Chapter 3: Las Pegasus
The train pulled into the station at 5 in the morning on a Saturday. It slowed to a crawl and finally a complete stop, steam bellowed from underneath the iron horse as it stopped. The train let out a loud bellow and a sharp whistle to let everyone know it had stopped. Slowly ponies began filing off the train, many were already tipsy from the train ride and other were just flat out tired.
The Mane Six hopped off the train after everyone else and began taking in their surroundings. The city of Las Pegasus was one of the largest in Equestria, the tall towers and bright lights covered the desert landscape. Even this early, the streets were busy, the Six could see all manner of ponies walking along the sidewalks. Far in the distance they could see a high tower, this was where they’d be staying for the next week, Giovani Tower, the second highest tower in Equestria.
Before they could do anything, Rainbow flew into the air, “I’ll see you guys at our suite, I gotta go find that Pegasus.”
“Wait Dash! Do you even know this ponies name?” Twighlight asked.
“I think its Lightning something or other. Idk, but I know where he lives and that’s all that matters.” And with that, Rainbow Dash flew off towards her destination
The other ponies just sighed at their friend’s rashness and went off towards their destination. Spike followed close behind with their luggage.
Rainbow Dash rocketed through the streets, only stopping to ask for a Pegasus named Lightning. Everyone knew the pony, but no one Dash asked could tell her where he lived. She kept flying around the city, asking everyone she met about Lightning, but either they didn’t know, or didn’t want to talk, Dash couldn’t tell which it was most of the time. Finally, after what seemed like forever (although it had only been 30 minutes), Dash met a pony who told her where the pony she was looking for lived.
Dash rocketed towards the pony’s home. This was her chance to prove she was the best flier in Equestria, all she had to do was beat this other pony in some sort of contest, and then everyone would know she was the best of the best.
Rainbow flew into the neighborhood this pony’s apartment was supposed to be in, the whole place smelled awful and was the dirtiest she had ever seen. “Jeez, one of the best fliers in Equestria lives in this dumpy neighborhood?”
Dash reached the small apartment she was told Lightning lived in, it was worse than the rest of the buildings in this neighborhood. She went into the apartment and strolled up to the pony behind a small desk.
“Um…excuse me?”
The pony behind the desk didn’t look up. She had a cigarette in her mouth and her hair was grayish red and in a bun. She had a pair of red glasses with purple polka dots and a thin chain on it wrapping around the back of her neck.
“You know smoking is bad for you, right?
The pony behind the desk slowly looked up from her magazine, “You know my motha lived to be a hundred years old.”
“By smoking?
“By mindin’ her damn business. Now whadya want kid?”
“Um…I was wondering if you could tell me what room a Pegasus named Lightning lived in?
“You know what time it is kid?”
“um…”
“It’s so late it’s tomorrow! And you wanna bother me while I’m working this late fer that?”
“Sorry, but I need to find him!” Rainbow Dash was getting annoyed by this ladies nerve and didn’t want to waste time talking.
“Fine kid.” The pony slowly set her magazine down and lowly pulled out a ledger of all the ponies staying in her apartment and began to thumb through it. “The only pony wit’ th’ name Lightning is Lightning Bolt, good kid. He lives in apartment numbah 420 on the 18th floor.”
“Thank you ma’am!” Rainbow quickly shot to the elevator, but a sign said “out of order”
“Aw man!” So instead Dash shot up the stairs towards the 18th floor, which she reached in an instant, and began her search for the number 420.
She began down the hallway to her destination. Water was dripping from the ceiling into a puddle in the hall with a “wet
floor” sign next to it. One door was ripped off its hinges and cracked in half. One pony was lying in the hallway with a bottle of hard cider out cold. “This place was a dump!” Dash thought to herself.
Rainbow made her way down the hallway until she made it to room 420. She slowly reached up and knocked lightly….No answer. She knocked again, this time louder, again, no answer. Dash began banging on the door, “Why aren’t they answering!”
Finally after a few minutes of banging she heard the sound of several locks being unlocked. Slowly the door opened; behind it was a white unicorn with a gray mane.
“Can I help you?” asked the unicorn.
“Yeah, Is Lightning Bolt here?”
“Yeah…why?”
“I need to talk to him about something.”
“Sorry, but I don’t think that’d be a good idea…”
“And just why not?!” Rainbow Dash didn’t like this pony’s attitude, who did he think he was?
“Because it’s 5:36 in the morning and Lightning is trying to sleep.”
“He can sleep when he’s dead!” Dash barged past the unicorn pony and began searching around for Lightning.
“Hey! What are you doing?!”
“Looking for Lighting, duh.” Dash reached a door that had a sign saying “Lightning’s room” and opened the door. “Finally, I’ve found you.”
Slowly Dash went inside, it was dark, but she could make out the shape of a pony sitting upright on the bed. She began to approach the pony but stopped; something wasn’t right. This pony, something was just…wrong about him.
“Um…ex-excuse me?” Dash choked on her words, she had trouble with speaking for some reason. The atmosphere in the room paralyzed her.
The pony looked up from staring at his hooves and stared at Rainbow Dash. There was a strange look in his eyes; he looked as if he lost something, something important.
Dash didn’t say anything more. An eerie silence blanketed the room as the pony got up from his bed. It was too dark to see clearly, but something was definitely not right. The pony came closer, the silence grew more intense.
“Hello, my name is Lightning Bolt. You must be Rainbow Dash, I’ve always wanted to meet you. They say you are one of the best fliers in Equestria.”
Lightning Bolt walked closer. As he stepped into the light Rainbow could clearly see him. Lightning Bolt had no wings.