One year later...

“To fight in competitions is good” said Pu Yi one day. Dash and her Shifu were on their way to the Jiangxi province. “But the true master of kung fu always expect the unexpected” Dash had heard this saying many times, but something made her suspect that Yi had a task in mind for her. She had fought many times in competitions, and her Shifu bets large sums of money on her, so she must not lose, or she will disrespect the old man. She used to hate the old man for the training sessions he put through her, but respect bonds all this together. In the one year, she had been able to pick up the Chinese language and was now almost fluent in speaking it. But she still has her English speaking skills, although it would be hard for her to continue speaking it in a non-English speaking place. She now trains for around for four hours non-stop and can do all the moves without the help of her Shifu.

It was growing dark, as Luna’s moon rose from the east while Celestia’s sun set into the west. Yi had led Dash deep into a city which he called Nanchang. There was a smell of decaying rice and fish. “Nanchang is well known for its street gangs. It is a lawless place where many have disappeared without trace. There will be trouble here, but you know how to handle them” With that, he took out a paper scroll, made to look like a tunic that the Chinese ponies sometimes wear. Dash uncurled the scroll, and stared in horror at the words written on it. “Put it on” said Yi. The scroll was joined in two pieces by strings, she had never written such language in her life. “What is this?” Dash asked “You question me again?” asked Yi angrily. Dash obediently placed it roughly over her head. The words “Death to your family” were written on her back, but that was all she read, there were far worse curses written on it. “Now walk” commanded Yi, gesturing towards one of the darkest alleyways.

Dash walked into the alleyway, and then she heard a loud crash as something fell to the ground. Dash immediately leapt into a defensives stance, expecting anything from any direction. A fighter immediately saw her and charged towards her direction and tried to high-kick Dash. Rainbow reacted with lightning speed, ducking the roundhouse kick and bucked the fighter in the face and finished him off by sinking her hoof into his groin and his stomach. Two more fighters appeared and saw their fallen comrade and went into their own stances, advancing towards her at a gaining pace, maybe a bit too fast. The alleyway was narrow, that was good, since that meant that they can only attack her one at a time. She looked around her opponent’s legs for a point where she can attack and finish him. He was advancing at a fast pace. And when advancing quickly, they always make mistakes in their leg position for a second or two. But a second or two was all she needed to make her move, but then she saw it. She swung a kick towards it with blinding speed, bringing the opponent to the ground; she jumped on top of him and twisted him into a painful lock until he passed out. That happened in less than ten seconds, the second fighter came at her with a Shaolin kung fu kick. Dash deflected it and kicked him bucked him in the face, sending him sprawling to the ground. And twisted him into the same painful lock until he passed out, which didn’t take long. She stood up, impressed with what she did; she had always wanted to fight like that.  She suddenly sensed somepony behind her. She didn’t hear it, but sensed it; it was a skill that comes along when you have improved your concentration. She turned around and leapt into an offensive stance, but she learned it was her Shifu, Yi. She did a Wushu salute, Yi’s expression remained its normal way, which was no expression. But she could tell he was impressed.

“Now has come the time for the ultimate challenge, my young disciple” said Yi Shifu on a bright sunny day after Dash had finished training. A shiver of anticipation ran down Dash’s spine “Do you mean by the Tar Shui, test of the tunnel?” asked Dash “Yes, indeed” The Tar Shui was the “ultimate test” that all disciples of martial arts have to take becoming true masters of their own art. Dash was excited and nervous by the same by this. “Is it true that some never come out of the tunnel?”

“Yes, only the true masters will succeed. Ever since what happened Nanchang, I had believed that you are definitely ready for it” Dash could hardly resist herself from saying out “Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh!” like she did when she won the Best young flyer’s competition using the Sonic Rainboom to save Rarity and all three members of the Wonderbolts.

The day came at last as Dash and Yi set off towards the long journey towards the Shandong Province, where the Shaolin temple lies. It took three days by train and on hoof. But they soon reached Tai Shan mountain, Dash’s pace quickened in excited anticipation. Dash looked up at the entrance to the tunnel. Pu Shifu fixed her a meaningful stare as she paid her respects and ventured into the cave.

Dash walked down the dim cave. As she walked on, she saw what seemed to look like little stars on the ground, and recognized them as pieces of glass. Easy shmeesy. She thought. Before, Yi had made her walk on nails and hot coals and similar, this is nothing compared to those. Deciding that the crane technique would be most suitable for this, she stepped onto the glass. One year of walking on hot coals and nails had toughened up Rainbow’s hoof, as she used the crane techniques to step over the glass, she might as well have been doing it with rubber boots. She barely felt a scratch as she moved through the glass.

The cave soon narrowed and a wooden-framed structure stood before her, blocking the path. Hundreds of spearheads stuck down from the top of the frame. As Dash examined it, she soon realised that only a few bamboo canes supported this whole structure, and in the middle was a whole maze of other canes. She knew that all it took was for her to shake one of the canes, and it would bring all the spearheads crashing down on her, and her life would end right there. Summoning her chi, she used snake styles and slid her body carefully between the canes. She eventually made it to the other side after what seemed like ages of sliding her body between the canes. She continued on towards the next obstacle.

She recognized the next obstacle as the blade. You had to walk on a balancing beam with the blades beneath. The beam was also coated in oil, so were the walls, making it all the harder, leaving her no choice but to walk unsupported on the beam. This required the super power of the chi, shutting her eyes, she walked on it. She heard a rush of noise coming from the tunnel, a wild and frenzied dog raced at her. “Do not react” she told herself instantly. The dog was simply a ploy to distract her. Sure enough, a chain held the dog back and stopped it a centimetre away from her. She remained calm and eventually walked to the other side, she smiled to herself as she continued to the next obstacle.

She recognized this as the final challenge. There was an acid burning smell. The final test of courage and bravery: the burning cauldron. She could see Yi right now, his expression was blank, as usual. The heavy cauldron had raised dragon emblems around its sides, which was white hot. She looked into the face of Yi, she remembered all the cruel and brutal training the old pony had given her, she used to hate him, but the way of kung fu bound the two of them together. Dash shut her eyes for a moment, and then opened them. Summoning all her powers, she placed her front hooves on the cauldron and lifted the mighty cauldron, and she heaved it out of the way and out into the open, where Yi was waiting for her. Blisters were now where the dragons had burned into her hoof, but that didn’t matter, they will heal. She looked at her master, and he did something so rare that it took her completely by surprise. Pu Shifu smiled. She did the Wushu salute to him and he did it back, it didn’t last long. But it was honourable enough; Rainbow Dash is now Rainbow Shifu, or Master Rainbow. She was now a master of her own art.