Chapter One - Something Strange
Rainbow Dash yawned, having regained consiousness after her crash. The pegasus spread her wings before walking through the forest. As she walked past her friend's cottage, the animals there fled in fear. She chose to ignore it as she returned to town.
"What is that thing?!"
"I don't like the looks of it."
"AHHHHHHHH!!!! MONSTER!" ponies were shrieking, running in fear. Ponyville was soon deserted, and Rainbow was left there confused.
"Weird, it's a dragon bird!" Pinkie Pie bounded over to her, giggling as she watched. The pegasus narrowed her eyes and hissed.
"What did you just call me?" The pegasus flicked her tail, a few multicolored feathers flying up into the air.
"A dragon bird because you look like one silly!" the mare giggled, poking something on Rainbow's head. THe pegasus quickly galloped to the library, confused at what Pinkie Pie meant. She pushed the door open and looked at the startled alicorn.
"TWILIGHT!!!!!!" She shrieked wrapping her arms around the mare. "Everypony has been avoiding me, Pinkie just called me a dragon bird and i am so confused!" the mare broke into tears, releasing the princess.
"Uh... Rainbow? Is that you?" The mare stepped back with a quizzical look.
"Of course, why do you ask?" Rainbow widened her eyes, Twilight's reaction adding on more confusion.
"BECAUSE YOU LOOK LIKE A FREAK!" the alicorn used her magic to hold a mirror up in front of the pegasus. Rainbow gasped when a cyan dragon's head with a rainbow mane and two large white fangs looked back at her. She fluttered her wings in panic as she poked the curved blue horns on her head. The rainbow feathers from before had fallen from a plume at the tip of her scaley tail. Her forelegs were truly those of a dragon's, except with five toes on each. She scraped the ground with her eagle-like hind legs in anticipation.
"What am I?!" The mare took a few steps back, wrapping her new tail around her legs.
"I-I have no idea! Maybe Zecora will know."
"Then let's go there now! The sooner i know what i am now, the better!" the hybrid ran through the door in a rush. Twilight followed behind as they entered the Everfree. The trees creaked as they crept through, heading towards the home of Zecora. The zebra seemed to know everything there is to know about the Everfree. As they arrived, Rainbow curled up in the grass in front of the cottage, afraid to startled the zebra. Twilight nudged her, disapproving the hybrid's idea. Rainbow gently pushed open the door, hearing something clatter to the floor as she stepped inside.
"How is it that i would desire for here to be a color vampire!" the zebra stepped back and flattened her ears, her eyes narrowed. Twilight stepped inside and her eyes widened.
"Is that what she became? A color vampire?"
"A Spectar i have heard, and how she is one is absurd!"
"How is that if i still have color?" The mare scraped the ground with her claws, a little confused.
"I have to agree with Rainbow on this." Twilight muttered, pawing at the ground.
"True that it may be, we will have to wait and see," the zebra muttered, just as confused as they were. Rainbow shook her head, voices whispering in her head. In her mind, a golden alicorn with white hooves, mane, and lightning bolt fell, a gray mist capturing her. Soon a beast just like herself replaced it, pure grey with a shattered unicorn horn and the same short mane.
"Agh!" the cyan Spectar reared up and her mind became fuzzy.
"Rainbow? Rainbow!" A familiar voice rang through her mind. Twilight was standing beside her, letting out a small sigh of relief.
"Twilight? WHat happened?" the pegasus rubbed her head with her hoof, a large headache having been the first thing she felt when she awoke.
"I see it was temporary, but still quite out of ordinary," Zecora held a mirror up to show Rainbow that she was back to normal.
"Am I one of those Spectar things?" Rainbow looked at Zecora, hoping the answer would be a no.
"Nopony can become one, unless it is the Spectar had won," the zebra smiled slightly, mainly suggesting that Rainbow Dash was perfectly fine. Twilight gasped and jumped back, pointing her hoof frantically at something. Zecora flattened her ears and took a step back, letting out a small snort. The pegasus quickly turned to look and screamed as loud as she could. To grey eyes were floating within a mist just as grey. Twilight's horn shined brightly and the mist fled through the window, returning to something. A loud roar bellowed outside and a the branches of the tree rustled. Rainbow Dash was outside fast, enough to see the scaled gray tail and feathers that marked a true Spectar.
"Was that gray mist and monster the Spectar?!" Twilight was standing beside Rainbow Dash, trying to get the mare's attention. The pegasus just watched, as though caught in a small trance.
"Never before have i seen that beast, but i know its strength is not the least," Zecora stepped out and sighed. Twilight lowered her head and almost cried. Rainbow's eyes filled with the most tears, for she knew exactly who the poor pony had been.
Chapter 2 - A Strange Mare In Town
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight shook the Spectar, trying to wake her up. The cyan beast lifted her head and yawned, rolling out her long tongue.
"Twilight?" Rainbow Dash looked groggily at the alicorn, her eyes half open.
"First off," the princess began, "you're a Spectar again." The mare pointed out that the speed pony was not exactly a pony.
"SERIOUSLY!" Rainbow Dash shot up into the air and looked at her claws. Twilight nodded and continued.
"Second of all, how come you were crying so hard? You passed out soon after."
"Uh... I had something in my eyes," the creature rubbed her eyes to visualize it.
"I know that isn't true." Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed. "You seemed like you had known that pony."
"NO!" Rainbow Dash felt beads of sweat begin to form as she responded. She could already tell the princess didn't believe her.
"Who was it?"
"I don't know!"
"I know you know, who was it?"
"I just felt bad for the pony, i don't know who it was!"
"Whatever, i can see i won't get anything from you."
"You're right," the cyan Spectar sat down on the bed, having recognized their location. Spike was busy writing something down while they spoke.
"So, how is it i am a Spectar again if it left?" the mare muttered, being partially confused
"It never left."
"What do you mean?"
"That one you saw belonged to the pony that fled, your's was still with you. Are you hearing any whispers or seeing any visions?"
"I saw one before fainting, but that was before i turned back to normal."
"Ok, Zecora told me Spectars will show you your fears to lower your esteem, allowing them to keep control."
"Oh..." the Spectar lowered her head and sighed before her finely tuned ears caught up on someponies talking outside.
"What happened to that mare?"
"OH MY CELESTIA, HER HORN!"
"Why is she so... gray?"
"I wonder if she still flies as fast."
Rainbow couldn't hear the next voice, it being so silent, but somepony responded.
"I think she is at the library."
"Ya, Twilight was bringing her in."
"How come she is wearing a cape?" and then the comments faded as the sound of something knocked on the door. Twilight tossed a blanket over the Spectar so the visitor wouldn't see her. The alicorn walked down the stairs, listening to Spike hiss in disapproval.
"Spike, don't be rude towards our visitor," Twilight shook her head and looked at the mare in the doorway. She stood taller than the new princess, and the jagged horn showing the visitor's old powers. A black cape covered up the gray alicorn's flank.
"I don't trust her," the dragon muttered, walking away from the two.
"Is Rainbow Dash here?" The mare looked down at the purple alicorn, her slit-like pupils causing the host to feel nevous.
Those eyes remind me of the mist we saw...
"Uh... ya, but she is busy."
"Alright, i will come back some other time."
"Okay, good - bye Ms..."
"It does not matter to you."
"Good-Bye."