//------------------------------// // Race 5 // Story: My name is Barry Allen and I'm the fastest pegasus alive // by Kaliann25 //------------------------------// Race 5: Close encounters in the ‘Big House’ Celestia had barely raised the sun when Spit Fire entered the Wonderbolts' practice field for her normal morning training.  She gave an exasperated sigh when she spotted a rainbow-maned pegasus spread-eagled in the middle of the field, at the end of a pony-wide furrow.  The captain grabbed a passing cloud and emptied it onto the cyan pegasus. Rainbow Dash woke with a start, dizzy and completely disoriented.  Her eyes came into focus on Spit Fire's stern visage.  "Huh?  Spit Fire?  Is it already 0400?" the cyan mare asked with a shy smile. The captain scowled for a moment.  She then said, "Tell me, Dash, what time did you go home last night?  Did you even take a break?" Rainbow lowered her eyes.  “I’m sorry.” "Dang it, Dash!  This isn't about the Wonderbolts!  This isn't about me!  This is about you!  I already warned you that you'll kill yourself at this rate!  That bastard in Canterlot isn't worth your life!  What's with this obsession for the impossible?" Rainbow Dash kicked at a clod she had dislodged.  "You don't understand!  Nobody can, not until you see him!  Sure, I can do the Sonic Rainboom and all, but that's nothing compared to him!  That's nothing compared to real speed!  That's why I have to . . ." "You have to take care of yourself, that's an order!  You have no proof of this mystery pony, or this super speed you claim you saw.  Forget this nonsense for a bit.  Your body is a temple, and you're grinding it into dust.  You're not giving yourself a chance to recover; it won't be long before you'll say goodbye to your speed forever." Rainbow Dash didn’t say anything; she just shamefully lowered her gaze. "You know what?" continued Spit Fire.  "I've had enough.  You're suspended from the team, understand?!  I don't want you here for two weeks -- two full weeks!  NOW GO HOME REST BEFORE YOUR BODY FALLS APART!" Rainbow Dash dragged her hooves as she made her way to the exit.  She knew Spit Fire was right, but it hurt to just give up.  Spit Fire's expression softened as she walked beside her.  She showed the newspaper article to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash groaned as she tucked the paper under a wing.  “So what?  What do I care about who and when the Arrow attacks?” "This Flash guy is a criminal aiding and abetting a serial killer.  He can't be real.  There's no way a pegasus can move like lightning!" "I saw him do it." Spit Fire opened the paper and began reading.  “'The pegasus in the red suit began to run in circles, so fast that he burned a track in the carpet.  He then threw lightning at us.  The next thing I know, I was trapped by a red and gold blur, and then I was tied up along with the rest of my partners.'  See?  This is a trick!  An illusion, Rainbow Dash, nothing more, nothing less.” The cyan pegasus groaned.  "I know what I saw.  If that was an illusion, then I prefer to be fooled.  It's like Applejack said.  I became complacent and overconfident.  Things were just too easy, too boring.  I have to defeat the Flash!  Life's not worth living if we can't reach for the impossible." Spit Fire shook her head in annoyance.  "There’s a thin line between motivation and stupidity.  You didn't just cross it; you flew on by!  Give your body a chance to catch up with your ambition." Rainbow Dash shuffled away.  As Spit Fire watched her leave, she muttered under her breath, "Unbelievable what I have to deal with.  At least she'll have friends at home to keep an eye on her." It was high noon when a purple lighter-than-air balloon floated up beside Rainbow Dash's house.  Five friends hopped onto the cloud foundation and rang the chime.  There was no answer.  The sound of panting caught their attention.  Looking up, the spotted Rainbow Dash standing on a cloud ten meters above the top spire of her home. “RAINBOW DASH!” yelled Pinkie Pie, looking upwards.  “ARE YOU AVAILABLE, RAINBOW DASH?!” From the cloud she was standing, Rainbow Dash looked down.  “GIIIIIRLS!  I’LL BE WITH YOU IN NO TIME!” “WHAAAAAT?” Pinkie Pie yelled as she backed up for a better view. Applejack’s eyes widened, and she pulled Pinkie Pie back by the tail before it was too late.  She spat and then yelled, “Dang it Rainbow! Get down here before you get hurt!” Rainbow Dash couldn’t hear that.  Still, she was going to be with her friends in less than a second.  Without further consideration, she jumped, flapping her wings at full strength for a full power dive. Rainbow Dash thought, "Faster, faster, FASTER!"  The Mach cone began to form around her body.  Sharp pegasus senses told her she had started her dive too close to the ground.  She continued to accelerate as she leveled off at ground level.  Just before she broke the sound barrier, a purple aura redirected her upward and then forced her into a series of vertical loops, gradually bleeding off her speed.  When she came to a full stop, the aura turned her.  Five friends looked at her with varying degrees of worry and disappointment. “Twilight!” Rainbow complained. Twilight Sparkle shook off the sweat from the exertion of bringing her friend to a safe stop.  She said softy, "Turn around, Rainbow.  Look at where you were headed." Rainbow Dash turned around.  She gulped when she saw the massive oak tree in front of her.  At that speed, no pegasus could have survived a collision, even with their resilience.  She laughed nervously.  "I'm sorry, girls.  I've been practicing for two hours, and I guess the wind shifted or something.  At those speeds, the slightest change can have huge effects." “For Celestia’s sake, Rainbow!  No wonder Spit Fire suspended you!” exclaimed Rarity. Rainbow Dash sighed.  “I guess you’re right.  I know I’m acting stupid and reckless.  But, hey!  I followed your advice, and I didn’t let the new speedster get me down.  He's motivated me to get faster.  Isn’t that a good thing?” “Not if you kill yourself with this insane training!” scolded Twilight.  “I’m glad you’re motivated, but this is too much.  Your natural speed is amazing by any standard.” “You didn’t see the Flash.  And I’m sure that I cannot surpass him by any normal means.  The more I think about it, the more I want to go beyond the possible.” Twilight Sparkle face-hoofed.  “This is ridiculous!” complained the alicorn.  “I really wanted to avoid this, but you’re leaving us no choice.  We’re going to Canterlot, and we'll show you what this Flash really is!” “It's the best way to find what’s really going on,” added Fluttershy softly. “Because there’s no way somepony is that fast!” finished Applejack. Rainbow smiled.  “Okay, let’s go to Canterlot.  But what if it's not an illusion?  What if there’s a whole new level of speed I must reach?” “Let's find the truth, first.  Then, we can talk about it,” said Rarity. Six friends shared a booth on the Canterlot Express when it shrieked in protest in the mile-long skid required for an emergency stop.  Rarity delicately levitated a fan.  "That's odd.  We're fifteen minutes from the capitol." Pinkie Pie asked, "This isn't normal?" Rarity shook her head.  "Hardly, darling.  It's usually just a forty-five-minute ride, non-stop." A conductor walked down the aisle, using a magically-amplified voice.  "Please remain calm.  There's been a disturbance at Iron Gate, the Canterlot Federal Prison.  We will remain outside the buffer zone while the authorities handle the situation.  Feel free to visit the dining car while we wait.  Once again, please remain calm.  Thank you for your patience." Speculation raised anxiety to a fever pitch among some of the passengers as conductors and brakeponies went from car to car, giving what information they had.  After twenty agonizing minutes, a spokespony from the Royal Guard made an appearance, giving a short briefing in each car.  Even with the reassurance, Rarity and Fluttershy were among those skeptical about the situation. Twilight Sparkle responded to a firm nudge from Pinkie Pie.  She looked over to where Rarity and Fluttershy were huddled together and said, "Girls, relax!  We're three miles away from the prison.  The Royal Guard trains for just this scenario.  They'll handle any problem long before it can reach us." “A-a-aare you su-su-sure, Twilight?" stuttered Fluttershy. “Very sure,” replied the purple alicorn, with as much reassurance as she could muster. Although Rarity and Fluttershy visibly relaxed, Applejack noticed that Rainbow Dash seemed more agitated than before. “Don’t tell me yer worried to about a prisoner coming here!” said the cowgirl. Everypony turned to Rainbow Dash. “Twilight, which way is the prison?” asked the cyan Pegasus. “South, why?” Rainbow Dash casually opened the window and flexed her wings. “RAINBOW DASH, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” “If there’s a riot, I’m sure the Arrow will intervene.  And where the Arrow is, I’m sure Flash would join him!” “WAIT!” Before they could react, Rainbow Dash rocketed out of the window.  She soared southward, getting her bearings.  As she accelerated toward the prison, she muttered, "Come Tartarus or tsunami, there's no way I'm missing out on a chance to see the Flash.  I'll make him show me how he does it." Inside the train, the girls gathered around Twilight, who nodded.  “We're going after her.” “If we survive this, remind me to kill Dash!” groaned Applejack. “Deal!” In a crack of displaced air, five friends teleported away. The former drug lord of Canterlot was abnormally calm as he lounged on the pallet in his cell.  It wasn't normal for someone in his situation.  He could feel the hatred from the other prisoners as they shot glares at him.  Still, he seemed to be completely at peace. Street Junk was no fool; he knew that the only reason he was alive was that the Arrow wanted live bait as he trolled for the big boss, the brains behind the whole operation.  That damned Arrow had to let him live, didn't he?  The die had been cast; all that was left was the inevitable. A resounding clang reverberated through the cell block as his cell door was unlocked.  It opened outward, revealing two muscular unicorn ponies dressed in ill-fitting prison guard uniforms.  One of them said, "On your hooves.  It's time for your last walk." “So, the boss finally sent you after me.  He took long enough.  Can you make it quick, please?  After all, I’ve been loyal since the very beginning.” “That doesn’t change the fact that the whole operation in Canterlot is suspended because of you messed up,” said the other thug.  With sympathy, he continued, “But take it easy, we'll make it as quick and painless as we can.” The two thugs escorted him to a side entrance to the building.  The first gave two short knocks and then a long knock.  A guard on the other side opened the door and asked, "The usual fee?" The other thug replied, "Double.  This one's special.  Quadruple if you don't let him suffer."  He nodded to Street Junk.  "This is where you attempt to escape." Street Junk closed his eyes, resigned to his fate.  He took in a deep breath and looked at the guard, who readied a crossbow with his magic.  The guard nodded.  Street Junk purposefully strode toward the main entrance to the prison. Time slowed to a crawl as he took step after step.  Three paces from the door, he stopped and turned back to look at the guard.  He heard the twang of the bow as the bolt was released.  A red blur blocked his view.  It resolved into an orange pegasus in a red body suit who held the crossbow bolt in his mouth.  Street Junk's eyes opened in astonishment as the pegasus took a picture of the two, side-by-side, with a tripod mounted camera. The Flash asked, "Is it just me, or are you in serious trouble?" The two thugs screamed in rage and charged while their accomplice readied another bolt.  A red blur wound around the three, knocking the bolt away from the guard, and streaked to the prison office.  It returned to the three.  When the blur resolved itself back into a pegasus, the thugs and guard were handcuffed to each other, unconscious, with magic nullifier rings on their horns.  The bolt that the Flash had batted away clattered on the ground. “See you!”  The Flash smiled as he disappeared again. From the guard tower, another thug in an ill-fitting prison guard uniform turned to the guard on duty.  "It's time for Plan B." The guard nodded and unlocked all the cells.  Over the public address system, he screamed, “RIOT, RIOT, RIOT!” Pure pandemonium ensued as the prisoners overwhelmed the guards with sheer numbers.  Shots flew wildly, targeting guards and inmates alike.  The legitimate guards slowly succumbed to the combined onslaught of prisoners and the corrupt guards.  The ringleaders of the riot were about to unlock the main gate when a crimson blur evacuated the control room.  The ringleaders found themselves welded into their cells.  Prisoner and guard alike found themselves relocated by the blur, until the prisoners found themselves herded into the center of the courtyard.  They couldn't help but wonder, "What magic was this?"  The two groups watched in amazement as a red wall formed around the prisoners, creating a vortex that took their breath away.  Minutes later, the wall resolved itself into an orange pegasus in a red body suit.  The prisoners now all lay unconscious from hypoxia. The Flash turned to the astonished guards and asked, “Are you okay?” A brave soul answered, “Ahem, yes.  I think so.” “Good.”  The scarlet speedster smiled.  “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to take care of the rest of the prisoners and stop my friend before he kills somepony else.” “Wait!  Who are you?” “I am the Flash, the fastest pegasus alive.” The Flash streaked to the cafeteria.  A barricade made of table and chairs was in the middle of the room, where a large number of prisoners huddled as the guards shot at them.  The prisoners were keeping the guards at bay with an occasional potshot, but heavier firepower was being wheeled in to reinforce the guards.  A bloodbath was moments away.  He accelerated away, looking for something to de-escalate the situation before anyone else came to harm. The defiant prisoners felt a sudden gust of wind.  When they turned to look, they saw an orange pegasus in a red body suit, carrying a large spool of wire from the prison workshop.  The ringleader asked, "Who are you supposed to be?" "The Flash.  This would be a good time to surrender." “Not a chance," snarled the ringleader. The Flash disappeared in a red streak.  One by one, the prisoners toppled over with hooves bound.  As the last inmate fell, the Flash cleared the barricade and stopped beside the lead guard.  He said, "Gentlecolts, the rest is up to you."  With that, he vanished. In the meantime, Street Junk had no idea how he managed to get outside the prison walls.  He ran through the forest.  Perhaps he could actually escape.  He had to get away from Canterlot.  He had to get away from Equestria.  He found himself flung into the air as he stepped in a snare.  He came to a stop, trapped in a net, hanging upside down from a tree branch. “WHAT NOW?” he screamed.  He looked around, coming to a stop when he spotted a familiar blue-cloaked figure.  “NO, NOT YOU!” “Do you really think it would be that easy?” asked the Arrow. A thug who had been quietly pursuing Street Junk froze when he saw that his quarry had been captured.  He slowly backed away when he spotted the Arrow; that was more trouble than he wanted to handle.  He screamed as he found himself in the same predicament as Street Junk.  He tried not to throw up as he bounced in the net. The Arrow stalked off to confront the thug.  “So, the bigger fish took the bait.  Are you willing to tell me where can I find him?” “Never!  He would kill me!” “I think this calls for a change of perspective,” answered the Arrow coldly. Each watched helplessly as the Arrow struck with his bow.  Everything went dark. The two woke to find themselves bound to railroad tracks.  The Arrow said, "Now that the riot is over, the Canterlot Express will be along in a minute.  Think about it, gentlecolts.  You have one minute to decide." A crack of displaced air distracted Rainbow Dash.  As she turned her head, she found herself trapped in a web of purple magic.  “Twilight!” complained Rainbow Dash as she was lowered to the ground. The other Element Bearers sided with Twilight Sparkle as they glared at Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow, don’t make me lock you up!” said Twilight sternly. “Would you dare?” snarled Rainbow Dash. “Yes, in order to protect you from yourself,” said Twilight, frowning.  “Now, stop this nonsense!” “Sorry Twi, but I gotta see the Flash, no matter what!” “Rainbow Dash, please, think of the ponies who love you,” cried Fluttershy. “Exactly, if something happened to you, we don't know what we would do without you,” sobbed Pinkie Pie. “So, ya ran straight to a riot in prison; what were ya thinking?” scolded Applejack. “Risking your life by training to exhaustion is stupid, but this is a whole new level of idiocy,” said Rarity.  “Yeah, what was I thinking?  The Arrow probably would have shot me when I wasn't looking.  Sorry girls, I was just obsessed with the Flash!” “No kidding,” said Applejack.  “Seriously, Ah almost prefer ya depressed rather than doing this stuff!  And ya owe us each a jar of cider!” Rainbow Dash's ears twitched.  She took to the skies and then landed abruptly.  She said, "There are a couple of ponies tied to the track about half a mile that way." Twilight Sparkle replied, "Show me."  The pair ascended.  In a thrice, the four on the ground found themselves levitating beside Twilight.  In a crack of displaced air, the six friends were gone. The interrogation continued beside the railroad tracks. “He would kill us if we tell you.” “And you will die here and now if you don’t tell me,” answered the Arrow.  “But if you tell me, you’ll live.  I promise” “But how can you be that sure?” The Arrow shrugged.  “Because he has failed Equestria” “We don’t know his name, but . . .” In the distance, they all heard the train’s engines beginning to start.  It was approaching.  The Arrow nodded.  “You're out of time.  There are others I can ask.” The Arrow walked away, ignoring the pleas of the thugs.  He could hear the train approaching.  A crack of displaced air caught his attention.  He whirled and fired at the sound. Twilight Sparkle faced the Arrow as she carefully levitated his projectile into a saddlebag.  “So, you are the famous vigilante.  What do you think you’re doing?” The Arrow slowly backed away.  "The system is corrupt.  I'm doing Equestria a favor, removing this cancer from society before it spreads." Pinkie Pie's mane and tail started to deflate.  "The cure is worse than the disease." The Arrow slightly shook his head.  “I disagree.” Twilight frowned.  "Tell it to Princess Celestia."  As she wrapped him in her magic, she continued, "Now, let's see who's under the hood." The Arrow grinned.  “It's not that easy, Princess.  It’s enchanted to prevent any moron from removing it.” “Then who takes it off for you?!” shouted Rainbow. The Arrow kept silent as he contemplated Rarity's glare.  The train's whistle caught everyone's attention; they had forgotten about the train in all the excitement.  In unison, everypony screamed, "NO!"  The Arrow was the loudest of all. Just before the cow catcher touched the criminals on the track, a streak of red moved them a safe distance away.  It then zipped up next to the Arrow. “Hi there!  New friends of yours, Arrow?” asked the Flash. “Care to help me, Flash?” They all were looking at the strange pony, his face was strangely blur, making impossible to see it clearly. And his voice sounded strange, as though it were coming from multiple ponies at the same time.  But, they knew his speed was no illusion.  The proof was staring them in the face. As for Rainbow Dash, she smiled in delight.  He was real.  She knew it, and now her friends knew it as well.  “Flash!” she exclaimed. “The fastest pegasus, alive,” confirmed the scarlet speedster. Twilight couldn’t believe it; her jaw was almost on the ground, but she was still holding the Arrow and had almost removed his cloak.  “No, it doesn’t have any sense!  How can you move like that?  This has to be a trick.” “What can I say?  Speed Force” The Flash whirled like a dervish before appearing right in front of Twilight in a streak of light.  A lightning bolt leapt from his wingtip and struck the ground at her forehooves.  Reflexively, she screamed and reared up.  For the barest fraction of a second, her hold on the Arrow weakened.  When she looked again, the Arrow was astride the Flash, several meters away. “Arrow, hold” “Wait, what?” Flash accelerated, and when the Arrow could finally see clearly again, they were back at his home.  The Arrow staggered from Flash’s back, and pinballed into the bathroom.  He was violently ill. After he rinsed out his mouth, he said, “Damn it Allen!  Don’t ever do that again!” “Sorry, but hey, it worked.  Now, if you excuse me, I must take those two back to prison.” He went back to the train tracks, where the Element Bearers were still wondering what just happened.  The Flash smiled gently at the mares. “Sorry, I forgot to take those two back to prison.”  He took the two thugs on his back, and in a fraction of a second, he deposited them into a holding cell. “I told you this guy really exists,” said Dash as she smiled widely. Applejack was the first one to recover.  “Ah still cannot believe it!” “He really made Dashie look like a turtle,” said Pinkie Pie, equally astonished.  “Did you see how he moved?  Because I couldn’t!” Twilight was the one most shocked.  “He threw lighting at me!  And he made it just by running in circles!  HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!” “That’s right!  He tried to attack you!” said Fluttershy. “Not exactly, I think he only tried to scare her to release the Arrow,” said Rarity. “And I was startled for a fraction of a second,” said Twilight.  “That’s all he needed.  Rainbow, is this the guy you’re trying to beat?  That’s impossible, he's . . . he's . . .” “The fastest pegasus alive, I know!  But trust me, I will” “Rainbow, Ah don’t know what is Flash’s secret, but please don’t try to figure it out.  Ah'd rather have a live friend than a dead hero!” “I don’t care!  I’ll keep trying!” Rarity walked away from the others as they kept bickering.  As she contemplated the situation, it became increasingly clear that the key to the Arrow and to the Flash was Blue Blood.  She would need to confront him, even if it were the last thing she wanted to do.  The only way to get her answers was to get to the heart of the problem.