You need to ship Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust · 10:40pm Feb 21st, 2013
It's been exactly 68 days since Wonderbolt Academy aired, and I'm officially tired of waiting to read a good Rainbow Dash - Lightning Dust shipping fic. After that episode, I was certain we were going to be swamped with fics shipping the two, but over two months later all we have are two clopfics about them having shower sex in the Wonderbolts locker room. You disappoint me FiMFiction. I'm very confused, and now I'm going to try to convince you to ship them, because I'm certain there are a few writers much more talented than I who are (for reasons god only knows) following me. For the good of the planet, you need to ship Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust.
There's more untapped potential in this pairing than any other. Lightning Dust has a lot in common with Dash. She's brash, stubborn, daring, athletic, driven, shares her love of flight and the Wonderbolt, her love for competing, and may love winning and succeeding even more. If there was ever a more perfect match for Rainbow Dash, I haven't seen it.
However, unlike Dash, she hasn't been developed. That's where you (you brilliant author without equal, you) come in. Is she hiding an insecurity behind her bravado? Where does her competitive spirit stem from, and is there anything to her more important? What are her hobbies, likes, dislikes, and personality quirks? What did the Wonderbolts mean to her? And, more importantly, what does losing her standing with them mean to her?
And, most important to your future fic, what did her regrettably short friendship with Dash mean to her? Does she care that she's lost a friend? Is she sorry? Is she angry? What is she doing now?
At the same time, she needs to be kept in line with her canon appearance. That means no sob stories about her abusive parents, dead parents, evil step moms, or sudden changes of heart. Lightning Dust is an unapologetic, justifiably arrogant jerk, and that's how you need to write her.
Obviously, any relationship she might have with Dash will have several huge hurdles to jump over just to get off the ground (those two analogies really don't go well together), tension that would make any potential story all the more interesting. Firstly, she almost killed (with Dash's help) each and every one of Dash's closest friends, and then didn't even have the courtesy to apologize afterwards. Secondly, Dash took her place as Lead Pony, possibly ousting her from the Academy in the process. To a pony as competitive as Lightning Dust, that must be positively infuriating.
If they were to get together, why? What circumstances would lead them back to each other? How would they resolve their previous conflicts? Who would initiate the relationship, and how? How would Rainbow Dash react? How would Lightning Dust react? How would Tank react? How would it progress? What problems might they run into farther down the road?
I bet your mind is absolutely bubbling with ideas now, isn't it? Good, now go write those ideas down right this second, because I am 90% I can't write this fic the way it deserves to be written.
And most importantly, have fun!
The Rarity's Mare of the Evening rewrite is progressing... well, it's not progressing at all. I started doing proof reading, but got lazy and asked a couple other people to look over it instead, we'll see what happens when I hear back from them. Also, I've made up my mind to post it as separate story, meaning it won't get any benefit from RMotE's few hundred favorites. A necessary sacrifice so that I can make sure this version stands on its own two feet.
Actually, I was thinking a GildaDust fic is in order...
853111
Get out of my head! I had the same thing typed up, and decided not to post it and to see what other people said!
Lighting Dust is basically to Rainbow what Trixie is to Twilight. Make of that what you will.
853137 When the Tartaros did you get inside MY head? Wait... thats my own voice I'm hearing. Never mind.
Besides, I don't think you would be urging me to kill mommy and daddy.
So, you gonna publish it then, now that you know at least one fan wants to read it?
cdn.derpiboo.ru/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTIvMTIvMjgvMDhfNTBfMTJfOTIyXzE5NTY4OF9fVU5PUFRfX3NhZmVfcmFpbmJvd19kYXNoXzRjaGFuX2xpZ2h0bmluZ19kdXN0Il1d/195688__safe_rainbow-dash_4chan_lightning-dust.png.png
Also, Dang it! I just remembered I haven't started reviewing the rewrite RMotE yet. I know I need to get to that, but I'm a bit hesitant since I hated the original so much.
853170
I'll add it to the list. . . which means it might get written before the show goes off the air.
1. I only write Flutterdash. Sorry.
2. LOL is that a How I met your mother gif?
853171
I've seen that analysis before, and I don't agree with it anymore now than I did when I first saw it. From the very first episode Rainbow Dash cared more about her friends (whom she may or may not have known for less than a day) than her ambitions. She was never as abrasive or unconcerned about others' welfare as Lightning Dust.
Get to it whenever you feel like. I'm not under any deadlines.
853111
I wrote a simple outline for a Gilda-Lightning Dust fic, but I couldn't decide what to do with it. I doubt anything will ever come of it.
And if there's a good Gilda-Lightning Dust fic published before there's a good Rainbow Dash-Lightning Dust, I'll cry.
856507 Guessing I might have to add another story to my to-do list.
Thats assuming I can drag my ass away from the xbox...
856507
My point was that they were too similar as characters. This is also why I don't really see AppleDash working as anymore than friends-with-benefits.
856811
I'm not sure I understand. That analysis points out the key difference between the two, and Lightning Dust is so underdeveloped you could do just about anything you wanted to with her. She's as similar or dissimilar as your interpretation.