Twilight walked into the Library with Spike. Inside was Rage with a book. It wasn't Dranzer's journal, but rather a Daring Doo book. "Hey Rage!" Twilight said, getting the crimson unicorn's attention.
"Oh! You're back!" He exclaimed, putting the book down.
"How was Applejack?" The purple alicorn asks as she sets her things down.
"Alright." Rage answered as she walked over and sat with him. "I can only imagine how busy she and Big Mac must be getting ready for Nightmare Night."
"Yeah they supply most of the cider for the town's festivities." Twilight states. "Takes them a few days to get it all ready."
"I can imagine." The crimson unicorn agrees. "How was the short trip to Canterlot?"
"It was alright." Twilight sighs looking through her things. "I was wondering, could I ask a favor?"
"Sure." Rage nods "What is it?"
"Well I haven't told you yet but Rainbow Dash has some big thing happening tomorrow in Cloudsdale and she wants us to be there." Twilight explained as she opened a book.
"Pinkie mentioned that when I bumped into her earlier." Rage states "I was wondering how we could even be there. Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity and I can't walk on clouds."
"That's what I wanted to ask about. Celestia helped me find a new spell that should help us. Better than the one I know. It should grant us the ability to walk on the clouds and it's an easy cast." Twilight explains. "Would you be willing to help me test it? So I can be sure it works?"
"How do you plan to do that?" Rage asks her, raising an eye.
"Well, Rainbow Dash would help. I cast the spell and she takes you up to a cloud." Twilight would use some magic to make little versions of them out of magic to help visualize it. "If you fall through she'll catch you."
"You sure?" Rage asks.
"Of course." Twilight nods "She won't drop you I promise." Rage looked at Twilight with thoughtful eyes. He reluctantly nodded. "Thank you!" Twilight smiles.
Ragd and Twilight walked outside and to a small field just outside Ponyville. Rainbow Dash was waiting for them. "Morning Dash!" Twilight smiles.
"Hey Twilight!" The cyan pegasus says with a wave. "Are ya ready?"
"Of course." Twilight smiled. "I am more than ready."
"You're not the one being put on a cloud you may or may not fall through..." Rage muttered to himself.
"How come Rage is here?" Rainbow asked her with a tile of her head.
"He's agreed to help make sure the spell works." Twilight answers.
"Please don't drop me." Rage says looking at Rainbow Dash.
"Don't worry." Rainbow chuckles. "I am the best flier in all of Equestria! I won't let you down."
"That's reassuring." Rage sighed looking at Twilight. "Alright Twi let's do it."
"Arlight." Twilight looks at Rage then she looks into a book she had set on the ground in front of her and her horn glows. A light blue aura surrounded Rage briefly before fading with the magical aura around Twilight's horn.
"I don't feel any different." Rage says tilting his head.
"Only one way to find out!" Rainbow Dash chuckles picking Rage up by his front legs.
"Hey hold on a second!" Rage objected as the blue pegasus flew him up to a cloud just big enough for maybe two or three ponies.
"And bombs away!" Rainbow Dash calls dropping the crimson unicorn onto the cloud. Rage let out a very brief and short shout and shut his eyes as he fell a few feet before landing flat on the cloud. He waited, he didn't feel like he was falling anymore and slowly he opened his eyes.
He was laying on the cloud! He slowly managed to stand up and look around. The cloud was soft and not at all what he had expected. Then Rainbow Dash lands on the cloud and gives him a smirk leaning in close. "You know what they say about when two ponies are on a cloud?" she says in an almost flirtatious voice.
Rage's face turned from his more mid-toned red to a bright red like a tomato when she said this. "I...uhhh..." he stuttered before she took a step back and burst out laughing.
"Oh Rage you're hilarious you're all red and embarrassed!" she laughs fluttering in the air as she regains control of herself from the laughter fit. She then lands again. "Whew, seriously though Twilight did a good job. I didn't expect it to work."
"Oh ye of little faith." Twilight chuckles as she slowly manages to join the pegasus and unicorn on the cloud. "You alright?" she asks Rage.
"I am a bit shaken but I am alright." Rage answers letting out a huff of air.
"Good." Twilight smiled, "I knew it'd work."
"So how am I supposed to get down?" Rage asks "Or am I being carried again?"
"How else would you?" Rainbow Dash chuckles as she walks over to him and nudges him in the side. Rage let out a sigh.
"Well let's get back on solid ground then." Rage says.
"So soon? You don't want to go see Cloudsdale or anything?" Rainbow Dash asks.
"It's probably best if we save it for tomorrow." Twilight stated. "Besides, that's quite a way for you to carry him, Dash."
"And?" Rainbow scoffs "I could carry him there no problem!"
"I'd rather not." Rage says with a tired look. "I've had enough excitement for one day..."
"You're no fun today." Rainbow Dash grumped as she picked Rage up and the three returned to the ground. "Though I was wondering, what if you don't need the spell?"
"What do you mean?" Twilight spoke up first, before Rage could even say anything.
"What if Rage went all golden and flashy! He could fly then!" Rainbow suggests with a smile.
"No way." Rage said with an upset look. "If I do that who knows what ponies'll think. Besides it doesn't change me into a pegasus or an alicorn so why would it give me the ability to walk on the clouds?"
"That is a good point. I guess I never thought about that. I just focused on how cool it looked. I wish I could do something like that." Rainbow Dash shrugged. "But hey, we all have our thing. I have my Sonic Rainboom. Twilight has her magic. Applejack her farm. Pinkie Pie and her…uh Pinkie Sense."
"Pinkie what?" Rage asks tilting his head.
"Pinkie Sense!" Pinkie Pie's high pitched voice came from right behind Rage. Surprised, the red unicorn shouts and leaps into the air, turning around.
"What!? P-pinkie?" Rage stuttered as he let out a sigh. "I thought you said you were super busy with some big order."
"Oh! I was!" She cheers. "I'm done now."
"Er…anyways." Twilight continued before Pinkie's tail began twitching. "Uh on."
"What?" Rage asked as the four ducked for cover leaving Rage sitting there confused. "Uh…guys?"
"Rage look out! Twitchy tail means something is going to fall!" Pinkie cries out.
"What?" He cocked his head before his ear twitched. He looked up to see a large rock coming barreling down at him. "Uh oh!" He exclaims. In a flash his horn glowed and a small barrier of energy surrounded him. The rock lands right on him.
"Rage!" Spike exclaims. Then the rock cracked. Then crumbled to dust with Rage standing there looking a bit on edge.
"What…was that?!" He exclaims putting the magical barrier down.
"Wow…you're alright?!" Twilight exclaims. "When did you learn to cast a protective barrier?"
"I have been able to for a long time." Rage shrugs "Remember when I got hurt by Sombra's shade?"
"Of course. Hard to forget that." Twilight nodded.
"I…used one then too but it didn't last…" Rage sighs.
"What changed?" Rainbow Dash asks looking at Twilight "You've always been on about how much effort it takes to be adept at magic."
"I dunno." Twilight said as she walks up to Rage and looks him over. "You've been spending most of your time on that project for Celestia too…"
"Wait…" Pinkie spoke before she began to shake uncontrollably. "Uh oh…"
"A doozy?" Spike asks and she nods.
"Not here though…not now but soon…" Pinkie Pie says as she stopped.
"Rage, have you been practicing magic too?" Twilight asks rubbing her chin.
"No." Rage denied "Though ever since our battle with Sombra I have felt different…"
"I wonder if it's related to your other powers then…" Twilight ponderer. "Strange…"
"I dunno…" Rage sighs with a shrug "Honestly there is a lot I don't know or that I am still discovering about my powers…"
"Well at the very least we have the spell down." Twilight nods.
"Hold on." Rainbow speaks up "Remember the Best Young Flier competition?"
"When you did your sonic rainboom?" Twilight asks and Rainbow Dash nodded.
"Sonic Rainboom?" Rage asks.
"Ooo it's amazing!" Pinkie exclaims "it's a legendary thing that happens when a pegasus like Rainbow Dash goes so fast that they cause a rainbow AND a sonic boom all at once!"
Rage looked a bit curious "Now that I have to see!" He says with a happy stamp of a hoof.
"I dunno…" Rainbow Dash says nervously "Would that be a bit unfair to the others?"
"Other what?" Rage asks.
"We're all going up to cheer Rainbow Dash on at the Cloudsdale Challenge. It's a big race that the Wonderbolts sponsor." Twilight says.
"Well then I'll be there." Rage said with a nod.
"That's sorta why I wanted you to go back with me. You've never seen Cloudsdale and all." Rainbow Dash admits "Plus I'd like a friend there while I sign up and practice."
"Who's your partner going to be?" Pinkie Pie asks.
"It has to be Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash says. "I can't have Twilight since she's a princess they'd never let her compete."
"What does the race entail anyway?" Rage asks.
"It's a tough, long course of various challenges. Pegasi in teams of two complete and in the end they add their times and the team with the lowest time wins." Rainbow Dash explains.
"Can't wait to see you two perform!" Rage smiles.
"Why don't we leave her to train." Twilight suggests. "We'll see you tomorrow?"
"Sure thing." Rainbow Dash nods. She flies off and Pinkie hopped off herself.
"See you later!" She called. Rage, Twilight and Spike waved as she hopped off.
"Pinkie Sense huh?" Rage looks at Twilight curiously..
"Don't ask, it just works." She sighs. "I already tried to figure it out."
The three returned to the library as the sun began setting over the horizon. The evening saw Rage reading what he had translated so far that day. "…The Lost Guardians…" Rage whispered to himself "I wonder…could they help me?"
"If they're even alive." Blade's voice echoed.
"Come on Blade, have some faith." Rage scoffs. "You know I have to learn somehow!"
"Rage, right now it's best you focus on things day by day." Blade replied. "Thinking ahead isn't wise right now. Enjoy what time you have. Christain could be anywhere biding his time and who knows what the outcome of your battle will be."
"Alright." Rage sighs "I will."
"Rage?" Twilight's voice interrupts him. He looked at her and shook his head.
"Sorry, what's up?" He asks.
"Talking to Blade again?" She asks with a smirk.
"Sorry." Rage sighed as he uses some magic to put the book away.
"You've gotten a lot better with controlling your magic." Twilight compliments.
"All thanks to you." Rage smiled "Without your help I'd probably be smacking into walls every time I cast a spell or shooting beams into the air."
Twilight chucked at the response. "I am sure you would have eventually figured it out."
"I should get some rest." Rage sighs "Been a long day for us…"
"Alright. Just be sure to be around bright and early tomorrow." Twilight says as Rage retired to his room for the night.
Rage looked to his bed and sighed. "Christain…I hope it isn't true…" he mutters to himself crawling into bed.
The next morning Rage woke up at the break of dawn to Rainbow Dash. She had shook him awake. "Rainbow Dash?!" He exclaims but she shushed him. "What are you doing in my room?!" He whispers.
"Can you just come with me?" She asks "I need some support here."
"Why me?" Rage asks as she helps him out of bed.
"You can walk on clouds already." She answers before picking him up. "And I don't want to bother Twi…"
"Hold on." Rage objects "With what?!"
"You'll see!" She says. Rage sighed. She already had him up in the air so he couldn't really object. She flew him up to Cloudsdale and gently set him on a cloud.
"What's so important you need my help?" Rage asks her.
"Just come on." Rainbow Dash urges leading Rage to a small obstacle course made of clouds where Fluttershy was.
"Oh…good morning, Rage." Fluttershy says in a sweet tone. "Are you going to help us?"
"I suppose." Rage sighs. "What am I doing?"
"You're on the clock." Rainbow Dash says. "Time Fluttershy and I while we go through the course!" She hands Rage a stopwatch and he nods.
For the next few hours the two ran the course. Rage logging times. Slowly but surely the times got better and better. Rainbow skids to a halt finishing another run. "Time?"
"One twenty-one." Rage answers "Shaved three and a half seconds."
"Well, well, well if it isn't Rainbow Crash." A cocky male voice chuckles.
"Not again." Rainbow groans as she turns with Rage to see a stalwart blue pegasus with a white mane. Next to him was a similar sized but slightly skinnier. "What do you want, Blue Thunder?" She scoffs.
"Sizing up the competition." He chuckles.
"You mean seeing who you'll be second to." Rainbow Dash scoffed.
"I wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions, Rainbow Crash." The stallion scoffs.
"Oh yeah? You think you can beat me?" Rainbow Dash scoffs.
"You shouldn't get ahead of yourself." He chuckled looking at Fluttershy who was running the course. "Afterall you're relying on Fluttershy!"
"I make up for her shortcomings just like she does for me!" Rainbow scoffed.
"Pfft as if." Blue Thunder laughs.
"Why don't you go bother somepony who cares." Rage piped up.
"What was that?" Blue Thunder looked at Rage and snorted. "You got a problem?"
"Yeah..." Rage scoffs giving him a glare. "You're bugging my friends."
"Oh really? They don't seem too bothered." Blue Thunder scoffs with a snicker. "What's a silly unicorn know anyway? You can't fly."
"Is that a challenge?" Rage snarls.
"Now hold on." Rainbow Dash butts in "You don't get to just pop up and mouth around here Blue Thunder." She stated glaring at the dark blue pegasus. "Or do I need to remind you about your...cloud incident?"
Blue Thunder glared at Rainbow Dash and snorted in frustration. Without a word he turned and walked off. Rage glaring at him until he took off and flew out of sight. "Sorry." Rainbow Dash sighs "I don't even know why he bothers."
"Don't focus on him Rainbow Dash..." Fluttershy says walking up and wrapping a wing around her. "He's trying to rile you up so you lose focus."
"Flutters is right." Rage sighs letting his own frustration go. "Afterall you're the fastest in Equestria aren't you?"
"Yeah." Rainbow Dash nods looking at her two friends. The three shared a happy smile as the top of a hot air balloon crests over the cloud. Right under Rage's feet. Quickly he hops down and looks at the rest of the mane six that were in the basket of the balloon.
"Twilight! AJ! Rarity! Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash exclaims as the group of mares hopped out. "Where's Spike?"
"He's in Canterlot...Princess Celestia asked for him by name..." Twilight says "How are you?"
"We're good." The cyan Pegasus says as Soarin walks up to the group.
"Princess Twilight!" He exclaimed, bowing his head. "I wasn't expecting you to show up."
"Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are competing, of course I am going to show up!" Twilight chuckled with an embarrassed blush.
"Right, of course." Soarin said with a nod. "Anyway...speaking of which, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy we'll be starting soon."
"Right." Rainbow Dash nods. "Wish us luck!"
"Like you'll need it." Rage smirked "You two have this by a mile!"
"You know it!" she cheered back.
"We should probably make our way to the stands." Rarity suggests.
"Right behind ya." Applejack nods.
The other five headed for the Cloudsdale Coliseum and waited. It was about another twenty minutes before Soarin took center stage. "Good afternoon Pegasi of Equestria!" he began his speech; "Welcome one and all to the annual Cloudsdale Iron Pegasus Duos where teams of two compete to see who's the best of the best! For a chance to be selected to be a member of The Wonderbolts!"
A cheering erupted from the crowd. A full stadium of ponies was present. Rage was in awe of the turn out. It was a lot like old sporting events on Mobius though only the big international ones ever got a crowd like this. "This morning the teams competing are as follows! We have Blue Thunder and Silver Wing!" Soarin announced the first team and Blue Thunder walked out with a silver pegasus with a long golden yellow mane. They waved and Blue Thunder looked back at Rainbow Dash with a devious smirk.
"Second we have Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy!" Soarin announced the second team. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy walked out. Rainbow sharing a glare with Blue Thunder.
Rage looked at the dynamic between the two and he felt a surge of anger just seeing Blue Thunder's cocky smirk back to Rainbow Dash. Shortly after he shivered. He felt this cold...oppressive feeling. One he knew all too well. Twilight looked over to Rage who had a look of pure shock on his face that he was in no way hiding.
"Rage?" Twilight asks, nudging him. "Are you okay?"
Rage shook his head as he snapped back to. He looked at Twilight and nodded. "Yeah...sorry." he sighs looking back at the starting line. While he had zoned out the rest of the teams had been announced. Now they were ready to go.
Twilight gave him an unsure look but shrugged looking back down to the line of pegasi ready to fly. "On your marks!" Soarin calls. "Get set..." Soarin raised a strange looking orb shape. "GO!" as he called go and squeezed it a loud "POP!" was made and the ponies all zoomed off. Even Fluttershy.
The crowd cheered and hollered names of the teams they supported. Including Twilight and her friends. This was a long endurance challenge that went well outside of the confines of the coliseum. There were stands all along the path. Rage was a bit bummed they were stuck at the coliseum since that meant they'd only be able to see the start and the end of the race.
About another two minutes went by and Rage shivered. "Again...?" he wondered aloud looking around. "Something doesn't feel right..."
Twilight looked over to Rage noticing he was startled again. "What's wrong?" she asks.
Rage looked at her. "I dunno..." he answered. "I just...can't help but feel this strange energy...it almost feels like...Darkness."
"Darkness?" Twilight asks, raising an eye at him. "I think you didn't get enough sleep last night." she comments.
"LOOOK!" Pinkie cheers pointing to the corner that marked the final stretch. Zooming around it was Rainbow Dash and Blue Thunder.
"Go Rainbow Dash!" Applejack cheers.
Down on the course Blue Thunder looks at Rainbow Dash in frustration. She was just ahead of him and by enough that frustrated him. He pushed himself and got neck and neck with her.
"Not this time Rainbow Crash!" He laughs as she looks over to him. She glared at him and he glared back before he bumps her. This caused her to slow down to keep herself from being knocked off course.
"Hey!" She shouts. Angered she bolts back and gets ahead of him again. Just before the finish line. In shock he stopped before he could cross.
"WHAT?!" He shouts in frustration. He then looks back to Silver Wings and Fluttershy. Both were close as well, though this was planned by the two. He nods at Silver Wings. The pegasus nodded and extended a hoof on a cloud that was placed as an obstacle. It then gets just close enough that Fluttershy hits it with her wing.
Fluttershy's wing was struck and she couldn't use it. She shouted as she began to fall. Rainbow Dash noticed this and gasped. "Fluttershy!" Twilight exclaims in horror.
The Wonderbolts that were observing noticed and dove off their platform to go help her. Shortly after Rainbow Dash bolted past them. Unaware a stray pink colored cloud was soaring at them. The Wonderbolts slowed down as Fluttershy was grabbed by Rainbow Dash.
While they went to rescue Fluttershy, Blue Thunder went to cross the finish line and he laughed as they flew past him. "Huh?" He exclaimed as the cloud struck him, breaking his own wing. Without a cloud close by he too began to fall.
"Oh no!" Rarity gasps "I can't look!" Twilight dove after him. She flew as best she could but she soon was struck by a whirlwind and swept off her course.
Rage without even thinking jumped off the cloud himself. "Rage?!" Applejack tried grabbing him but he was too fast.
"Rage, what are you doing?!" Blade's voice echoed in a panic. "You can't fly!"
"Shut up!" he says as he glows. Blue Thunder looked at the crimson unicorn approaching him at high speeds. Meters before they could reach each other a bright golden light surrounded Rage and he sprouted a pair of wings made of a golden energy. His mane turned a bright golden color. With that a red-gold streak formed behind him as he swept under Blue Thunder and grabbed the falling pegasus before swooping back around.
Blue Thunder looked in pure shock at Rage as he flew them back up to a cloud by where The Wonderbolts, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were. Rage set the pegasus down and sighed. "Y-you saved me?!" he stuttered looking at Rage in shock. "Thank you!"
"Don't...mention it." Rage pants with a cocky smile. He was winded after that one. He pushed himself pretty hard just to catch up with Blue Thunder. Didn't help he wasn't exactly an ace at flying in this way.
Soarin looked at the pink cloud and flew over to it. "That's strange..." he says as he reached out and touched it. The cloud vanished before he could. "What in Equestria is going on?"
"Are you alright?" Twilight flew over to Fluttershy and hugged her friend. "What happened?"
"I dunno...I had some weird cloud hit me..." Fluttershy says.
"That was pretty cool." Rainbow Dash says to Rage bumping his hoof as Spitfire and Soarin approach the two.
"Well that certainly was something." Soarin says looking at Rainbow Dash. "Sorta reminds you of the Best Young Flier competition a while back huh?"
"Gotta say, I've never seen a unicorn pull something like that off." Spitfire chuckled. "Nice one. What's your name?"
"Burning Rage..." Rage bowed his head in greeting "It's nice to meet you."
"I think I remember. You were the one Princess Twilight named in that speech a few weeks ago." Soarin comments looking at Rage. "That was some quick thinking."
"What happened to you?" Rage asks Blue Thunder.
"Like I know!" He scoffs. "I got hit by some weird cloud!"
"I don't like this..." Twilight comments. "A pink cloud...where have we seen those before?"
"You don't think..." Rainbow Dash rubs her chin. "No..that's not possible right?"
"What's not possible?" Rage asks confused.
"Discord?" Twilight mouths at Rainbow Dash who nods.
"Rage?" Twilight looks at the red unicorn. "You arlight?"
"Of course I am!" He chuckled with a smile.
"Thank you...again." Blue Thunder says to Rage as he turns and gets ready to dive. He then turns to Blue Thunder.
"Don't worry about it." Rage said with a smile. Blue Thunder and Silver Wing then looked at each other and went their own way.
"You don't think it could be Discord...do you?" Fluttershy asks now that the group was alone.
"I hope not...but we can't be too sure..." Twilight says as they got back into the balloon.
"Discord?" Rage asks looking a little confused as he returned to normal.
"That's right you probably haven't heard of him. You were in The Everfree Forest at the time." Applejack says "He's a real strange one."
"Discord is the god of disharmony." Twilight says "We defeated him with The Elements of Harmony right before we went after Sombra. It's when...I became a princess."
"You think he broke out of the stone again, so soon?" Rainbow Dash asks.
"You know anypony else who makes pink, sticky clouds?" Twilight asks.
"Good point." Rainbow Dash nods. Not much else was said until the balloon landed back at the Ponyville Library. The sight though was one that sent a shock to the seven. Checkered paths, buildings floating, animals acting in weird ways.
"This isn't good." Twilight gasps. She then looks at Rage. "Rage, I need you to go to Canterlot. Tell Celestia that Discord is back!"
"Me?" Rage exclaims "What about you guys?!"
"We're going to make sure everypony is alright before we confront him." Twilight says looking at the others. "Plus we'll have to use the Elements of Harmony...we need to stick together...so he can't trick us like he did last time."
"Alright." Rage shrugs. "I'll be back as soon as I can I guess." He then changed again to his Super Form so he could fly again. Even though he wasn't sure what was going on it was clear Twilight knew. She knew what she was doing even if she was being vague with him.
Twilight watched the streak that Rage left behind before looking to her friends. "We've got this, girls." she says as they went inside the library.
As for the crimson unicorn he was going as fast as he could. "You know something feels fishy about all of this." Blade says as he appears next to Rage.
"Tell me about it." Rage scoffed. "Twilight knows more than she lets on about whatever this is."
"Be careful." The dragon spirit says. Rage nods focused more on his flight. He was close to landing by now. He slowed down so as not to crash into anything. With care and a bit of luck he managed to land safely at the steps to Canterlot Castle.
The crimson unicorn ran up the stairs and into the Audience Chamber where Celestia and Sonic both were. "Sonic! Celestia!" Rage shouts panting "You have to hear this!"
Sonic and Celestia had been talking and they turned their attention to Rage as he came rushing in. "What is it?!" Celestia asks, startled. Whatever it was she knew it had to be big. Especially with how quickly Rage came running in.
"Ponyville-" Rage began to speak before a bolt of dark magic flew at him. He stopped mid-sentence to put a barrier of energy up. "What?!"
"Now I can't have you going around breaking all of the news to Princess Celestia now can I?" A sinister voice laughed. Rage bared his teeth listening to it. The voice was cold, almost like ice was scraping over their ears.
"Who's there?!" Celestia barks "Show yourself!" As they looked around a strange dark purple mist descends from the air. "Wh...what?" Celestia asks, confused. It wasn't long before she began to feel tired and weak.
"H-hey now..." Sonic coughed before passing out quickly.
"I-impossible..." Rage looked around as his vision blurred. He looked behind where Celestia's now unconscious body was laying and he almost could have sworn he saw a pair of glowing amber eyes that were familiar to him. He reached towards it before he too collapsed.