Hey Jealousy
“Another round, miss?” the barkeep asked, taking the emptied stein of cider in his hoof.
I didn’t answer him, at least not immediately. My attention was more focused on the worn bar surface, dark stained wood waxed to a tacky finish and smelling of years of spilt drinks. “Sure.”
He dutifully dipped my stein under the tap and pulled the handle. My ears twitched as fresh cider poured into it. I muttered a curt thanks when he slid the wooden vessel in front of me and observed the delicate foam that leaked down the sides. In the reflection on the surface I could see myself, teal coat contrasted by my unkempt amber mane.
Sloppy.
With a sigh, I took the mug in hoof and pulled it to my lips. The crisp cider flowed over my tongue, though by now I was far past tasting it. A pair of bells chimed when the door opened, and I was vaguely aware of the hoofsteps approaching the bar, and coincidentally myself.
“Evening, ma’am,” the barkeep greeted the new pony. “What can I get you?”
“Cider, Apple Acres Special, if you got it.”
I know that voice. My eyes grew wide and my jaw set. The distinct rasp had grown more pronounced over the years, and she spoke slower than she used to, but I would never forget that voice. How could I?
The barkeep moved to get her a stein and I could feel her eyes boring into the back of my head. I pretended not to notice. This wasn’t the kind of reunion I really wanted to deal with right now.
“Lightning Dust?”
Well ponyfeathers.
I craned my neck around and frowned. She had the same ragged mane, streaked with the colors of the rainbow and the cocky magenta eyes I remembered. The blue uniform, black necktie, and the polished silver wings pinned to her chest were new.
“Rainbow Dash,” I said in an even tone.
“How’ve you been?”
Again I shrugged. “What’s it to you?”
She was silent for a few minutes, and then took a step closer to the bar. “Just curious, I guess.”
The temptation to tell her where to shove her curiosity was borderline irresistible; I managed to reign it back, however. Well, just a little bit at least. “You have fun with that.”
Rainbow chuckled, though I suspected it wasn’t out of genuine amusement. She gestured with her hoof to the stool beside me. “Mind if I sit here, at least?”
I shrugged my wings. “It’s a free country, isn’t it?”
She sat down just as the barkeep slid her cider across the bar. I took another drink and pondered if I should just get up and leave. Hoping desperately that it wasn’t too late to find a hotel room in Manehattan and Rainbow wouldn’t follow me home like a lost kitten.
Rainbow glanced over to me a few times and fidgeted with her stein. I knew she wanted to say something. Probably to rub it in how she got me booted out of the academy.
Immediately I flinched. I knew better than that. I had for a long time now.
“So…”
Just go away, I mentally pleaded. But Rainbow didn’t move; she just sat there, nose down with her eyes occasionally glancing at me now and then.
“What do you want, Rainbow?” I asked, finally sitting up and looking her in the eye.
Her ears twitched and she seemed to pause for a moment. “Well, Dust, I was just wondering what you’ve been up to. It’s been…what, five years now?”
“Almost eight,” I corrected her.
Rainbow nodded. “Time flies.”
“You’re telling me.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
How about no, I really wanted to say. “You can ask.”
“What happened to you?” she asked, her voice growing softer. “You never reenlisted at the academy. You just… well, disappeared.”
“I got thrown out, remember?” I snapped at her with a bit more venom than I had meant to.
“You made some mistakes,” she said, holding up a hoof defensively. “Both of us did.”
“But you’re part of the Wonderbolts now,” I pointed to the silver wings on her uniform. “Primary flight team, too.”
“And what’s that make you?”
I took a drink of my cider only to feel the last of it trickle down my throat. “Just another weather mare.” I said, pushing the stein away and motioning to the barkeep. “Another.”
“Put it on my tab,” Rainbow said.
I shot a glare at her, but she hardly seemed to notice or care about it. “I don’t want your money.”
Rainbow looked me in the eye and for a moment I felt my resolve falter. “It’s on me.”
Stop being nice! I don’t want you to be nice!
“Why?” I asked, and took my refilled cup in hoof.
“For old times sake,” Rainbow said, lifting her drink to her lips and taking a swig. “You were the best rival I ever had.”
The simple comment gave me pause, and I found myself at a loss for words. Rainbow chuckled and slid her mug across the bar until it tapped against my own. It made me jump a bit, then sigh. “So were you,” I finally admitted. “Maybe…” I sighed, wiping a hoof through my mane and letting my wings slacken.
“Hmm?” Rainbow looked over to me, curious, but with patience I didn’t remember her having. The look wore me down, and as much as I kept trying to remind myself that I hated her, I knew the truth. More specifically, I knew exactly who had bucked everything.
“If I hadn’t blown the whole thing years ago…”
Rainbow didn’t say anything, which I was grateful about. We both took a drink, and allowed silence to settle between us. The record in the jukebox clicked over to a different song, one that brought us both to bob our heads in time with the music.
Seconds turned to minutes, and those minutes seemed to stretch further still until nothing left remained. “What happened, Dust?”
I paused, my teeth biting on my lower lip for a moment. “A lot.”
Rainbow nodded, and again, she waited for me.
Dammit…
“I used to hate you, you know?” I finally admitted.
She glanced over at me, seemingly unsurprised at the sentiment. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Rainbow drained the contents of her mug and I did the same. She motioned to the bartender, who dutifully took our emptied steins and refilled them. Rainbow slid her glass against mine again, and then took a sip. “I went home that day and I cried like a foal. I cursed your name, I cursed Spitfire, I cursed the Wonderbolts. I spat on their names, ripped down my posters and threw them into the winds.”
Rainbow simply nodded, her expression carefully neutral. “Then what did you do?”
I shrugged. “I took a job with the Manehattan Weather team as a mobile lighting wrangler, something that would let me fly as far from Cloudsdale as I possibly could.” A smile pulled at the corners of my mouth as I thought of my time in the skies. “I flew all over Equestria. Manehattan, Baltimare, Vanhoover, and pretty much every town in between.
“I wanted to fly until it stopped hurting, you know? Until I didn’t feel shame every time I looked at my face in the mirror.” I sighed, my head lowering until it met the tacky surface of the bar. “I never could fly far enough.”
“Did it ever stop?” she asked.
The question gave me pause, and as I drew myself back up from the table I rolled my tongue across the inside of my cheek. “Yes… And no.”
Rainbow’s brow quirked upwards and her head tilted to the right. “What do you mean?”
My tail twitched and I smiled. “I was at the park in Vanhoover, and I met this earth pony.” Reaching up, I placed my hoof over a silver locket wrapped around my neck with a matching chain. “The stallion that would become my husband, actually. And the father of our son.”
Her eyebrows shot upwards and her wings flitted at her sides. “Wh—really? That’s amazing, Lightning!” She grinned brightly to me. “Congratulations!”
“Thanks,” I said, rolling my cup between my hooves.
“What are their names?” she asked, twisting her body around to look at me directly. “What does he do?”
“Mason is my husband, Live Wire is our son.” My heart fluttered at the very thought of my family. It was a feeling I had still haven’t grown used to, and I don’t ever want to. Some feelings, after all, were far too good to get used to.
“Mason works in architecture. He takes commissions for sculpted busts and works on the decorative carvings you see on buildings.”
“That sounds pretty awesome.”
“Wire, he’s only just got his cutie mark a few months ago.” I felt no shame for the proud smile that crossed my face from ear to ear. “He’s very creative, loves tinkering with our radio.” I laughed quietly and shook my head. “We had to buy him one of his own, he kept taking ours apart and trying to rewire it.”
Rainbow chuckled and winked at me. “Always making trouble, eh? Definitely has to be yours.”
“Oh shut up,” I laughed, smacking her shoulder with my hoof. “What about you? I hear your name a lot. How’s the life of the rich and famous?”
She paused for a moment, and then answered with a simple. “It’s… different.”
This time it was my eyebrow that arched upwards, and I turned in my seat to look her in the eye. “What? Don’t tell me you’re living the dream and don’t like it.”
“No, no,” she shook her head adamantly. “It’s just…well,” Rainbow sighed, her hoof rubbing at her forehead. “I feel like I’m stalling.”
“Stalling?”
“Yeah,” she answered, that same hoof sliding up and through her mane. “It’s the same routines, the same canned interviews, the same flight teams. There’s just…well, I feel like I’m losing my passion.”
“Look at you,” Rainbow said, her wing flexing towards me. “You’ve got a family, you get to fly free, even if it’s back and forth from the same cities. For me it’s just ‘routine A, with flourish B, C, or D.” She shook her head slowly and sighed. “I envy you in a way.”
“So change it, then,” I said.
“I can’t change it,” Rainbow answered. “Only the Captain gets to call the routine.” Her head lowered a bit and she gazed into the empty stein.
“Pff,” I scoffed to her and waved a hoof. “Geez, Dash, you never could see the forest through the trees, could ya?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Fly harder, earn your Captain’s wings, then you call the shots.” I smiled to her, though I couldn’t help feel a sadness I hadn’t felt in years settle in my heart. “Be the lead pony I was never cut out to be.”
For a few minutes Rainbow was quiet. Then, she seemed to smile, and reaching to her breast, Rainbow plucked the silver wings from her uniform and set them on the table before me. I stared at them for a long time, the polished luster seeming almost too bright in the dull light of the bar.
“You’d be a great Wonderbolt,” Rainbow said, a sad smile on her muzzle. “I just wish I could fly with you again.”
I shook my head. “Maybe a few years ago,” I said with a smile. “But that’s past me now. I’m running the team here, I got a family to go home to, and I’m happy.
Rainbow chuckled and nodded. “Hey, we’re doing a practice flight tomorrow at the Manehattan Stadium. I can get you in, if you like.”
The offer made my heart freeze and my eyes grow wide. “What…I mean… well,” I sighed and shook my head. “I don’t know, Rainbow.”
“Just come, tell the security at the front your name, and that I said you’re good to come in. Bring your family too!”
“I… I’ll think about it.”
Smiling, Rainbow nodded and finished her drink. “It was good to see you again, Lightning.”
“You too, Rainbow.”
With that, Rainbow placed some bits on the bar, more than enough to cover both our tabs and then some. I sat there, my eyes affixed to the silver wings before me for what felt like hours before I managed to slide off my seat. Placing the wings in my bag, I made the short flight home.
Both my husband and our son were fast asleep by the time I got back, and I quietly moved into Wire’s room to check on him first. He slept with his back facing the door, and I smiled hearing his gentle breaths in the silent room. Careful not to wake him I moved to the side of his bed, pulled the covers up a little higher, and nuzzled his short, golden mane. He shifted in his sleep, nuzzling into his pillow while his forelegs squeezed his favorite toy, a stuffed rabbit my mother had given him, close to his chest, its gray fur meshing against his brown coat.
Satisfied he was sleeping well, I kissed him between the ears and moved out of the room just as quietly as I had entered. In our room I found Mason exactly where he was every night: snoring away facing in the direction of my empty spot. As I slipped into bed beside him my mind raced with memories of hairpin turns, death defying dives, and pulse pounding races. I nestled my cheek against his chest, listening to the steady drumbeat of his heart.
In the morning, I spoke to Mason, and gave Live Wire the wings. I’ll never forget the joy on his face and the way he bounced on his hooves when I told him about ‘mommy’s old friend.’ And together we decided to make our way to the stadium. He rode on my back, asking if he could get wings like mine some day. I told him I loved him just like I loved his father, earth ponies though they were.
True to her word, Rainbow had spoken to security, and they welcomed us in and guided us to a nice viewing spot on what was normally a private box. The wonderbolts overhead were out of uniform, and I spotted Rainbow at the head of her fight team.
Come on Rainbow… I thought, watching her work through a normal routine.
The maneuvers were basic and the speed was only fast enough for earth ponies and unicorns to be impressed. I could see her boredom, even from so far down. Then something changed, she pulled ahead of her wingponies, and after a moment they flew faster as though to give chase.
That’s it…
She led them up, higher, and higher, then twisted around and fell towards the earth with thunderous speeds. Her wingponies gave chase, pushing themselves to keep up with her. Rainbow took advantage of the speed, moving from the basic loops, spins and twists into complex patterns, close flight pass-bys and impromptu races.
Standing on my hooves, I hollered a loud cheer to match that of the grounded team, support staff watching, and my family.
Fly!
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You most certainly have a knack for the Slice of Life side of fics.
Nice work, man.
~Skeeter The Lurker
I think it should be 'Wonderbolts' in this instance.
Anyway, excellent work on this story. I'll admit, I wish I had the talent you had when it comes to writing stories like these. I like how you characterized Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash, particularly in regards to the rivalry aspect. Also, the prose was smooth and clear and Lightning Dust's thoughts did add to the story in my opinion. Nicely done!
Very nice work. I really like this take on Lightning Dust's future and how you bounced it off the very real costs of achieving a goal like joining the Wonderbolts.
6063824
Why thanks very much. I wanted to try something a bit different then most stories I see on this sort of subject. Any ways you saw that might have improved it?
6063803
Drats, you saw through my clever plan!
6063738
Fixed, thanks for that catch! I really like writing these simple Slice-of-Life stories, they're a good break from bigger and more complex fics.
6063720
6063839 You're welcome! And yeah, I agree with you when it comes to writing slice of life one-shots. Anyway, best of luck on your future stories!
You manage to say a lot with very few words. Nicely done.
Everyone knows Lightning Dust is best pegasus anyway
Always wondered what happened to Lightning Dust, and I like this interpretation of how her life went after the Wonderbolt Academy, and it's great to see that even though she didn't get what she really wanted, she was able to find happiness, and that even Rainbow Dash's life wasn't quite the dream she expected it to be, which makes for a nice duality there. Personally, it would have been great to see LD fly with Dash again there at the end, but that's a minor nitpick in what's otherwise a great one shot. Nice work!
6065095
Thanks very much, I was tempted to do that, but the premise of the story was that she found a different path in her life. I felt like it was more pointed that she took the support role, content to sit back and watch. Besides, I had her marry an earth pony and had her son be an earth pony, it'd be pretty rude of her to leave them behind
6064989
Thank you!
6065094
That's not how you spell Iron Rain
Brilliant! This is absolutely brilliant!
Good read.
However... "She was silent for a few minutes" - I don't get it. Was she just standing there for 2-4 minutes or what? I have a feeling that in said situation it must be "She was silent for a few seconds".
We all feel like Lighting Dust sometimes, but not all of us stumble into a happy ending.
cute
See, this is the quality of stories I want to put out.
Instead, I put out... Things. Thingy things. The thingy kind of things.
Fairly sure that 'Again I shrugged' and 'I shrugged my wings' should be swapped. Other than that odd typo, great job.
This is quite good! I do feel though that there's a little bit of mismatch between the setup and the delivery - which is to say, our introduction to Lightning Dust implies things that are not true. The bar setting and the disheveled appearance and attitude imply someone barely scraping by, rather than a moderately successful mother. It's not Dust's attitude toward RD that's the issue, certainly - that makes sense regardless of her life since.
I suspect that in some ways you wanted to do that, in order to set up the punch, but the precise way you did it is just a little bit off IMO. However, other than that, the pitch on this is pretty well perfect.
So I put the song of repeat while I read the story (figured it had been to long since I listened to the Gin Blossoms). Of course its not perfectly in line with the story, but i just let it play as I read... no idea how many times it looped be as I finished the last word of this story the song came to and end and all i had was that last guitar strum.
Great story, normally not a fan of 1st person in fanfic, but I think it fit this story well and you were able to pull off lightning dust's voice and thoughts beautifully.
This was good.
We need moar post-academy Lightning Dust fics.
This story was beautifully written, however you seem to have made a mistake many people make. Jealousy is not synonymous with envy. Jealousy is when you are afraid that someone will take what you have. Envy is when you desire something that someone else has. They are/were envious of one another, not jealous.
~KBO.
Sigh. We REALLY need a Lightning Dust redemption episode already. When people explore her character you can see the redeeming qualities she has and the ability to tell a great story! Gilda finally got her episode so I'm just hoping my favorite pony will get hers soon to.
This wasn't just good...
It was awesome!
Like everypony else, I always wondered where Lightning drifted off to after the Wonderbolts Academy episode. I like this version the most.
Instead of her simmering in her jealousy/envy and barely scraping through life, she's a well-to-do mother with a family. I loved the interaction between Dash and Lightning.
You earn a like.
6063839 Nothing, sorry. I feel like I remember seeing a few little bugs and slightly awkward word choices, but I did not take notes like I sometimes do so I do not remember where they were.
6067144
No worries, I just always enjoy asking. Thanks and glad you liked it!
6067022
Thanks very much, I try to do unique spins on things when I feel like I've got an idea that works.
6066969
I was tempted to do a LightningDash fic, but that would mean leaving my precious DashFire >.>
6066969
Originally yes, but in modern parlance the terms have largely become synonymous. Still thanks for leaving a comment and I'm glade you liked it!
6066238 6066205
Thanks very much!
6065940
I quite like this cover of the song, but yes, Hey Jealousy is an awesome song and I also played it on loop when I was writing it for the contest.
6065939
Oringinally writing it for the contest I had planned for Lightning Dust to be working as a mail mare and a bit more cynical. About an hour in though, I realized that I was descending rapidly towards a bad shipfic setup and switched to the current direction. I justify her initial actions as being on the heels of a particularly rough week at work. The kind that just makes you utterly burned out. But yes, I agree it could be a bit smoother in hindsight.
I blame the two hour writing time
Thanks for the awesome feedback!
6065883
Fixed, thanks!
6065780
If you ever need ideas or pointers feel free to PM me anytime. I'm by no means the best writer around, but I tend to think I know what I'm doing some of the time.
6065648 6065440
Thanks!
6065349
Probably should read "moments" ^^; thanks!
This right here is what slice of life is all about.
6067296
Like how literally now also means figuratively because so many people misused it so much that the people in charge of the dictionary said "f
it, these people are never going to get it right," and added it as a secondary definition.
I know I typed "people" a lot, but this is a everyone rated story and I did not want to use salty language.
6067296
Fuck it, I'll do it, it's up there with Raridash for me.
It's always great to see a top quality story about my favourite pony. I can only give you one upvote but you deserve way more! Fabulous work indeed!
been wondering when you were going to post this
6068711
I had to add some stuff to it and whip up cover art. Thanks for the follow, it was awesome meeting you at everfree!
6068774 I'll be going back next year come hell or high water and I'll be letting Xephyr know of any cons I'll be going to, so we'll likely meet again.
>scrollin' around on FIMFiction
Huh, top 10 stories...*click*
Interesting story, wonder who wrote it--oh, it's Ruirik.
*drops everything and reads*
...It's interesting how the same author can hit the whole emotional spectrum in 5 minutes.
Since hearing the title and the honorable mention it got at the contest, I've been eager to read it. Now I've got that chance.
This is one of the best "Lightning Dust moved on" stories I've seen. It seems like a normal story of someone who couldn't get their childhood dream, but found a good life anyway, rather than a story about broken dreams.
Best lightning dust story I've read
Hey Jealousy?
I find it funny you use envious correctly in the story, but jealousy wrong in the title.
Anyway, good story, and I'm glad no one was jealous in the story. It would have been an entirely different story if Lightning was afraid Rainbow was going to seduce her husband, or if Rainbow was afraid of Lightning joining the Wonderbolts and taking her place.
Good work.
6068774 Also, there's a typo in the title.
You know what? I entered this story skeptical, because I never really liked Lightning Dust. I always saw her as a contrast to Rainbow Dash, who despite being willing to do all she can to achieve her dreams, never wanted to put her friends in danger to achieve them. (Tanks For the Memories aside, that is. Keep in mind, that episode is an allegory for loss of a loved one, and no one is rational in that situation.)
But reading this story drew a new perspective on Lightning Dust for me. I never thought of her past the Wonderbolts Academy, and most fanfictions I read with her in the distant future after those events always either had her super depressed or out for vengeance against Dash. I found your approach to be much more realistic and enjoyable. It was refreshing and well written, and it definitely made me like Lightning Dust a lot more...at least, it made me like the fan interpretation more.
All in all, a well-crafted short story with great flow. Well done!
Now THIS plot seems very interesting, I'll have to read it sometime.
I didn't know you could do that to lights. There would be a lot of glass...
Missing the n on lightning there.
Good story overall.
I know this is complete, but damn... I finished this and thought... I want more. :P
This was nice
I really liked this. Really rare to have a story give Lightning Dust some depth of character.
Glad to see this getting so much attention. It was one of my faves from Iron Author (and my Honorable Mention.)
6074286
Didn't know you could push rain clouds around like freight containers, either, yet there we are.
Ok, this story got my upvote! it starts out reading like the same old "successful character meets old friend who's a failure" story, but then for a twist, the "failure" has long since got over it and is doing well somewhere else! Character development all over the place!
It doesn't explain why Lightning Dust was drinking (more than a few mugs of cider, implied.) alone, but it's not too much of a stretch to imagine she had her reasons.
6070640 This guy gets it.
I don't often open feature box stories on a whim...but this was really good!
I'm glad I gave it a shot. Finally, a believable Lightning Dust story!
This was a lot of fun to read! Nice to see Lightning and Rainbow get some closure.