My name is Barry Allen and I'm the fastest pegasus alive

by Kaliann25


Race 7

Race 7: A speedster’s awakening

he waiting room of Ponyville General stank of disinfectant and disappointment as Twilight Sparkle and her friends sobbed quietly, waiting for an update from the doctors.  Spike's message had done its job; Celestia had teleported the top trauma team in Equestria to the beacon in the hospital.  They were ready to work almost as soon Rainbow Dash's broken body was teleported in.  They were the best of the best.  Rainbow Dash had often joked that Twilight's extensive emergency preparations would ensure that the daredevil flyer would live forever.  Twilight prayed that her friend was at least partially right.

The flares had brought most of the other Element Bearers running.  Starlight had teleported Spike over to Carousel Boutique to break Rarity out the zone, and to allow Twilight a chance to get over the shock of the moment.  It had been a half hour since Rainbow had been brought in, and Twilight's mane became more frazzled with each passing minute.

Applejack's frown deepened as she saw another of Twilight's hairs spring out of place.  The farmer said as she nuzzled the alicorn, “It wasn’t yer fault, Twilight.  Ya didn't make Rainbow crash at full speed.  All ya did was turn on the emergency spells, right?”

Twilight sobbed.  “Well, yeah, but, why?  Why did she have to get hurt?  What have I done?  What have I done?!”

Pinkie Pie hugged Twilight carefully, stroking the alicorn's mane with her chin.  As the pink pony looked up, she saw the yearning in Spike's and Starlight's eyes.  "Come here, you two," she said.  When they neared, her forelegs stretched impossibly to embrace them as well.

“She lives for speed,” said Pinkie, trying to comfort the trio.  “That's who she is; that's what she wants.  And what you did to her actually saved her life.  Imagine what would have happened if she had crashed into a real floor, or a real wall.  It wasn’t your fault.”

“Why Rainbow Dash, why?” cried Fluttershy.  “We warned you that this obsession with Flash would hurt you!  Why didn’t you listen to us, Rainbow Dash?”

A grim-faced doctor entered the room.  His scrubs were heavily stained, and his mask was pulled down under his chin.  He said softly, "We've done everything we can."

Twilight gulped as she asked, “What's the prognosis, doctor?”

The doctor said, "Physically, she's stable.  We got to her just in time, thank Celestia.  Mentally, we just don't know.  She's in a coma, and it's too soon to tell when she'll wake."

The group walked at rapid pace to Rainbow Dash's room.  It was hard to tell where the bandages ended and the casts began.  The leads for the various sensors stood out in stark contrast against the white.  Rainbow Dash was set up with an IV and an oxygen mask.  The display above her head displayed her vital signs in real time.  The cardiac monitor gave a soothing hypnotic beat.  Twilight and her friends relaxed a little; as the doctor said, Rainbow as out of immediate danger, but she was a long way from recovery.

 “Can we stay with our friend?  Please?” asked Twilight.

The doctor softly shook his head.  “Sorry, but we can only allow two visitors per room without a doctor present.”

“Can’t you bend the rule a little?  It’s for the Princess of Friendship after all!” complained Spike.

“No, no, he’s right!” said Twilight.  “As a princess, I must set a good example.”

The girls nodded in silence.

“Would you like to stay with her for the night?” asked Rarity, after a moment of silence.

Twilight shook her head.  “No . . . sorry . . . not yet . . . not ready . . . oh, Dash . . .

“I’ll stay,” volunteered Fluttershy, taking Rainbow’s forehoof.  “Get some rest, Twilight.  This wasn’t your fault, stop punishing yourself!”

“Ah’ll stay, too,” said Applejack taking Rainbow Dash’s other forehoof.  “Dang it, Dash!  This is what you get for this stupid obsession!  We warned you to this would kill you!”

The orange mare slumped to the floor, crying.  “Just look at yerself!  WAKE UP AND LOOK AT YERSELF!”

Rainbow Dash's good wing twitched, but the monitor showed no change in her vital signs.

“This is a good sign,” assured the doctor.  “Talk to her as much as you can.  I've seen some remarkable recoveries, and they all said that what they heard brought them back.”

Fluttershy and Applejack watched as the doctor led Spike and the girls out of the room.  The two had a long night ahead them, but they weren't about to quit.

As the doctor walked off, Pinkie Pie seemed dematerialize and rematerialize from one position to another around the group, looking each pony in the eye before moving to the next location.  She muttered, "And Spike makes three."  Aloud, she said, “Hey, has anypony seen Rarity?”

“Huh? She was right here just a minute ago!” observed Starlight.

“I guess this was too much for her to handle,” said Twilight with a sigh.


Seeing Rainbow Dash looking so small, so fragile, so broken had been too much for Rarity.  Shock gave way to sorrow.  Sorrow gave way to anger.  Anger gave way to action.  The rhythm of the rails gave her something to think about, something to keep her mind off Rainbow Dash.  If only she had acted sooner.  If only she had tried tracking down the Flash.  Those forty-five minutes on the Canterlot Express were the longest of her life.

Decked out in a gaudy hat and sunglasses, Rarity did her best to look the part of a tourist as she cross-checked the reports in the gossip magazines against the location shown in the brand-new celebrity tour map.  Discreetly, she checked the help wanted ads from the "Daily Sun".  The address matched.  She would have time to arrive during the interview period.

As she approached the path to the service entrance at Blue Blood's mansion, a well-dressed mare ran past, screaming, "Run!  Run while you still have a chance!"  The mare's copy of the advertisement fluttered in the air as she fled.  The trail of litter leading from the door showed that she wasn't the first to try.

Rarity stowed the other papers in her satchel, but she kept the advertisement out.  She frowned as she kept her disguise on and knocked on Blue Blood’s door.

The prince opened the door to yet another unqualified job applicant.  “What in Tartarus do you want?” he snarled.

Rarity screamed in anger as her telekinetic blast blew off her disguise and plastered it onto Blue Blood's face.  With uncharacteristic strength, the blast slammed him back first onto the floor.  Rarity straddled him and pinned him with her body.

Blue Blood shook off the hat, only to catch the full glare of Rarity's rage.  Blue sparks were dancing from her horn as she readied another blast.  Blue Blood felt the heat as half the thickness of the fur on his cheek was incinerated.

"Hey!  I told the magazines I'm looking for a demure mare!  AND WHAT THE HAY IS WRONG WITH YOU?!”

Rarity looked Blue Blood straight in the eyes, so angry that her horn was shooting sparks like a fountain.  And once again, before he could react, she released her magic, clamping his mouth shut.  “Prince Blue Blood,” Rarity said coldly, “you have failed Equestria.”

Blue Blood’s eyes widened for a split second, and then narrowed.  Rarity's horn had gone dark.  He threw Rarity off with his forelegs and rolled to his hooves.

“Lady, and I use the term loosely, you are crazy.  Now leave before I call the Royal Guard!"

Rarity kept glaring at him.  “Tell me, Blue Blood, do you really think your alter ego is a secret?  Who just happened to crash the party during the grand opening of your smelly club, the Verdant?  Who just happened to disappear before all the excitement started?  Who just happens to act so drunk and disorderly when there isn't even a hint of booze on his breath?  Who just happens to skip out of his night club every night just before the party peaks?  WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU ON THAT ISLAND THAT MADE YOU LOSE YOUR MIND?!”

"You're the one who's crazy!  You're chasing ghosts!"  He stormed toward her until they were nose to nose.  "What is wrong with you?!"

Rarity sagged as her anger burned out.  "My friend . . . my friend Rainbow Dash is in a coma because of you.  You were the one who brought the Flash!  She . . . she just had to be faster than him.  She's in the hospital, helpless, and I can’t just sit and watch.  YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!”  Rarity sobbed as she sank to the floor.

Blue Blood stepped back and looked away.  He reined in his anger; the Arrow wasn't the appropriate one to deal with Rarity.  "Just for the sake of argument, what if you're right and my nights are so boring that I run around like a refugee from the circus?  What do I have to do with this?  You said it yourself; it's the Flash who got your friend in trouble, not the Arrow."

Rarity sobbed a couple of times, but she still looked directly at Blue Blood’s eyes.  "The Arrow knows where to find the Flash.  I know I’m being foalish, but Rainbow Dash is in a coma, and if there’s a voice that can reach her now, it’s his.  So please, Blue Blood!  STOP PRETENDING!  I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!  I KNOW WHAT YOU’VE DONE!  I KNOW THE ARROW CAN HELP!”

"And how exactly does that concern me?"

“DON’T PLAY DUMB WITH ME!”

Blue Blood shook his head.  “Sorry, but you’re confusing me with somepony else.”

Rarity lay her head on the floor as she continued to sob.  She truly wanted to shout at him, to hurt him, to make him see reason, but she couldn't.  Her last outburst had sapped the last of her strength.

Blue Blood stared at the prostrate mare.  He wanted to kick her out, to get her out of his house, to get her out of his life, but he couldn't.  His old self would have, but he was not that pony any more.  Sighing, he called his assistant.  “Barry!”

The orange pegasus entered to find Rarity crying on the floor.  He looked over to the prince and asked, “What can I do for you, Boss Blood?”

Blue Blood sneered. "I'm fine, but this pathetic excuse for a pony is having a breakdown because her friend is in a coma.  Damned mare has the most ridiculous sob story.  Clean her up and get rid of her."  With that, he stormed off.

Barry offered a helping hoof to Rarity.  The white unicorn accepted it and let Barry guide her to the kitchen table.  As he set a kettle on the stove, he said, "Let's get you some tea.  I always find it helps when I'm feeling down."

Rarity sat in silence as Barry prepared a tray with snacks.  When the water boiled, he pre-heated the teapot before brewing the tea.  Rarity telekinetically arranged the plates and saucers and poured a cup for each of them.  Once they each had taken a sip, Rarity sighed.  “How could I have been so stupid?  I actually believed that Blue Blood would help me."

Barry nodded softly.  “He’s not as bad as you think, but I can’t tell you more”

Rarity sighed again.  “Don’t bother.  Even a blind pony could tell who the Arrow really is.  The Arrow only knows how to take lives; I was an idiot for thinking he would help me to save one.”

Barry moved to sit beside Rarity.  Although she was looking better, her tremors showed that she was still devastated.  There was something decidedly familiar about her story.  Could it be?

“Poor Rainbow Dash,” sobbed Rarity, interrupting the pegasus’ thoughts.

“What happened?” asked Barry.  “Sorry, you don’t have to tell me, of course.  After all, I’m just a stranger.”

Rarity shook her head as she finished her tea.  “It doesn’t matter anymore.  She was training hard to surpass that new hero.  The hero who works with the damned Arrow!”  She made sure to emphasize the last part so Blue Blood could hear her.  “And then, in her madness, Rainbow Dash suffered a horrible accident.  When she crashed, she was struck by lightning and . . .”

“. . .and ended up falling on a puddle of chemicals!” said Barry as his eyes widened.

Rarity froze as she looked up to Barry.  “How do you know?”

Barry pushed away from the table.  “I should have known it!  It was the exact same accident I had . . .”  Right before Rarity, Barry dissolved into a red and gold blur, only to reappear in his trademark red bodysuit.  “. . .before I got my powers.”

The fashionista couldn’t believe it.  “You!  You are . . . you are . . .”

“The Flash,” finished the pegasus.

Rarity screamed in renewed anger and began to punch his chest.  Barry stoically let her work out her anger.

“This is your fault!  YOUR FAULT!  Rainbow Dash is in a coma because of you! She . . . she . . . she did every crazy thing she could think of to fly as fast as you.”

The Flash lowered his gaze.  “I’m so sorry; I didn't know.  I never meant to hurt anyone,” he said softly.

“No, NO!” Rarity’s strength faded as she started crying again.  “Being the fastest meant everything to Rainbow Dash!  And you had to come along and take everything away from her.  She went crazy trying to surpass you!  Now . . . now, she may never wake up."

The Flash pulled down his cowl and hugged Rarity.  "She'll be better than before, better, stronger, faster.  I know; I've been there.  Tell me she has friends with her; it'll help her out of the darkness."

Rarity's jaw dropped in disbelief.  When she finally regained control of her mouth, she asked, “What happened to you exactly?”

“It’s a long story”

Rarity sat and waited patiently.

Back on the living room, Blue Blood sighed in annoyance.  Not only did this irritating mare know the truth about him, but now she also knew the truth about Allen.  He should have known this was going to be a long day.


At Ponyville General, it had been an even longer day for Twilight Sparkle and her friends.  Word of her accident had spread like wildfire.  After receiving the visitors from Ponyville, they had to host well-wishers from all over the principality.  Both solar and lunar princesses had paid their respects to the Element of Loyalty.  Flying fans from near and far had flocked to offer their encouragement to their hero.

The Wonderbolts came, squadron by squadron, to support their comrade.  Of their group, Spit Fire was affected the most.  “Damn it!  Damn it!  DAMN IT!  I should have known this would happen!  Why you didn’t you listen to us?  Why couldn't you see reason?  Why do you had to be so insistent about this!  Why couldn’t you accept that the Flash was nothing but an illusionist?”

Twilight bit her tongue.  This wasn't the time for the truth.  However, she could console Spit Fire.  She walked beside the captain and said, “Don’t blame yourself.  This was her choice, hers alone.  We all did all we could to make her see reason.”  She looked down.  "Every dream has its price."

The Wonderbolts' captain just stared at Dash.  “Wake up Rainbow Dash!  You're not in this fight alone!”


Back in Canterlot, Rarity listened to the story about the mission from the Speed Force, and how Barry was really an alien from another dimension.  At the end, she just looked at Barry in disapproval.  “I wish you would have stayed in your dimension instead of coming here to upset Dash.  But, I would be a poor excuse for Generosity if I could not give a wounded soul a chance at redemption.”

“She’ll recover and improve,” assured Barry.

“She better!”

Barry then smiled.  “You know, since the very first time I met her, back in the palace, I had the feeling she was the one I should train.”

As both Rarity and Barry silently pondered their fates, Blue Blood came into the kitchen to fix himself something to drink.  Again, Rarity glared at him, but he continued to ignore her and he gestured with his head, pointing toward the exit. Still, Rarity kept glaring.

“Don’t you even think for a second that I've forgotten about you and your nightly hobby, Blood.”

“Have I told you how irritating you are?” asked the prince.  “Want to know what I do when I leave my club? I go straight to the red light district to pick up certain mares to go to my clubs for a little night labor.  Sue me.”

Rarity’s face turned red as she visualized the scene, but she remained firm.  "I saw you with your hood down.  That mask hides absolutely nothing.  I know what you do; I know what you are; it's a lot worse than the twit you pretend to be."

Blue Blood sighed.  “And what I am?”

“A murderer!  A murderer many times over.”

“Yeah, right.  A pony like me is risking his life for a bunch of good-for-nothing commoners, annoying the decent one-percenters.”

“Four years on a deserted island can change anypony’s perspective, right?  What happened to you?  I've always wondered what a night without your beloved luxuries would do to you.  I mean, an entire day of having to do your own chores would be a living nightmare for somepony as pampered as you, to say nothing of four years.  So, how long was it before you lost your mind?  Three hours?  Or half of a day?”

That was it.  Blue Blood’s left eye twitched.  Grinding his teeth, he advanced toward Rarity, as tall and threatening as he could be.  “Fine, want to know what happened, you stupid filly?  Pay attention since I’ll only say it once.  There’s something I haven’t told anypony.  I wasn’t actually alone on that island”

Rarity gulped.  “But when you returned . . . you swore to everypony that you were alone and . . .”

“Not only had I had to learn how to defend myself from all the monsters who lived in the island, but also, about two months after my arrival, I realized the worst ones look like you and me.  There was a terrorist group who planned to start a war between Equestria and her nearest neighbors.  They wanted to destroy the principality, and then claim the ashes.  It was a very elaborate plan, and since I was in their way, they couldn’t just let me go -- especially since I was royalty.  Every single pony on that island wanted to kill me, and in a situation like that, I had no choice but to kill or be killed.”

Rarity shivered.  “What happened to the terrorist group?”

A dark smile appeared on Blue Blood’s face.  “I killed them all, of course, with only my hooves and my bow.”

“Why didn’t you say anything when you came back?”

“Because, when I returned, I realized three things.  First, my aunt wouldn’t approve of my brand of justice.  Second, every single day, criminals from all social classes take advantage of my aunts' good will.  They know the system better than my aunts, who worked so hard to make it as fair as possible, and they use it to their own favor to increase their fortunes and power.  Don’t you see?  I'm the only one keeping them at bay.”

“But there has to be another way!” cried Rarity.

“Really?  Corruption is a cancer, and to cure cancer you must remove every last bit from the body.  The problem is, that nopony else has the guts to do something.  As for my aunts, their hooves are tied by the laws they created; they can't do what is really necessary, not without plunging Equestria into tyranny.  And that’s where the Arrow comes in.  Since I have no rules, I can stain my hooves with blood to clean society.  And, at the same time, my aunts’ reputations are perfectly clean.  It’s a win-win situation.”

Rarity looked at Blue Blood as if it were the first time.  For the first time in a long time, she realized there was still some good deep inside him; it was just that when she first met him, he needed a dose of reality.  He had taken it, but the dose was so big that it damaged him permanently.  Although he now was broken inside, he was, somehow, still fighting to make it up for all his years of selfishness.  That was the truth behind the vigilante.

Looking at Rarity’s expression, Blue Blood frowned.  “Take away that look of compassion,” he commanded.  "There's nothing here worth caring about."

Rarity sighed.  “Finally, I understand why the Cutie Map sent me with you.  There’s still some good inside you, and as long there is good, there is hope.  But, you’re about to cross the line, Blue Blood; you need the proper guidance.  You need to trust in harmony.”

“I have enough lectures with Allen, thank you very much,” Blue Blood said coldly.

Rarity shook her head, but suddenly she remembered.  “You said you realized three things.  What is the third one?”

And for the first time, Rarity noticed a trace of sadness on the prince’s expression.

“I realized that the nobles who selfishly look away from the injustice are those who have failed Equestria the most.  Starting with me.”


The hypnotic rhythm of the cardiac monitor filled the room as Applejack decided to spend another night with her best friend.  She had only left her side for a quick shower, much to the dismay of the orderlies.  Propriety be damned.  She was going to see Rainbow Dash wake through sheer force of will, no matter how long it took.

Since the accident, there had been at least one Element Bearer attending Rainbow Dash at all times.  This time, Pinkie Pie had taken up the baton.  On a serving cart was her bribe, an entire Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness.  Gently, she fanned the potpourri of confectionary perfection toward Rainbow Dash.  "Come on, Dashie," she said.  "I have MMMM here, all for you.  All you have to do is take it."

Applejack gave a wan smile.  Their hope was childish, but false hope was better than none at all.  The steady beat of the monitor reminded them of their fatigue, and they slowly began to drift off.  The cadence began to speed up, slowly at first, until it accelerated into a scream.

It was Applejack was who reacted first.  “Oh no!  Her heart's stopped!  DOCTOR!  NURSE!  SOMEPONY!”

Pinkie tore the door open, only to find doctors running with a crash cart.  The ponies looked at the monitor; her heart hadn't flatlined, it was showing extreme tachycardia.  The pitch was going into the ultrasonic range, and the ponies collapsed as their balance was destroyed.  This was impossible! No pony's heart could beat that fast!

Unseen, Rainbow Dash's body began vibrating, shedding bandages, casts, and sensors like a cocoon.  The monitor gave a puff of smoke and went silent.  The ponies slowly picked themselves up.  Finally, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes.  “Huh? Pinkie Pie?  Applejack?  Where I am?”

Applejack rushed to hug her friend.  “Rainbow Dash!  Rainbow Dash!”

Pinkie joined as well, much to Rainbow’s confusion, but she accepted the embrace in silence.  Suddenly, tiny multi-colored lightning bolts coursed around her body, forcing her friends to let go.

“Dashie?  What happened?” asked Pinkie.

“I . . . I don’t know . . .” said Rainbow looking around.  “What happened?  Why I am on the hospital?  Dibs on the MMMM!”

The doctor approached.  “How are you feeling, Miss Dash?  Can you move your legs?  Or flap your wings?”

Rainbow Dash flexed her limbs gingerly before rolling off the bed.  "Let's try a little step."  She stumbled, but as she tried to catch herself, she realized everything around her had turned into a blur.  By the time she came to a stop, she found herself in the middle of the Everfree Forest.

“Huh?”

Rainbow Dash spun to face the roar that had come from behind her.  A ravenous manticore licked its lips at the prospect of an easy meal.  As it leapt, Dash noticed something wrong.  The beast was moving more slowly than gravity should allow.  A casual flap of her wings brought her several meters behind her attacker.  When she looked again at the manticore, time returned to normal.

The manticore landed, confused.  How could a pony disappear like that?  It looked around, finally spotting the pegasus when it turned around.  This time, it attacked with its scorpion tail.  As Rainbow Dash watched the attack, she again saw things in slow motion.  She looked about; it wasn't just the manticore.  She could even see a mosquito's wings move languidly as it hovered.

"Wait a minute," she said.  "They aren't moving slow; I'm moving fast."  She slumped to the ground with her forehooves over her head.  "No!  No!  It can't be!  I'm as fast as . . ."  The world spun as she relived the moments leading up to her crash.  She had hit the table after losing control, and then everything went black.

 “What happened to me?”

Then, she looked back at the hungry manticore.  The tail was halfway to her.  With a grin, she sauntered to the beast and gave it a kiss on the lips.  "See ya 'round, slowpoke!"  In a cyan blur, she returned to Ponyville.   Screaming in excitement, Rainbow began to fly all over the town, ringing doorbell after doorbell.  Everypony had to know about this!

The townsponies looked toward the Sonic Rainboom that blossomed above the middle of the town. A familiar cyan pegasus descended from the center of the vapor cone.

“I MADE IT!  I FINALLY MADE IT!  MY NAME IS RAINBOW DASH, AND I’M THE FASTEST FLYER IN EQUESTRIA!  THE FASTEST!  DO YOU HEAR ME, FLASH?  EVERYPONY?  I AM THE FASTEST PEGASUS ALIVE!”