The Returning Nightmare

by Lord Dico

Critical Damage

As the race was on, Rainbowdash and Bishop were neck-and-neck, gliding over the ground at tremendous speed, heading into the mountains. As they were approaching the fork in the road, leading to the mountain on the left and Sweet Apple Acres on the right. Rainbowdash looked over at Bishop with a glare, who was looking straight ahead. As they came to the paths, Rainbowdash took the pathway right, while Bishop was headed towards the mountains. Rainbowdash looked back with confusion, and started to slow down a bit.

"HEY!" she yelled, "YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!"

No response came. He probably couldn't hear her or is just ignoring her. Whatever it was, Rainbowdash, couldn't quit now, so she decided to continue on. She had a race to win anyway.

Meanwhile, Bishop was coming up towards the mountain top. As he approached it, he stood there. He then eyed on where Rainbowdash was headed, getting a better view of which direction to head to. She was headed at a strong speed, going through Sweet Apple Acres, then through the trees, and back into town. The bridge into town had a pathway directly to Town Square. Off in the distance, he saw a hot air balloon, with some-pony holding a telescope, eying him, but he ignored it.

As Pinkie Pie looked through her telescope at Bishop, she grew confused and went up to the microphone right by her.

"Well folks," she said into the mike, with the speakers at Town Square catching it, "it looks like the mysterious challenger has approached the mountain top, leaving Rainbowdash to take the lead. Could it be he's forfeiting?"

Everypony was now in confusion at Bishop's actions. The crusaders, confused as heck, looked at Shoter and Hydra, who both were wide-eyed at what they heard.

"This isn't good," Shoter said, with a frightened tone.

"What do you mean?" Applebloom asked.

"Let's just hope Rainbowdash doesn't get in Bishop's path."

"What does THAT mean?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"You don't wanna know."

Back over with Bishop, he had his eyes closed, seeing his destined path calculated through his mind. As he opened his eyes, he took a good breath, looked straight ahead.

"Jackpot," he whispered.

He then jumped off the cliff, straight down into the cliff, suddenly going at a faster pace. Soon enough, the aura around him grew hotter and hotter, like a meteor crashing down. As Bishop was about to hit the ground, he vanished into thin air.

Pinkie Pie, who saw Bishop vanish through her telescope, was mesmerized by it, and went towards the microphone.

"I don't believe it!" she stated, "The mysterious challenger has just jumped off the cliff, and vanished!"

Everypony had gasped at what they heard. Hydra only looked displeased by it, while Shoter looked scared.

"Bishop," Hydra said in an irritated, "Why are you using that technique?"

This however, caught the attention of the crusaders.

"What 'technique'?" Scootaloo asked.

"Wait! What's this?" the speakers picking up Pinkie's voice through the mic, "There seems to be a huge trail of dust coming out of nowhere! And it's...It's catching up to Rainbowdash!"

Back with Rainbowdash, she was almost to the bridge. She knew it. She was going to win. Adrenaline was running through her veins, and the finish line was in sight. But then, then something happened.

Maybe it was because she was slower, or that Bishop went faster…No it had to be because she went slower. After all, she was tired, so it must've meant that she was getting slower.

However, Rainbow Dash knew that that wasn't it. Her wings weren't slowing down. Her heart was still pumping at the sky rocketing rate that nearly burst her rib cage. She knew that he was going faster.

Rainbow Dash strained her wings farther, faster. That rude colt was right behind her, wings flapping at an incredibly fast rate. Not a single bead of sweat was covering his face, and he seemed rather bored, as if she wasn't a worthy opponent.

She had to make him pay for being such a jerk, but she knew that she might not make it. Rainbow Dash would fail, miserably. She would never be part of the Wonderbolts.

Then suddenly, Bishop started to roll, still at a steady pace. As soon as Rainbowdash was about to cross the bridge, Bishop had got in distance of her, and slammed his hind legs directly into her back. Soon, causing her to skid across the ground, practically digging into it. Bishop then started to roll off of her, then stopped at his feet, skidding at a fast speed, crossing the finish line, with Rainbowdash just barely a quarter mile away, getting up. As Bishop finally came to a stop, he got up, with his boot soles, redder than an apple, start to cool down.

Every-pony was in shock at what just happened. Rainbow Dash, the pony that was proclaimed one of the fastest, the pony that held the element of loyalty, lost. Twilight and the others rushed over to their friend, who was still in the ground, with a few bruises on her.

"Rainbow, you okay?" Applejack asked, very concerned.

As Rainbowdash was starting to get up, she felt a sharp pain in her wings. She couldn't help but let the tears escape her eyes, as she was in such pain. It didn't matter if her friends saw her cry her guts out. Heck, nothing mattered now. Rainbow Dash had failed.

"What hurts?" Twilight asked.

"My...my wings," Rainbowdash said in a pained tone, barely a whisper.

"Oh jeez," Twilight said, incredibly concerned now, "Fluttershy, I'd think it'd be best if you took Rainbowdash to the doctor, quick!"

The crusaders were devastated at what they saw. Rainbowdash got herself handed to. As some of the citizens were slowly backing away, scared of what that pony did to Rainbowdash, Shoter was really frightened, thinking that because her brother beat their friend, they might not want to talk to her anymore. She started to feel herself about to break, as Scootaloo's face grew redder with rage. The crusaders have never seen Scootaloo this mad at all, and they could tell that it was going to be trouble.

"HEY!" she exclaimed at the top of her lungs, "WHAT DID RAINBOW DASH EVER DO TO YOU?"

Bishop turned to who was calling out to him, to see the angry little pega-filly. He simply turned away, putting his shades back on and picking up his hat. Scootaloo only got more furious at him, feeling like she was about to charge at him. Every-pony then started murmuring about Bishop, but he didn't even bother.

"HEY! ANSWER ME!"

Finally, Bishop decided to get it out of the way, and answered.

"Well, it wasn't MY fault that she let her ambition get in the way, was it?"

"You didn't have to almost break her back for some race!"

Bishop gridded his teeth and was trying not to let his anger out.

"Scootaloo, don't push his buttons!" Shoter whisper yelled.

"It was her fault. NOT MINE," Bishop exclaimed at Scootaloo, getting her attention again, "If you want to comfort that loser-"

"RAINBOW DASH IS NOT A LOSER!!" Scootaloo roared, "SHE'S LOYAL, AND A MUCH BETTER PONY THAN YOU'LL EVER BE!" Bishop was at the end of his line, and his patience with the filly was running thin.

"ARE YOU SO STUBBORN THAT YOU CAN'T ACCEPT THE FACT THAT PONIES LOSE SOMETIMES?! DO YOU NOT HAVE ANY COMMON SENSE?!" Bishop was practically roaring his head off at this point.

"PROVE ME WRONG THEN!"

Shoter was now petrified at what Scootaloo had just said. She now gave Bishop a reason to attack. She saw his brother's aura start growing. He was about to do something drastic, as he started to charge at her. Scootaloo just stood there with an enraged look on her face, like she was about to charge too.

As Twilight was helping Rainbowdash onto the carrier to Ponyville Hospital, Fluttershy, helping her as well, noticed the scene going on, and nudged Twilight a bit, to see the scene too. Twilight's eyed then grew with fear, and was now running up to them as fast as possible.

It was coming close, and now Scootaloo was looking scared. Just as Twilight was about to reach...

"BISHOP CLAUDIUS MYTRHO!" Hydra screamed. Bishop was then skidding on the ground, coming to a stop, as he heard his father's roar. Twilight herself started to stop too.

"You've done enough, now calm yourself!"

Even in an enraged state, Bishop knew that when his father was extremely disappointed or mad, he wouldn't scream his head off and possibly damage his lungs. Hydra would speak in a slightly strained tone. But this time was different, as he started to see his father start coughing heavily. Shoter helped him up and looked at her brother with a sad look. Bishop saw the sad look on his sister, and couldn't help but hang his head in shame at it.

It was troublesome, even for his own family. Having this race was earning him more than enough attention, with some of the citizens that were left glaring at him. Breathing in and out slowly, he turned to help his father back to the house, evidently ending the argument.

As Bishop, Hydra, and Shoter sliced their way through the crowd, Twilight couldn't help but feel enraged and curious. Even for someone who was a member of the Equestrian Army would have at least given SOME sympathy for the ones who weren't. But there was another thing that was getting to Twilight.

'Mythro' she thought, 'Isn't that...no...' her eyes started to widen with realization, 'no...it CAN'T be!'

She then started to go after Bishop and the others as soon as possible. As for the cutie mark crusaders, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were both glaring at Scootaloo.

"What's wrong with you?" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

"You could have been killed, by someone like that!" Applebloom exclaimed along.

"Well...he really hurt Rainbowdash badly!" Scootaloo said, defending herself, "I mean, if it was Applejack or Rarity, wouldn't have YOU done the same thing?"

"We may be closer to them, since they're family," Sweetie Belle stated, "but we wouldn't have done something as stupid and reckless as that."

Scootaloo looked at her friends with disbelief, and started to back away a bit. As they saw this, they started to rush over to the hospital where Rainbowdash was taken. Scootaloo watched as her friends head off without her.

She never felt so embarrassed, to where her friends would scold her.