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

by Kaliann25


Race 23

Race 23: Unlike you, I had a teacher. Reverse Dash, this is the Flash

Canterlot Castle was not a happy place, and Princess Celestia was relieved to be in her private dining room where she could let her calm facade drop.  As usual, Princess Luna joined her for a shared meal after they had performed their celestial duties.  It had been a long day for both of them, albeit in different ways.

Starlight Glimmer's funeral had dominated the day's news, and everypony of consequence had made an effort to be there.  Although it had meant staying up extra late, Luna had made a point to be there with the other princesses as a show of solidarity.  Despite the numerous times she and Celestia had gone through the ritual, saying good-bye to a friend was always difficult.  Starlight had been particularly dear to both, having rescued them from Chrysalis and also acting as a mediator for their disputes.

Wearily, Celestia said, "You wouldn't believe how glad I am that this day is over."

Stifling a yawn, Luna replied, "You're lucky; my day is just starting."

Celestia turned to leave.  As she reached the door, she turned back.  "I almost forgot.  I have a favor to ask.  Could you please monitor the dreams of Twilight and the other Element Bearers?  They must be devastated at losing a friend like that."

"Certainly."  Luna nodded.

Suddenly, a scroll materialized between them.  Celestia caught it in her magic and read it.  Her eyes shot wide open.

"Sister?" asked Luna.

“It’s Twilight Sparkle.  She wants us to go to her castle as soon as possible.”

They both exchanged a look and teleported.

The two Princesses appeared at the door, and knocked.

Unknown to most ponies, teleportation zones had been established at strategic locations around Equestria to facilitate rapid transport for a unicorn unfamiliar with the area.  The Princesses had established their own private zones to allow them to move discreetly.  Given the urgency in Twilight's missive, the sisters decided on the zone closest to the throne room in the Castle of Friendship.  Wasting no time, they strode to the door and knocked.

The Twilight who opened the door was very much different than the distraught mare they had left behind mere hours ago. Gone were any signs of despair.  She was energetic, motivated, focused.  She almost seemed optimistic.

“My most faithful friend, we got as fast as we could.” said Celestia.

“Even if we cannot go as fast as Barry Allen, or Rainbow Dash,” joked Luna.

Twilight beamed.  “Please come on in.  Barry Allen is back!”

“What?!” exclaimed Celestia.

"Surely, you jest," added Luna.

Twilight said, "Rainbow Dash wasn't trying to avoid the funeral; she was going to get help.  She brought Barry, and Barry brought his friends.  Come on in!"

Their attention was drawn to the Throne of Loyalty, where the other Element Bearers gathered.  Barry was seated on the throne while they related what happened during their first encounter with Reverse Dash.  The scarlet speedster was both worried and thoughtful.

Fluttershy said quietly, "I really thought it was our Rainbow Dash.  Her fashion choice was different, but, at first, she acted just like my friend."

Rarity shivered as she recalled how her friend's doppelganger had threatened to kill her.  She said, "It was something out of a horror story.  Can you imagine your best friend suddenly becoming your worst enemy?  Seeing that expression on Rainbow Dash's face was . . . was . . . unnerving."

Barry frowned.  "I've been betrayed by more speedsters that I care to remember.  This reminds me of my travels to Earth Two.  It was like looking at a funhouse mirror.  There was a version of me with a completely different life.  He wasn't evil, just different.”

"Indeed, that must have been disorienting," said Princess Celestia as she and her fellow Princesses walked to the throne.  "I assume you know the origin of Reverse Dash?"

Barry gave a respectful bow before he answered.  "I learned about Starlight's time mishap and the alternate timeline she created, the one where you were defeated by someone called 'Nightmare Moon'."

“I told him that!” said Spike, proudly.

Princess Luna looked away in shame, but her sister laid a comforting wing over her.  The dark princess looked at the speedster and said, "We, too, were confounded by this Reverse, but now is not the time to dwell on that.  We must focus on stopping her.  If Nightmare Moon can be reformed, so can the so called Reverse Dash."

“Don’t worry, my friends are working on that.” said Barry, aiming a hoof to the Cutie Map.

For the first time, the celestial princesses noticed three strangers -- two unicorns and an earth pony -- working with strange equipment and connecting it to the map.  Strangely enough, the three all used their mouths for the precision work.  The trio was so focused on their work that they did not notice the two figures looming over them.

It would have come as no surprise that the strange unicorns had little experience with magic; their efforts at levitation were as clumsy as a toddler's.  The sophistication of their equipment, however, was another matter.  Their levitation was good enough to set up the tables and get the equipment into place, but Spikes fingers had proven invaluable in configuring the systems to allow for hoof controls.

Rarity's help had been a godsend as she attached sensors, communications, and telemetry equipment to Rainbow Dash's speedster suit.  Barry pitched in by manipulating things during the calibration procedure.

The most difficult feat was Cisco's work, integrating the electronics with the magic of the Cutie Map.  It was a completely foreign interface, and it took every last bit of ingenuity to get the two working together correctly.

The princesses watched as Cisco finally finished.

“It’s done, Fruityloos.  When you’re ready!” said Cisco, checking the data on his laptop.

“Finally!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash, disappearing in a streak of light, and reappearing with her suit on.   “Huh, it feels the same.  What did you add?”

Caitlin waved Rainbow Dash over so she could see the computer display.  "Your suit has the same sort of equipment as Barry's.  We can monitor your vital signs, track your speed and location, and we also can talk with you over the two-way radio."

"This is amazing!" exclaimed Twilight.  "I can't believe all the stuff you can do without magic."  Twilight moved to look over Caitlin's withers.  "This data is really easy to follow."

“Speak for yourself!” complained Spike, as he struggled to make sense of the numbers.

Giggling at the youngster’s comment, Caitlin gestured for Twilight to come closer.  Once the princess was in front of the user interface, Caitlin said, “With this, you can help your friend wherever she is, whatever situation she gets into.”

“All this is spare equipment we had at the lab, so you can keep it when we return home,” explained Barry.

“Really?!” asked Twilight.  “Oh, thank you!”

“Hey, after all you did for Barry, this is the least we can do for you.”  Iris smiled.

“Well, it was mostly Rainbow Dash and Blue Blood,” said Twilight shyly.

Barry sighed at the mention of his former employer.  Celestia hid her anger at mention of the name; her eyebrow barely twitched

“Anyway! Are you ready of the test flight, Fruityloos?”  Cisco smiled at the private joke.

“Let’s do this!” said Rainbow, extending her wings.  “Hey Flash, wanna race me?”

“I’ll give you a head start!” answered Barry, extending his wings as well.

Rainbow pouted at this comment, but she let the miniature lightning bolts course all over her body, and she disappeared into a multi-colored streak of light.  Barry's red and golden one followed an instant later.

Iris turned to the map and smiled.

“Guys, look!  It works!”

Over the map, a projection of Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark appeared.  This version, however, was modelled after the cutie mark on her suit, showing that this was not a Cutie Map summoning.  The icon tracked position in three dimensions, changing altitude as Rainbow Dash did.

“How could you harmonize your technology with the magic of this map?” asked Twilight in astonishment.

“Through the Speed Force,” explained Caitlin.  “Since Rainbow told us that she was guided to Flash by this thing, we assumed that they were connected somehow.  We were right; our earlier work taught us a lot about how to work with the Speed Force.”  She smiled at the Princess. “Your explanation of Equestrian magic told us what to look for to get the two to work with each other.”

“Now, I really of want to build a map like this of Central City.  It would be a huge help!” added Cisco, with a grin.

The princesses watched in awe.  Magic was familiar to them; this was completely foreign.  While it was beyond their understanding, it was comforting to see it working so smoothly.

Cisco activated a microphone.

“Fruity!  Hey, Fruityloos!  Do you hear me?”

“Loud and clear, Cisco!” answered Rainbow’s voice from the laptop’s speaker.   “And I told you, stop calling me that!!”

“I told you, it’s one of my favorite treats in the world!” replied Cisco, muting the speaker as he turned to the Element Bearers.   “Okay, the transmitter works.”

Caitlin checked on Rainbow’s speed on her computer.  “Huh.  Her speed on the ground is nothing compared to this.”

“Pretty impressive.  She clearly is Barry’s student,” said Iris, happily.

Princess Luna approached.

“Ahem, excuse me for interrupting you; are you Barry Allen’s friends?”

The trio gasped, and turned.

“Oh, we’re terribly sorry!” apologized Caitlin.  “We were so focused our work that we didn’t notice you.  My name is Caitlin Snow.”

“Iris West.”

“Cisco Ramón, but you can call me Vibe,” said the youngest of the three.

The sisters gave a small nod.

“It is our pleasure.  I am Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria,” greeted the white alicorn.

“I am Princess Luna, also co-Ruler,” added the blue one.

Cisco smiled happily. “Ha!  You’re the ones who are gravitationally-challenged, right?”

Luna raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Celestia nodded. “You must be more discreet when talking to a lady about her weight.  You should, however, not tell anyone what we do with gravity.  How did you even know, Mister Ramón?”

"I'm afraid that's my fault," confessed Twilight.  "I should have been more explicit with the girls that this information was not to be shared."

Celestia's eyes narrowed.  "We will talk about this later."  She then turned to Team Flash.  "I take it you're here to help with our rogue speedster."

Caitlin nodded.   “Yes, Princess; we’re aware how dangerous evil speedsters can be, and, just like with Zoom and Reverse Flash, together we’ll stop the Reverse Dash.”

Luna's warm smile faded to a grim line.   “Your assistance is appreciated.  The Reverse Dash has cost us far too many lives.”

Team Flash nodded with concern.

Suddenly, Cisco chuckled.

Caitlin rolled her eyes.  “Come on, not again!”

“Do you find this funny, Cisco Ramón?” asked Luna, with a frown.

“I’m terribly sorry, your Highnesses,” said the young colt, unable to control his grin.  “It's just that your world looks looks like a little girl's wonderland, and your expression, and all your troubles seem so out of place."

“Forgive him, he’s not bad, just a bit childish,” apologized Iris.

“Cisco!  We came here to help them, not insult them,” scolded Caitlin.

“I can’t help myself!  Sorry!”

“We understand; don’t worry,” said Celestia patiently.  “Tell me, young Ramón, did you see yourself on the mirror when you came here?”

“Of course, I did!”

“And he laughed for a full five minutes afterward,” explained Flash, entering the room into a streak of light, followed by Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah, Cisco, the joke is getting old!” added Rainbow Dash, a little annoyed.

“Eventually, it will,” answered the scientist with a shrug.  “The important thing is that it doesn’t interfere with my work.  Right now, the Reverse Fruityloos can’t take us by surprise.”

“Is that so?” asked Luna, impressed.  “What did you do?”

“As we told you, this map is somehow connected with the Speed Force.  We already know how to detect disturbances in the Speed Force, so all we had to do is ask the map to show what our sensors detected."

“I'm amazed at what human technology can do without magic,” said Celestia, in awe.  “One thing puzzles, me, though.  What does ‘Fruityloos’ mean?”

“It's the name of one of my favorite treats, a candy with all the colors of the rainbow.  It's just perfect for Dash's metapony name," explained Cisco.  Clumsily he levitated a package over to the princess.  "I know I just had to share them with you.  Want to try your friend's namesake?"

It was with great reluctance that Celestia sampled the treat.  Acute pony senses picked up on the scents of the real artificial colors and flavors.  However, after one taste, she became a convert.  The other ponies followed her lead.

“I don’t see what you're complaining about, Dashie.  This is great!  You should be flattered to be compared with something as sweet and awesome as this!” giggled Pinkie Pie.  The rest of Rainbow Dash's friends nodded in agreement.

“Thanks a lot, Cisco!” groaned Dash.  "Remind me to feed you some rainbow juice."

Luna cleared her throat.  The chatter stopped as the other ponies turned toward her.  “While this is a delightful confection, what does it have to do with stopping Reverse Fruityloos?” asked Luna, making Rainbow roll her eyes in annoyance.

Twilight replied, "You're right, Princess Luna.  We should get back on topic."  The purple alicorn levitated a a bit-sized crystal in front of the celestial sisters.  "This is a big part of the plan.  I've infused it with a freezing spell you can shoot like a beam or use like a bomb.  We just need to get Reverse Dash to hold still long enough for us to use the Elements on her."

Celestia examined it, and nodded approvingly. “Clever.  Extreme cold to sap her speed.”

“I got the idea from the freezing gun Cisco created,” explained Twilight.

“. . . that Snart stole from me,” mumbled the young scientist.  “There won't be any crime spree using the crystals; the spell is good for only one attack.”

"I've made enough prototypes to give each of us a few shots," added Twilight.

“How do you activate it?” asked Luna.  “With magic?”

"That's an option for unicorns, but if you bite it, it will shoot the beam away from your tongue.  If you break it, it'll act like a bomb.  I'm still adjusting the triggers so they work only when you want them to."

“It sounds like you're almost ready to take on the Reverse,” observed Celestia.

“Friendship makes it all possible,” said the Flash.  “That reminds me; I still need to pay Boss Blood a visit.”

Celestia’s gaze turned cold.  “Good luck. Your friend the Arrow hasn’t show his face in a while.”

Flash nodded, but didn’t say anything.  There was obviously more to the story, and Rainbow Dash had neglected to tell him any of it.  With all of the questions that Joe and Iris asked, the topic never came up, and Rainbow Dash didn't volunteer any information.

As the night wore into the wee hours, both Barry and Rainbow Dash noticed that Rarity had quietly slipped away.

Smiling, Barry whispered in Cisco's ear.  The young scientist smiled as he redoubled his efforts.

Cantelot, abandoned industrial zone:

Manehattan never slept, but the same could not be said about Ponyville.  The last passenger train for the night to Canterlot had left long before Rarity could make her escape.  Making the trip via express mail had been an unpleasant experience, but it did get her to Canterlot well before the first commuter train arrived.

The first rays of dawn cast long shadows on the graveyard of factories.  Rarity casually melted into the darkness, practically imperceptible as she made her way to a specific building.  Being careful to leave no tracks, she entered and then waited in the darkness.

A cloaked figure slipped into what was left of the Blood family's abandoned factory.  A lone arrow was in the quiver slung alongside the bow on his back, mute testimony to the intensity of his fight.  Natural selection had left only the most difficult of the corrupted nobles to pursue, the ones who could best protect themselves.  The night had been a long one.  It was now time to rest, rearm, and regroup.

A harsh call came from the shadows. "Blue Blood!"

The Arrow quickly rolled to his right as he shot his last arrow at the voice.

The Canary simply sighed, catching the arrow with her magic.

“Is just me, Blue Blood.  Can’t you recognize my voice?”

“Sorry, too much echo,” apologized the other vigilante.  “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you, of course.  Rainbow Dash needs our help.  I don't know if you've heard, but she has a reverse; a murderous speedster who is out to kill every alicorn.”

The Arrow lowered his hood and walked toward Rarity.   “Yes, I know.  I have some contacts in the Royal Guard.  What do you expect me to do?  This is a metapony you're talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Blue Blood.  I know you have several ways to stop a speedster.  We need your expertise, and you know it.”

Blue Blood sighed.  “I want to help; I really do.  But, you know how bad my situation is.  Half of my pursuers want me dead, and the other half want me in a padded cell.”

Rarity sighed.  She knew it was a long shot.  There was one last card to play.  “Blue Blood, Barry is back.”

The Arrow raised an eyebrow.  “What?”

“He just came a few hours ago, and he brought some of his friends as well.  Knowing him, he wants to see you.”

Blue Blood nodded.  “I would like to see him as well.  Where is he?”

“At Twilight’s castle.” said Rarity.

“Are my aunts there as well?”

Rarity nodded sadly.

Blue Blood sighed.   “Then, for now, I can’t go with you.  Besides, I’m really busy.”

“Is that so?  What are you working on?”

“Remember that two months ago, Filthy and Spoiled Rich were murdered in front of their daughter?”

The Canary nodded sadly.  “Yes, the poor dear. As far as I know, her butler, Randolph, became her legal guardian.  According to my sister, Diamond Tiara stopped going to school.”

“Well, I may have a lead on the case.”  He sighed.  “I'll see what I can do, but, until my aunts leave, I won’t be able to approach.”

“I’ll keep an eye on them for you,” promised the Canary.

“Thank you.  And, I’m sorry.”

“Not as much as I am,” sighed Rarity, walking away.  "You deserve to be treated like the hero you are."

“Hey!”

“What?” asked the Canary.

“Did he bring Oliver Queen?”

Rarity frowned.  “No, Blue Blood, no!  Besides, it is you who Rainbow needs, not Green Arrow!”

The Arrow smiled briefly.  “Come on, I just wanted to meet my counterpart, nothing more.”

“Good bye, Blue Blood.”

The Arrow followed her into the lair, rearming while she went to change.  He watched as she walked toward the train station.  Before his cover had been blown, he would have thrown himself headlong into the fight.  Now that he was a fugitive, he had to be careful with every move; it would do him no good if he were caught.

Rarity sadly walked between the graves of dead businesses.  A sudden flash of multicolored light caught her attention.  She shivered.

“Oh, no!”

She wanted to hide, but it was too late.  The Reverse Dash appeared before Rarity, grinning maniacally.

“Hi there!  What are you doing in a place like this?  Slumming?”

Rarity prepared to shriek, but the Reverse Dash touched the point of a sword to her neck.

“Tell me, where is your friend?  I want to see her!”

“She . . . would never . . .”

“Oh, shut up already!  I have a message for her.  Care to deliver it for me?”

She traced the sword down to Rarity's breast.  “Last time, you got lucky.  This time, I’ll finish the job.”


Back at the Castle of Friendship, it had not quite been an all-nighter.  Luna had insisted that the others take nap breaks throughout the night; she had used her magic to make their sleep more refreshing than normal.  With the coming of the dawn, they had the equivalent of a full night's sleep.

Over a simple breakfast of hay and toast, Team Flash and the princesses discussed the advantages and disadvantages of Equestrian magic versus human technology.  The other ponies and Spike watched, confused, as the discussion went far beyond their understanding.  Although Twilight was active in the discussion, she seemed distracted.

Fluttershy stood next to the purple alicorn and lay a wing over her withers.  "What's wrong, Twilight?"

Softly, Twilight leaned against her friend and replied, "Starlight should be here.  She loved this sort of thing."

A piercing alarm sounded, drawing everyone's attention to the Cutie Map.  A black lightning bolt appeared over Canterlot.

“She’s here!” said Cisco.

Flash exchanged a look with Dash, and the speedsters extended their wings.

“We’ll lead her here!” announced Flash.  “Prepare the freezing crystals!”

“But they’re not ready yet!” cried Twilight.

“Doesn’t matter, we don’t have the time!” said Rainbow.  “Are you ready, Barry?”

“Yes!  You?”

“Ready!”

There was the briefest pulse of wind as they accelerated to full speed.  The battle was about to be joined.


Rarity warily eyed Reverse Dash, desperately looking for an opening.  With the villain's full attention on her, there was no way she could escape.

Reverse snorted around the handle of the sword, spreading her wings to look more intimidating.  "This is lame!  You're that goody four-shoe's friend.  A quick death is too good for you; I want to hear you scream."

Rarity took in a sudden breath and stepped back.  Reverse followed her with the tip of the sword in constant contact.  Reverse pushed just enough to draw blood.

Rarity screamed.  A lifetime ago, this would have been an exercise in futility.  A day ago, this would have been a brute force attack.  Rarity had studied the goggles that Pinkie Pie had taken from Reverse Dash.  The fashionista had an eye for detail, and now, she applied what she had learned.

The magically amplified voice took Reverse by surprise.  A single clear note resonated on the lenses of her goggles, shattering them.  The overpressure ruptured her eardrums and pushed her away.  Instinctively, she covered her ears as she screamed in anger and agony.  Super-fast healing restored both her vision and her hearing in a matter of seconds.

When her vision cleared, she could see Rarity galloping away, holding her sword in her magic.  Snorting, she scraped the ground with a forehoof, preparing to charge.  A voice from above caught her attention.

“Hey!”

She looked up.

“You have failed Equestria!”

A salvo of arrows sped toward Reverse Dash.  To her, they moved in slow motion.  She launched herself into the air, intent on dodging them and killing the nuisance who shot them, but she dropped to the ground.  She looked back at her wings.  Her primaries had been clipped!

The arrows exploded, blanketing Reverse Dash in smoke.  Unseen, the second salvo came as a surprise; the concussion arrows detonated, throwing Reverse back.  As she recovered, she turned toward Rarity.  The fashionista was nearing one of the derelict factories.

Disappearing in a streak of light, the Reverse Dash tackled Rarity.  She grinned as she pinned the white mare to the ground.

“Got you!”

As Rarity squirmed, Reverse continued.  "No more talk.  It's time to . . ."

The voice was cut off by a sickening thud.  Rainbow Dash now stood where Reverse had been.  The transfer of momentum had sent the villain through the wall of a factory.  The groan of toppling machinery was follow by a crash; Reverse had made contact.

“Sorry about the delay.”

“Don’t worry, the Arrow had my back.”

The Dash smiled, and disappeared in a streak of light, going into Blue Blood’s hideout, and returning, surrounding Rarity.  When she finished, Rarity was dressed back in her black suit, and her telescopic bo staff was at the ready.

“I don’t think this is the right time for this, but it is appreciated, dear,” said the unicorn, using the camouflage spell to change her fur and mane as the Reverse Dash walked out of the factory.

The evil speedster spat out her clipped feathers and raised an eyebrow. “I've heard blondes have more fun, but we already know what you look like.”

“I am a masked vigilante.  Don’t tell anypony.”

“These friends of yours are more interesting than the other ones.”

“Get out, Reverse!” commanded Rainbow Dash.

“Not until I kill another one of your friends.  The archer will do nicely."

Before Rainbow Dash could react, she received a kick on the nose from Reverse, sending her back.  The villain taunted, "See ya, slowpoke!"

Then, the Reverse charged toward the Arrow, who was nocking another concussion arrow as he grinned.

“What?” asked the Reverse Dash, confused by his confident expression.

A red and golden streak of light came out of nowhere, and shoved the Reverse Dash to the ground.

“WHAT?”

“Wow, you’re right Dash.  She is you!” said the Flash.

The Arrow smiled at his friend.   “Nice you see you, Flash.”

“Nice to see you too, Arrow.”

The Reverse Dash got back on fours and looked up.

“What?  Who’s this?”

The Dash grinned.

“Oh, haven’t you heard?  In this timeline, I’m not the fastest pegasus alive.  He is.”

Reverse Dash gasped, taking a good look of the pegasus in red.

The Dash grinned.  “You know what’s the main difference between you and me, Reverse?”

The evil speedster turned to her other self.

“Unlike you, I had a teacher.  Reverse Dash, this is the Flash.”

“And this ends now!” said the Flash, preparing to fight.

Reverse Dash took a look around.  She was surrounded by dangerous enemies, especially the two other speedsters.  She laughed maniacally.

“Hahahahaha!  This just got twenty percent cooler!”