The Dark Zoner

The Rush

Rainbow Dash awoke early for the training grounds, she happily trotted her way with a huge smile on her mouth. Today was the day that she proved to her father that she was perfect for the title of being his daughter!

She performed the move that even the creators were having difficulties with, The Rainboom. It was a powerful technique that saved her clan and home and won many a battles against the wretched Lunar armies.

She first performed it as a young filly, by accident, and her father was proud of her. Of course, it’s been years since she’d done it perfectly and she took great strides and struggles to be able to perform that again without difficulties.

That time is finally here!

Now was the day that she can perform an official, controlled and documented Rainboom and gain recognition in the Starlight clan! She’ll finally get her sought after license!

Her clan was the elite of the elite in Princess Celestia’s Realm. Starlight Generals were equal to power and glory of Luna’s Zoners. That’s why the devil Princess Luna has never been able to take over their glorious Sun Realm in over 7000 years.

The Zoners may have been becoming more powerful but so have the Starlights, they weren’t sitting their on their flanks doing nothing, after all!

Whenever her clan wasn’t fighting the recent Zoner reincarnations, they’d be handling monster affairs, taking down giant Hydras and the like.

Even though the Hydras and other giant monsters were comparably weaker than the Zoners by a large landslide, they were more numerous. Like annoying scaly insects!

“Dad!” Rainbow Dash called out when she reached the training grounds. After this, she might even be Blessed by Princess Celestia herself! She grinned in conceited glory. “Ten seconds flat!” She said her signature quote. “I’ll be done with this before breakfast.”

“Oy!” A gruff looking cerulean came by while wearing thick and heavy dull gold armor. “Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here?”

“Didn’t you remember? I’m here to show my Rainboom!”

“Are you still spouting out about that?” The eye-scarred pegasus spat out. “Quit your silly daydreaming and go do something useful.”

“That was years ago, and by accident. A fluke, never gonna happen again! You‘re just shooting blanks, reckless ones.”

“Anyways, where’s dad? Shouldn’t he be here? We made an appointment. I woke up early for this. Early!”

“My brother is off fighting that wench again.”

“-Gasps- Twilight Sparkle?!” Rainbow Dash covered her mouth in surprise.

“She broke through the first barrier and he dashed on over to get rid of her.”

Rainbow Dash smiled as she plunged into the air and headed in the direction of her father. “I gotta see my dad plow that little Zoner!”

“Plow?” Her uncle, Starry Lights, shook his head. “What kind of talking are you doing? That gal ain’t no simple pony, she’s a Zoner that’s been terrorizing us for almost 500 years!”

“Terrorize, smerrorize! She’s weak!”

“I know youngin’s are foolish but this is going too far, Rainbow! That kinda thinking will get you killed. No ones ever gotten close to killing a Zoner!”

“If I know someone who can do it, it’s my dad!” Rainbow took off of the ground and flew in the direction of the first barrier.

“Aye, if I was 20 years younger I could keep up with that filly but these old bones ain’t what they used to be.” Her uncle drooped his wings in shame. “She’ll learn the horrors of fighting a Zoner just like everyone else.” The ex-Starlight General limped away.

“Reiner Dash, you need to teach your daughter that there’s more to it to being a Starlight General. If anything, she’ll be the next one in line if you die…let’s hope that doesn’t happen until she’s ready.”

Thinking back on it, Rainbow Dash was just like her father when he and Reiner were young.

XOX

“Reiner, Reiner, Reiner!” A voice said condescendingly over and over.

A single light blue pegasus stood upright around his fallen comrades on a mountain trail. His rainbow mane was tussled and messy as it stuck out from his armor. He was wearing a shiny gold armor that seemed to emit its own source of light in the cloudy area. His entire face was covered in his golden helmet except for the slit that let two dark red orbs out.

“Zoner, this is your last day!” Reiner Dash cried out as he stared at the empty space around him.

“Poor poor, Reiner, like that was the first time I heard that.” A white streak appeared behind him and a small purple unicorn appeared, smirking evilly. “The long life of a Zoner makes it hard for me to have a really tough time swallowing your words.”

Reiner’s head shot up and he pulled a sword out of the scabbard at his side and twisted his neck to swing at the unicorn.

Just as his knife cut, it was like he sliced lightning in half, which was less impressive than it sounded. He missed and that small mistake was going to cost him.

“Gotta try better than that, my little pony!” A soft giggle ended up in front of him before he found himself knocked on his back to the floor. “I can swallow more than your words if that’s what you want.” Twilight wiggled her flank as she pressed down his forelegs on either side of his head.

She leaned in to the point that his nose and hers were practically touching. Twilight hovered her mouth over to the side of his neck and breathed softly on it. “Or I can give you a love bite, how does that sound?”

“I’m tired of playing your games, Twilight Sparkle!” Reiner struggled under her grasp but couldn’t get out of her hold.

“I thought that you really liked my games, Reiny!” Twilight giggled almost childishly. Her tail was swishing back and forth in a smooth but almost impatient pattern.

Suddenly, a flare of rainbows appeared over the mountain of where they were standing. Twilight immediately frowned when she sensed the stream of colors.

“Dad!” An obnoxious and boyish voice rung out, echoing through the mountains.

That sudden distraction gave Reiner enough time to struggle free and knock Twilight off of him just as Rainbow Dash landed besides him.

“Another Starlight…great….” Twilight twisted her neck and yawned, she has had it with the interruptions for today.

“As a parting gift, I won’t kill you, filly, but I will have to break a few of your legs, permanently.” Twilight’s body started to turn white as she sparked with electricity.

“No!” Reiner jumped in time with the split second attack and managed to push Rainbow Dash out of the way. “Dad!” She cried and winced. Sounds of bone crunching echoed through the mountain trail in a deafening tone.

“Hmm, wrong target. I didn’t expect you to care so much for that pony, Reiner?” Twilighit’s eyes seemed to change as she stared back at Reiner before her body was enveloped in a purple bubble and blinked out of existence. “I’ll be seeing you later, maybe without interruptions next time? Ta-ta, Reiny!”

“Dash!” Reiner strained through his voice to chastise his daughter. He could only stand on his forelegs before he crumpled to the floor in a sitting position.

“D-Dad…?”Rainbow Dash shrunk under his angry gaze.

“I-I’m sorry, dad, I just…,” Rainbow Dash shook her head as she tried to think of a good reason. None came to mind. “I’m so sorry!”

Reiner’s face fell solemn as he watched Rainbow Dash cry her eyes out, this wasn’t typical of the stubborn filly so she really was pouring her heart out on this. “No, I’m sorry, Dash. I failed as a father, I shouldn’t have yelled.”

“It’s just, be careful, it’s not all fun and games. We never lost the war but that never meant we won it, either. Nor does it mean we didn’t lose any lives.” He turned to look at his fallen Starlight brethren, many whom were close relatives of theirs.

Rainbow Dash and her father looked at each in the eye for about a minute, knowing what they had to do. A few painful hours went by, with Rainbow nagging her father over his pains every other minute, and they were finally finished.

The burial was set and their family members were put to rest.

“Let’s go home.” Her father’s voice was solid and stoic. The pain was excruciating but Reiner managed to propel himself off the ground with his broken legs before flying towards home, towards Canterlot.

“Dad!” Rainbow Dash hurried after her weak father in worry.

XOX

Everypony in Canterlot castle stopped what they were doing when they noticed a flying pegasus clad in full golden armor, only his wings, mane and tail, bits of his neck and legs were revealed under it. He also had a long flowing red cape with multiple Sun insignias, they immediately recognized him even from afar.

It was the Starlight General!

They cheered as they expected his return was from a great victory, so everyone fell silent, when they saw him fly lower near the castle courtyard before he plummeted out of the sky and rolled on the hard marble floor. He crashed onto the steps that led into the castle through the courtyard.

Immediately a few earth ponies dressed in medical gear marched towards him and tried to haul him off towards the emergency room.

Rainbow Dash landed shortly after and tried to go after her father but only to be blocked by the mob that stood between them. Everypony was worried about the great Starlight General. He was decidedly the most powerful to ever exist so it was a surprise to see him in such a condition.

Only one pony could put him through this, everypony realized, the Dark General of the Lunar Armies, the Zoner!

After a few hours of pacing back and forth in the hospital, Rainbow Dash was finally allowed to see her father.

Reiner looked completely different without the Starlight General armor that he would often be seen in. He looked much younger than the armor made him out to be. But his eyes had this aged war experienced soldier look.

“Is everything alright, father?” Rainbow Dash rarely called him father unless she was really worried about him.

“Oh, Rainbow, it’s you dear.” Her father croaked, making Rainbow wince.

“No! You did what any good father would do, and you do so much other good!”

“Rainbow, I—” Reiner stopped just as a unicorn colt walked in.

“Greetings, General Reiner and family.” The doctor bowed at Rainbow Dash and her father. He pulled the clipboard with his magic from under Reiner’s bed and grimaced. “I’m sorry to say I have bad news.”

“Do you have any good news?” Rainbow nearly screeched.

“Well, we were able to suppress the pains from the broken legs and it will go away on its own but…,” She didn’t like the sound of that ‘but’, “two of your legs will permanently be disabled and the two that do work won’t be very strong and they will continue to hurt. We suggest…an amputation of the two legs to save you from any pains and sufferings.”

“No!” Rainbow Dash fell to the floor and held her head with her forelegs in grief.

“I’m sorry, can you leave us alone for a few moments?” Reiner asked the doctor who nodded before leaving.

“Dad! Are you really going to go through with that?”

“Of course not, honey.”

At that moment, a purple unicorn had walked in. She had a dark purple mane and red eyes. Her cutie mark was of a cloudy Sun, the clouds were pink, on her rear. The two pegasi were silent for a few minutes as an uneasy calm came between them.

“Mom?!” Rainbow Dash ran to her mother who nuzzled her.

“Reiner, what is all of this about?” The mother, Cotton Dash, asked.

“Did the doctor key you in to all the details?” The look that she gave him confirmed his thoughts. “Then, there’s not much else I can say except that I’m not cutting off my legs.”

The look on Cotton’s face was mixed with worry and relief. “But I heard them say that it will continue to hurt for the rest of your life.”

“I won’t have to worry about that.” Reiner chuckled, “Not the way I’m going.” His wife frowned at his joke.

“In this condition, I believe that you should resign as the Starlight General.” His wife suggested.

“No, you know I can’t do that. If I am able, I will continue to serve our princess and stop the Lunar hordes that are always marching towards our home.”

“But you aren’t able, Reiner!” Cotton cried. “Why do you always keep hurting yourself? Pushing yourself?”

“Because I’m a horrible pony.” Reiner Dash said so quietly to himself that no pony heard him. “I have to, who else can stop Twilight Sparkle?”

Rainbow Dash saw her mother cringe at the name. “Somepony else, that’s who! You’re not the first or only pony to have been able to keep her at bay.” Reiner shook his head, knowing that his wife was right but that didn’t mean he liked it.

“Twilight—”

“No, no more mention of that Zoner’s name!” Cotton was at tears.

“Of course, honey.” Reiner sighed and apologized.

Once the doctor returned, he explained to him that he wasn’t going to take the procedure and that he wanted physical therapy as soon as he could. The doctor tried to tell him in vain that he would not be able to get his legs working like they used to but he would not take no for an answer.

A few days later, Reiner, still under hospital care, went to visit his daughter at the training grounds for a visit. All of his legs were bandaged and two were in a cast but he managed to move along fine with the use of his wings, if not a bit irregularly.

He couldn’t wear his armor, not like he really needed them at the moment. Without his armor, he looked very much like Rainbow Dash except for his cutie mark which was a bolt of white lightning compared to Rainbow’s, which was a cloud with rainbow lightning.

He was very young looking and anyone could mistake him for either a colt or mare if they didn’t get a good look at him. His eyes is definitely what separated him from his daughter, she had the eyes of the young and the reckless while his were more gray and solemn.

“Dad!” Rainbow perked and called out when she spotted her father. She ran up to him and nuzzled him.

“Are you ready to show me your mastery of the Rainboom?” Reiner smiled and said.

Rainbow’s smile widened as she hopped up and down in joy. “Am I able!” Her father cleared everypony out of the training grounds to allow for enough room for her to perform the technique. They set up the obstacle course and watched in the background.

A few moments later, a flurry of rainbows and sonic blasts surrounded the entire area. “Well, I’ll be.” Her father smiled solemnly, “I knew you had it in you.”

“I didn’t.” His brother, Starry Lights, came up beside him.

“Greetings, older brother.”

“Greetings to you, Starlight General.” Starry looked around before sighing. “I’m glad you’re back, Reiner, forgive me for saying this, but are you nuts?” Reiner just smiled at his brother.

“I know what you’re thinking but our clan needs me. Rainbow Dash needs me.”

“I swear, that little filly’s been corrupt from the start. It’s because of you glorifying everything and sheltering her. She really wants to become a Starlight General.”

“That’s not a terrible goal…?” Reiner smiled sadly.

“You and I both know that’s malarkey! Being a Starlight General is more than just power, you need a strong will to swallow everything. I’m surprised that you would even want to continue, little brother!”

“I’m just giving everypony hope, is that so bad?”

“False hope is bad! Let someone else take the reins.”

“I don’t want anypony else to deal with Twilight Sparkle, she’s my problem.”

“Stop talking like that! That Zoner’s been around for over 500 years and none of our ancestors had defeated her, what makes you think you can?” Starry shook his head. “I don’t know if its because you are reckless or if you are just dumb.”

“It’s your life to live, little brother so I won’t badger ya anymore, for now. Now go on and get that little girl of yours her Rainboom license.” He pushed Reiner towards Rainbow Dash with a foreleg.

Reiner coughed weakly at his smiling daughter before approaching her. Her smile was so wide and proud, this was the first time he’s ever seen her so happy, it made it hard for him to disappoint her. Not like he was planning on disappointing her because she passed the test but he still was worried about her train of thought.

Life wasn’t going to be this easy where they handed everything on a silver platter.

“Rainbow Dash!” He started speaking loudly, enough for everypony in the audience to hear him. A couple of ponies holding a small chest flew up next to him. He turned and opened the chest and pulled out a small white knife with a golden hilt in his mouth. Engraved on the hilt was ‘Star Cleaver: Rainbow Dash’.

“Rainbow Dash, come closer. I now declare you a Star Cleaver; Master of the Rainboom!” He placed the blade on each of Rainbow Dash’s shoulders, knighting her and giving her his full permission to use the Rainboom at will.

“Yay! Thank you, dad!” Rainbow Dash cried out after Reiner placed the knife into a scabbard and wrapped it around her waist. She jumped at her father and hugged him.

Reiner looked around nervously at the crowd. There were mixed feelings from the crowd, a few were holding in their laughter, a few were looking irritated and others were uncomfortable. He didn’t want the ponies to assume that he was going easy on her just because she was his daughter.

XOX

“You gave Rainbow her license?” Cotton asked with worry as she watched her daughter swinging around the sword like a toy. “Are you sure that’s a wise and responsible decision? She’s not exactly…careful.”

“By law, she performed the task that she was asked and she’s of the appropriate age now.”

“But you’re her father! You know how she is!”

“Honey, you know everypony was like that when they were younger, she’ll grow out of it.”

“I still can’t believe I agreed to all of this when we were married…!” Cotton shook her head pitifully. “I was just a simple city filly who dreamed of marrying a suave young unicorn colt and having a quaint little family in the city. Then, ‘Mr. Pegasus in Shining Armor’ comes and sweeps me off of my feet and proposes to me. Now I’m living in the castle with a knight for a husband and a tomboy of a filly who gets into too many fights.”

“It’s not all bad. You make it sound so horrible and dangerous.” Reiner laughed.

“You know that’s not what I mean, I’m just worried about everypony, that’s all. I love you all to death but I hate having to worry about you every single day that you’re not here.”

Rainbow Dash ran up the stairs to her bedroom with her license held tightly in her mouth. Reiner looks at the clock and saw that it was time for bed. “You don’t think that she’s planning on sleeping with that thing under her pillow or something?”

“Knowing her? Yes.” Cotton replied without any hesitation. “We should probably head to bed, too.”

Reiner started to walk and fell to the floor before steadily getting back up. Cotton winced as she remembered her husband’s condition and helped him to his feet with her magic. She wasn’t that strong but was strong enough to lift him a few inches off the ground.

“I-I don’t need help!” Reiner complained with his face turned red.

“I’m not listening to anything you say, you big baby.” She giggled as she carried him up the floor and into their bedroom.

Cotton still didn’t understand the whole idea of pride in the Starlight clan but she knew one thing, that her husband was stubborn but that’s what made her love him all the same.

XOX

Reiner tossed and turned in his bed before his eyes shot open. The pain made it hard for him to go to sleep. Her turned to see Cotton’s form rising and falling, indicating that she was still sleeping. He looked to see the Sun shining through the window telling him that it was early morning now.

He decided that now was a good time to wake up since he couldn’t go back to sleep anyways. The pegasus slowly got up, careful not to wake his unicorn wife as he headed out the door.

He shut the door with care so that it didn’t make a crash sound and quickly headed downstairs, past Rainbow Dash’s room. It seemed that he didn’t notice Rainbow’s door open just as he was going down the stairs.

Maroon eyes followed him just as he disappeared.

Reiner was walking around the yard of his home, ignoring the pain in his legs. He trotted along the path, aimlessly. With a grunt, he suddenly shot into the air and flew to one of the bastions overlooking the areas.

Rainbow Dash flew closely behind, not too close but not too far, occasionally flying behind a passing cloud.

Reiner flew through one of the open windows and started to trot to the left. He ignored any of the artworks that were hanging on the walls and artful glass windows. Rainbow Dash actually took a few seconds to look at the pieces of art as it seemed to depict a story the further you walked.

There were ponies of all types surrounding a duo of black and white alicorns. War seemed to start as the ponies were split and took sides. Much further down a picture displayed a single dark purple unicorn with a flowing mane. She seemed to be oppressing all of the ponies with powerful magic. She took up half of the glass window and the other ponies were as small as ants.

There was another piece of art with the same purple unicorn and this time she took up the entire left part of the portrait with half of her body going off the paper. Opposing her on the other side were ponies clad in golden armor and all of them were pegasi with their wings flared out. A single pegasus, similar to the unicorn in size, was opposite of the unicorn on the right, also sporting golden armor.

It seemed to be telling of her dad and Twilight’s battle with one another.

“Ah, Reiner! You’re here early!” A voice echoed through the empty halls. The sudden voice spooked Rainbow Dash as she dashed behind a large vase pillar and snuck a glance in the direction of the voice.

“I’m telling you, Reiner, that you’re not going to be able to walk again! At least not without pain and being weaker.” Rainbow saw a unicorn doctor show her father down the stairs. “Any lesser pony would have just killed themselves by now, if not sent to the asylum.”

“Doc, I need this! No matter what happens, I have to at least try.”

“I’m just worried that it might make things worse for you than it already is. If you at least rest your legs up and heal for a few months before doing this, the chances for healing increase by 20%…?”

“No!” Rainbow Dash never seen her father look so agitated before. “I need to do this now! As fast as possible.”

Chapter End