//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: Return 
// Story: Broken Promise 
// by Nailah 
//------------------------------//

Lightning Dust’s hoofsteps grew heavy. She was exhausted. She didn’t remember how long she’d be walking, or how far she had come. All she knew was that there was no turning back. It was the same everywhere: she’d arrive into a new town, and the ponies would give her dirty scowls and whisper behind her back. She sighed heavily as she walked out of the city she had just entered. Back into the open wide world known as Equestria. The land known for magic and friendship, and yet she was alone. It was all her fault, she thought. If it hadn’t been for Rainbow Dash, she’d still be in the Wonderbolt Academy. 
“She was right, though,” she admitted to herself, as she watched the sun rising in the distance. “I endangered the lives of countless ponies just so I could stand out. It’s no wonder no one wants to give me a chance.” 
Lightning Dust couldn’t keep living like this. She was barely making it by as it was. Her fur was stained from how long she had been on the road. Her eyes beamed with a desperation for something to go right. 
“What am I going to do?” she asked herself, sighing. She hated herself for what she was about to do. Muttering under her breath, she couldn’t believe she was considering...asking for help. From her. Her sworn enemy. She found herself biting the bottom of her lip as she took off into the sky.
Flapping her wings, she soared towards Ponyville. She gritted her teeth as she spiraled straight down into the town. Lightning Dust dusted her wings off and shook her head as she landed, surprised to find herself face to face with not Rainbow Dash, but a large female griffon. Standing right beside her was Rainbow Dash herself. Lightning just raised a brow. Since when was Rainbow Dash friends with a griffon?
Lightning Dust approached Rainbow Dash, giving her a good shove forward.
“Hey Crash,” she shouted at her as she pushed Rainbow Dash forward, her face landing in the ground at the unexpected shove. Suddenly Lightning was nose to beak with the gryphon.
“Do you have any idea what you just did?” she growled as she put her claws around the pony’s throat. “No one messes with my friend. She’s my dweeb, not yours.” 
“Oh my, I’m so scared. If you’ll excuse me, I’m here to talk to Rainbow Dash, so you can butt out of my business,” Lightning Dust retorted with a raise of her eyebrows. She wasn’t scared of this griffon. Lightning stared her down, the two glaring at one other.
The grip on her neck tightened, and she felt herself choking and gasping for breath.
“Gilda, let her go,” Rainbow Dash said as she stood up dusting herself off.
“But...Rainbow she…” began Gilda giving her a simple look. Man, she just wanted to pummel this little pony into the ground, but she respected Dash, so she just flicked her tail against the dirt as she let out a slightly more threatening roar towards the pony.
“What do you want, Lightning? We all know you were kicked out of the academy. You have no business with me, and if you dare try anything to any of the Wonderbolts to get revenge, I will personally see to it you never fly again.” Rainbow Dash snarled. 
“Nice one, Rainbow Dash. You tell her,” smirked Gilda, giving her friend a wing high five before growling at the other pony.
“You heard her. Now spread those puny little wings of yours and fly away before she changes her mind.” Gilda snarled at Lightning Dust.
Lightning Dust could tell this wasn’t going the way she had hoped. She let out a heavy sigh, and her lips curled downwards, and she pouted in front of her.
“Rainbow...I realize that what I did was wrong. And I know you’ll never be able to forgive me, but I really have changed,” she admitted, her ears drooping to the sides of her face.
“You know, why don’t you try actually telling me the truth. I may actually listen then,” Rainbow Dash retorted, with a slight rise of her eyebrows. She huffed, and gritted her teeth.
“The truth? I am telling the truth. Why would I even bother coming here and asking for help, if I wasn’t sincere?” asked Lightning Dust, scowling and biting her bottom lip. “It pains me to admit it, but I’m in a rough spot. I haven’t been able to do much since the academy. I just need some funds to help get me by. I thought maybe you’d understand,” she explained, as she shifted her forehoof against the ground. She’s never going to believe me...
“Well, maybe if you didn’t endanger the lives of countless ponies by your actions you wouldn’t be in this spot. Lightning...I admired you, even thought you were cool, but then you went and broke a rule of the sky. You endangered others just so you could have fun,” Rainbow Dash said as she sighed. Shaking her head, she looked to Gilda.
“Dude, you mind giving us some space?” asked Rainbow Dash to her partner. This was between her and Lightning, she didn't feel she needed to get Gilda involved in this.
“Yeah...sure,” Gilda said as she backed away from the two of them. She was going to keep her eyes on this traitor. If she dared hurt her pony, she’d pummel her into the ground.
“Why should I help you?” asked Rainbow Dash, raising her eyebrow at Lightning, Rainbow rolled her eyes.	
Lightning Dust sighed. She expected this response. She kept up a brave face though, not about to let it get to her. Rainbow Dash had ruined her reputation, nopony respected her anymore, and she couldn’t even get into most places without being scorned from her past actions. 
“Rainbow Dash, I didn’t come here to cause a fight. I came to talk to you. I need help. If I wasn’t desperate I wouldn’t dare show my face. Especially to you.”
“Watch it, pony, before I give you a fight of my own.” Gilda growled, as she demonstrated with her clawed talons, holding one into a fist, and hitting her hand against it.
“Gilda...back off.” Rainbow Dash warned, as she shook her head. “You want me to help you? Give me one good reason why I should care.”
 	“You’re a good pony, it’s against your morals to leave someone stranded. You might hate me, but would you really leave me to suffer?”
Rainbow Dash thought long and hard about her response. She felt like in the back of her mind, Twilight was doing her “every pony deserves a second chance” speech, but she had to make this decision on her own. Could she really trust Lightning Dust to not do the same things she had done before? She could feel it in her voice: she was at her wits end. Rainbow bit her bottom lip, as she made her decision.
“Maybe...depends on my mood. I still can’t believe the things you did, and now you show up here asking me to help you!” Rainbow Dash groaned. Part of her could see the desperation in her eyes, but the other part of her still held a grudge against Lightning for the things she had done.
She felt a clawed talon on her shoulder. 
“Hey dweeb...maybe you should give her the benefit of the doubt. Just remember us.” Gilda spoke up, as she nuzzled against Rainbow Dash.
“This is different, Gilda. I mean, yeah, you messed up pretty bad when you first came here, but you were just trying to show me how cool you were. I don’t like that you hurt Fluttershy, and made fun of Pinkie, but we’re past that now. This one here...she has done far worse. I don’t know if I can simply forgive her.”
“I’m not asking forgiveness, Rainbow, I just need help to get me by. Just some bits so I can make a new path for myself. I can’t stay in Cloudsdale anymore. I can’t take it,” Lightning Dust sighed as her ears drooped down to her sides and she dug her forehoof into the ground. 
“I’m not giving you anything. You can leave the same way you came. With nothing.” Rainbow Dash snorted, turning so her flank was facing Lightning.
“I should’ve known. Some Wonderbolt you’ll be. Won’t even help an old friend,” she pouted, sulking away from them.
Rainbow ignored her, not about to fall for her gimmicks. This was all just a setup. She was planning something, even if she didn’t know what it was. She wasn’t about to give her anything.
“Fine...I’ll go. But I won’t forget this! I’ll show you. I’ll show you all.” Lightning Dust felt teardrops falling down her face, as she spread out her wings, and  took off into the sky. She felt the guilt weighing on her. If Rainbow Dash wouldn’t help her, no pony would. She’ll regret this...I swear on it. Something that would put her in her place
Gilda spread her wingtips and was about to go after her, when she felt Rainbow Dash putting her foreleg in front of her chest fluff.
“No, Gilda. She left, let it go. I am way better than she’ll ever be, and if we play into her games, we’re letting her win. And we’re too awesome to be losers, right?” she smirked a grin.
“Yeah, you got that right. We’re way too cool for her. She’s so lame.” Gilda said as she folded her wings against her sides, and looked to Rainbow Dash. “Were you really going to rip her wings off? I didn’t think you were so violent. I like it.” she snickered.
“Oh, nawh. I was just messing around. But if she messed with my friends or the Bolts, she would pay.” Rainbow Dash retorted, with a slight snarl of her own. Rainbow Dash was at least glad one problem was out of the way, for now. She had this feeling this wasn’t the end, but if Lightning Dust returned, she’d be ready. There would be no more ponies hurt by her actions. Rainbow Dash would not allow her to harm anyone else as long as she was there to put a stop to it. She never should’ve come here. Not to her turf. She felt Gilda wrapping her strong wing around her, and pulling her close.
“Hey now. None of that. She’s gone now.” Gilda smirked, and teased Rainbow’s feathers with her strong wingtips, caressing over them, but also holding her possessively. “Besides, I believe we were about to enjoy some action.”
“You’re right. I can’t let her get to me. Let’s go fly.” Rainbow Dash smiled back, and nuzzled against Gilda secretly, making quick note that no one was watching her.
Gilda chuckled, and rubbed her fist into Rainbow’s mane teasing her, causing her cheeks to darken, a deep shade of red as bright as a tomato.
“I love you, dweeb. You’re so cute when no one is looking.” she teased her.
“Ssshh! Do you want every pony in town to hear?”
“Maybe...hearing you scream out my name could be fun.” Gilda retorted with a smirk, and a wink. She saw Rainbow Dash’s face getting redder by the minute. Lightning Dust may be a thorn in Rainbow’s side, but as long as Gilda was here, no one would mess with her, she’d make certain of that.
********
Lightning Dust had left Ponyville, glancing back one last time, as a single tear streamed down her face. Biting her lip, she cursed under her breath. 
“You’ll regret this, wingpony. I thought you’d understand,” she whimpered, as she wiped the tear from her face with her forehoof and puffed out her chest. She began walking away from the life she had known. It was her dream to be a Wonderbolt, but that dream seemed to be shrouded by her past, and now there was clearly only one way forward. She had to make her own path, her own future, and with that in mind, she began the long trek forward, knowing in her heart not to rely on any pony but herself. Ponies won’t help you. No one will help you. No pony would give her a second chance to prove herself.
“I wish things could have been different, Rainbow. I thought perhaps. Maybe it was foolish. But I hoped we could have started over again, on a new leaf, but it seems you have moved on without me. It’s time I move on too.”
What future was there for a pony no one trusted, a pony that no one would even give a chance? Her ears drooped to her sides, as she landed in  an empty part of Equestria. She felt the ground shift beneath her hooves. She folded her wings tightly against her body. Looking out to the empty horizon ahead of her, she knew in her heart there was no turning back. There’s no forgiving a pony like me, and if she can’t forgive me, then how can I live with myself?