//------------------------------// // The Speed of Light // Story: FlitterCC-Mod's 30 Minute Ponies Stories // by FlitterCCmod //------------------------------// This is my 10th 30 Minute Ponies prompt, and I would like to thank all who have been reading through them. This one will not be understood unless you have first read The Last Party. Rainbow Dash. That name was legendary. Best Young Flier, former Captain of the Wonderbolts, Element of Loyalty... If only she was still young. She walked through the trophy room of her cloud house, gazing at over a hundred awards she'd acquired over her lifetime. A copy of her Element was even on display in it's own personal case. She walked up to it, pressing a hoof to the cold glass. "Well played, Loyalty," she said quietly. "Pinkie Pie, then Scootaloo. You're making me age slower, aren't you? That's why I got to see them die. Well, I'll have the last laugh. I'll leave a legacy like nopony else. Sonic Rainboom? That's foal's play. I will..." ---------- "You're going to do what?" Twilight exclaimed, though her shocked tone was cut off by a loud cough. A much older Spike (though still not nearly the size of a full-grown dragon) stood beside her, and offered her a cough drop. "I'm going to show light that it can't beat me in a race," Rainbow replied confidently, puffing out her chest in pride. "But... but... Rainbow, the speed of light is 299,792,458 meters a second," Twilight said. "You would be ripped apart, even if it was possible to achieve a speed like that. And, come on, you haven't even done a Rainboom in over two decades. You're not as fit as you once were." "You have that spell you developed, don't you? You said it will give somepony a youthful vigor for about three minutes. That's all the time I need," Rainbow replied. "Rainbow, you'll die!" Twilight protested, as tears began to stream down her face. "I won't cast that spell just to see you fly off and kill yourself! Pinkie's death was hard enough to deal with! I don't want to lose another friend!" "Then I promise not to die. You can trust old Loyalty, can't you?" Rainbow asked, smiling and wiping Twilight's cheek. "I-I- Fine. I'll... I'll cast the charm. Meet me tomorrow morning on the east bridge," Twilight said, as she struggled to calm her emotions. "You're the best, Twi," Rainbow replied, smiling. She walked out the door to prepare herself for what would surely be her greatest feat yet. ---------- Twilight cast a series of spells on Rainbow Dash, as their friends, her old Wonderbolts team, and several fans crowded around on the east bridge of Ponyville. All but Rainbow Dash herself bore worried expressions. "Alright, I've cast a heat protection charm, a friction protection charm, a wind resistance charm, a keen senses charm, a youthful vigor charm, a-" Twilight said, as she stood up after finishing casting. "Yeah, yeah. And how will I know when I've broken light speed?" Rainbow asked, as impatient as ever. "Well, for one, you won't be able to see a thing. The world will go pitch black, but that's what the keen senses charm and the lightning reflexes charms are for. If it works, you shouldn't hit a thing, even if you can't see it with your own eyes," Twilight said. "Now, as for the rest of the world, you can tell them yourself if you- when you land. However, I've also extended a charm that will let loose a gleaming white trail through the sky when you pass the speed of light. That will be the first signal of your accomplishment to everypony. "Great. Then I'm ready to go. I'll see you guys in a minute!" Rainbow declared. Feeling new breath in her lungs and her heart pumping quickly, the rainbow-maned pegasus took to the sky and zoomed off. She realized very quickly how long it had been since she'd flown this fast. It felt good. She let out a joyous "whoop!" and raised her hoof in front of her. A cone of sound formed around her for but a second, before a loud boom was heard throughout Equestria, and a beautiful Rainboom graced the skies. This was not enough for Rainbow Dash. She continued to push herself even after she broke the sound barrier. She had to squint her eyes against the wind, even through the tight goggles she wore and the wind resistance charm. She only had to go about twice as fast as she was now... or maybe three times? She didn't care. Then, without warning, the world went dark. She was certain she'd been struck blind. She flew in complete darkness for about four seconds, before she felt a single sharp pain on her head, and nothing more. ---------- The funeral drew thousands from all over Equestria. The four living Elements of Harmony stood with Spitfire by the closed casket, all barely holding back tears. "I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have agreed," Twilight said, her voice barely a whisper. "But it worked. It worked, sugarcube. She made a record nopony will beat, and ah'll bet she died grinning," Applejack said. "Yes... yes, she did," Twilight agreed.