How Far Does Loyalty Go?

by Faith Everlasting

The Iron Horseshoes

Why does she get all of this? I thought to myself as I slowly made my way through the adoring crowd. I sniveled with spite as one of them bumped a flag into my face portraying the cutie mark of the one who made me who I am. I glared at the brilliant blue, red, and yellow colors of the lightning bolt and then I glared at the pony holding it. I instantly recognized her to be one of Rainbow Dash’s friends. She was an earth pony with a brown cowgirl hat and three apples for a cutie mark. I scoffed at the pathetic waste of space. What kind of a talent was harvesting apples?

I proceeded onwards, my iron horseshoes making no noise on the soft clouds. I glanced down at them and smiled at the excellent craftsmanship. Only Scorched Shoe could make a fine piece of art like this. I quickly snapped back to attention as the crowd held their breath in anticipation. I glanced up at the sky to see Rainbow Dash perform her famous “10 Seconds Flat” routine which started in her lowly town of Ponyville.

“You’re so awesome!” I heard somepony shout. I slowly looked over to see a small orange Pegasus filly waving one of the despicable flags. I growled underneath my breath. That filly should be looking up to me! I complained. I then shook myself out of my daydream to continue what I was here for.

I trotted up to the barricade that blocked the audience from going out onto the stage. Three royal guards stood there along with their stupidity. Many of the ponies wouldn’t even approach the guards due to their large and supposedly dominant stature, but any smart pony could see in two seconds that their brawn was more evident than their brains. Two of the guards extended their wings as I got too close to the barricade.

“Nopony is allowed to enter past this gate!” One hollered, causing the pegasi who were close by to take a few steps back in fear. The loud shouting of the guard caught the attention of the Pegasus who I loathed secondly on my scale, Rainbow Dash being the first. Her yellow coat and flame-like mane flowed gently in the soft breeze as she fluttered over to where I was standing. She removed her sunglasses and glared at my golden eyes with her orange ones.

“Lightning Dust,” she growled. The guards gasped once she said my name out loud as if they suddenly realized who I was in the first place. I rolled my eyes, annoyed at their slowness.

“Spitfire,” I replied with the same tone, but with a slight grin on my face.

“Why are you here?” she asked me, extending her wings to the fullest extent.

“You know darn well why I’m here, Spitfire,” I copied her action and raised my wings as well. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized that what she feared was true.

“I will not allow you to do it,” she said determinedly, but I could hear the confusion and fear in her voice.

“Then you’ll have to be a casualty,” and with that, I leaped at her, stretching out my hooves and aiming for her chest. She leaped as well, her eyes burning with rage and hatred. I smiled at her naivety and then my hooves met their target. The hard iron ran into her ribcage, not hard enough to break any bones but certainly hard enough to bruise. Spitfire gasped in agony, but couldn’t let out a scream as she fell backwards onto the clouds. I would eventually do more, but she wasn’t what I was focused on right then and there. I spread my wings and took off quickly into the sky, leaving a streak of light green and gold following my every move. All three of the royal guards began to pursue me, but they were no match for my speed. I searched the sky for Rainbow Dash, preparing to use the iron horseshoes once more to complete my job. Suddenly, I saw her… and not a second too soon.

Comments

[NewKerbalEmpire]

Lightning Dust was always my favorite pony. It breaks my heart to know that she has to be the antagonist in a story that presumably has a happy ending.