Chapter 1
I don’t really get what happened to me. I had everything going just as I had dreamed: I got the chance to leave home, I made it into the academy, I was made team leader, and I was on my way into the history books. But just as quickly as it all came, it was all taken away from me, and before I know it, I’m sent crawling back to square one.
I guess I should retrace my steps or whatever those mystery novels say to do… My name is Lightning Dust. I’m a pegasus right out of the better-off part of Manehattan, but I use that phrase loosely. While I grew up in a decent environment, my family was always one of those that struggled to get by. As a result, I was a dreamer. I dreamed of flying high and leaving my old life behind in the hopes that I would find a new, much better one. Then, I heard about the Wonderbolts.
From that day forward, that became my goal. Flying high alongside the best fliers in all of Equestria became the only thing I thought about; it became the only thing that really mattered to me. I pushed myself relentlessly against all odds. Naturally, there were many who doubted me. However, that didn’t bother me, since I was a loner anyway; I was known by some as the class clown, and there were even those who idolized me or whatever, but I didn’t care—I was merely going through whatever motions I needed to, just trying to get through.
Lucky for me, I had my family rooting for me…to a point. My mother was mostly neutral toward the whole thing, but cheered me on regardless. My father, on the other hoof, had hoped I’d make an honest living for myself; he didn’t really think too highly of getting paid to show off something we already do by nature. Actually, something he said once is that I shouldn’t turn myself into something along the lines of one of the Canterlot elite—someone who thinks they’re better than those around them for whatever reason. Eventually, he gave up once he saw the conviction in me. Believe it or not, my biggest source of encouragement wasn’t my mother or my father; it was my brother… Yeah, my brother was the one who was always telling me to go for it. I remember the advice he gave me…
I’m getting way off-track here…
Here’s a basic idea of what’s happened to me so far. As I mentioned, I made it into the Wonderbolt Training Academy, and was made the leader of my team. This is my third day at the academy, but only the second day we’ve had our team assignments, and my rank was already stripped from me just because of a training mishap. I’m now sitting here alone in my bed, trying to wrap my mind around everything: the first day of camp, the initial drills, the team assignments, and the exercises that followed…
The first thing we had to do was fly five hundred laps around a predetermined course. Later that day, we went through a test to see how quickly we could recover from a spin-out and make a safe landing—the Dizz-o-tron. I nailed that, but the flier I was eventually paired with—Rainbow Dash—got the best time of six seconds, while I was a close second at six and a half seconds. However, I should add that I requested the Dizz-o-tron be set to the highest speed, so I can at least brag about that. From there, we were all assigned to a team for the remainder of the camp; just us and one other. Thing is, Dash caught my attention towards the end of the flight we had to do when we arrived; yeah, I had found a rival, just like that. Naturally, Dash and I were made a team, as if by fate.
That seems awesome, right? At first, yes, it was pretty awesome; we’re light-years ahead of the rest of our class, after all. Unfortunately, it turned out to be pretty lousy. Earlier today, we were assigned to a cloud-busting exercise. I had an idea to make the task a cinch; Dash was hesitant, but went along with it regardless. My plan was to use a tornado to clear the clouds away. That seemed to work great, but I lost control of the tornado, and it went and basically ripped the place apart. Next thing I know, there are five outsiders gathered in the middle of the runway, and Dash is acting all concerned, like she knows them. This is where things started to fall apart for me.
You tell me what two unicorns, two Earth ponies, and a pegasus who‘s afraid of flying are doing up here! Anyway, I’m looking up at the cloudless sky, proud that my idea actually worked. Suddenly, Dash is in my face, yelling at me about how her friends could have been destroyed. Seriously, Rainbow Dash, they’re fine! Get over it! Anyway, I point out to her how the Wonderbolts didn’t think I was acting out of line or whatever.
A few moments later, Dash comes sulking back with her stuff, ready to head out. The sight was vomit-inducing. Next thing that happens is Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts and the main one assigning us to all these exercises, comes storming out, irritated at Dash for running off without giving her a chance to respond to whatever she had said before. Cue the apology from Spitfire, and this thing about how being the best should never come at the cost of our fellow ponies, and I’m ushered forward by a couple of the officers. Spitfire gets in my face, rips my badge off, and gives it to Rainbow Dash after telling me to basically get lost. Whatever…
I turned to head back inside as the rest of the class went off into flying laps again. I take one step inside before I hear my name.
Lightning Dust! Stop right there.
Spitfire… What now? What more could she want from me after taking my badge away in front of, not only our entire class, but five complete strangers.
I’d like to see you in my office immediately.
I felt defeated; all my hopes and dreams were gone, just like that. I prepared myself for the worst, and headed for Spitfire’s office. Little did I realize the full extent of what I was in for—calling it the worst lecture of my life would be an understatement. Not even my parents lectured me like this, but then again, I am training to be a Wonderbolt. That entire conversation, if you could call it that, still echoes in my mind… In fact, I don’t think it’ll ever leave…
You know why we’re here? A nod was the only response I could give.
I don’t have to tell you how utterly disgusted I am with you. You came here with the hopes of becoming a Wonderbolt, yes?
Yes, I did, though again, I was only able to nod.
Then it’s safe to say you know what is expected of a Wonderbolt, to a small extent. Yes, it’s true you have to be among the best fliers in all of Equestria, and you have to be willing to push yourself beyond your own limit, but there are other traits that are needed. Loyalty, discipline, determination, courage, teamwork… You’re a good flier, and you do push yourself, which is commendable. You and Rainbow Dash are two of the best fliers I’ve seen in a long time.
The sudden complement was nice, but being compared to Rainbow Dash sickened me.
You find what I’m saying offensive now? Then you’re going to be dying by the time I’m through with you. She leaned forward and stared straight through me. I really didn’t want to be in this situation, and I don’t think you did either. You made it through all of the prior drills just fine. I’d like to think you could’ve taken out those clouds without resorting to a tornado or something equally drastic. But no—you just had to go and take a shortcut. You didn’t even stop to think of what could happen if it went wrong. You know what we call trainees who follow that road? Lazy. Not to mention, reckless on your part.
It’s like Rainbow Dash all over again.
Hey! Don’t you dare roll your eyes at me! It’s bad enough that when you lost control of the tornado, there was some structural damage done, but that’s easily fixable. The thing that really sickens me about all of this, was that you endangered the lives of not just one, but FIVE ponies that just happened to be passing through!
They didn’t have any reason to be passing through here in the first place.
Yeah, they probably shouldn’t’ve been in Wonderbolt airspace, and they were only here to deliver a care package to their friend, but that doesn’t matter. The fact is that all five of them—yes, even the pegasus—could have died! Do you want five deaths on your conscience, Lightning Dust?
Death? Not me. I couldn’t care less about them, but still…
I didn’t think so.
Then, she dropped another one on me.
And I don’t think Princess Celestia would be too pleased if five out of six of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony ended up getting killed by a tornado near the Wonderbolt Training Academy, either.
Wait, what?!
Yeah, I bet you didn’t know that. And I’m also betting that you didn’t know that Rainbow Dash is the sixth. So they’re all a pretty big deal. Never mind the repercussions on this academy; between Rainbow Dash and Princess Celestia, your life would basically be at an end once the circumstances of such a tragedy came to light.
Back on track, even if they had been just five regular ponies passing through, the fact that you chose to resort to such recklessness at the potential cost of life, and later dismiss it as if it were nothing… I shouldn’t have to lay eyes on such heartlessness. I should send you home right now, based on the circumstances, but I won’t.
I figured I dodged a bullet, or earned some sympathy, or something.
No. Don’t misinterpret me. I’m not feeling sorry for you, but I am giving you a second chance. Here is the badge you will be wearing for the remainder of your time at this training camp.
The silver badge formerly worn by Rainbow Dash was placed in front of me.
But before I give this to you— Again, she got in my face. I am going to issue a warning, so listen carefully. I will be watching you this time, and if you place one hoof out of line, you are out of here, and I can promise you that should you find yourself dismissed from this camp for that particular reason, you will never become a Wonderbolt. Do you understand me?
I slowly nodded while resisting a number of urges—the urge to cry, the urge to scream, the urge to just say “screw it” and bolt out the door…
Now take this badge, and get out of my sight.
With that behind me, I found myself back here, wearing my badge and staring at the family photo I brought while mulling over everything. Unfortunately, my thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door. Why knock? It’s not like it’s a private bedroom or something. Ah, whatever… Better hide this picture so nobody sees it.
Upon opening the door, I’m greeted by that familiar rainbow-colored hair and the gold badge that used to be mine.
“What do you want, Rainbow Dash?” I ask her.
“Well, you just sort of disappeared, so I thought I’d track you down,” she tells me.
“I don’t need you to do that.” I really don’t some softhearted filly babysitting me.
“Of course not.” She seems strangely calm.
“Why are you pestering me?” I ask.
“Hey, last time I checked, we’re a team! What’s eating you, Lightning?” she responds.
“What do you think?” I ask, coolly.
“Lightning Dust, I am sorry things turned out the way they did. I did want to be team leader, but not like this.” Was that an attempt at pity? Now she’s just mocking me.
“Shut up, Rainbow Dash! I don’t need your sympathy!”
And with that, I return to sulking on the bed.
“Lightning…” Cue the sound of the door closing, the sound of hoofsteps on the floor, and those purple eyes staring right at me.
“Are you always this persistent?” I ask, annoyed.
“When I have to be.”
“Lucky me…”
“My friend Applejack has a tendency to act the way you are now; insists everything’s fine even when it’s painfully obvious something’s bothering her.”
“Is she one of those strangers you were pining for earlier?” The question was meant to be an insult, but unfortunately for me, it had some adverse effects—namely, a hoof to the face.
“You watch your mouth, Lightning Dust. Thanks to your brilliant idea, those strangers—my friends—were almost killed today!”
“Yeah, and…?” I missed the part where I was supposed to care.
Another hoof to the face, and this time, I tasted blood.
“Don’t you have any shred of decency in you? I don’t know what your game is, Lightning, but I’m not in the mood for it. You want to patronize me, you had best be ready for the storm that follows. I came back here because I was concerned about you. Just like I was concerned about my friends. I didn’t come here to lecture you; you’ve had more than enough of that, I’m sure. The thing is… I wanted to know why you took something like that so lightly.”
Is she…crying? What a foal!
“Rainbow, grow up.” My word, I had no idea I was in the presence of such a bleeding heart.
“I’m sorry, but I need to know… My closest friends nearly fell to their deaths earlier, and you didn’t even care. I need to know why. I’ve never really met anyone who’s acted like that before.”
Should I tell her? Should I show her the picture? Would she even understand? No, I don’t think so.
“Lightning, you’ve never had any friends before, have you?”
That question pierced me right through the heart—it was as if she already knew—and for the first time in years, I cried. I cried as I remembered the loneliness that surrounded me; the loneliness I created for myself. That settles it; she needs to know why I am the way I am. She needs to know about my family and about me.
“Rainbow…” It’s hard to speak with a broken heart. “Rainbow, listen.”
“I’m listening.”
“What I am about to tell you is extremely painful for me, so you’ll have to bear with me on that.”
“That’s fine.”
With that, I tell her about my childhood: I was a friendless loose cannon from Manehattan who dreamed of joining the Wonderbolts. My family barely managed to get by, even though we lived in one of the better parts of the city. Then, I show her the picture.
“How old is this picture?” Rainbow asks me as she looks at my old family photo.
“Probably thirteen or fourteen years old; it’s the last picture that has all four of us in it.” The memory that statement brought paralyzed me with the grief from so long ago; the grief that haunts me still.
“I don’t understand. Did your parents split up or something?” I can sense the concern in her voice as she hands the picture back to me.
“No, Rainbow. Shortly after this picture was taken… My brother…” Sobbing and trembling, I sit here on the bed staring at the young stallion standing next to me in the picture.
“Lightning, what happened to your brother?” she asks, her concern mounting.
After an eternity, I’m able to speak again.
“Shortly after this picture was taken, my brother was murdered. I remember coming home from school the day it happened, and seeing my parents sitting there with the police. I remember all the different emotions I had, then when my parents told me what happened, I just felt like my world had been taken away from me. All I had left after that point was my dream of getting away from Manehattan and joining the Wonderbolts. When I got the chance, I took it, and here I am now.”
Rainbow remained silent; the look in her eyes told me that she had something to say, but wanted to let me finish my statement first, so I did.
“My brother was the only one who fully supported my dream of joining the Wonderbolts, and to that end, he was really the closest I ever had to a friend. So many years later, here I am now, in the Wonderbolt Academy, team leader, but then I’m not team leader, and I’m in for the worst lecture of my life.” Again, “worst lecture of my life” was an understatement.
“So Spitfire let you have it, then?” She didn’t need to ask me that.
“Yes, she did. After she took that gold badge from me and gave it to you, she called me to her office and verbally tore me a new one. Then, she gave me the badge that used to be yours, and dismissed me from her office. Spitfire didn’t really yell at me too much, but the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes telegraphed the message just fine.”
“So what’s the verdict?” She has a right to know, but yet again, it feels like she already knows.
“I’m on thin ice. Spitfire’s going to be watching me like a hawk for the rest of camp, and if I slip up even once, I’m gone, and I’ll never become a Wonderbolt.”
“Yikes! So one strike and you’re literally banned from the academy? Spitfire doesn’t play around…”
“No joke.” The weight of the situation was unbearable. I’ll probably never be able to live this down. In any case, I need to change the topic…
“By the way, Rainbow, I had absolutely no idea that you and your friends held the Elements of Harmony.”
“Really? I thought everyone knew.”
“I didn’t until Spitfire made sure to bring it up.”
“I see,” she said calmly, surprisingly unoffended. “You know, you actually have quite a bit in common with us.”
“Really? Like what?” What could I have in common with them?
“You’re super competitive and athletic like me. Twilight—before we met her, her only friend was her brother, who’s now living in the Crystal Empire and is married to a princess. Applejack…lost both of her parents a long time ago. Fluttershy—both of us are from Cloudsdale, so we go way back. In fact, when the two of us were younger, we just had each other—no siblings and no other friends. We were both picked on, and I was the only one who would ever defend Fluttershy. There’s also Rarity and Pinkie Pie, but I’m not really sure what you’d have in common with those two. If you’re interested, I could arrange something, and give you a chance to meet the five of them on better terms.”
“Yeah, sure.” I don’t really know about this…
“You want to know some other cool stuff about me and my friends?”
“Yeah, why not?” Now, I’m interested. Might as well, right?
“I can do a Sonic Rainboom, Twilight used to study magic under Princess Celestia, Fluttershy’s great with animals, Applejack and her family run an apple orchard, Rarity is a dressmaker and runs her own dress shop, and Pinkie is the one we go to when we need to set up a party or when we need a quick laugh.”
“That’s interesting.” I’ll have to be careful around these guys, considering how many ties they have to the princess. Although, they don’t sound too bad. I also need to make a note to have Rainbow show me the Sonic Rainboom.
“Yeah, we’re a pretty interesting group of ponies,” Rainbow says with a laugh.
“So, it seems you wanted more than just to know why I was so reckless and inconsiderate before.”
“Yeah. Now that I know a bit more about you, I’d like to offer you my friendship. I can’t speak for the others, but I am personally willing to give you a second chance.”
I can’t help but feel suspicious about this all of a sudden.
“What’s the catch?” I ask her.
“There is no catch. Lightning, I’m not doing this for charity, and I’m not doing this because of what Spitfire said to you. I forgive you for what happened, and I’d like to make a fresh start.”
This caught me off-guard.
“You…forgive me? Just like that? Even though your friends could’ve died because of me?” I ask in disbelief.
“Yes. I could’ve chosen not to follow your tornado plan, but I didn’t; I helped with the tornado, so I’m equally responsible for the whole thing. Yeah, it was your idea, but still…”
“Fine, I accept your offer.” I hope I don’t end up regretting this, but something tells me I won’t. At least Dash is happy.
Suddenly, I find myself feeling a lot better than I did before. I carefully put the picture away, step off the bed, and look Rainbow in the eyes.
“Thanks,” I tell her.
“Anytime,” she responds, but she wasn’t finished. Before I can do anything, I find myself wrapped in a tight embrace, courtesy of Rainbow Dash herself. “Anything for a friend,” she adds.
Suddenly, it’s as if I’m back with my brother—as if he never left. Whenever I was angry or upset about something, he’d be right there to calm me, just like this. I understand now… I understand perfectly—this is what it feels like to have a friend. The feeling that you are never alone, and the knowledge and strength to overcome any challenge you may face. That was how my brother always made me feel; undeniably happy in the face of whatever strife confronted me. After what felt like an eternity, Rainbow let me go.
“Rainbow Dash, thank you so much,” I whisper, “I needed that.”
“It’s not a problem at all. I’m assuming it’s been a while since you’ve had a heart-to-heart discussion like this.”
“Yes, it has. My brother was the only one I’d ever really opened up to, and without him there, I just shut everyone out, and clung to the memories of my brother; in a way, I was trapped in the past. There was no longer anything for me back home, so when I left to come here, I did so with the promise to myself that I’d never return, just as I had always wanted.”
“So, based on how old that picture is, you were, what, eight or nine when your brother died?”
“I was only eight years old when he was killed. No child should have to endure something like that, especially at such a young age.”
“Yeah, definitely,” Rainbow sighs. “No parent should have to endure something like that, either.”
“You’re right about that; my parents did everything they could to keep me safe because they feared that they could lose me at any time. Every time I ran off or got myself into some kind of trouble, they made a habit of mentioning him. I was sheltered already, but my brother’s death made it much worse.”
“What was his name?” Rainbow asks calmly.
“Starseeker…” With the mention of his name, I remember the sound of his voice. He was always trying to find the best in everything and everyone. What would he say if he saw me now? Would he be proud that I’m close to my dream, or would he be ashamed of my recklessness and my cold heart?
“He sounds like a nice guy,” she responds, smiling.
“He was. He was one of the nicest guys around.” And here come the waterworks again, but I don’t care. I feel a sense of peace I haven’t felt in years. I guess this is how it feels to move on… My brother, I thank you… I thank you for your advice and your encouragement, and for being there for me. I’m sorry about the way I acted after you left.
“Lightning,” Rainbow says as she pulls me into another embrace, “just let it out. You have a friend now, so there’s no longer any reason to keep this pain to yourself.”
“I’m sorry, Starseeker… I’m so sorry,” I cry out through my tears. When I could cry no more, Rainbow let me go again.
“Spitfire decided to dismiss everyone early for today so they could clean up the mess that tornado made, so what do you say we head for the mess hall?” she asks with a smile.
“You bet!” By this point, I’m famished, but before I reach the door, Rainbow stops me.
“Lightning, wait a minute.”
“What is it, Dash?”
“You mentioned wanting to find a better place to live, right?” What is she up to?
“Yeah, I said that. Why?”
“Think you’d be interested in moving to Ponyville? You could stay with me until you find your own place.”
Did I hear that right? Rainbow Dash offering me a place to live? How could I refuse?
“That sounds great. Thanks.”
“Yeah! And I’ll write a letter to my friends so they know to expect you—maybe when we get back, Pinkie will have a huge homecoming party set up for us.” She made that last remark with a laugh, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“So now that that’s out of the way, what’s next? Head for the mess hall, and entertain ourselves afterward?”
“They should have everything cleaned up by the start of tomorrow, so we have the whole day to ourselves.”
“Awesome! So after a late lunch, you can show me that Sonic Rainboom you mentioned, right?”
“Yeah, no problem. I don’t mind showing off my awesomeness!” And just like that, she’s back to her hyperactive self. “Although, first, we might want to get you cleaned up a bit.”
Yeah, I completely forgot about that split lip Rainbow gave me before. Remind me never to make her angry; those punches could do some serious damage.
“Fine then. First, we stop at the infirmary, then we head for the mess hall,” I concede.
Smiling, Rainbow holds a hoof out to me.
“I hope your friends will forgive me as easily as you did,” I comment as I return the hoofbump offered to me.
“They will; I’m sure of it,” Rainbow assures me. “Well, we had better go if we’re to get anything done, right?”
“Right.”
As we leave the dorm room behind, my mind replays everything Dash said to me. Yeah, she was hard on me at first, but she was also quick to put everything behind her. I should consider myself lucky; I can’t think of anyone that would do that for me, aside from my own family. But in any case, I can say that I at least have one friend. As we walk, another question crosses my mind.
“Hey, Dash, I was wondering about something. Of the six Elements of Harmony, which one’s yours?”
“Loyalty.” She says this with pride and conviction; just shows how important this is to her. “Yeah, I never leave my friends hangin’. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them.”
So that settles it; I not only have a friend, I have someone I can count on to be there for me until the very end. Thank you, Rainbow Dash. I promise I won’t let your kindness, your friendship, and your loyalty go to waste. Hopefully, the others will see me the same way you have… But even if they don’t, I can at least be grateful for this second chance from you. So, now here I stand, following my dream, and set on a course I never thought I’d follow, and I can say with confidence and pride that I am thankful for that. To that end, I have Spitfire to thank as well.
Also…thank you, Starseeker. I may have lost my way after you left, but I’ve found it again; I’ve had a wake-up call that was long overdue. I know you’re gone forever, but you’ll always be in my heart, and I’ll always have the memories the two of us shared. I’ll always cherish the friendship you gave me so long ago, and I am honored to have received such an important gift once again. I’ll take everything you taught me and share it with my new friends.
The events of today have made me into a brand-new pegasus; once broken, but now reforged into someone that you and I can both be proud of, and someone that mom and dad can both be proud of. I’ll be considerate of those around me from now on, and I won’t take anything for granted. I’ve learned the hard way just how easily something can be lost, no matter how difficult it may have been to obtain. I will be a Wonderbolt, and I will keep my friends close to me. I’ll make all of Equestria proud of me, starting with this academy and with Ponyville! I promise all of this to you as a new, reforged Lightning Dust.