//------------------------------// // Year 5: Part 1 // Story: Lightning Dust: The Story Of Shadow // by Whooves235 //------------------------------// Lightning’s Barracks The day had finally come, the day of the initiation. All of Lightning’s training, all of the trials she faced, had lead to this moment. Lightning walked to her closet and pulled out her Shadowbolts uniform. It was black, purple, and yellow. She also had fancier goggles, purple with a yellow stained glass in them. She slipped into her uniform and looked at herself in the mirror, for once in her life she felt like she was meant to wear the uniform. "You look great," Sky Striker said from the doorway. "Thanks. I don't know what it is, but this uniform just feels right,"Lightning said, looking at herself in the mirror. "You nervous?" Sky Striker said. "Yeah, but I know that if I try my best, I can prove myself to Cinch, and then I can finally have my revenge." "Hey, you’ll do great," Sky Striker said. He walked over to Lightning and grabbed her waist. "You know, that uniform looks tight, perhaps I could...." Lightning put her hoof to his muzzle. "Save it for after the initiation, then we can see what kind of things...intrigue you." She kissed Sky Striker passionately. He returned the favor, and they stood there for a couple of seconds before ending the kiss. "I'd like that very much." "Now come on, I have an initiation to pass." Sky Striker walked out of the door, and Lightning soon followed. Shadowbolt Training Room As Lightning Dust walked into the training room, she could see that Sky Striker and Nightshade were sitting in placed chairs. The two of them were sitting together, although Cinch was standing in the middle of the room. "Lightning Dust, today you will perform two trials to prove to me, as well as your fellow bolts, that you are worthy of becoming a Shadowbolt," Cinch announced. "In these two tasks, you will face not only your fears, but the one obstacle that faces you. Now, Lightning Dust, are you prepared to undergo these challenges?” "Yes ma’am, I am prepared for anything you throw at me," Lightning replied. "Then let the Shadowbolt initiation begin!" Cinch boomed. "Your first test is to face the one obstacle that faces you right now." She raised her hoof in the air. "Solar Flare, please step forward." Lightning, surprised at the statement, looked over at the equally confused Nightshade as she stepped forward. "The first part of your initiation will be a duel. Your goal, Lightning, is to pin Solar Flare until she can't move," Cinch explained. "There is no time limit, and there are no rules. Anything goes." "Yes Ma’am," the two ponies said. Cinch grabbed her clipboard. "Then let the initiation begin!" As soon as Cinch finished speaking Nightshade lunged at Lightning, causing her to instinctively fly up into the air. Lightning could see Nightshade grab a dagger from the weapon stand. She turned around and flew into the air, and Nightshade charged at her with a spear she had grabbed from the weapon stand. Lightning dodged the attack, and seeing her opportunity, made a dive bomb to the weapon stand and grabbed a sword, then turned and charged at Nightshade. "I need to find a way to get around her without getting myself injured," Lightning thought to herself. And so the two ponies continued to battle each other Lightning Dust and Nightshade flew through the air, their weapons clashing again and again as both tried to find an opening. They slowly wore each other down, neither one giving the other an angle as they fought. One flew left, the other flew right, back and forth, over and over again. Lightning got an idea. She spat out the sword she was holding in her mouth, making Nightshade give a confused look. "Is she giving up already? This is almost too easy, soon Cinch will see who the better Shadowbolt is," Nightshade thought. She aimed her spear at her target, and using her toned pegasus vision, she located her target: Lightning’s left wing. She started to spin in a circle, and once done she spat the spear out of her mouth, causing it to fly at Lightning, who veered suddenly toward the ground, causing the spear to hit a rope behind her. The light connected to the rope fell right onto Nightshade’s back, bringing her crashing down to the ground. Lightning walked over to her sword, picked it up, and walked to Nightshade, who was staring directly at her. Lightning spat out the sword next to Nightshade. "Looks like I have the upper hoof," Lightning said mockingly. "Well....do it, go and kill me. Prove that you are the superior Shadowbolt," Nightshade said. Lightning looked over at Cinch; she had a stern look to her face, and she slowly nodded her head. Lightning picked up the sword, then slammed it down right next to Nightshade, chopping off a small piece of her ear. "You...You didn't finish me off?" Nightshade said, confused. "Killing you would just be doing you a favor, and you are my teammate. Whether we like it or not, we have to work together." "Excellent work, Lightning," Cinch said "I was wondering what you would do if you were given the chance to kill Solar Flare, and it seems that I now have my answer." Cinch put her clipboard down and stared at Lightning, who still had Nightshade pinned down. "Now," Cinch said with a soft yet firm tone. "Kill her." In Cinch's eyes Lightning could only see death, while in Nightshade’s she could only see fear. "Cinch, please!" Nightshade gasped, desperate and helpless, her cool and sleek attitude completely gone. Her courage was now only a bitter memory, and she was reduced to begging for her life. "Lightning," Cinch murmered quietly, "finish her." Years of Wonderbolt training and her parents’ morals made Lightning hesitate; she looked down and saw Nightshade. She didn’t see a Shadowbolt soldier, she saw a beaten, broken, cringing mare who she shared her practical life with. "I...I can’t," Lightning said, backing away slowly. "Lightning," Nightshade said, "I..." but before she could finish her sentence, her head was sliced off with a glowing purple aura-covered sword. Lightning could only stare at the corpse. The teammate she called her enemy was now dead right in front of her. "It is all right, Lighting," Cinch said, walking over to her putting the now blood stained sword down. "She was going to die one way or another. It might as well have been by the one she betrayed." "But.....she...she was unarmed," Lightning choked out. "Lightning, remember your training, remember the oath," Cinch cooed. "We do what is necessary for the good of Equestria, for the glory of Sombra." "Y...Yes ma’am," Lightning whispered. "As for your initiation, you passed part one; however, part two will be the one thing that will truly tell us if you are prepared to become a Shadowbolt."