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Mare of Steel

by iowaforever

Chapter 7: Part 1, Chapter 7

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Chapter 7

The frozen north of Equestria was poorly explored. The only ponies who ever ventured this far north were either incredibly brave or incredibly insane, and more often than not they were a combination of both. Most died, their bodies vanishing into the snow and ice, while those that did come back told stories of either roaming monsters or caves filled with massive crystalline structures.

Rainbow Dash shook out her mane once more and continued walking. The snow and wind did obscure her vision, but traveling mainly by instinct allowed her to not get lost amongst the snowdrifts. Her coat and feathers were damp from the exposure, and her saddlebags were once again thoroughly soaked. The only thing that remained remotely dry was the crystal, still glowing after days of travel.

She crested another hill and looked down, a small smile crossing her lips. “This is the place from that vision.” she said, turning and pulling the crystal from her bag. she let it rest in her hooves and inspected it. “Now what?”

The crystal did nothing. It sat here, flickering at Rainbow, as if it was mocking her. In frustration she tossed it down the hill, and she watched as the crystal rolled to a stop near the base of the hill. For a moment nothing happened, then the crystal began to slowly sink into the ice. After half a minute, the crystal had vanished without a trace, not even its glowing visible.

“Well... that was a waste. Now what am I supposed to do?” she swatted a few snowflakes and looked back at where the crystal had vanished. She prepared to leave when the ice shook and a green glow spread out from beneath her. She took a few steps back, trying to figure out what was going on, when a massive crystal broke through the surface of the ice. The crystal continued to grow, rising higher and higher into the sky, and it was soon joined by several others, all of them interweaving with one another. Rainbow Dash took flight and backed away as more and more crystals began to smash their way through the ice, all of them weaving together to form a large structure of crystal.

When the display was finished, Rainbow Dash landed and looked over the structure. It was large, almost twice the size of Twilight’s library, and it sparkled in a way similar to Celestia’s mane. While it did not glow like the crystal it had grown out of, she could feel energy radiating off the structure, a pleasing sensation when compared to the cold of the snow. She fluttered her wings once more and approached, the energy slowly bringing feeling back into her body. She smiled a little and sped up, the snow giving way to hard crystal similar to the tiles in Princess Celestia’s throne.

Rainbow Dash entered a large circular room, one that glowed with white light as she walked through. Inscriptions in some ancient language were carved on a few of the crystals, most of which were either too worn or too faint for Rainbow Dash to read. The sound of the wind was stifled completely, and the only thing she could hear were her hooves clicking on the crystal beneath them.

“Um, hello? Is anypony here?” she asked. There was a chime and several crystals parted from one another. A cloud of something rose from the parting crystals, and it slowly formed into a large blob “Okay, that’s kinda freaky.”

The cloud began to take a more solid shape, finally setting on that of a unicorn stallion’s head. The stallion looked old, not as old as Granny Smith but still pretty old, and even for being only an image he seemed... wise, like the Princesses. The stallion smiled a little before speaking.

“Welcome, my little filly. You do not know how much it pleases me to see you before me.”

“Uh, thanks.” Rainbow Dash stepped towards the image “Who are you?”

“I suppose I should have introduced myself earlier.” the stallion sighed “Even with my position on the Council, I still forget that. My name is Jor-El; I am a scientist from the planet Krypton... and I am your father.” Rainbow stepped back in shock. This guy’s my father...

“If you’re my father, then who am I?”

“Who you are, exactly, is not for me to decide; how you were raised and how you treat others ultimately decides who you are.”

“But I mean, did I have some other name?” Jor-El paused.

“Your name is Kara Jor-El. I would have wished to deliver this to you face to face, but as you are receiving this, I have been dead for nearly a thousand years.”

“... Dead?”

“I suppose there is more I should have told you, my dear Kara.” he sighed again “Around the time you would call the ‘Nightmare Moon Incident’, I made a discovery: our homeworld, Krypton, was dying, and would take all of us with it very soon. I tried to warn the others, tried to get the Council to stage an evacuation, but... they did not listen to me. Krypton was entering a second golden age, and it’s destruction seemed absurd.

“In desperation, I constructed a ship and placed you, my only daughter, inside and sent you here. Kryptonians are no different from Equestrians physically, so you would blend in with the populace and be able to live a normal life. As for Krypton, well... as far as I know, you are the only surviving Kryptonian; the planet was destroyed only minutes after your ship broke through the atmosphere.”

“Oh...” there was silence. “I... I don’t really know what to say to this. I mean, well...” she felt a small tear running down her face “Look, I’m crying for ponies I haven’t even met.”

“That is a natural response to such news; our minds can only take so much in, that hearing of traumatic events, even if they did not occur to us, can trigger feelings we don’t fully understand.”

“Yeah,” she sniffed “But there’s still a lot of things I want to know. Can you help me?”

“Of course I can. You are my daughter, and I could never turn you away.”

“But how? I mean, you’re dead.”

“Before I sent you here, I poured much of my knowledge of the universe, most of my memories, and bits of my personality into the data crystal that created this place. Think of it as a copy of all that I was infused in a different form.”

“Like an artificial intelligence?”

“More or less. So, if you have questions, I will be able to answer them.” Rainbow Dash thought for a moment.

“What happened to me? Why can I break trees and shoot lasers from my eyes.”

“Technically they are not lasers, but it is easy to make that mistake. As for your other abilities, that is partially to do with Kryptonian physiology. You see, we have the ability to absorb and store solar energy. Krypton orbited an ancient red giant, so the effect was minimal, but Equestria has a much younger sun, and it is home to two goddesses as a bonus. The amount of energy that is within you has given you powers beyond that of any normal pony: you can fly faster, lift more, see farther, and survive injuries that would kill a pony without taking a scratch. While you are not exactly a foal, you are not used to your powers and still need to learn how to control them.”

“And you can help me with that?”

“Yes.” another pause.

“Why did you send me to Equestria? Why not somewhere else?”

“That is an interesting story, my child. When I first decided to send you away, I searched through time and space for a suitable planet. Most I visited offered such things as glory in battle, unlimited knowledge, endless luxury, even deification on some worlds, but the pony I contacted on Equestria... she told me of something more.”

“Who did you meet? Was it the Princess?”

“No, although I have met both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna before, but that is for another time.” Jor-El’s face vanished, replaced by an image of Canterlot “It was about twenty five years before today, one year before you would land in Equestria. My message arrived and I found a mare; she was one of Celestia’s attendants, young and full of promise. She already had one foal, and had just sent him to his first day of school when I met her.” the image shifted to that of a white unicorn mare with a purple and white mane and tail.

“Hey, that’s Twilight’s mom!”

“I do not know this Twilight, but she seems to be close to you.”

“Yeah, she’s one of my friends... I think she’d like you; she’s big on science and stuff.”

“I am sure she would be an interesting pony to meet. Anyway, after explaining what would happen to Krypton, I asked her what Equestria had to offer. This is what she said.” the image of the mare came to life, shuffling her hooves a bit and looking away.

“Well, we ponies aren’t really the most kind of beings; we tend to get judgemental and jealous, and occasionally do harm to one another. But I promise you, if I ever find your daughter, I will raise her and love her as my own along with my own son.” The image faded back to Jor-El.

“That is why I sent you here: love. These ponies have a capacity to love that is unmatched by any other race in the galaxy. I wanted you to be raised somewhere where you would be loved, and where you would learn to love those around you, no matter who they were.

“But there is another reason I sent you here. These ponies mean well, but they can become distracted. They have the capacity to become great, but what they lack is a light to show them the way.”

“But, the Princesses-”

“While I have nothing against the rulers of Equestria, their status as supreme rulers and control over day and night tends to intimidate more ponies than it inspires. They may try to shake this image, but it is a sad truth. The ponies of Equestria need someone closer to them, a pony who will inspire them and drive them towards reaching their full potential, and you will be that pony.”

“Me? But I’m not a ruler of anypony.”

“I did not send you here as a conqueror, Kara, but as a guide, a guardian. Allow your natural leadership to stir their higher instincts. You will give the ponies an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.”

“That’s... a lot to take in.”

“I understand that. If you do not think you are ready for this, you may return home. I will remain here and wait until such a time that you are ready.” Rainbow Dash looked at the image of Jor-El. Yes, he was asking a lot of her, but a bit of her mind pushed her on, telling her that she could be the pony her father had spoke of.

“I... I want to help. I want to know what I can do with my powers.” Another pause, before Jor-El smiled.

“Then let us begin your training.”

.................

Rainbow Dash was not sure how long she had spent in the crystal structure, or Fortress of Solitude as her father called it. She had tried keeping track of time at one point, but she had gotten wrapped up in her studies and training and forgot.

“I think you are ready.” Jor-El said after she had woken up from the previous night.

“Are you sure? I’ve only been doing this for... How long?”

“Less than half a year. You have managed to master your powers, and you know much more about your place in the universe.” Rainbow Dash nodded and crossed to the center of the room.

“So, now what?”

“You will go out amongst the other ponies. Guide them, as I have guided you, and use your powers and skills to help them all. But before you leave, I have something for you.” a segment of the nearest wall parted to reveal a flight suit similar to one worn by the Wonderbolts. Unlike those suits, this one was a darker shade of blue, made from a material Rainbow Dash did not recognize, and it lacked a hood and mask for protection against the elements. A red cape was draped over the back, and a large stylized S had been set inside a shield, the emblem placed in the center of the suit’s chest.

“No mask... Won’t everypony know it’s me if there’s no mask?”

“If you do not wish a pony to see your true face, they will not.” Rainbow Dash shrugged and approached the suit. She was able to slip it on without a lot of difficulty, but the clasps for the cape had a few issues that needed to be worked out.

“Hmm, feels comfy.” she stopped, placing a hoof on her mouth. Her voice had shifted once she had put on the suit; it was higher, less raspy and a bit more melodic “Hey, what’s up with my voice? I sound like Princess Celestia right now.”

“There are ponies that may oppose you. To protect both you and those you care for, I have cast several shielding and cloaking spells on your suit to hide both your true face and your true voice. It is deceitful, but in a way you are protecting the others by doing this.”

“Oh.” Rainbow Dash found a smaller crystal that had been polished similar to a mirror. The pony staring back at her had a tan coat and a darker mane, although the faint outlines of Rainbow Dash’s multicolored hair could be seen “Hey, that’s actually kind of cool... at least now I know what to do for the next Nightmare Night.” the image slowly faded and Rainbow saw her normal face once again “Hey, what happened?”

“The spells adjust to you. The others will not see your true face, yet you will be able to.”

“Cool.” she turned and faced the image of her father “Thanks for the help.”

“It was my pleasure, Kara. I see that you have grown into a fine young mare, and I am proud of you.”

“Thank you.” Rainbow Dash turned to leave, her cape fluttering behind her as she walked.

“And remember, my daughter: if there is any information you may need, or if you feel as though you need to be alone, the Fortress of Solitude will always be waiting for you.” Rainbow Dash smiled and stepped outside.

“Now, Ponyville should be that way,” she said, pointing to the southeast “But I should try out this new suit and see how well I fly.” She turned into the wind and took off, shooting forward at speeds ponies only dreamed of. She banked right and increased her speed, flying over the Crystal Mountains and down into Equestria. She climbed higher, punching through a bank of clouds as she ascended. Rolling and turning right, Rainbow Dash giggled a little before shooting straight up, the wind pulling at her mane and cape and she climbed higher and higher.

As she flew, a small mach cone formed around Rainbow Dash. The cone grew in size and sharpened, narrowing considerably as she climbed. Finally, she reached the breaking point and shot forward, leaving only a tremendous explosion and a shower of light as she raced into the stratosphere.

“This... is... AWESOME!” she shouted. She twisted her head around and watched as the rainbow disk spread out across the sky, a wide grin stretching out across her face. Soon, the sound of wind diminished, and she was flying in almost complete silence. Looking down, Equestria was but a small green patch amongst the surrounding land, barely recognisable from where Rainbow Dash was flying. She hung there for a few minutes, her cape fluttering from the slightest breeze.

This is amazing. I can see so much... she relaxed as much as possible, allowing all of her sense to take in everything. By the positioning of the sun, it should have been early morning in Ponyville. She could hear the sound of Pinkie and Mr. Cake setting up for the day, the sound of Mrs. Cake tending to the twins, the sound of Rarity singing to herself in the shower, all of Fluttershy’s animals waking up for the day, even the sound of Scootaloo and the Cutie Mark Crusaders riding off on their daily adventure.

She closed her eyes and allowed the sounds of home to flood her mind. When compared to the winds of the north, or the dead silence of the Fortress of Solitude, the sounds of Ponyville were warm, welcoming, soothing. She breathed in, taking in as much of the sound as she could.

One sound, however, caught her attention: it was a clanking sound, like somepony banging two giant pots together. She opened her eyes and scanned the country, looking for any sign of trouble. She spotted movement in the Everfree forest, and she squinted to get a better look.

Something big and metallic was moving towards Ponyville, and her instincts told her that it was up to no good. She turned and dove towards Ponyville, using as much of her speed as possible to make the trip shorter.

Time to start protecting ponies, she thought.

Author's Notes:

It's not exactly like the other portrayals of the Fortress of Solitude scene, but then this is not a straight adaptation.
Rant time. A few things did not make it into this chapter. The first being a flashback to Rainbow Dash when she was five, specifically Superfilly Defender of Cloudsdale (basically Rainbow Dash tying a towel around her neck and playing superhero ala Calvin & Hobbes' Stupendous Man fantasies). I just forgot about it when Rainbow Dash got the suit, and I may add it in at a later date once she gets in the habit of being Supermare now and then.
The second thing that I forgot to add was Rainbow meeting Jor-El and thinking about the implications of being the daughter of an egghead scientist. I don't know if it would have hurt or helped the story at this point, but it wasn't actually that bad of an idea when I first thought of it (although, as the author I am biased liked that. Meh).
Another thing, what Jor-El is talking about is essentially magic Perception Filters. Originally there was going to be some kind of spell or modification to the suit that would make Rainbow Dash look like some pony pretending to be Rainbow Dash, but not only would that be kind of obvious it would change the suit, and bad things happen when you change the suit (Red and Blue Superman, anyone?). So, instead, we have Perception Filters to make her look like a completely different pony (whether or not she tells her friends the truth is strictly confidential and will be revealed at a later point).
I still don't own Ponies or Superman. Likes and comments are appreciated, and I would like to hear any ideas you may have.

Next Chapter: Part 1, Chapter 8 Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 45 Minutes
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