on inside her head. The fear of pain and the unknown.
Dash could feel something trailing down her neck. She looked back as far as she could to see the orange stripe in her mane begin to turn a dull gray. She was horrified.
“What the HAY?! My mane! What’s going on?!”
Through her panic, she could still hear a familiar laughter.
Oh my… So quick to judge, Rainbow Dash. I am beginning to wonder if my influence is even getting to you at al-
“Didn’t I tell you to shut it?!” Dash yelled at nothing.
Caldius put a hoof over his mouth to keep from laughing at Star Prism’s antics. “Alright, Star, I believe the filly is already frazzled enough, don’t you think?”
Great, now he’s talking to you, Dash thought.
Oh forgive me if I’m more of the social type than you are.
Excuse me, but I don’t think being social is gonna help me right now! Did you see the size of those thorns?! He wants me to EAT that!!
Caldius cleared his throat, making Rainbow return her attention forward. “What? Not hungry?” he asked.
He levitated the branch over to himself, sticking out his tongue and placing the thorny foliage onto it. Rainbow shuddered visibly as Caldius nearly inhaled it, chewing voraciously with loud, almost obnoxious crunching. Dash winced at every chew, watching with a mixture of awe and absolute dread at what he was doing.
He swallowed, more audible snaps and cracks of the tasty treat echoing throughout the vicinity from his throat. Dash had to turn away, grinding her teeth in anxiety. Her neck muscles clenched as the last audible pop of a thorn sounded, followed by the throaty swallowing noise of a starved Banshee. She nearly hurled.
Caldius let out a megaphonic burp, vibrating the ground and making the acacia tree shake a little. Dash’s current state of disgust kept her immaturity from taking over, and she didn’t laugh like Caldius and Star Prism had expected. Instead, she dry-heaved, holding a hoof over her face to keep from throwing up. The image of shredded gums and a slit throat kept appearing in her mind, and she cringed hard.
“Mmm, just like the blueberries from my grandfather’s pasture,” Caldius chimed blissfully. “Delicious!”
Dash’s face lit up with a sudden intrigued expression. Her stomach rumbled loudly, and her muscles suddenly felt like jelly. Saliva filled her mouth as visions of blueberries danced through her mind. She had finally realized that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast of the morning before her airshow.
“Oh my, by the look on your face, you seem rather hungry,” Caldius observed. He reached out again with his magic, grabbing a smaller branch of the acacia tree and pulling it free. Dash’s eyes followed it, her mind still thinking of the blueberries he had so fondly spoken of.
“Does… Does it really taste like… Blueberries?” Dash asked, not taking her eyes off the thorny branch.
Caldius chuckled, setting the foliage in Dash’s waiting hoof. “Only one way to find out, my dear,” he cooed.
Dash lifted the mass of prickles up to her nose, inhaling deeply. She could smell neither blueberry, or anything for that matter. Her suspicion was slowly beginning to rise once again.
“So tell me, Caldy,” Dash began, looking up from the acacia branch with her suspicion completely refueled. “Why doesn’t it smell like blueberries?”
The orange unicorn was nearly thrown for a loop with the question accompanied by Rainbow’s trademark suspicious glare. But he knew exactly what she was thinking, for how indeed could a thorny gnarl of thorns and wood taste anything like blueberries?
“Doubt,” he said flatly. Dash’s eyes opened slightly from their suspicious squint, replacing her previous look with one of question. “Doubt is the handicap of all endeavours great, and small,” Caldius went on. “It is the exact opposite of everything my power represents. Willpower.”
He again levitated the branch, bringing it over to his mouth. “You see, through your past Trials, you have had to only use your already exceptional physical prowess. However, my Trial is not nearly the same as my counterparts’.”
Dash’s eyes flicked from his face to the floating acacia branch and back multiple times, trying to piece together Caldus’ speech through her nagging hunger.
“You will learn to bend matter around you according to your deepest desires, using merely your will.”
Dash’s jaw dropped momentarily, before she shook her head and closed her mouth. Her wings flared and she scoffed loudly. “That’s flat out impossible,” she declared, looking up and away.
Caldius sat, looking Dash in the eye. “Then this is going to be quite the experience for you, hm?”
Caldius had taken several branches of the acacia tree, laying them in front of Dash. She looked at them with a hungry, almost yearning look. Her stomach let out a feral growl, much to Caldius’ amusement. She blushed, looking away and holding her stomach.
“Shut it,” she whispered to herself.
Caldius continued eating, paying no mind to Dash and her boiling hunger.
How does he even stomach this stuff?! she thought, grimacing at the undoubtedly painful crunches emitting from his mouth.
“Okay, okay, hold it!” Dash called over, pushing the thorny twigs away. “How am I even supposed to eat these?! You haven’t even shown me how you do it!”
Caldius simply looked at his student, smiling to reveal several thorns between his teeth. Dash grimaced, looking away.
“What is there to know?” he asked with a straight face. “You simply eat and be happy!”
Dash’s brow furrowed for the hundredth time and her wings fanned. She flicked one of the branches, sending it a few feet out. Exhaling a loud sigh, she laid in front of the prickly parsels. Looking at them, her stomach growled again. Her wings folded back to her sides and she laid her chin on her forehooves, still eying the thorny branches.
How.
How does he do it. How does he eat those thorns like they’re cotton candy.
The mere thought of cotton candy spurred a leap in the burning sensation in her stomach and she groaned.
A familiar and unwelcome voice was there to answer her questions- and drop some humor to lighten up Dash’s situation.
What if i told you that Caldius is really just a big foal?
Dash’s ears perked instinctively toward each other as the voice between them sounded.
Great. You again? How many times have I told you to-
Shut it? Too many to count, Star Prism interrupted. Answer me this. How many times has my advice helped your recent situations?
Dash opened her mouth to speak, getting Caldius’ attention.
“Okay, Star Prism,” he called over to Dash. “Your meddling is doing nothing to help her Trial. If you recall, this was your most challenging trial,” he sneered.
“Oh really?” Dash called out, addressing Star Prism.
Yes, well…
“Yes well nothing!” Dash yelled. “Unless you can teach me how to turn this crap into a bag of hay fries, I don’t wanna hear it!”
Star Prism was silent.
“My dear,” Caldius said. “You are going to get nowhere with that attitude. Others may not unlock the power for you,” he assured.
Dash’s ears drooped and her wings twitched. She knew she would eventually be forced to eat something, and as far as she could tell, the only edible substance within this hole of Tartarus was the thorny branches before her. She nearly spat at them, wishing they would become a nice, daisy-filled sandwich.
Caldius looked over to Dash, raising an eyebrow. Come on, Rainbow Dash…
She pictured the delicious sandwich in her mind clearly, tasting the flavors and texture of the flowers’ delicate petals and the succulent centers. The bread, seasoned with basil and oregano, warm and crunchy, fresh from the Cakes’ fire.
Her saliva could’ve filled a small pool.
Right then, she felt something. A familiar surge of power throughout her body, originating from the roots of her mane. A particular spot on her head, where she knew the orange section of her mane stemmed. She opened her eyes, looking at the branches before her as they shimmered with an orange glow.
Caldius was now on the edge of his magical recliner, watching as his student worked her inner magic.
“What’s going on…?” Dash asked.
Immediately, the orange aura surrounding the branches dissipated, and Dash felt light headed as the glow from her mane faded. Her legs gave out, neck following. She fell in a crumpled heap, much to Caldius’ dismay.
He shook his head with disappointment, leaning back into his chair. Tossing a pebble from the previous explosion’s debris into Dash’s head, he laid back and looked into the black abyss above.
“You cannot doubt yourself, even for the slightest moment, Rainbow Dash. Our power is based on our confidence to accomplish the task at hoof. Even the slightest shake in that confidence and…”
He threw another pebble at her, missing her forehead by a centimeter.
“You’re lying in a crumpled heap from the backlash of a force too great for your weakness to command.”
Dash stirred, using her wing to lift herself up. Her leg took the wing’s place, hoisting her body into a standing position. She wobbled a bit, looking at Caldius with varying levels of focus.
“I must say, that is quite a feat. I’ve never seen anypony get up from a backlash like that,” he said.
“Yeah… well get used… to it,” Dash spat between breaths. “You aren’t gonna get rid of me that easily.”
Caldius giggled, levitating the branches over to her once again.
“Again.”
Dash rubbed the back of her head, trying to get the dizziness to fade. Undeterred, the vertigo remained, rendering her utterly defenseless. If this had been any of her past trials, she would’ve been nothing but an indention in the floor. Thankfully, this was a trial of the mind, not physical prowess.
Shaking her head again, Dash’s wings flared with determination as the unbearable sensation of hunger boiled in her stomach.
“Okay, this is it,” she mumbled.
Calduis chuckled to himself, picking his teeth with a leftover thorn. “Actions speak louder than wor-...”
A loud crunch and a squeak sounded from his left. He turned to see Rainbow Dash, mouth clamped shut around the acacia branch he had been levitating. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth, and her pupils were contracted. A tear began to flow from her eye as she began to chew where she stood.
Caldius couldn’t believe it. Through sheer desperation and hunger, Rainbow Dash had bitten the acacia branch clean off - and was chewing it. He quickly teleported the branch and its pulped half from her mouth, much to Dash’s dismay. She let her mangled mouth fall open, blood falling from the corner of her lips like a leaky tap.
“Goodness, Rainbow Dash,” Caldius exclaimed. “You really must work on your impulsive nature.”
Dash was beginning to feel the brunt of the injuries she had inflicted on herself from the frantic bite. Her eyes were watering, teeth clamped shut, and her ears were as flat as they could go against her head. Never before had she experienced such pain, even when she had broken her wing in several places. Her legs buckled and she collapsed to her belly, letting out a loud yelp.
“What was I thinking?!” she yelled, half obscured by her clamped teeth.
Caldius shook his head in disappointment. “Nothing, obviously.”
Why do you insist on hurting us? It feels like I just took a white hot ember and ate it!
Star Prism’s words did nothing to lighten the mood, only grinding Dash’s mood further. She stood, still leaking blood from her mouth. Caldius swiped his horn, leaving a thin magical wisp in its wake. The wisp took shape and enveloped Dash’s head. By this point, Dash was more than willing to tempt fate and find out what he was planning. Hopefully it was an end to this searing pain.
Caldius mumbled some words, and his eyes shone a bright orange as Dash’s head was wrenched upright. The torn gums and mangled cheeks mended, making Dash shriek in pain. But as soon as it began, the pain subsided and was replaced with a cooling sensation. Her mouth was fully healed, even a tooth that had been chipped during one of her unfortunate crashes long ago had been filled and restored.
The magic that held her upright vanished into a sparkling shower, letting Dash fall back to her belly. She looked up at Caldius, whose horn was glowing a dull red at the tip. He had used a large amount of magic, the results clear to Dash in the sense that her mouth felt normal as ever. Calduis, however, was breathing a little deeper and noticeably faster.
“Rainbow Dash,” he began. “This is the final time I will seal your wounds. This is your only warning.”
Dash nodded and stood up, instinctively running her tongue over her new gums and cheeks. She looked back over to the branches, sighing a little.
“Alright, so now what. I just “imagine” what I want and make it happen?”
Caldius nodded and sat on the floor. “... Put broadly, yes.”
Dash looked at the branches again, picturing them clearly in her mind.
“But remember,” Caldius interrupted again. “To harness the power is one thing, but to control it is quite another.”
Dash rolled her eyes, but took his advice into deep consideration. If there was one thing to learn from her recent experiences, it was that she did not have all the answers. Her all-knowing personality was diminishing in stature quicker than she had hoped, but she knew this was the only way to press on and survive.
She prepared herself, feeling the familiar rumble of her stomach adding fuel to her mental flame. She pictured a daisy sandwich, topped with the ripest, reddest tomatoes and lettuce greener than Rarity’s Nature Festival gown. Her mouth watered as the orange portion of her mane flickered to life once again, shrouding the largest branch in a shimmering aura.
Caldius watched, again anticipating what he hoped to be Dash’s comprehension of his power. The aura intensified, orange hue deepening and light shining brighter until the branch had disappeared within. Dash’s forehead was glistening with sweat as her mind fought to hold the image within. She could feel something reaching out, grasping the branch tightly in its grip. It didn’t hurt, nor did it feel like she herself was doing the action. She was completely still save for her wings fluttering lightly with strain. The light slowly but surely began to fade, accompanied by a gust of wind and a circle of dust expanding outward from the light.
As the light faded, Caldius looked on, not sure what to expect. He knew she was desperately hungry, but her grasp of his power was still very limited. As such were the constructs she could create. Nevertheless, what he saw was nothing short of shocking.
As the light faded, a lone sandwich sat on the floor. Caldius cocked his head a bit, trying to comprehend the choice. A sandwhich. Out of everything she could’ve made, she chose a sandwich. He shook his head as Dash opened her eyes and the light faded. He could see tears of joy lining her cheeks as she picked it up in trembling hooves.
Mutilatory inhalation was one way to describe what happened next. In all of five seconds, the foot long daisy sandwich was gone. The only evidence of it ever having been there was the slight bulge in Rainbow’s gut. She released a belch that would trip the Richter Scale, falling to her back in total bliss.
“No… Words…” Dash gasped between a series of smaller burps.
Caldius chuckled a bit, looking at her with a mix of pride and wonder. At least she has the basic concept, he thought.
"So, a sandwich, huh?" Caldius asked as he walked over.
Dash simply nodded as she lay there, still digesting the magical morsel. "What? You want one?" she sneered.
“Enough with the backtalk. You’ve had your fill of food. Now we get into the serious actions,” Caldius all but snarled.
Dash looked at him with narrowed eyes as she rolled to a standing position. She was feeling much better already, ready to take on anything. She readied herself, looking at her opponent with eyes reignited with the passion of challenge.
“Bring it,” Dash quipped as she extended her wings and widened her stance.
Caldius’ flowing cloak dissolved away into a mist of orange as he too widened his stance. Another branch of acacia hovered past Dash’s head to settle beside him. His eyes seemed to unfocus as he concentrated, and in a brilliant flash of orange, the acacia branch had formed into a large, menacing broadsword.
Dash’s ears flattened as she looked up at it and backed up a little. This was the real thing now. Caldius would now attempt to kill her in an effort to secure the knowledge of his power within her. He let out a grunt as the sword came down, nearly taking Dash’s extended wing clean off. She had rolled to the opposite side to avoid, but Caldius had anticipated this, turning the sword horizontal and sweeping along the ground toward his target. Only her quick thinking and mastery of her body saved her as Dash pushed up off the ground, taking flight. The sword dropped from his grip as Caldius attempted to disable her flight. A chain of orange formed around her midsection, pinning her wings to her sides.
She began to fall from the good thirty feet she had gained, flailing her legs in a vain attempt to remove the chains. An Idea flashed through her mind, and she pushed against the chains with her wings. The red in her mane flashed to life, granting her the unnatural strength to break the chains and pull out of her fall. Not waiting to see what else Caldius had in store, Dash focused on clearing her mind, trying to think of a suitable weapon - one she could wield.
Caldius was impressed at her use of Kuvvet’s power. She had done it quick and efficiently, countering his restraints. What was more, was that she could focus the power into a certain area of her body. Or, at least that’s what it looked like.
He quickly scooped up three pebbles, immediately forming them into small metal balls, complete with menacing barbed spikes. With a flick of his horn, he launched the metal spiked spheres toward his opponent.
For Dash, everything seemed to slow as she saw the incoming threat. Everything in her field of view turned a light shade of yellow, causing the projectiles to glow brightly against the darkness. She used this time to her advantage, moving her body in a way that all three missed at the same time. As soon as they passed, her vision returned to normal, and she hovered in place, wondering what happened.
“Well well,” Caldius shouted up at her. “It seems you are more in tune with my counterparts’ powers that I thought!”
Dash smirked, crossing her forelegs. “Gonna have to do better than that!”
Calduis smiled and shook his head as the metal balls clinked against the ground in the distance. “Ever so egotistical, Rainbow Dash.”
His magic encased a rock many times his size from the crater created earlier. Dash watched while remaining in her hovering position, wondering what he was planning next. The boulder suddenly split into multiple, long fragments, each sharpened to a shining tip. Dash raised an eyebrow and cracked a smile.
“Come on, you think those can hit me?” she called down.
Without a word, Caldius sent three of them flying at her. The sharpened spears cut through the air with a sharp whistle as they homed in on their mark. Again Dash relaxed and allowed the power to course through her and time seemed to slow, allowing her her to dodge each with excellent efficiency.
Caldius held back the remaining javelins, looking up at her with a hint of anger. “Come now, Rainbow Dash, do you expect to pass a Trial by using the power of the previous?”
Dash blew a raspberry and remained hovering. “Hey, whatever keeps me from getting impaled will suit me just fine!”
Caldius scowled. "Then make a shield!"
He extended his telekinetic grip to a pony-sized slab of separated stone, lifting and throwing it up to Dash. She flinched for a moment before the vivid image of a large, round shield took root in her mind, and the stone was suddenly encased in a new, brighter aura—her own.
Caldius smiled as Dash showed no hesitation. The stone radiated with the orange energy as Dash focused on her construct. Just visible behind the growing light was the unmistakable shine of metal, and the upper portion was adorn with decorative swirls.
Dash opened her eyes, and what hovered before her ignited the fire of pride: a large steel shield with her cutie mark emblazoned on the back. She hoped it was on the front as well...
"Very good, Rainbow Dash!" Caldius called, still holding the menacing javelins at the ready. "Let's hope that shield is as strong as your ego!"
Dash paid him no mind as she slipped her foreleg into the shield's straps. She could feel a connection, magic flowing from her body into the shield, fortifying it. She held it at the ready, the bright orange shine of her mane casting a shadow onto her opponent below.
Caldius looked up at the hovering mare, feeling the spark of pride as his student wielded a construct of her own. The metal rivets formed a perfect circle around her cutie mark, standing in defiance to the waiting points of his spears.
"Prepare yourself!" Caldius called as he brought a spear above the rest.
Dash held fast, determination fueling her guard. Caldius launched the stone spear at her; the point whistling through the still air. Dash saw as it flew with tremendous speed toward her, and she braced with her shield pointing full front.
Caldius had his teeth clenched so hard blood would be seeping through the gums as the spear traveled to its mark. As the point met the metal of his target, Caldius looked away, expecting a falling pegasus. However, the sound of stone shattering and metal ringing graced his ears in all its horrendous beauty as bits of the stone javelin rained down around him.
Dash peeked from over the shield as the defeated projectile fell away. She smiled a huge, triumphant smile and nearly cheered for herself. However, another whistle caught her attention and a spear shattered against the shield. She was caught off guard and the impact knocked the shield off her leg.
It sailed far into the shrouded edges of the area, the magic fading from it and reforming into the slab of rock from whence it came. Dash looked down at Caldius, who had a cocky smirk plastered on his face.
"Too sure of yourself, too soon!" he called up. "Perhaps you should stick to dodging and running like a coward!"
Dash's teeth clenched and her muscles flexed in outrage at his remark. NOPONY calls me a coward...
She didn't respond, thinking of a way to defend and win against Caldius—and prove she was anything but a coward.
Her eyes lit up in confidence and her plan was formulated. She suddenly and deliberately closed her wings, falling to the ground. She flapped once to soften the landing, kicking up dust and small pebbles as she touched down. The red in her mane flickered to life, and she stamped her hind leg on the rock below, crushing it.
Caldius looked on, steeling himself for whatever came next. Dash's eyes closed as the red in her mane returned to its usual glossy look. Caldius took a small step back and felt the corner of a large piece of stone protruding from the granite. He made a mental note of it and stood still.
In a flash, Dash's eyes opened and the orange portion of her mane was alive with a light that would outshine the Canterlot Lighthouse. The fragments of rock beneath her shot up and formed a ring above her, circling her body. Caldius was unphased by the light and stared at her with puzzled awe. Wow, when did she become so adept?! he thought, readying the stone javelins once again.
"Alright Caldius! I'm tired of playing games!" Dash yelled as the rocks circling her began emitting the same orange glow that surrounded the stone spears in Caldius' grasp.
"It just so happens-"
"Can it!" Dash interrupted. "See if I'm a coward now!"
The rocks floating above Rainbow wrenched into small shuriken and blades of all shapes. Caldius watched with a smile but was nearly panicking on the inside. The blades would surely put an end to his little game if they found their marks. He stepped back onto the rock and found it to be much larger than previously thought. As the blades began to spin quicker and quicker in their circular pattern, Caldius turned and jumped, dropping the spears from his magical grip. He levitated the large slab of stone and formed it into a wall of cinder blocks.
Dash looked on, unphased as the stone wall loomed well above her height. She focused on the surrounding blades, sending one flying at the wall. It glanced off, showering the ground with sparks. Dash smirked and concentrated on her remaining ammunition.
Caldius had his back to the wall, wondering what to do next. He had dropped his weapons out of fear and the inability to focus his levitation spell. By now, they had reverted back to simple slabs of stone as the magic left them. He looked around, seeing bits and chunks of rock littering the ground. Luckily, they were all the ingredients he needed.
"I must say, Rainbow Dash," he called, levitating over a dozen small rocks and splinters of wood. "You are quite skilled, of that there is no doubt!" He concentrated, forming the debris into a multitude of sharp objects.
"Uh huh," Dash replied. She knew something was up.
Caldius, confident with his weaponry, jumped over the wall, slinging every single one of his ten blades toward Dash. She jumped, responding by throwing her own. Some of the blades clashed in mid air, sending a shower of sparks in all directions. Caldius felt one graze his shoulder, taking a clean cut of his orange coat with it.
Knowing he was treading dangerous waters while out in the open, Caldius resorted to one of his most powerful and secret techniques.
"Come on!" Dash yelled. "Haven't I proved myself yet?!"
Caldius had jumped into the crater, laying flat. "First of all, its proven, not proved", he called. The broken earth began to conform to his body as his magic soaked into it.
Again Dash scoffed and kicked a pebble. An orange spark leapt from her hoof into the pebble, warping it into a piece of metal for a few moments. Right. Control.
"Alright Rainbow Dash!" Caldius called from the crater. "Are you ready to see what this power can really do?!"
His voice sounded very muffled and Dash widened her stance, seemingly ready for anything. "What's wrong?" Dash called back. "You sound like you're choking on a... a..."
Dash's next words were caught in her own throat as Caldius emerged from the crater, adorned in what could only be described as a suit of earthen armor. His body was completely covered from muzzle to tail in plates of polished geode and granite, leaving only small holes for his mouth, horn, and eyes.
Dash's face turned cold and she stepped back as Caldius began to walk to her. His hoof steps crushed small craters into the floor as he approached. The orange portion of her mane began to flicker and die, Dash having lost all confidence that any attack would work.
Rainbow Dash.
Dash stopped her backward pacing as Star Prism's voice echoed through her mind.
Uh, kinda busy not trying to get myself killed here. What do you want? Dash answered.
I remember when I took this trial. I was able to beat Caldius back until he pulled this trump card. The Crystal Armor.
Caldius had stopped, training his eyes on Dash as she was seemingly lost in thought. "What will you do now, Rainbow Dash?!" he asked, stamping the ground hard with both forehooves.
You must NOT let his antics fool you into thinking you cannot win!
Dash had a thought. She knew she could reinforce her objects with sheer will alone, and that if hers was stronger, she could destroy any of his constructs.
You're right. I can win. I will win.
Dash stood taller and her eyes narrowed as the orange in her mane rekindled its light. She took a step toward Caldius, who immediately cocked his head in confusion. Never before had anypony dared to defy him in his armor, much less advance on him. This mare was clearly a step up from the rest. As if that hadn't been proven already.
Yes Rainbow Dash… You can defeat any of his constructs! Now, take him down!
Dash knelt down and picked up a rock. She closed it in the cleft of her hoof, formulating a plan. She slowly looked up to Caldius, her face the epitome of mischief. Caldius paid her no mind, continuing to walk as tall as he could to maintain his superior stature. She began tossing the rock as one would flip a coin, smiling deviously as she caught and held it tightly. In a flash of orange, the rock moulded around her hoof, forming a crystalline glove. She waited, beckoning Caldius with her primary feathers.
In all his years as the sole master of his power, Caldius never imagined he would face an opponent with a confidence higher than his own. Rainbow Dash had already far exceeded his expectations, effectively mastering his power in less than two hours. She truly is a marvel of magic…
“I commend you on your exceptional abilities, Rainbow Dash,” he began. “But alas, I grow weary of your company.”
Dash steeled herself, focusing everything she could muster into the crystal glove. It physically hardened around her hoof, making her wince a little. She put her hoof down to balance herself for a spring, the crystal striking the stone floor with a sharp *clink*.
“THIS ENDS NOW! NOPONY OVERCOMES ME!” Caldius yelled as he leapt for Dash.
With a loud scrape, a large serrated blade slid from an unseen slit in his foreleg armor as Caldius held it pointed at Dash. Her ears laid flat as the piercing echo ground against her eardrums.
“A little obnoxious with the sword, huh?” Dash called, rubbing her ear with her uncovered hoof.
Caldius closed the yards between them in his bound, his hulking form casting a faint shadow on Dash as he descended, blade held straight for her chest. She knew that if her plan were to work, she would need expert precision. A single millimeter off base would result in death, or at the least a critical injury.
The whistle of the blade aimed to take her life caught Dash’s ear as Caldus neared. Her left foreleg flexed hard, ready to meet his blow with her own. This would be the deciding move. The decision of who was stronger willed - and Dash had no intention of losing this day.
As the pair met, Dash reared back at the last possible second, bringing her crystal-shod hoof to bear. She focused all her energy, confidence, and will into this final punch, throwing it all forward and connecting with the tip of Caldius’ blade. The result was a shock to both parties.
When the opposing weapons finally collided, Caldius’ blade shattered against her blunt, powerful crystal. She followed through, shattering it all the way to the base and continuing the punch’s motion, eventually hitting his armored face. As it did, Dash’s crystal finally gave in, exploding in a shower of shards against Caldius’ bare cheek. He was sent in the opposite direction in a split second, allowing whiplash to throw his senses for a wild loop. However, the extensive damage caused by Dash’s punch was more than enough to disable any further attacks that Caldius had panned.
The fight was over. Rainbow Dash had won.
She stumbled, the force of her punch too great for her balance to maintain. Falling forward, she caught herself with her now free hoof, looking up to her flying opponent.
Too dazed and confused to think of a method to slow himself, Caldius slammed into the ground, sliding through the stone and eventually coming to a rest on his side. His eyes fluttered open, greeted with the sight of Rainbow Dash landing near him.
"Alright.. I think that's enough," Dash sighed. She walked over and sat by him, extended her wing, and nonchalantly straightened the feathers.
Caldius' armor began crumbling as he attempted to move. Dash folded her wing and got to her hooves, backing off a little. As he stood, Caldius' armor began cracking and chipping away. He was standing fully again, his helmet splitting like a watermelon and falling to the floor. What it revealed made Dash reel back in surprise and fear. Caldius' jaw was hanging from the left joint, the skin over the right torn and revealing the dislocated side clearly.
Without a word—as if he could talk anyway—he began reaching for his jaw, clasping it and yanking violently upward. A loud pop and a quake of pain from Caldius nearly made Dash wretch. He adjusted himself, readying to speak.
"Well. I do believe you've proven your mastery over my power," he said.
His voice reflected the soreness of his loss and the pain that now came with speaking. He walked up to Dash, who backed away instinctively.
"I shouldn't keep you here longer than I must. Here."
A small gemstone appeared in front of Dash's face with a flash.
"You have passed my trial. Now go."
Dash reached out for the gem, and like the last, it jumped to greet her hoof and mended with it. She seized up, the world spinning in front of her eyes as she fell to her side, unconscious. Caldius stamped the floor, causing an orange whirlpool of light to be summoned beneath her sleeping form. She slipped from the room, swallowed by the portal as Caldius sat down, magicking a few rocks to serve as a bench. He looked to his acacia tree, still in tatters, and sighed. His armor fell away and his orange aura surrounded his torn flesh, mending it to the best of his abilities.
Hoofsteps could be heard in the vast expanse of yet another seemingly lifeless area. These steps were accompanied by the faint trickle of water and the occasional humming of a tune from a time long forgotten. In the air hung a thick fog, heavy enough to cut one’s viewing distance to a fraction. One would see this desolate place as a vast, lifeless swamp. No animals, no plantlife, only the ankle deep water and the fog. A haven for the one inhabitant that resided there.
Velocita waded through the waters of her domain, looking down at her reflection. The light in her deep blue eyes had faded long ago, leaving only a hard, coarse stare. She observed her features, seeing them clearly in the crystal clear water. Every curve, every contour, even every variation in the color of her irises were visible as the water was still as glass. She heard something far off in the distance, and her ears perked to the one sound she’s heard within her domain in a millenia. In a flash, she was gone. The only indication she was ever there was the tiny displacement in the water.
Rainbow Dash fell through the dense fog like a ragdoll, still too knocked out to save herself. She hit the shallow water hard, slamming into the ground belly first and getting the wind knocked from her chest. She stood up quickly, but not after taking a lungfull of the water. She coughed and choked, partially blinded by her now matted mane. Her stance was wobbly at best, using her water-logged wings to maintain a heavily burdened balance.
After a few pained breaths, she finally got her bearings and continued to cough as she waded through the water and fog. Her surroundings were enough to arouse suspicion. She flapped her heavy wings a few times, letting the water fly off in a smooth mist. She watched as a faint rainbow shone through it from an unseen light. After the mist dissipated, she focused on shaking her mane free of the water that bound it to her forehead. Doing so made her quite dizzy and she stood still, scolding herself.
She looked around, still unable to see through the dense fog. So I don’t know where I am. As if I knew where I’ve been at all lately…
“Hello?” she called out, hearing nothing but her echo in the vast expanse.
It was then that she noticed just how quiet the area was. The only thing she could hear above the glassy water was nothing but her breathing and a form of tinnitus. She looked down at the water, which had returned to its still form in far less time than it should have. Rainbow took a step, feeling the water move just like normal. However, when she stopped, the water rippled outward and never returned, causing it to return still in a matter of seconds. It was a sight she had never seen before, thus making it hard to comprehend.
She waved it off, trying to think on what to do. She was lost again, and this time there was no mage to greet her. Or so she thought until a ripple of water came back to greet her left forehoof. She felt it only barely, looking down just in time to see it ricochet off in a different direction. She looked back up to be greeted by a pair of deep blue eyes and the feeling of something soft on her muzzle. She yelped, falling back into the water on her butt. A giggle sounded from behind her, and Dash’s back bumped into something soft. Turning to see what she had hit, she was greeted by nothing but a splash of water to her face. She coughed and tried to wipe her face as she struggled to stand in the awkwardly deep water.
A tap on her shoulder made her spin her head into a waiting hoof, much to her annoyance. She sat there, attempting to cool her quickly rising temper. She needed to regain the reigns on her power in order to understand what was happening.
But as soon as the entity was there, it had vanished, leaving nothing but a small disturbance in the water.
What the hay is going on? Dash asked herself. Nothing returned her question as she finally stood up.
"Hello?!" she called out, hearing only her echo over the water.
In a flash, a bright blue blur sped right past Dash, a small title wave of water trailing the speedy object. It crashed into Dash, making her careen in a thrashing mess of disturbed water. She hit the bottom of the shallow lake, skidding to a stop and fighting the rest of the water until it passed. Again soaked, she flapped her wings to rid them of the unusual, heavy water. She looked around again, focusing her energy to remain calm and relaxed. The yellow in her mane began to glow and she could feel the water beneath her hooves slow its movement. She looked around, using the Yellow Power to scan for anything that moved.
This time, she could see a yellow flash, moving insanely fast across her field of view. She stuck her leg out, feeling something tap it. The yellow light exploded into a clear array of yellow tendrils, forming the shape of a tumbling pony. The water beneath exploded multiple times in a line, indicating whoever was toying with her was now tumbling across the water.
She gave chase, following and weaving through the columns of water created. As they gradually slowed and became shorter, she got closer to her target who was easily visible to her through the fog. Her target seemed to regain its stance and at once was gone in a flash. Dash landed where she last saw it, feeling something under her hooves. She backed up, looking down at it. It was a long, gilded dark blue cloak. Her eyes narrowed and she looked up to see nothing but flashes of yellow. She shook her head, letting the Yellow Power subside and her vision returned to normal.
“Pardon me. But I believe that is mine.”
The voice mimicked Rarity’s, only without the elegant flair.
Dash’s brow raised and she grabbed the cloak, keeping her gaze firmly on the figure addressing her. She lifted the unexpectedly heavy tapestry from the water, shocked to find it was still totally dry. Her understanding of water was beginning to contort more and more.
“I knew you Mages were strange, but this is just freaky!” Dash said as she tossed the gilded cloak over to the figure.
“Yes, well, I prefer this cool water over the dry ground any day,” the figure said.
A flash of blue highlighted a horn on the ghostly figure’s head, and the fog seemed to lift and fade within a few seconds. There stood a unicorn, nearly the exact same size as Rainbow Dash herself in stance and weight. They were standing only inches apart, the unicorn’s deep blue eyes staring into Rainbow’s bright magenta.
“Allow me to introduce myself,” she began. “My name is Velocita, and I am the Blue Celestial Mage.”
“And if I want to pass to the next trial, I must-”
A hoof suddenly slapped her across the muzzle, drawing a sharp yelp from Dash. She reeled, holding her hooves on her nose.
"I believe I was talking," Velocita said flatly.
“And I believe I don’t ca—” Dash was again cut off by yet another hard slap to her muzzle. The red in her mane flickered to life as she rebounded, swinging for the blue mare.
However, just before she made contact, Velocita was gone in a streak of blue; the water not so much as rippling.
"Oh my," a voice said from behind. "That's quite a swing. You might even dent a piece of tinfoil!"
Dash's temper was getting hotter by the second. She turned to face her azure adversary and stared her down with her now scarlet eyes.
"Unless you want to volunteer as the piece of tinfoil I'll be bending, I suggest you quit messing with me and get to your point!" Dash nearly growled.
Velocita giggled and smiled, reaching out for a hoofshake. “I think we are going to get along well.”
Dash looked at her, the red in her eyes subsiding as Velocita’s demeanor seemed to deem the situation safe- for the time being.
She took the hoofshake, her face still stoic. "So. You're pretty fast for a unicorn. Kinda like the yellow one. Mahiri if I remember right."
Velocita released Dash's hoof, smirking. "Yes, well, my little brother certainly is quick, but his power differs greatly from my own."
Dash was shocked. Although the similarities were undeniable, their personalities seemed to differ greatly. As did their choice of "arena". They seemed to both have a liking for moving quickly and striking first. She also noticed that they both had a knack for calming their opponent. Maybe being calm was also a necessity for unlocking the Blue Power?
Another thing was Velocita's mane. It almost directly mirrored her own, with a long blue stripe down her neck; just like Dash's own. Her eyes shone with the passion of the win and the excitement of the upcoming fight. Dash didn’t know whether to be excited herself or just plain annoyed.
“Great. So there’s two of you? I thought I was past the joking speedster type,” Dash huffed.
“Oh? You think because you can move quickly through the air and see my nerves that you have a chance against me?” Velocita asked haughtily.
"Yea. Who's the one who tripped you just now? Made you skip across the water like a pebble?" Dash almost giggled out pebble.
Velocita chuckled and tilted her head, knocking the higher side with her hoof and making water comically spill out the lower ear.
Dash couldn't help but laugh as the red in her mane flickered out completely. Again she felt the cooling pleasure of laughter as it took her over, allowing her a much needed sense of content. As her laughing fit ceased, she wiped a tear and with a smile looked at Velocita, who was also giggling to herself.
The two had shared a brief moment of laughter; a seemingly rare luxury in this small chapter of Dash's life. As she settled down, she sat in the flank high water to catch her breath. Again, the water seemed to conform to her, not sending out any ripples. It seemed to cling to her body, as though it wanted to crawl up and engulf her. She looked back to Velocita, who was casually levitating her cloak to inspect it for damages.
“So, uh, what’s with the water?” Dash asked, prodding it with her hoof. “I mean, it doesn’t even feel like ordinary water.”
“Oh come now, Rainbow Dash. Why bother asking such meager questions?” Velocita answered—or rather, asked. “We both know that you have a much more tedious task to undertake than hydrology.”
Dash raised an eyebrow, feeling the familiar tingle of anxiety and determination fill her chest as she stood. The water slid from her body as she did, creating an almost sickening touching sensation all over her lower half. She struggled to maintain her composure as the water left her, but she still stared down Velocita as she steeled herself for the upcoming fight.
“Well, if there are no more interruptions, shall we begin?” Velocita asked as she replaced her cloak around her neck.
Dash’s wings extended to their maximum span as Dash blew her mane from her eyes. She breathed in and out slowly, physically and mentally relaxing herself. She nodded as the yellow stripe in her mane began to stand out with its glow.
Velocita laughed as she felt her younger brother’s power begin to surface. As the yellow in Dash’s mane began to glow, she shook her head, closing her eyes and letting her own power begin to radiate. As the blue in her mane began to shine, Velocita charged at Dash. Rainbow could see the movement as the nerves in her opponent’s legs let out a brief pulse. If it weren’t for the Yellow Power’s unique ability to make time appear to slow, Dash would’ve never seen the attack coming in time to dodge.
From Velocita’s cloak, a sword lashed from a concealed holster gripped in blue magic. As it homed in on her neck, Dash moved her head to the side and put her legs up in order to deflect the head on assault. The sword's flat end scraped against her hoof, allowing Dash to push it away. Velocita was thrown off, but was far from thwarted.
Rebounding, she turned the sword's edge horizontal and attempted a sweep that, if successful, would surely send Dash's head rolling. However, in her most recent battle, Dash had learned this method of counter and had thought of a way to evade.
She reached out, clasping both sides of the sword with both forehooves, making her slide to the side with the sword's momentum. She had stopped Velocita's attack, leaving the unicorn in a surprised but stern state.
I must say I'm impressed. I've never come across a pegasus with strength such as this... She looked at Dash carefully to confirm her suspicions. Kuvvet's power is not present at the moment, she really is that strong!
She struggled to wrench her sword free as Dash clung to it, unwilling to give her opponent another opportunity to attack. Instead, the red in Dash's mane erupted in its ethereal glow and, in an aggressive show of force, she crushed the metal of the blade between her hooves. Velocita snatched the broken blade away, looking it over with disbelief and a hint of anger.
"So, we gonna fight like mares?" Dash asked as she blew some metal shards from her hooves. "Or fillies?"
With a look of sheer bemusement, she tossed the blade's hilt to the side, landing in the water with a dull plop.
"That sword was older than Equestria," she grumbled.
"So what, you think I'd just let you chop me up like rainbow taffy?" Dash smirked.
Velocita sighed and removed her cloak, tossing it carelessly to the side. Her horn surged with bright blue magic, seemingly charging for something. Rainbow would have none of that, and threw herself at her opponent.
“As usual, too impulsive, Rainbow Dash,” Velocita said, teleporting as Dash reached her.
Reappearing a few meters behind Rainbow, Velocita aimed her horn at her and released what she had been charging. An enormous azure beam of magic shot toward Dash, easily large enough to consume her. Dash barely had time to turn before the beam was upon her, enveloping her entire body.
The Origins of the Rainbow Pigment Part One: The Wasteland
As the clock on the wall chimed three times, Twilight looked up from the mountain of books piled on her desk. Her tired eyes fell upon the window, looking at the stars shimmering over Equestria. Her exhaustion and frustration was getting to her, having made absolutely no progress on translating the book. Looking back at the empty bookshelves labeled “Languages of the World”, she sighed as she realized that none of her material could do the job.
With one last burst of magic, the books all levitated from the desk. Creaking as the weight lifted, the desk visibly gained an inch in height. Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the humorous situation as she flicked her horn to send all the books back to their proper places.
As she did, the white book remained, opened to the first of many pages. When she had started the project, she had counted the pages, totaling the book to two hundred and fifty pages. All of which were filled to the brim with the strange, unknown language.
Being the avid problem solver that she was, Twilight had compiled every scrap, scroll, and tome that covered each and every language Equestria had to offer, and beyond. But even still, despite her efforts, not one of her three hundred books on the subject pointed to an answer.
With an annoyed huff, Twilight’s magic sparked, flipping the book’s cover closed with a puff of dust. She got up, walking toward her bed, mumbling something under her breath. As she retreated to the embrace of her bed, Twilight's eyes drifted over to the book on the desk. As she slipped under her covers, she watched the book as a tiny sliver of moonlight struck its cover. It seemed to shimmer for a moment, but Twilight dismissed it thinking it was just some residual magic from her telekinetic spell.
Well, she wasn't all wrong.
As the moon's light continued to bathe the book, a wind began circulating through the upper stories of Golden Oaks. Papers began flying and a tuft of Twilight's mane was blown to the side, jostling the half asleep alicorn. Her eyes fluttered open for a second, before snapping wide to full alert. Teleporting from the bed, Twilight appeared next to the desk, where a spiral of transparent white magic was now enveloping the book.
"SPIKE! GET IN HERE!"
Before she could blink, Spike was by her side fully awake and alert. He was hiding behind her foreleg, watching as the book began to levitate.
"Twilight, what IS that?!" Spike yelled from under her.
"I don't know, but I'm gonna stop it!" Twilight yelled back as she aimed her horn, charging for a blast.
Before her magic could manifest, the book's pages began flipping wildly, each shining with a light that filled the upper story of the library. As the moon lowered into full view of the window, its light finally enveloped the book in its glow, casting an open book shaped shadow over Twilight and Spike.
Spike had seen enough. He knew Twilight could handle whatever came her way, but didn't want to be around when whatever was about to happen, happened. As the book began emanating a sound much like a magic spell charging, Spike scrambled from under Twilight, who was temporarily blinded by the book's light. He hid behind her bed's leg, poking his head out from under it. His slitted pupils protected his eyes from the intense shining light, allowing him to watch everything that was transpiring.
The room was filled with whispers from an unknown source, while the book's pages began separating from the spine. They swirled around Twilight, who was still helplessly blinded. Spike, seeing Twilight in potential danger, swallowed a lump in his throat and began making his way to her.
The charging noise finally reached a crescendo as the pages began sticking themselves to Twilight's body. She reeled around, trying to get the paper off, but in the next second, it all hardened around her like a shell. Her scream rang out muffled by the paper, as Spike began clawing at the mache-like shell.
"Don't worry Twilight! I'll-"
A sharp crack filled the room as a screaming Twilight vanished into thin air. The wind instantly died down as Spike fell forward from the lack of support onto his nose.
Twilight had seen and performed hundreds of teleportation spells in her life, but this one was far more advanced and jumbled to make any sense to her. The magical signature it left behind was similar to that of a jumbled decagonal rubix cube.
Screaming and flailing through the whole trip, Twilight was deposited hard on the ground with a loud pomph. She was heavily disoriented, nauseous, and fighting to regain the breath that had been knocked from her chest on impact.
She pulled her head from a cold, powdery substance that she quickly identified as snow, rubbing her eyes to get the ice out. The wind howled all around as the snowstorm raged, threatening to bury Twilight if she didn't move soon.
She quickly wished she hadn't.
There, not three feet from where she had landed, a helmet was half buried in snow. Her eyes slowly widened as she saw not only the helmet, but what it was still protecting: The partially decomposed head of a long dead pony guard.
She backpedaled, gasping as the sight burned itself into her head. Feeling the snow suddenly deepen, she stopped, looking back. The muzzle tip of a massive cannon could be seen, poking from the mound of snow that covered it. Her magic sparked to life, casting a colossal heat spell over the surrounding area.
The snow began to melt in an area the size of Ponyville's town square as Twilight desperately tried to get warm, and eventually find a way out of this place.
The snow covering the canon had begun to melt, revealing the Equestrian Seal soldered into the thick metal. Twilight watched as her effortless spell created a dome of visible heat waves, keeping the snowstorm at bay.
It was about two minutes into the spell that Twilight began to smell something, off. At first, it reminded her of rotting eggs, or a dirty out house. But then, her eyes fell upon the now snow free ground.
What she saw, could only be comparable to her most horrific horror novels.
Hundreds of bodies lay disemboweled, legs severed and multiple colors of feathers strewn across the red-stained stone. Swords and spears lay in all manner of positions, creating a jagged maze of blades and bodies.
Her chest felt as heavy as a bowling ball, and her eyes filled with tears as Twilight surveyed the scene. She got to her hooves, focusing her magic to aid the reclaiming of her senses. The new source of heat was thawing the corpses and the scent of decay began poring over the landscape like a thick, invisible fog.
Twilight wiped her tears and covered her muzzle with a hoof as she hovered along, careful to mind the blades and spears protruding up from the rocky ground.
As she neared the edge of the area her heat spell covered, the noticed that snow had piled against the barrier like a wall. Where the snow had melted, the water had frozen again to create a wall of Ice. A testament to the sub zero temperatures.
As she looked, the sound of a far away clash of metal made her ear twitch against the raging storm outside the dome. She looked outward, into the storm seeing nothing but a blanket of white across her entire field of view.
At first, she thought she was hearing things, until another, louder noise found its way to her ears. Now, she was fully alert and looked to find the source, peering into the storm. Straining, she caught sight of something flashing in the distance, as if a pony was using magic.
Her eyes lit up, and she began running toward the light, leaving the warmth of the spell behind.
"Hello?! Is anypony there?!" She called as she darted between blades and spears.
The sound of metal clashing began gracing her ears again as she drew closer; the light complementing the sound each time.
Her hopes of it being another unicorn were beginning to dissolve as she drew near, the cold sapping her hope fueled strength. As Twilight drew nearer, the sounds were now clear and the realization finally set in. There were two beings fighting one another.
She skidded to a halt as the distance closed, stopping merely feet from an ensuing battle. A young looking earth pony guard- sword clenched in her teeth -was engaged in battle with a far larger foe. An armored griffon.
The griffon wielded a long halberd, twice the pony's length with a shield that could have easily been a prison for the pony had it been spherical. His wings were spread wide, clearly trying to intimidate the smaller pony who fought desperately below him. The pony's golden armor clinked as she threw move after move against the griffon, trying to find a way around her adversary's massive defence, as well as avoid the razor edged halberd.
Twilight was dumbstruck, watching as the golden armored pony fought valiantly against her ebony armored foe. It was almost surreal, actually, to see two species that to her were tolerant of one another trying to kill each other. Yet clearly, the ferocity of their attacks meant that this was no sparring match, but a duel to the death.
For s split second, the pony's sword made for the Griffon's throat, barely missing by a hair. The griffon countered by swinging his halberd straight toward his opponent's side, intent on cleaving her in half. Skillfully, the pony brought her sword up to her side, allowing the halberd to slide upward with a shower of sparks. Barely missing the pony's cheek, It glanced off the sword's hilt, carving a fresh gash into the metal. Using her natural strength, the pony jumped, spinning sideways and using her momentum to lash out at her opponent with a flurry of small but amazingly quick strikes.
Caught off guard, the griffon brought his halberd's staff up to defend himself, but the sword was sharp enough to cut clean through the halberd's staff, rendering it utterly useless. Jumping back as the pony regained her footing, the griffon drew his own sword, shorter than the pony's but just as sharp.
Giving her opponent no room to recover, the guard was upon the griffon in an instant, slashing at his ebony armor with a vigour unlike Twilight had ever seen. Even as the snow fell and the wind made it feel like a swarm of bees, the two combatants continued to fight, the weight of their armor doing nothing to hinder their movement.
Twilight took a step forward, not knowing what else to do. She spread her wings, making the wind catch them and throw her off balance for a brief moment. As blades clashed and armor clanged, Twilight took another step, feeling a little more confident as her magic began flowing normally again.
The pony and griffon had clashed again, landing yards from one another. Their chests rose and fell with strained effort as their strength waned, and their breath came out in large, thick clouds of white. The wind howled as they stared each other down, both with armor severely damaged and trickles of blood flowing from each slash.
Suddenly, the griffon raised his head and cleared his throat.
"You have fought hard and valiantly, tiny one," he said, voice harsh and hoarse. "But I believe it is time to end this. It is awfully cold, and I must be getting back to-"
The pony stuck her sword into the snow, allowing her to speak clearly.
"The only place you're going back to," the pony interrupted, "is the gates of Tartarus!"
Twilight couldn't believe her ears. The pony's voice mimicked Fluttershy to a T; the calm and kind nature echoing behind her harsh words.
The griffon cackled madly. "Oh come now my dear, we both know we will be meeting there eventually, regardless of who will be going first."
The pony snorted. "Then what are you waiting for?! Send me there!!"
The griffon readied his sword, snarling. "With pleasure, my dear."
He jumped, dropping his shield to grip his sword's handle with both talons. He was intent on impaling the pony, burying her in the snow along with the rest of her legion.
The guard however, watched with her cool cobalt blue eyes as the griffon exposed his armored belly- and the clearly marked gaps between the plates. As the griffon descended, wings wide, the pony gripped her sword and pulled it from the snow with a sickening shlick! It was time to see who would come out the victor.
Twilight's eyes threatened to burst from their sockets as she realized what was about to happen. The griffon closed in on the pony below, who was making no effort to move. Was she just going to stand by and watch as a sentient being was about to be killed?
No, I can't let this happen. I don't know why I haven't tried to intervene at all yet! Why did I wait?!
Twilight ran forward, jumping with wings spread for the intercept.
"STOP!!!" She screamed, nearing the middle of the opposing swords.
In a flash, an explosion of lavender magic encased Twilight and traveled outward in an enormous sphere of light. It extended beyond view traveling at speeds that would make Rainbow Dash seem like a snail. Everything the magic touched froze instantly, seeming to stop in time.
Twilight hung suspended in mid air, eyes clenched tightly shut as she waited for something to happen. Hearing nothing, she cautiously opened one eye, seeing a snowflake millimeters from her nose. Her other eye opened and she looked all around, seeing that millions of other snowflakes were also frozen, unmoving and vividly detailed. Feeling her wings begin to twitch, she began attempting to move. First, she retracted her wings slowly, followed by returning her legs to their normal positions beneath her. She now looked as though she was standing normally upright, however, she was still floating.
Taking a deep breath, she cut the flow of magic from her horn, letting herself drop. As she did, she looked down in horror to find that the pony’s sword was directly beneath her belly- pointed straight up. She flailed her wings with a loud yelp, barely managing to miss the blade and landing hard in the snow below. She got up, shaking the snow from her face. As it left, the snow promptly froze in place, hanging suspended in a dual arc of sparkling white.
“What in Equestria is going on?!” She thought out loud. The echo could've been heard for miles.
Each breath she took and exhaled left a white cloud in her wake, unmoving. She looked over at the two combatants, shocked to see the pony had jumped nearly four feet with sword pointed up at the ready. The griffon on the other hand had his sword pointed down in a large arc intended to strike his opponent in the back. Twilight mentally played the scenario based on their positions, and came to a grim conclusion.
“...They both struck and killed each other…”
She lowered her head, not wanting to think about such a gruesome scene. It was then, she heard the soft crunch of snow behind her.
“Twilight Sparkle, I see you have found your way into the book’s secrets…”
Twilight’s ears perked and swiveled toward the familiar voice, and she turned her head to see Princess Luna approaching her.
“Princess! You’re here!” Twilight yelled, rushing up to her. “What is this place?! What’s happening?! Are we in the past?! Future?! Are we-” A sudden silver-shod hoof stuffed itself into her mouth, cutting her off abruptly.
“Princess Twilight, I will answer your questions, but only if you stay calm throughout.”
Twilight nodded only once, sitting in the snow. She blew some snowflakes away from her face, readying herself to hear what Luna had to say.
Looking around, Luna then settled her gaze on Twilight, who looked desperate for answers.
“Now, as to where we are.” Luna looked around again, eyes resting on something unseen to Twilight. “We are on the western wall of the Castle of the Two Sisters, completely buried in hundreds of feet of snow.”
Twilight’s lower jaw nearly hit the snow, realizing that the cannon she had seen earlier was actually one of the main spire defence weapons.
“B-But how?!” Twilight stammered. “What happened to the weather that made it cause this?!”
“I believe you are familiar with a certain spirit that… feeds off of hatred?”
Twilight immediately thought back to the play her and her friends had taken part in only a few years ago. She mouthed the word ‘Windigoes’.
“Indeed,” Luna affirmed. “It seems that the parasitic spirits not only feed off of ponies, but other creatures as well.”
“Princess,” Twilight interrupted, “Why were those two fighting in the first place? What happened to start all of this?”
Luna’s face took a solemn look. “It-It is not a time that I took pride in, Twilight Sparkle. It was a time a mere seven years before Nightmare Moon's banishment. It was the time of the Great War..."
The Origins of the Rainbow Pigment Part Two: Luna's Recount and Dash's Struggle
Twilight and Luna walked along the castle’s northern wall, leaving the frozen fight behind. Their horns were alight with magic, casting a massive collaborative heat spell on the surrounding area. The snow on the wall had melted, revealing the black granite and a clear path to walk on.
Despite being a wall, it was quite wide, allowing both princesses to walk comfortably side by side. They silently examined the other three spires in the distance, only just visible beyond the curtain of snow and ice. Twilight shivered, walking a little closer to Luna and adding magic to the heat spell.
After a period of silence, Twilight finally broke it.
"Princess, I don't understand."
Luna looked down at her, casting a knowing glance.
"Twilight Sparkle, there is much about the world that you have not yet come across."
Twilight looked up in wonder, curiosity piqued.
Luna looked down at the stone, stopping. She rubbed the granite tenderly, heaving a long sigh.
"One of those things, and one I hope you never have to face, is the brutality and horror of war."
Twilight followed Luna's gaze down to the wall.
"...I see," Twilight whispered.
Luna shook her head as her eyes seemed to be staring into space.
"No, Twilight. I'm afraid you don't."
Twilight sighed and looked at Luna.
"Princess, I'm confused."
Luna looked up from the stone, head slightly cocked. "About?"
"The reason you and I are here at all, why the book was sent to me, and what happened back at the library?"
Before Luna could answer, Twilight cut her off again.
"And have you seen Rainbow Dash? Its been two days and none of us have-"
A hoof under her jaw closed her mouth with a soft click. "Twilight, I will answer all that you wish to know, but in an orderly and timely fashion."
Twilight realized she had been rambling and blushed a bit. "R-right, Princess. My apologies."
"Now. As to our current location.”
Luna blew some snowflakes from her face, watching with interest as they floated away.
“We are within the book itself. We are but observers of a long forgotten memory.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow, hovering between two possible answers.
“So,” Twilight said, hoof on her chin, “we’re in the past?”
Luna chuckled a little, blowing away another large snowflake with her nose.
“Well, you’re not wrong, but you aren’t accurate.”
Twilight deadpanned.
“We are within my own memories. My link to the past, inscribed within the pages of the book that you were given.”
“So, you were able to enchant your personal diary with a... memory scribe spell? That’s amazing, Luna!”
“I thought it was too, when Starswirl first proposed it.”
Twilight’s eyes lit up at the mention of his name. “Are we gonna meet him?! See him?! Talk with him?!”
Luna smiled. “No.”
Twilight’s happy demeanor was crushed almost instantly.
“However,” Luna rebounded, “we will see her.”
"HER?!" Twilight asked in shock. “The history books and every school I've heard of always referred to Starswirl as a stallion! Even Celestia-"
Luna held up her hoof, silencing Twilight.
"Must you believe everything my sister says?" She asked with a roll of her eyes.
Twilight was silent, mulling something over. "Okay, I guess it could be possible."
"You see, in those times, unicorns with superior skill in magic were nearly all stallions, with mares making a mere one percent of the population. Namely myself and my sister."
Twilight nodded. "So Starswirl concealed her identity with a gender spell? How... Uncomfortable!"
Luna shook her head. "Not exactly," she corrected. "Using her magical prowess, she crafted an intricate illusion spell that allowed her to remain a mare, but appear and sound like a stallion to all those around."
"Wow," Twilight gaped. “That seems like a very excruciating spell to keep up twenty four-seven.”
Luna nodded. “It was characterized by the constant glow that shrouded her horn. Nopony could explain it, but it was known that the glow was usually a sign of tremendous magical strength.”
Twilight focused a small sliver of magic through her horn, making the spiral groove glow softly. “Like this?”
Luna smiled, shaking her head. “Not quite.”
The glow fizzled out as Twilight huffed.
“Maybe you could learn if you saw it yourself?”
Before Twilight could blink, the white snow began to swirl and contort as the scenery all around began to transform. The walls warped and began to elongate, growing taller and more structured. The snow solidified, taking a swirly appearance before hardening into a lustrous marble. The rough and mangled part of the wall they had been standing on took on a more managed appearance, smoothing to a mostly straight walkway.
The frozen snowstorm began to move once again, blowing off into an abyss as warm air suddenly replaced the bitter cold. Grass sprang from the dirt as the mangled bodies disappeared into the wind, and several enormous Yew trees began sprouting and growing before their eyes.
Twilight felt sick through the whole ordeal, as though she had eaten four bowls of chili and had gone through Rainbow Dash's entire book of home made stunts.
"I-is it over?" Twilight groaned, struggling to keep what little contents of her stomach in place.
"Yes. Welcome to the Castle of the Two Sisters, nearly one thousand and ten years ago," Luna stated with pride.
Twilight looked up, instantly enthralled by what she saw. The castle had gone from an ancient ruin buried under hundreds of feet of snow, to a massive, marble-floored parlour.
Pillars of granite towered over Twilight, supporting a ceiling that mimicked the sky with color. Chandeliers hung high overhead, casting a bright glow from the thousands of candles that lined their massive, intricately crafted arms. Hundreds of paintings lined the walls, displaying the portraits of what Twilight could only guess were ponies of importance. The aura of the palace could be seen as utterly peaceful, not a hint of what Twilight had seen earlier was reflected in this magnificent castle.
"It... It’s beautiful, Princess..." Twilight exhaled, walking forward a little.
The soft clop of hoof on marble echoed through the massive hall that led to the main throne room as Luna followed close behind Twilight. They each took in the sight, watching as the sun poured through the massive stained glass windows. Much like the palace in Canterlot, each of the stained glass windows depicted an important event. From a pony raising a sword to the sky, to a pegasus enclosed by a rainbow circle, each was a masterpiece of its own.
Twilight’s gaze fell upon a massive plateau of marble, where on top sat two thrones. One of gold, and one of ebony. She smiled, instantly recognizing them as Celestia and Luna’s thrones.
“Princess,” Twilight gasped, “are those…”
“Indeed they are.”
Twilight walked forward, nearing the first steps of the plateau when a door swung open to her far left.
There, flanked by two guards, was Princess Celestia herself just as regal as ever.
“Princess Celestia! There you…”
She didn’t respond, walking right past Twilight in a swift march. Her guards were following close behind, far closer than Twilight had ever seen Celestia be comfortable with. Something was wrong, and Twilight had a hunch she would find out soon enough.
She turned back to Luna, who was looking out a small window to something down below. The look on her face spelled something of sorrow and regret, but still remained firm and diligent. Twilight was beginning to suspect that either something very bad was about to happen, or this was simply a solemn reminder of the things she had before the war she spoke of.
“Twilight, come here please.”
Twilight walked over to Luna, who was still looking out the window.
“There, at the courtyard gates. Tell me what you see.”
Twilight followed Luna’s gaze as best she could, her eyes falling on a lone figure standing in front of the closed iron bars. Its frame was far larger than that of a pony, yet still comparable. The tiny bulges from its sides indicated that it indeed had wings, but Twilight could see no horn. She looked at Luna, confused.
“Princess, is that a griffon?”
Luna nodded only once, her eyes unwavering.
Twilight looked back down.
“But what is a griffon doing…”
She went silent as the form of Celestia entered her view. Her guards’ armor shone brightly in the evening sun as they approached the gates. The shine of Celestia’s golden magic encased the gates and they swung open, allowing the griffon to enter. He walked past the guards, seeming to be talking with Celestia.
“Twilight,” Luna started, “I am sure you are aware of certain memories that stay with you for a lifetime, no matter how much you wish they did not.”
Twilight nodded, trying to keep those particular memories from clouding her current judgement.
“Yes, Princess, I am aware. But what does that… Oh.”
Twilight knew she had been right. This was a memory within the book that was of great significance, and from the look on her face, a very bad one.
“But Princess, if this is a bad memory, why are you showing it to me?”
Luna looked at her and smiled weakly. “Because I believe it is a key point in time you will need to know for your friend’s trials ahead.”
“Trials?” Twilight repeated, now more confused than intrigued.
“Listen, learn, and do not try to intervene, regardless of what may happen.”
Luna faded from sight, leaving Twilight to face the upcoming ordeal alone. She redirected her attention outside, just in time to see Celestia’s flowing tail disappearing into the sill as they walked back toward the castle’s main door. Twilight ran to the door, hiding behind one of the pillars to await their entrance. Her ears perked as an unfamiliar voice graced them.
“...As you are aware, I am here to inform you of a very important matter,” the voice said.
The urgency was evident, but it was still composed despite the heavy accent. Twilight guessed it was Griffonian.
“Indeed. You have come a long way on your own to tell me.”
Celestia’s voice was a very welcome one to hear after everything that had transpired. But still, the feeling remained hollow as Twilight knew she could not speak with her. So she stood quietly, ears focused on the ensuing conversation.
“I came on my own because I fear my king will not take kindly to our meeting,” the griffon said, seeming rather nervous. “However,” he continued, “what I have to tell you may well save our countries, and our people.”
Celestia’s eyes narrowed and she straightened considerably.
“Ambassador, I truly hope that what you are about to suggest does not involve what you are implying.”
The griffon remained silent.
“By the Maker…” Celestia seethed. “King Raybrandt is willing to go to war for his foolish desires?!”
The pillars and walls seemed to shake at the ferocious volume of Celestia’s voice. The Ambassador cowered, backing away several inches.
“P-Princess, please, I bring this news to you as a sign of goodwill,” the griffon pleaded. “I do not condone any of my king’s intentions, however promising they sound.”
Celestia’s eyes darted to the Ambassador and seemed to burn with a sudden sense of pride.
“You dare insult the capabilities of my armies?!” Celestia bellowed. ”Shall I show your king my resolve by sending his Ambassador back to his borders in a casket?!”
Her guards’ horns began to glow, encasing the handles of their swords in a white and blue aura.
Immediately realizing his mistake, the Ambassador quickly bowed and closed his wings – the griffon sign of submission in this olden time.
“Princess, I was referring to King Raybrandt’s promises of a better world for his subjects!” He quickly rebounded, praying his head would remain on his shoulders. “The entire reason I am here is to open the door to diplomacy! Not to insult the mighty Equestrian military!”
Celestia’s temper evened out, relieving the golden aura that had gathered over her body. While witnessing the sight, it took Twilight a good few seconds to realize her whole body was shaking out of fear. She was stunned at the ferocity of Celestia’s temper. All her life, she had known her mentor to be extremely forgiving and even passive to major mistakes made by her subjects. She had even intentionally released Discord—albeit under threat of immediate re-sealing should anything go amiss—in order to give him a chance at redemption. But now, she was witnessing her nearly explode over a misunderstood comment.
The Ambassador was still bowed low, heart fighting to jump out of his chest. Celestia waved to her guards to release their swords, and she walked to the panicked griffon.
“Sirus, I did not mean to cause such fear,” Celestia apologized, “I am merely shaken at the fact that your king would even consider the prospect of war. Especially after the last one…”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. The… last one?
“Tell me Sirus, what is the status of his armies? Have they begun any sort of preparations?”
Sirus stood once again on shaking legs, rubbing his head to clear the fuzziness brought on by fear. “I have not seen any ongoing preparations for war, your Highness. However, talks within the Council have pushed the prospect ever further, and King Raybrandt is more than ready to discuss the possibility day after day.”
Celestia’s eyes narrowed, her wings flaring.
“I-I sense that my king will authorize a preemptive strike on Equestrian villages near our borders,” Sirus continued. “I have come to warn you, lest you be caught off guard.”
Celestia’s horn glowed for a moment, fizzling out as a pegasus flew into the hall. The guard landed gracefully in front of Celestia, bowing low.
“You sent for me, Princess?” he asked, standing again.
“Yes, Commander Ferris. I need you to personally deliver an order to increase border security between Griffonia and Equestria. I fear we may be in the midst of another war.”
Without question, the pegasus took flight, flying through an open skylight.
Twilight kept pace with Celestia and Sirus as they walked down the corridors of the palace. She walked right behind them, knowing she couldn’t be seen. She listened to the conversation with great interest, learning all about the Equestriotaur War. Celestia didn't hold back like Twilight knew she would have had she known her student was there. Honestly, it made her quite sick to hear what Celestia had done to a legion of Minotaurs by herself. It made her seem far more powerful than Twilight had ever thought of her. Sirus looked a little green himself, standing out against his sterling white feathers.
The sun outside had gradually begun to lower, made evident by the faint continuous glow of Celestia’s horn.
At a certain corridor, they both stopped.
“Sirus, I want you to tell my sister everything you have told me. For it is she that is responsible for the night watch, and dusk is fast approaching.”
“Yes, Princess,” Sirus replied, turning to face the depths of the corridor.
Twilight sat, thinking on what she had already heard, watching and waiting for what came next.
She didn’t have to wait long.
Celestia's ears swiveled to the right, catching Twilight's attention. The reason was unknown, until she felt her own ears follow. The sound of yelling, and a sound that could only be described as a bellowing shriek tore its way through the palace halls.
Sirus' pupils contracted to the size of sugar grains. He knew that sound all too well: the cry of an enraged griffon king.
“Princess!"
Celestia turned to see a guard running in their direction.
"Ebony Rose, what is all the commotion?!" Celestia asked.
The guard slid to a halt, looking at Celestia with panic in her dark violet eyes.
"Princess come quick! A small force of griffon commandos have infiltrated the palace grounds and are making short work of our forces!”
The black pegasus took off, beckoning Celestia to follow.
“Stay here Sirus. I will return.”
Sirus was too frightened to reply, only able to nod his head.
Celestia took off after her guard, leaving a shaking griffon and one of her guards to look after him.
Twilight ran after Celestia, looking back to Sirus and his guard and wondering what would become of him if the intruders were to find them. If she remembered correctly, Sirus had left his country and sought out Princess Celestia in an act of treason. Being a barbaric race, Maker only knows what they would do to him if he was caught.
Twilight looked forward again just in time to collide with Princess Luna, who merely shuddered while Twilight was knocked to the floor in a daze. Looking up, Twilight was relieved to see that it wasn’t a griffon, but rather her only real company in this nightmare.
“Princess, what’s happening?!” Twilight demanded to know as she rose from the floor.
Without hesitation, Luna looked Twilight in the eyes and narrowed hers. “This is the part where you must pay close attention.”
“Attention to what?!” Twilight snapped back. “All I know thus far is that a war happened, that griffon came to warn Celestia of a possible impending attack, and now some griffons are attacking the guards outside!”
Luna’s gaze remained stern. “But one griffon among the group outside is by no means your average soldier.”
With that, Luna again vanished into the air, leaving no trace she was ever there.
Twilight huffed, running to follow after Celestia. What the buck have I gotten myself into...
Dash could feel the energy flowing through her, giving her limbs the strength to move a mountain. Her lungs burned from the lack of air, and she gave one last burst of movement to free herself.
Velocita watched as the sphere of water surrounding her opponent exploded outward, along with her aura. The magical backlash literally slapped her in the face, making her reel to the side. Dash landed on her hooves, chest heaving with every pained breath.
“Okay…” Dash coughed. “It. Is. On.”
Velocita rubbed the fresh cut on her cheek, shaking her head. She didn’t respond, watching as Dash’s mane began to float on its own accord. The water that had gathered on her coat began to steam, twisting around her in an upward spiral. Surrounding water at her hooves began to boil, the resulting steam adding to the dramatic helix.
Velocita took a step back, eyes focused firmly on Dash. She reached for her sword, gasping as she remembered what happened to it. This time, she would have to rely on the resourcefulness of her power and experience.
“You really shouldn’t have done that…” Dash growled, rushing Velocita with blinding speed.
Being the master she was over her power, Velocita could have easily dodged Rainbow’s furious dash. However, the spark of pride that they shared had roared into a flame and she stood her ground. Leaning all one hundred and forty pounds of her weight to her rear, she stood on her hind legs to catch Dash's outstretched forehooves with her own.
To Rainbow's surprise, the mage stood her ground against her assault. However, she could see her reared up on her hind legs, trying to predict her point of impact. Still a dozen feet out, Dash deftly adjusted her flight path, aiming lower. The look on Velocita's face could've served as entertainment for the whole family as Dash met her target: Velocita's unarmored belly.
A loud crack followed by the satisfying sound of air forcefully leaving one's lungs graced Dash's ears as she pile drove Velocita into the water, creating a wave that exploded outward from her back. Through the pain, Velocita managed to summon a little magic, using it to separate her back from the bedrock floor. Unfortunately, it also decreased the friction between them, making them slide through the dense water like a soapy Slip n’ Slide. She could feel Dash’s hooves beginning to burn her stomach, adding to the pain that was surging through her abdomen and back.
With a burst of strength and good positioning, Velocita managed to get her hind hooves under Dash’s stomach and kick with all her might. Dash was ejected, but her focus was not lost. Her wings spread, catching the wind and sending her several more feet into the air where she watched as Velocita performed a backflip to an upright stance.
“Th-that was very... *hah* very good… *hah*...”
Velocita’s breaths came in weak, pained gasps as she gripped her stomach. She looked down, seeing a massive bruise beginning to form against her bright blue coat. In the darkness, she could see a sharp object poking out from under her skin, and she could guess through the painful breaths that it had to be her lowest rib.
A gust of wind against the back of her neck made her bristle, and she brought her head back up to look straight. Her blue eyes met bright crimson and she tried to backpedal, only to feel her chestplate locked in place by her opponent’s grip.
Rainbow yanked her opponent and pressed her forehead against hers. Velocita's ears went flat as Dash's voice graced them. It had changed, becoming intertwined with Velocita's.
“Who’s the slow one now?”
Twilight skidded to a halt, barely avoiding hitting Celestia's hind leg as she rounded a corner. Twilight had no idea why she had stopped, but the slight tremble she detected made the hair on her neck bristle.
Celestia was staring straight forward, struggling to comprehend the sight before her. Dozens of guards lay dead or dying in the middle of the entrance to the palace, and what took the cake was the griffon in the middle of the mess.
Tears filled Celestia's eyes as the sight became too much, and she lowered her head. However, the longer she stood there the more she realized: The griffons had struck preemptively.
Twilight watched with muted horror, backing away with wide eyes. Even though she knew she could not be seen, the hair on her neck bristled and her ears splayed back. She could feel impending doom encircling her, lurking just outside of range, as though something was watching her from all sides.
A pain-ridden scream echoed through the corridors, snapping Celestia out of her stupor, and she stood upright in a flash. Her horn took on a sickly yellow glow–far deeper than her usual gold, and the room began to cool rapidly.
She muttered something and she began walking forward. Twilight reluctantly followed, keeping a respectable distance. She had the feeling that Celestia had finally snapped as her breath began to become visible. The large windows that lined the walls became entombed in a thick layer of frost, and Twilight's ears splayed back as she backed away, shivering in the intense cold.
Celestia's wings flared wide, the resulting gust of wind blowing numerous artifacts from their pedestals on the walls, and making paintings fall from their perches. Twilight's mane flew back and her eyes were forced to shut as the bitter cold wind bit into her face and neck.
The sickly yellow magic began to shroud Celestia's body, filling the hall with its eerie glow. Twilight watched in a mixed state of awe and terror as the magic began to solidify, creating an armor that covered most of her body. It shone in the last rays of the setting sun with a bright golden luster, and she seemed to gain almost a foot in height. The leading edges of her wings were covered in segmented plates that were designed to glide flawlessly with her movements, without sacrificing protection through gaps. A helmet hovered her head, only allowing her ears and horn to protrude. When she exhaled, bright purple light lit up her breath as it passed in front of her eyes.
She was the spitting image of Nightmare Moon, only brighter.
She lowered her head and widened her stance, pointing her horn in the direction of where she thought the screams were coming from.
Another scream reverberated through the halls and Celestia's ears flicked to the left. She began to hover, wings still extended as far as they could go in either direction. Then, a sound that resembled swords clashing reached them, and Celestia's wings gave a single, mighty flap.
Twilight barely had time to put up her shield as the wind reached her, and she was put into the wall. The world spun as her shield flickered out and her back slid down the wall. Had it not been for her augmented body, she would certainly have been killed from a hit like that.
Celestia was gone, having sped off in a heartbeat to aid the remaining guards. She hoped her appearance wouldn't frighten them.
She flew around corners at uncanny speeds, narrowly avoiding support columns and hanging chandeliers, banners and various other adornments that hung from the ceiling. While Celestia homed in on the noises that ground against her ears like a nail on a chalkboard, Twilight was only just getting her bearings.
"Come now, Twilight.”
She looked up, seeing Luna staring down at her with a disappointed look on her face.
"You could take a hit from Tirek but not a feeble tap on the back such as this?"
"I-If you recall," Twilight stated dryly, "I was overcharged with the magic of four alicorns."
Luna rolled her eyes, focusing magic through her horn. The world began to warp and swirl, making Twilight close her eyes to avoid adding to the dizzying sensation that accompanied the sudden and bizarre motions.
"Prepare yourself, Twilight." Luna's voice reached her as though it was fading. "For now you will witness the ruthlessness of war..."
Rainbow held Velocita tight, the heat from her hooves turning the metal of her chestplate a dull red. The water surrounding them was turning to steam, creating a fog denser than the first. Through the mist, Dash's eyes cast a dull red light, adding a sense of power that instilled fear in Velocita's heart.
"So, how 'bout it?" Dash asked, her voice still a synthesis between the two. "What's the secret to unlocking your power?"
The metal of her chestplate was becoming too hot to bear, and she mustered up some magic to cast a teleportation spell. But as soon as her horn began to glow, Dash's eyes flicked up–followed closely by her hoof.
Velocita had milliseconds to react before Dash's scorching hoof closed around her horn. In a panic, she released the spell too early, resulting in a blast of magic that sent Dash flying. Velocita's chestplate slammed into her chest, still red hot, and the smell of burning fur and flesh filled her nostrils long before she fell backwards into the water. The plate hit the water with a loud hiss, and Velocita screamed in pain beneath the surface.
Dash had recovered, but was in a similar shape herself. The blast had scorched her cheek, leaving the fine blue fur blackened and flesh swollen with the burn.
She watched from above as the water boiled where she had dropped Velocita, and she could see bubbles dancing on the water's surface. Velocita broke the surface, enticing a smirk from Dash. The metal of her chest plate was warped and black, and the chest it was protecting was heaving shallow breaths of pain and panic.
"Rainbow Dash!" Velocita screamed. "I could get you for this!!"
"Hah! Looks like somepony’s a little overcooked!" Dash called down.
She didn't know it, but the power she had mustered had diminished, leaving her vulnerable once again.
Velocita looked up and through pain ridden eyes saw that Dash's hype had ceased. I see he hasn't figured it out yet...
She stood, her chestplate still steaming, and her horn sparked to life. A beep blue aura surrounded her barrel, and the metal began to separate from her chest. She squeaked in pain as she pulled, pulling the metal from the cauterized skin with a sickening ripping noise. Finally, the spent metal fell to the water with a hard splash, instantly hitting the ground beneath and cracking it in all directions.
Dash was shocked. The metal that comprised her armor was far heavier than she had thought. The water began to drain into the cracks, drawing a smooth current from all around. Velocita’s magic continued to surround her chest and stomach, mending the wounds Dash had inflicted.
“I believe we’ve gotten off on the wrong hoof,” Velocita called up to her. “Allow me to show you just how outmatched you really are…”
Dash smirked and felt the power within her begin to stir once again.
“Bring it on, old mare--”
Before she could blink, Velocita was face to face with her. Blue eyes met wine for a fraction of a second, before Velocita’s hoof made contact with Dash’s good cheek. She couldn’t even register the pain before she was sent spinning through the air and into the water like a limp ragdoll.
Unbeknownst to Dash, the loss of Velocita’s armor had further augmented her speed. After shedding four hundred pounds, she could move at speeds well over what the pony eye could follow. Only by unlocking the Blue Power, could Dash ever stand a chance at seeing her adversary's attacks.
SItting up from the water, Dash rubbed her cheek as the red light emanating from her mane died down. Yet again, Kuvvet’s power had come to her aid and reinforced her body. She was beginning to wonder how she had ever lived through her daredevil crashes without it.
“I see mere punches to the face won’t be enough to put you down, eh?” Velocita called over. “I guess I’ll just have to rip you apart.. One piece at a time..”
Dash wiped the corner of her mouth and scowled at Velocita, whose wounds were now but a memory. “OH YEAH?! We’ll see who comes out on top after I get through with you!!”
Dash could feel the power begin to flow, but at an uneasy pace and clouded path. The full extent of the Blue Power was still out of her reach, and she couldn’t figure out why.
Dash looked past her clouded mind to where Velocita was standing. But yet again, in an instant, it looked as though she had simply vanished. Only to reappear not two feet from where she stood.
“Your worthless pride will be your DOWNFALL!”
Velocita spun, connecting her hind leg with Dash’s branded shoulder. The hexagon shimmered for a moment before a searing pain erupted through her shoulder, and she was sent skipping over the water’s surface. Her mouth opened in a soundless scream as each skip brought the pain of colliding with concrete.
“Your worthless pride will be your downfall”.. what does that even mean?? Dash thought as she finally came to a rest and sunk beneath the thick water. Before she could scramble to the surface for air, Velocita was upon her again, and a hoof was jammed into her mouth.
Dash reached up to grab the leg that held her, only to feel a tingle run through her forelegs and have them pinned to her sides under water.
"I think you need a nap..." Dash heard as her vision began to cloud with spots.
"This again?"
Dash's eyes shot open and she immediately realized where she was. A white pegasus stallion stared down at her, his nose mere inches from hers. Her muzzle scrunched up as his breath graced it, which surprisingly smelled of apples. Unfocusing her vision led her to see a dark, inky black sky peppered with millions of white, twinkling stars. It all seemed like a normal night in Ponyville, save for the slight rippling of the sky and floating apple tree.
Wha... floating apple…?
Her eyes focused again, allowing her to see Star Prism chewing on something.
“Still as prideful and arrogant as when you started, aren’t you.”
Some apple spittle landed on Dash’s cheek and she deadpanned. Sitting up, she wiped it away and glared at the white pegasus.
“Great. So I guess the Blueberry won, huh.”
“My dear, the night is still young… Anything can happen!” He seemed much more cheerful than before as he took another massive bite from his golden apple.
Dash got to her hooves and looked around. She seemed to completely ignore Star Prism as she did, making him frown a little. It wasn’t until she looked at him that he smiled. “So we’re in my head again, right?”
Prism nodded.
“Why?”
He shrugged. “Looks to me like you were getting your flank handed to you, so I thought I’d intervene.”
Dash rolled her eyes and walked over to the upside down apple tree, which was now low enough to the invisible floor for her to reach up and grab one. She bit into it, and juice flew everywhere from the hearty bite. Her eyes went wide as the taste graced her tongue. It was by far the freshest apple she had ever tasted and she fell to her butt with a shocked grin on her face.
“You know, being trapped within a young mare like yourself has its advantages,” Star Prism said as he walked over to her. “Your youthful mind provides some of the best food I could ever dream of!”
Dash snorted, still chewing her bite. “What?” She managed to ask over her full mouth.
“Have you ever heard the expression, ‘Food for thought’?”
Dash nodded as she took another bite. The stars seemed to shimmer a little brighter with every bite she took.
“What ish that suphosed to mean?” Dash said, sending some projectile pieces of apple into the void beneath them.
“It means, in your case, there is so much potential to be tapped within your mind, that you couldn’t possibly comprehend it right now.”
Dash looked at him with a blank stare. After swallowing her bite of apple, she looked down at the apple in question. It shimmered with a light she had never seen before. The golden skin of the apple seemed to radiate an energy that resonated within her head.
“What the hell am I eating?”
“Well, to me, it looks like an apple,” Star Prism assured. “What does it look like to you?”
“An app-” Dash was cut off by Star Prism’s wing draping her her back. “No, really. What does it look like?”
Dash shivered under his wing, despite the warmth it radiated. Her face flushed, and the sky slowly turned a shade of deep pink and violet. She looked back down at the apple, and it shimmered brighter. She could see something within the mauled fruit, and the glow intensified into a bright purple glow. She dropped the apple, watching in horror as it plummeted down into the abyss that was her mind. She looked at Star Prism, who seemed to be counting under his breath.
“What are you…”
Before she could ask, the purple light far below seemed to disappear, before exploding in a fantastic display of every hue of purple imaginable. Dash flinched as the fireball rocketed up and spread across the sky. There, in front of an amazed Rainbow Dash, were images of her best friend Twilight Sparkle.
"Why is-"
"Just watch. Why do you think your friend Twilight is so powerful?"
Dash continued to watch the images, and they seemed to concentrate more on when Trixie had visited Ponyville. Twilight had been so reluctant to show off her amazing magical skill, and in doing so, gained the respect she had wanted from her friends.
"She's humble about her strengths..." Dash breathed, suddenly realizing.
Star Prism smiled and took the last bite of his apple before tossing the core into the void. "Indeed. But can you also be humble? Can you toss aside the poison that is pride, and use your abilities as they were meant to be?"
Dash looked at Star Prism as the images eventually came to a halt. The sky once again turned an inky black, and the stars twinkled brightly in the background.
“It was meant to protect and serve the ponies of Equestria, right…?”
Star Prism nodded, looking at her with a smile. “Indeed. Now, shouldn’t you be getting back? I don’t think Velocita is the patient type.”
Dash stood and nodded. She held her head still, bracing for the impact. Sure enough, Prism’s wing extended as fast as it could, hitting Dash directly in the temple. The world spun and shimmered, dissolving away as Dash’s unconscious form fell into the void. Star Prism closed his eyes and smiled as he was swept away with the rest of the dream.
