//------------------------------// // Year 5: Part 2 // Story: Lightning Dust: The Story Of Shadow // by Whooves235 //------------------------------// Shadowbolt Cave "I can't believe she’s gone.." Lightning said. She and Sky Striker were now standing on the outside of the training room building. "I know that she betrayed The Shadowbolts, but was it worth killing her?" "Cinch had her reasons for killing Nightshade, and unless we want to end up like her, I think that it’s best we don't question her." "But that's what she wants, Sky!" Lightning said. "She wants us to be afraid! She killed Nightshade not just to show that betrayal is wrong, but to strike fear into us just like..." Lightning stopped for a moment, then quietly turned her head to the entrance of the cave. She stared at it for a second, taking in what she had finally realized. "Lightning?" Sky Striker said he put his hoof on her. "Lightning, what's wrong?" "I finally get it," Lightning whispered. "What?" Sky Striker asked. "I'm ready for the next challenge," Lightning said. "Are you sure?" Sky Striker asked. "Cinch said you could use this time to prepare yourself, yet you’ve only been out here for five minutes!" "I know what I have to do, Sky." "If you say so," Sky Striker said. "I'll go tell Cinch you're ready." Sky walked out of the room, leaving Lightning to herself. "You can do this, Lightning. You know what you have to do, just go in and do it," Lightning thought to herself. "When you do this you will finally prove to all those who doubted you: Spitfire, Rainbow Dash, The Wonderbolts, they will all know soon why they should not have messed with me." Shadowbolt Training Room "Lightning Dust, you will now face your final trial. This will be the hardest of all, so prove to me, as well as your companion, that you are worthy of becoming the Shadowbolt you were meant to be," Cinch said. "Are you prepared to do what is necessary?” "Yes, Ma’am," Lightning replied. "Sky Striker, bring out the hostage," Cinch said. Sky Striker walked to the back doors with a chain wrapped around his hoof, pulling in the prisoner, who had a burlap sack around his head to avoid knowing where they were. "Your final task, Lightning," Cinch continued, "is to kill the one pony who stands in your way, the pony who has always held you back." Cinch nodded to Sky Striker who removed the sack to reveal an Aqua-Marine pony. He had yellow mane and tail, with a hint of gold around his tips, and was short in structure. This was none other than Tiny Dust, her father. "D...Dad?" Lightning said, shocked at the pony who stood before her. "Lightning?" Tiny said, "Is that you?" Tiny looked to his surroundings, taking in where he was. "I’m....back at the base?" "Silence!" Cinch shouted. "Tiny Dust, you are here today to receive your punishment." "Punishment?!" Tiny exclaimed in shock. "Seventeen years ago, you were assigned a mission to kill Commander Hurricane. However, in doing so, you not only failed to complete the mission, but you also compromised the entire Shadowbolt Operation! For your betrayal, you are to be executed!" "Wait! Cinch, please!" Tiny begged. "Give me another chance! I only said those things so they wouldn’t connect me to you!" "While I find that believable, you still uttered the team name. You are lucky no one there besides Hurricane knew what you were talking about," Cinch said, "You compromised the Shadowbolts and our plans to stay a secret, therefore you must be silenced. Permanently." "And you want me to do it?!" Lightning said. "Lightning, your father has always stood in your way. You yourself said that you were terrified that he would kill you," Cinch said. "Thus the only thing to do is to kill him first." "I would never kill my daughter ,Cinch!" Tiny said, turning to his daughter. "Lightning please, believe me when I say it was a mistake joining The Shadowbolts. I have had a lot of time to think, and becoming this," Tiny waved his hoof around the room, "isn’t right. It will only end in death and destruction!" Lightning stared at her father, looking into his eyes. She could see remorse and honesty shining in them.. "You left me," Lightning whispered. "What?" Tiny asked, confused. "You left me! Did it not once occurr to you that becoming a Shadowbolt would mean leaving me behind?!" Lightning growled, her voice getting angrier. "After you left my life became hell. Mom left me, she just gave me to Uncle Wind Rider for thirteen whole years. I thought he was my dad, he hid the truth from me!!" "Lightning please, I..." Tiny began, but was grabbed by Lightning. "I wanted to become a Wonderbolt so I could tell the ponies who thought you were insane that they were wrong. I wanted to believe that you were wrong, but not even the Wonderbolts let me prove that so they kicked me out! Cast me aside, all because you killed people, all because you were never there for me!!!" Lightning grabbed the sword next to her. "For seventeen years!! I waited to see you, for seventeen years I wanted to believe that everypony was wrong, and now here you are begging me to forgive you?!" "Lighting please, I just want....." but before he could answer, he felt a cold metal object pierce his chest. He looked down to the sword that went through him, then back up at the pony who pushed that sword. "Well this is what you get, father," Lightning spat, her eye twitching just a tiny bit, but before she could pull out the sword, Tiny moved his hoof to her cheek, touching it then falling to the ground, motionless, forever silenced. Lightning pulled out the sword slowly, taking in the moment of glory she had rightfully earned. "Well done, Lightning Dust," Cinch said, "you have completed your initiation." Cinch walked up to Lightning, who turned to face her leader. "I now pronounce you the Commander of the Aerial Division." "Thank you, Ma’am," Lightning said. "You may go back to your barracks for the day. Tomorrow you and Sky Striker are to report to my office so you may receive your first mission." "Yes Ma’am," Lightning and Sky Striker replied, then walked out of the door to Lightning’s barracks. "How does it feel to finally be a Shadowbolt?" asked Sky Striker. "It feels right," Lightning replied, "like this is what I was born to do, born to be." "Well, now we can relax knowing that soon we will rise above our enemies and show them no mercy." "Yes, no mercy," Lightning said, "only one can remain, and that is the best." "So, it seems we have the rest of the night off," Sky Striker said. "How about I help you out of that tight suit?" He put his hoof to Lightning’s flank. "Yeah, I would very much like that."