A Lullaby for Gods

Twilight Sparkle, esteemed student of Princess Celestia and bearer of the Element of Magic, double checked the results.

Triple checked them after looking at the printed numbers again. Yet, no matter how many times the mage looked at the black numbers, they did not change. They did not even budge underneath her unrelenting stare. They stood still, mocking her to Tartarus and back, and Twilight Sparkle stopped a groan. The want to bang her head against something hard was overwhelming. A couple hours of research and nothing had changed. Not one number. Not one letter.

She tore her gaze from the papers spewing from her machine and narrowly peered at the rainbow haired girl impatiently sitting on a stool in the center of the lab.

"How is that even possible?" Twilight finally demanded.

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "I don't know. Aren't you supposed to know?"

She felt an eye twitch and she placed the clipboard down.

It simply was not possible. Hours of intensive study and no results had been reaped. Rainbow Dash was the paragon for perfect health and fitness. Her skull was in tact, not even a dent or a crack, and her brain was functioning at normal levels. Everything was fine. Too fine for Twilight's preference. No one was that perfect.

"You're fine. Everything looks normal." said Twilight. The mage brought her hands to her head and massaged her aching temples.

She had not had a panic attack at eight in the morning to be told that everything was unexplainably fine. Just... fine. It made no sense to the analytical mind of Twilight. Rainbow Dash, as much as she shuddered at the thought, should be dead. At the very least, she should be in a coma that could leave her permanently brain dead. Instead, Rainbow Dash was sitting on a wooden stool in the center of her lab, looking bored out of her skull, without so much as a scratch. The laws of physics which even magic paid tribute to were completely ignored. It made Twilight question just how much power the Elements of Harmony truly held and just how much they used when defeating Nightmare Moon and Discord. Did they even use a fraction of their power and if so, what were the potential powers locked within their crystal guises?

The turbulent thoughts swimming through her head were enough to give her a migraine. Rainbow Dash proved to be useless in the fields of science and medicine. She kept muttering something about eggheads and flying. It did not matter. Not when she was on the verge of a breakthrough.

"Rainbow Dash, could you give a couple flaps of your wings?" If her observations of earlier were correct, then valkyries got magic from their wings. Seeing as how Rainbow Dash was a crumpled heap of broken bones and wings before she got to the fallsn valkyrie, Twilight cautiously theorized that the Element of Loyalty was funneling magic through the cyan wings.

Perking at the prospect of flying once more, Rainbow Dash jumped from the stool and crouched low. Then, with muscular wings spread out far for all to see their majestic glory, the valkyrie abruptly took off into the air with a thunderous burst of wing and power. Twilight ws forced to cover her eyes with her arms as the sudden gust of wind tore at the laboratory, tearing everything that was not tied down upwards and outwards. Papers, equipment, even the mage, were sent crashing. Then, as fast as it came, the wind was gone as was the bearer of the Element of Loyalty. Rushing to the spot where she had stood only moments ago, Twilight openly gaped at the hole where her ceiling should have been.

"Rainbow Dash!"

The wind whispering around her ears like a long lost lover was nothing compared to the warmth the evening sun provided. Basking in Celestia's light, the valkyrie gazed downwards for the first time in hours. Underneath her, all of Equestria and beyond was spread out like one of Twilight's maps. Cities and towns dotted the landscape and it soon became difficult to tell one city from the next. Ponyville was just a speck amongst the cluster of towns and cities linked together by a series of trains. Had she not rocketed upwards, she would have lost where the tiny village was. Up here in the clouds and beyond the limitations of flight, Rainbow Dash stared in wonder at the setting sun.

It was only when the need to breathe hit her in the lungs did she begin the descent downwards. The wind nipped at her body, flattening her wings against her body as she dived bombed towards the green earth. It was only when she was seconds away from the ground, when the atmosphere bent arkund her in a visible dome, did she pressed herself into one single line of blue feathers and rainbow hair. Then, everything burst as if the entire universe had been shoved into a tiny, tiny ball. A kaleidoscope of colours blossomed from her in one giant bang which engulfed the sky. At the last possible moment, Rainbow Dash unleashed her wings and soared above the entranced citizens of Ponyville. A grin split her face as she touched down on a hill on the outskirts of the town.

The hill was a vibrant green that was almost as soft as any cloud. The lush green was pressed down where she landed in all directions as if to make a landing pad while a bunny passing by stood for a moment to look at her before bouncing merrily away to no doubt join the rest of Fluttershy's animal coalition. Looking upwards as day turned to night, Rainbow Dash was proud to say she had once more done the impossible. As her third Sonic Rainboom, the sight of the vivid colour painting the twilight sky was still an awe inspiring sight for all to behold.

Briefly, Rainbow Dash entertained herself with the thought that not even the Princess could do something this awesome. Of course, being the Princess, Celestia probably invented the Sonic Rainboom which could only be accomplished by the most daring and awesome of valkyries. So pretty much herself. That was not to say that Princess Celestia was not awesome. She was a freakin' goddess so it was pretty much guaranteed that she was as awesome as awesome could get. Therefore, in the terms of awesomeness, Rainbow Dash was second in all together awesomeness and first in awesoneness on a mortal scale.

She sighed and sat down, enjoying the sight of her accompkishment. The shining night sky certainly made it all the more easier to appreciate as the colours rippled all over Equestria.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

With a jolt, Rainbow sat up and snapped her head around towards her unexpected guest. While she had helped defeat Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna still scared her. The other immortal alicorn sister was as terrifying in her tiny form as she was as a villain. Those blue eyes still haunted her nightmares.

“P-Princess Luna!” she stammerdd, scrambling herself into a low bow. Her fist unconsciously clenched behind her back and Rainbow Dash swore she felt something heavy being balanced in it.

"I must say, it is impressive to see a valkyrie perform such a dangerous feat. Not many can pull off such a hard task as that of the Sonic Rainboom.” Luna said. She was more focused upon the rippling lights than the valkyrie. "Tell me, why are you not excited to perform such a feat, Rainbow Dash?"

"I am!" Rainbow Dash winced. In a softer voice, she said, "it's just that it's kinda of my third time doing it. I mean it's cool. Really cool."

"You're third time you say?" Her puzzlement was blatantly obvious. "You have done it before?"

Rainbow Dash couldn't help but grin.

"That's right, Princess!" proudly exclaimed Rainbow Dash. "Three times!"

The nocturnal princess frowned and eyed her. Swallowing, Rainbow Dash meekly looked away. It was never a smart idea to anger or offend a goddess no matter if you saved her hide or not. Fortunately, the night princess did not take offense as she stared back at the turning sky.

"I know your fear, Rainbow Dash." suddenly said Luna. Before Rainbow Dash could offer an explanation, Luna held up a hand to stop her. "I know you still view me as Nightmare Moon despite your protests. I confess I would have the same doubts of change if I had been nurtured on such stories of darkness. I am not proud of my actions but I will not try to explain such reasons as to why I turned. The past is in the past."

"Yeah." Rainbow Dash didn't know what to say or how to react. "I know you're not evil, Princess. I mean, you didn't know that messing with such magic would affect you like that. Anyone could make that mistake."

Luna's eyebrows furrowed. "I never mentioned anything about magic, Rainbow Dash."

"Well you turned back so you must have used magic!" Rainbow Dash stammered. In a hushed whisper, the valkyrie trembled. "Right?"

Seeming to accept such answers for now, Luna nodded slowly. "Yes. I did use magic to transform my body into something of more power."

She stared at Rainbow Dash with an intensity that bordered on staring at her soul. It was as if Rainbow Dash was a great, unsolvable enigma. It sent shivers down her spine and tingled her feathers. Cyan wings shifted uncomfortably amd Rainbow Dash forced herself not to take flight as she stared into those blue, blue eyes.

"Tell me, Rainbow Dash, what do you dream of?" questioned Luna.

"Um, you know, being a part of the Wonderbolts." Rainbow Dash swallowed again. "Mostly flying."

"Nothing queer do you dream?" pressed Luna.

"What? Like other girls?" Rainbow Dash blushed. Sure, she had but not in the sexual way. Usually it was just the mane six hanging out and stuff. "Yeah but not like that."

"No." sighed Luna. "I meamt, do you dream anything strange, Rainbow Dash? Do you dream of far away places? Places you never have laid eyes upon?"

"Well yeah. Doesn't everyone?" she asked.

"You are not being truthful, Rainbow Dash."

Luna took a step towards her and she felt herself blanch as the goddess narrowed her eyes further. Blue magic sparkled around her horn.

"Are you lying to your princess?"

She is not to be trusted. Tell her nothing.

"N-no. I-I haven't. I swear!" She wasn't lying. She hadn't dreamt anything strange. She didn't think dreaming of flying was weird but the look Luna was giving her was something out of a nightmare. "I-I mean, there was that one time I dreamt of Tank taking over the world but besides that nothing."

Look to shadows but forget not the light, urged the voice.

Rainbow Dash frowned.

Luna frowned.

For a second, Rainbow Dash pondered on whether or not to tell her about the dream she had when the CMC had hit her in the head with the structure beam.

No, don't. Tell her nothing.

Dusk was a silent time of fleeting warmth and promises of hope's eventual return. It was a change of unspoken matriarch while the children of the sun sank into a deep slumber and the moon's chosen awoke to the haunting call of an owl somewhere in the vast distance. Predators more deadly than that of timberwolves prowled the line of day and night in the growing shadows. Their noses inhaled the forest in search of prey too foolish to know the danger that would soon entrap them when day gave way to her chilling sister.

There was a slowness which encased the forest and beyond. It was a heavy thing that engulfed them like a fine, smooth blanket. No one heard it, felt it or even noticed it; Nova Cloudreacher did. She noticed like one would notice a giant pink elephant in the room. She watched the trees sway and the wind rustle the green, green leaves covered in white snow. She watched the rapid waters of the rivers tumble over themselves in their desperate, hungry need to reach the sea. She watched the men down the valleys shuffle and crawl like ants as they set up camps and tents and war machines. Their bright, bright flags lazily billowed in the warm, warm wind.

Dressed in a plain brown shirt and trousers, she let her hand fall upon the base of the tree which connected her to all things both small and large. A hooded crow sat upon her shoulder as she gazed at the ant men. From high, high above, the young valkyrie watched the troops move to and fro under the orders of a man upon a large brown horse. Even from where Nova stood at the top of the cliff, Nova could see how handsome and kingly the man was. More suited for a desk job than in the field of battle.

She watched him ride up and down the garrisons of troops. He shouted orders new and old to his men and they did as he commanded. It was a type of loyalty she had seen only a handful of times during her time in the cities of men. It was a loyalty born of faith that their leader would bring them into the hands of salvation and glory. That their lives would be given not for their king but for their children and their children's children.

"Champion," cawed the bird, "champion."

She looked to the perched crow. Its beady eyes stared into hers as it ruffled its inky black feathers. Its talons pierced the thin fabric of her gown and the still tender skin of her shoulder. It had been assigned to her by her den mother to make certain that she didn't... have another episode.

"What?" she asked. She attempted to keep the bite out of her voice. It was not easy by any stretch of the word.

Ever since Nova had kidnapped as a foal, her den mother had become more and more protective. While she was born of men, Nova was more windigo than half the herd. She did not need half of the North protecting her from the tiniest of things. It was overbearing.

"Mistress," it answered, "mistress!"

Stormchaser.

Then she felt another breath upon her exposed flesh and knew it to be her den mother. Nova fought back a flinch as her den mother leaned over her shoulder to look at the mages gathering.

"Cloudreacher," Stormchaser said, "what are you doing this far from the herd?"

"I got curious." One simply did not lie to the den mother.

Nova had gotten curious. She wanted to see what the mages of Unicornia were doing so far from their home. It was not often she spotted the horned men arming themselves. Against who, or what, Nova could only guess.

She had figured if she could find out what they were after, Nova could warn the North and they could be ready. They would not have another massacre of foals. She would not be captured and blood would not stain the snow. Though, judging by the way the den mother was snorting at the acts of the horned men, Nova knew her den mother did not think the same way.

"You should not be out here, Cloudreacher. What if they saw you? What if they decided to follow you back to the herd?" scolded her den mother. "What if you led them to our young? To the foals?"

"That's why I wanted to see what they're doing, den mother." protested Nova. It sounded flimsy even to her own ears.

She had heard horrid tales of the South. Of creatures like her but so unlike her, of men with wings and magic and strength of ten men. She had heard the atrocities they committed against themselves, how they slaughtered and killed without reason, how they hurt and oppressed their people for no reason. And when they weren't attacking their own people, they were massacring hers. The North had suffered loses of unimaginable proportions and all was due to the men of the South. Not even the timberwolves had done such treachery to their herd.

"You are forbidden to come near their camps, Cloudreacher." decided Stormchaser. She nudged Nova in the direction of their herd. "Come, Cloudreacher. We must return to the herd."

Nova knew that there was no way for her to argue against the commands of the den mother. There was no arguments that could be made to challenge the safety of the herd. Defeatedly, Nova accepted her defeat with a disappointed little nod of acknowledgment.

Nova gave one last long gaze at the horned men's camp.

Soldiers moved to and fro as new orders were delivered. Upon the horse, their leader sat handsomely. His black hair was streaked with grey and Nova wondered for just a second how someone that old could still be able to lead an entire garrison. She wanted to see his eyes and see if they were as powerful as he was as he rode to and fro through the light snowfall.

And as she turned away to follow her den mother back to the herd, Nova swore he looked up at her.

Fluttershy rolled over, pulling the thick quilt closer.