//------------------------------//
// Race 19 
// Story: My name is Barry Allen and I'm the fastest pegasus alive 
// by Kaliann25 
//------------------------------//


Race 19: I have nothing to do with this poor excuse of Rainbow Dash. Let’s just say, I’m the Reverse


“Okay, that’s it for today!” said Spit Fire looking, over her command. "Be extra careful and make sure you get home safely. Okay?”

The few intelligible responses were drowned out by a chorus of exhausted groans. Spit Fire gave a satisfied smile as she brushed the sweat-matted mane out of her eyes. There was some work left to do, but at this rate, they would be ready long before the next show.

One Wonderbolt was unfazed by the long day of practice. A certain cyan mare was fresh as a daisy as she began stretching in preparation for her real workout.

"Are you going on your daily patrol of Canterlot?” asked Spit Fire.

Rainbow Dash grinned. “What? No! What do you take me for, just another vigilante, like the Arrow or the Canary? My patrol covers all of Equestria!”

“Are you serious?” asked the Wonderbolt captain.

“Hay yes! I can't think of a better way to spend a half hour,” said Dash, winking, as she extended her wings, releasing the multi-colored lightning bolts across her body.

“Please, don’t push yourself too hard,” said Spit Fire, sighing.

Rainbow Dash nodded. The last time she went too far, only the Speed Force had stood between her and certain death. Although the incident had granted her super speed, she knew better than to push her luck.

Still, she couldn't resist adding a bit of flair to her deeds. For example, a skyscraper fire in Manehatten was just a little over the top. She had evacuated the building before setting off a snowstorm inside to quench the flames. Seeing that the fire department was still fifteen minutes away, she raided the local university library to learn enough structural engineering to assess and repair the worst of the damage. She left the cosmetic repairs for the owners. After all, they did need the show some self-reliance. Besides, decorating was Rarity's specialty. When the fireponies finally arrived, they were shocked to find the building safe and ready for remodeling.

Unlike the mare she once was, the new Rainbow Dash had adopted Barry Allen's ethos. Her deeds as a hero were done with neither fame nor fortune desired or solicited. What motivated her now was the challenge, and the need to constantly improve without taking unnecessary risks.

Ironically, she was now more famous than any Wonderbolt, albeit in the guise of the Dash. The nature of her deeds drew unwanted attention from the darkness of the Arrow and the Canary. With a healthy buck in the flank from the Crown, the newspapers were all too happy to keep the metapony in the headlines while burying the deeds of her darker counterparts.





In the Castle of Friendship, the cozy breakfast nook was a perfect place for eight friends to share a quiet supper. Starlight Glimmer asked, "Let me get this straight, the five of you pretended to be a superhero just to knock Rainbow Dash down a peg or two?"

Rainbow Dash sighed. "I know it's hard to believe, but the first time I tried to be a hero, I ended up being a stuck-up jerk."

Spike dead-panned, "No. Say it isn't so, Dash."

Rarity said, "I'm glad there's no need for the Mare-Do-Well any more. That costume was hideous."

"Seriously, girls -- and Spike -- if you think I'm messing up, just tell me to my face, no matter how bad it is." Rainbow Dash giggled. "I mean, with the Speed Force on my side, there's no way the Mare-Do-Well could keep up with me these days."

Applejack groaned. "Don't tempt me. If things got out of hoof, we'd find a way."

Bouncing excitedly, Pinkie Pie said, "Ooh! Ooh! I know! I know! We could get Twilight to recreate her lab's explosion and turn us all into super speedy metaponies."

The girls laughed.

Twilight composed herself. "I think I'll pass. After what Barry showed us, I'm not about to turn any place in Equestria, let alone Ponyville, into a mess like Central City.

"But it would be fun!" Rainbow Dash grinned. "You know, having a metapony rival to push me to improve."

Aghast, Fluttershy admonished, "Rainbow Dash, don't you remember what Barry's so-called mentors almost made him do? I wouldn't wish that on anypony!"

Rainbow Dash gently laid a reassuring wing on the back of her oldest friend. "I know, Fluttershy. I know that's a terrible idea. It's just fun to imagine what could be if everything went right." Looking around the table, she continued. "Enough about me. Spike, tell us what the guys have been up to."

Spike buffed his claws on his chest. "I don't like to brag, but I just scored the super-ultra-rare Mousca Obscura card. You see . . ."

As Spike started to elaborate on his latest triumph, the others prompted him whenever he slowed, keeping him in the conversation. Rarity, however, was an exception. She leaned back with eyes closed, drifting away. The others let her be; she'd explained how strenuous micromanaging her boutique in Manehatten was, and they knew she was exhausted.

Rainbow Dash gently draped a blanket over her fashionista friend and said, "Don't push yourself too hard." Of those in the room, Dash was the only other who knew what was actually taking most of Rarity's time.

Yawning, Rarity replied, "Don't worry, darling. I'm doing well by doing good. The economy has been roaring since all those corrupted nobles have been rooted out."

Rainbow Dash nodded in silence. As Rarity had pointed out, although they had never intended it, by improving things for Equestria, they had improved things for themselves as well.

Canterlot Castle:

All of Equestria was familiar with the throne rooms in Canterlot Castle. What most did not realize was that the bulk of the work of government took place behind the scenes. Even more important than the throne rooms was the princess's study. Unlike the showy throne rooms, this chamber was strictly functional. It held a desk, a cushion, and precious little other furniture. It was here that the princesses would reconvene after their shared meals, after dawn and after dusk.

This time, it was early evening when the royal sisters entered the spartan chamber. Four Solar Guards stood watch within the room. To the younger's dismay, the pile of paper in the "in" box towered from the desk to the top of the vaulted ceiling. In the grand tradition of political pragmatism, she procrastinated. Stifling a yawn, she said, "So, sister, what is the latest news on the corrupted nobles?"

Frowning, Celestia telekinetically grabbed a document from the desktop. "Fifteen more have been identified. At this rate, it'll be easier to name those who haven't been tainted."

"Power corrupts, dear sister." Looking away she said softly, "I was luckier than I deserved." Looking back, Luna continued. "So, our task force found fifteen more?"

Celestia shook her head. “Two out of fifteen."

"Thirteen in a month, and with irrefutable evidence?!" said Luna, genuinely surprised. "Even you must admit our nephew truly knows what he is doing."

Celestia glared at her sister. "Blue Blood died in that shipwreck. We have no nephew. Now, there's only the Arrow."

Luna frowned. After her return from the moon and her purification by the Elements of Harmony, she was surprised to find that, for all practical purposes, Celestia had adopted a son with no redeeming qualities. Even after hearing her sister's explanation, she still disagreed with the decision, but she let the matter drop. Luna knew that, eventually, the matter would come to a head, and Celestia would be forced to confront it.

Recent events proved her right more spectacularly than she could have dreamed. Celestia wasted no opportunity to express her hatred for the Arrow. At the same time, she continued to spread the fiction that Blue Blood had no connection to the vigilante. More telling, she took no action against the Arrow; instead, she complimented her troops on their (nonexistent) efforts to capture him and instructed them to continue as they had.

Celestia brought her sister back to reality. "Stop wasting time Luna. The pile of paperwork is not getting any smaller."

Luna rolled her eyes. "Are you certain that no one else can handle this chore?"

The elder sister shook her head. "Until we find a system we can trust, it's up to us."

Suddenly, a shock wave rocked all of Canterlot. The sisters looked at each other confused. Luna said, "I thought you told her to stay above 5000 meters when she was doing that."

"I did. Remind me to give her the safety lecture again before I leave."

The study window exploded inward in front of a cyan blur. With a dramatic thump, the blur resolved itself into a familiar mare. However, her costume had changed to a black suit with magenta goggles, and her mane was cropped short, much like a zebra's mohawk.

The intruder cackled evilly. "Attention everypony! The day of the alicorn is gone! Make way for the Speed Queen!"

The alicorn sisters looked at each other and then back at the pegasus. Luna said, "So, you think you have what it takes to do the job of an alicorn."

The pegasus scoffed, "I've bested those better than you."

Celestia said, "Do you expect us to believe you're qualified to rule this land?"

The intruder mantled her wings and said, "I already rule one kingdom."

The sisters looked at each other and nodded. Luna telekinetically moved the contents of "in" box over to the pegasus, forming a wall around her. "Process all of this, and if we find it's mostly correct, you're our new regent pro tempore."

Celestia smiled warmly. "It is good to see you are willing to take on such responsibility, Rainbow Dash."

The wall of paper disappeared in a blizzard of confetti. "What is wrong with you ponies?! Why does everypony act like they know me?! I am the Speed Queen!"

One of the guards asked, "Does this mean I have to wear black bodysuit for our date this Friday?"

Behind the magenta lenses, Reverse Dash's eye twitched. She glared at the guard before giving him a twisted grin. In less than a blink of an eye she snapped his neck. She said, "I don't date losers."

The remaining soldiers looked on in horror for a fraction of a second. True to their training, that was all the time the needed to recover. They drew their swords and attacked, each from a different direction.

Reverse Dash froze. In mock terror, she said, "Oh no!" As the three closed in, she vanished in a streak of light. The guards collapsed in a pile. Reverse casually wiped the blade of sword she'd taken from the first guard and spat it out.

"You guys have no staying power."

The princesses stared at Reverse Dash in disbelief.

The princesses' eyes narrowed. Celestia demanded, "Who are you? Rainbow Dash would never kill, not in cold blood."

The speedster snarled, "Don't call me that!" Pointing at Luna, she said, "I am Reverse Dash. You murdered Rainbow Dash. Prepare to die."

Reflexively, the princesses shot paralysis spells at the crazed speedster. At the last second, she vanished in a streak of light, only to reappear behind the desk, wearing both crowns.

Coldly, Celestia said, "Those crowns are heavier that you can possibly imagine."

Meanwhile, in the castle, Luna's voice was magically projected. "Code Gamma! Code Gamma! Evacuate tower and maintain defensive perimeter!"

Reverse Dash shrugged. "Well, now that I have the crowns, I guess all that's left is to get rid of you two." In a streak of light, Reverse vanished. She then charged at Luna. The lunar princess reflexively cast a shield spell before suddenly jerking her flank away. The sword Reverse had thrown flashed by where her cutie mark had been.

“Oh, you have good reflexes!” complimented the Reverse Dash. “All right, your move.”

The Princesses glared at her, and then flattened themselves onto the floor. The door burst open, and six unicorn guards peppered the room with stun blasts. Reverse was staggered by two of them, but shook them off in a fraction of a second.

Reverse's smile twisted into a vengeful snarl. "Typical alicorns, shielding themselves with better ponies! Fine, I'll dispose of them while you watch."

Multi-colored lightning bolts circulated across Reverse's body, and she streaked out the window. Turning back, she charged. The Speed Force let her slip through the air with only a hint of a disturbance. A multi-colored ring of light, barely larger than her body, exploded around her and suddenly doubled her speed. She streaked back into the room, pinballing off walls, floor, and ceiling, leaving broken bodies behind with each pass.

Reverse landed in the middle of the room with full force, cracking the marble floor, just as her speed boost wore off.

“What have you done?” gasped Luna.

“You killed them,” growled Celestia.

“No, you did; you hid behind them instead of facing me yourselves like real ponies.”

"What sort of monster are you?" snarled Celestia.

Reverse continued glaring. Pointing at Luna, she said, "I'm the pony she left to die after throwing me into a bunch of potions with a lightning bolt, you damned dirty alicorns. Sow the wind? Reap the whirlwind."

Defiantly, the sisters nodded. The walls trembled with their battle auras. As one, they said, "Be careful what you ask for."

Reverse stifled a yawn. Faster than a thought, she vanished in a streak of light.

A cyan streak came through the window and intercepted Reverse, sending her tumbling into a wall.

Rainbow Dash turned to the shocked Princesses, and then back to the stranger.

“What’s going on?” asked the cyan speedster.

The Reverse got back on her four legs, and stared at her other self.

“Huh, is just me, or did this timeline just get twenty percent cooler?”

The Dash took a look around, shivering at the sight of the bodies littered on the ground.

“You did all this?” asked Rainbow.

The Reverse Dash nodded proudly. “Of course, I did!” Puzzled by her other self’s expression, she raised an eyebrow. “Why are you looking at me like that? This is what you wanted, right? Why are you so upset?”

Aghast, the Dash replied, "Do you really have to ask? WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO DO?”

Reverse shrugged, "Exterminate the alicorn menace, of course." After studying Dash's expression, Reverse said, "Oh, I get it. This is your world; these two are yours to kill. Go ahead, they're no match for your speed. I know; I've eliminated the two in my timeline."

Rainbow's jaw dropped. "Are you crazy?! Is that your problem?!"

"Well, you had your chance." Reverse darted toward the sisters, only to be stopped by a flying kick. She rolled with the blow and came up in a fighting stance. The two combatants were a blur of motion. Six-limbed karate was not an easy form to master, and both pegasi were black belts.

As they traded blows, the both adopted a snarling smile. It didn't matter which Rainbow Dash one examined; competition was in her blood, regardless of her world of origin. Once the gauntlet was thrown, she became twenty percent better, twenty percent more dangerous.

To her surprise, Reverse suddenly felt her speed bleeding away, and Rainbow took full advantage, striking with all six limbs in unison.

“Do not turn your backs to an opponent,” said Celestia coldly.

“Especially when you’re facing an alicorn,” added Luna.

Reverse picked herself up from the floor and cackled. "Finally! A challenge! Hey, other self, I bet you can’t stop me from killing anyone else!” With that, she streaked out the window.

Rainbow asked, the sisters, "Are you all right?"

Luna ordered, "Go get her!"

“But . . .”

“GO NOW!” commanded Celestia.

As the cyan speedster streaked in pursuit, the royal sisters surveyed the mess. The second set of guards dissolved into dust; Code Gamma called for sending in golems. With the precision of a microsurgeon, Luna worked around the stasis spell Celestia had cast on her real guards. Cell by cell, the lunar princess repaired the damage Reverse had wrought. Alicorns could work miracles, given time.





Rainbow Dash circled high above Canterlot, homing in on the disturbance in the Speed Force that had drawn her attention in the first place. To her surprise, it led her to a newsstand in the main plaza. Gliding down, she saw Reverse reading a paper, ignoring the wolf whistles from stallions and mares alike.

As she touched down, Reverse said, "It says the Dash saved seventeen ponies from and out-of-control train and then repaired its brakes and throttle in less than a minute. You're a do-gooder, aren't you? What a waste of talent! You could be queen!"

Rainbow frowned. "A true ruler is responsible for her subjects. It's more that a full-time job." Scrutinizing her doppelganger, she asked, "Not that I mind, but didn't you say you were going to kill somepony?"

“Of course, but if you’re not there to watch me, what’s the point?”

Laughing maniacally, Reverse sped away with Rainbow in hot pursuit. This was a contest of sheer speed, and the two were evenly matched. Suddenly, Reverse turned. Rainbow stayed on her tail. Reverse asked, "Question, did an alicorn hit you with a lightning bolt, too?"

Glaring at her rival, the Dash replied, "Yeah, why?"

"Just checking. Why don't you hate them?"

"It was an accident! If we didn't have the emergency facilities because she's a complete butterhooves, I wouldn't have survived!"

“Yeah, right.”

Abruptly, Reverse turned to attack, but, as before, the two combatants were equally matched in both speed and skill.

The stalemate raged on for minutes before a melodic voice caught their attention.

“Hey other me, do you know what’s the problem with being a hero?” asked the evil speedster, as she accelerated toward the voice.

Rainbow screamed in anger, and flew after this twisted parody of her.

The Reverse Dash cackled evilly. “By trying to save everypony, in the end, THEY CANNOT SAVE ANYPONY!”

In the forest, Fluttershy was happily taking care of an injured bunny when the familiar whine of a speedster's flight caught her attention. She smiled happily, looking up at the expanding speck that surely was her oldest friend, Rainbow Dash.

Reverse Dash sped downward, planning to kill the oblivious pony, but slowed to gently touch down when she recognized her.

“Fluttershy?”

The yellow pegasus tilted her head. “Rainbow Dash? You're not actually modelling for Prim Hemline, are you?”

Then, Rainbow Dash arrived, interposing herself between Fluttershy and Reverse.

Confused, Fluttershy look first at the familiar and then over to the unfamiliar. “Rainbow Dash? And, Rainbow Dash?”

The Reverse Dash looked at Fluttershy. Instantly knew she couldn’t kill her; it didn't matter which world she was in; this was still her oldest friend. Everypony but Fluttershy was fair game. Still, she managed to put on an evil grin.

“Rainbow Dash? No, I haven’t used that name since the alicorn tried to kill me. I have nothing to do with this poor excuse of Rainbow Dash. Let’s just say, I’m the Reverse.”

With that, she disappeared in a streak of light, and what it seemed like a strange version of the Sonic Rainboom.

Fluttershy gulped. “The Reverse Dash?”

“We have to get the others.” said Dash, frowning as she analyzed the fading rainbow ring.