Bolt

by InsignificantGryffindor


The Destruction

Her cold black gaze flickered over the crumbling arena, indifferent to the cries of horror. Explosions ripped through the hot air, causing many to scream in terror and pain. She watched absent-mindedly when another column of stone fell on the fake grass of the arena, ears twitching when she heard the sirens of distant ambulances wail. She sighed, bored now that the explosions had stopped. Then, with a joyous gasp, she watched as the last explosion rattled the air, causing another wave of yells. She chuckled.
A sudden flapping of wings roused her. Looking up, she saw an aquamarine mare hovering next to her. She smiled in greeting. "Good afternoon, Lightning Dust. Would you like to see the fireworks?" She asked casually. She patted down the soft cloud she was lying on.
Lightning Dust gave her a confused glance, before laying beside her. "What did you need me for, Nightshade?"
Nightshade sighed with content. "I wanted to show you your good work. And it is excellent work indeed!" She gestured with a hoof to the destroyed arena, the screams still a prominent sound amongst the fires.
Lightning Dust turned her golden gaze towards the broken arena. "But Ember Skies placed the bombs... I-I didn't-"
"No, no, no, dear! Don't be so modest. We're a team now- more like a family, really- if one is stealthy enough to get inside such a heavily guarded stadium such as this, they deserve praise, don't they?" Lightning Dust fell silent at her soft, accented voice. She watched as the fires spread, causing smoke to succumb the oblong stadium.
Nightshade returned her eyes to the arena, the black depths illuminated by the fires. "To break into an arena is not a small accomplishment, ma chérie. You and your teammates have done wonderfully." She chuckled. "Just look at the chaos you have caused. And soon they will truly know of us and of our power. They will tremble and fall at our hooves." She simply stated, as if it were inevitable.
Lightning Dust felt the hatred reawaken within her chest as she saw the shadows of pegasus ponies darting about in the smoke covered stadium. No doubt they were the Wonderbolts, scrambling to save as many lives as they can. She could imagine their panicked frenzy as they searched for the broken bodies of their teammates. They had no control over this firey horror. They were the ones who took her power, and now she was taking theirs.
Silently, she got up off the comfortable cloud. She gave Nightshade a determined look. "I have to do something." Nightshade nodded, eyes still on the destruction.
With that, she glided downwards, into the thick black smoke.

*

*

Rainbow Dash's eyes flew open. Surrounding the mare was nothing but thick black smoke. She sucked in the stuffy, hot air and started to cough uncontrollably. Her eyes watered, stinging under the harsh smoke that emitted from the scorching fires. Her goggles were gone. She struggled to stand up, still coughing. Her hooves shook underneath her own weight, but she still stood, refusing to fall. She shook her head, hoping to get rid of the loud ringing in her ears.
Her mind was rattled. It was filled to the brim with emotions and thoughts. But one thought stood out most. An explosion had happened, and ponies were in danger.
She forced her wings to snap open, her left wing burning from the sudden impact that occurred when the explosions started. She groaned, but did not let the pain stop her from catching the air and looking for survivors.
Her eyes scoured the scorched grounds, searching for the bright blue suits of her teammates. When the ringing subsided, she could hear the cries of horror.
Her heart rate sped up as the cries became louder. She hovered above the scorched grass of the arena, trying to pick out individual voices amongst the coarse shouts. Finally, with a cry of frustration, Rainbow Dash called out, "Soarin'? Spitfire!"
No familiar voices answered her call. Instead, a new fleet of anguished cries erupted, making it impossible to decipher any of them. One cry for help stood out the most. A particularly youthful scream was heard amongst the tumbling rocks. Rainbow Dash turned, facing the stone pile in which the scream was heard. She dug through, her soot-covered hooves grating against hard concrete. "Don't worry! I'm coming!" She called out to the voice.
"Hurry!" Cried the voice. She grunted as she pushed one hefty rock past, and gasped as she saw the young filly. She was roughly six-years-old, her young gaze saddened and scared. Her pleading voice whimpered, "Help me, please."
Rainbow Dash lifted the little filly onto her back, instructing her to hold on. She lifted off, going at phenomenal speeds, feeling the filly clutch her tightly. She soared over the arena, to be met with the sight of ambulances surrounding the stadium. She swooped down, making sure she didn't fall off, and landed on the hard concrete. A nearby gurney stood unattended. She lay the filly on the gurney. "Don't worry, someone will be here soon." She reassured the filly.
The small filly nodded, her fearful gray eyes downcast. Rainbow Dash lifted off, heading towards the smoky arena. She flew past the cover of smoke, coughing again, and listened for the cries of her teammates. "Misty?" She called out. "Breeze! Where are you?"
More yells responded to her cries, making her look around the arena. Everything was covered in the thick smoke. She growled in frustration. "Where is everybody?"
"Help!" Her head whipped around, seeing a buff pegasus stallion clutching a mare. She galloped towards him, seeing his panicked gaze. "Don't worry, she just needs to get out of here! Fly over the arena and go to the paramedics!" She urged him.
The pegasus stallion nodded immediately, but when he flared out his lilac wings, he cried out in pain. "My wing is broken!" He yelled, panic rising his voice. He coughed fitfully, perhaps suffering from smoke inhalation.
Rainbow Dash groaned, thinking hard. What would Twilight do?
Then with a flash, Rainbow Dash lifted the mare onto the stallion's shoulders. "Come on!" She cried, fighting off her urge to cough. She guided the stallion through the smoke, looking for a small exit. Smoke blanketed everything, but eventually they found a small opening in the wall. "Get out of here!" She pushed them in whilst hacking.
Stumbling, she made her way down what was left of the stairs, still desperately searching for her comrades. "Soarin'!" She cried. Nothing was heard besides the anguished screams. She felt her heart drop. What if she saw her teammates dead? She shook her head. No! You gotta be strong! These ponies need you!
She flew up once more, out of the smoke clouds and above the arena. She was surprised to see Pegasi gathered there. Many of them were handling storm clouds, others were hovering above, eyes widened as they looked upon the destroyed arena. The Pegasi struck the clouds, rain sprouting from their dark bottoms. Rainbow Dash directed her gaze to the Pegasi that flitted about. "Come on! We have to help them!" They seemed to shake out of their reverie, and soon they were falling through the smoke clouds again. She now ignored the coughing fits that she went into, she was too focused on saving everypony. The group of Pegasi split up, Rainbow Dash landing amongst the destroyed stands. Most survivors have left already, heading towards the emergency exits, but Rainbow Dash was sure she still heard yells. The closest one heard was a coughing fit from two ponies. She slowly approached the sound, trying to locate it. The smoke was starting to clear, thanks to the weather ponies. The stinging in her eyes lessened as she looked for the coughing pony. "H-help us." A feeble call sounded from a nearby pretzel stand. She saw a mother and her colt clutching each other, eyes terrified. She tried to smile comfortingly, but her rough throat caused her to erupt into another coughing fit. "I'm coming." She said, taking a step towards the family.
"Oh, Rainbow Dash. You always loved saving everypony." A snide voice called from above her. She looked up in astonishment, seeing a shadowy figure fall from the beams, a flashy white grin donning their turquoise face. She gasped. "L-Lightning Dust? What are you doing here? Wearing...?" Her eyes looked in shock at her former friend, who was now proudly wearing a Shadowbolt uniform.
Lightning Dust glared at her. "What do you think I'm doing here Rainbow Dash? You humiliated me! I was supposed to be the one who won that race, not you!" She yelled, eyes flashing with newfound hatred.
Rainbow Dash met her gaze. "I won that race fair and square, and you know it! But that's not the point!" She pounded her hoof into the stone ground, anger burning. "You shouldn't be wearing that uniform, Lightning Dust. The Shadowbolts are dangerous and manipulative!"
Lightning Dust laughed in response. "I already know that. Why the hell do you think I joined?" Suddenly, she fell to the ground, sliding her hoof across the floor and tripping the young Wonderbolt. Rainbow Dash cried out in surprise as she hit the ground. She felt a pang of pain in her back. Normally, she wouldn't fight her former friends, but she could make an exception. Growling, she stood up, violet eyes meeting golden ones. She moved quickly, flashing out her wings and speeding around the aqua-colored mare. She kicked out with all four legs, causing Lightning Dust to slide across the hard stone floor. The mother and son watched in fear as the two mares faced each other again.
Rainbow Dash stood in a fighting stance, ready to attack with all of her ferocity. Lightning Dust snorted, lightly brushing her hoof against the ground, raising up dust. She charged, opening her wings and landing behind the rainbow mare. Rainbow Dash spun around, but not quick enough. A black leather clad hoof struck her cheek, making the opposite mare cry out in pain. She fell back, but landed on her hooves, fury pulsing through her. "What happened to you?" She asked the mare facing her.
Lightning Dust smirked. "You know something, Rainbow Dash? Everything that happened to me was a direct result from you." She lashed out, trying to kick the cyan mare in the ribs. Rainbow Dash slid right, avoiding the kick, and bucked her hindlegs, hitting the aquamarine mare in the leg. With a cry of surprise, Lightning Dust fell on her back, looking at Rainbow Dash with mingled shock and hatred. She struggled to stand up, but her leg wouldn't support her weight.
Rainbow Dash looked at her with concern. "Let me help you." She held out her hoof.
Her golden glare pierced her heart. "I don't think so." She jabbed her chest with her good hoof, making her fall backwards. Rainbow Dash fell on the ground, groaning in pain. She clutched her chest, her leery gaze glaring at the Shadowbolt above her.
Lightning Dust sighed, pity flashing in her gold eyes. "How I wish I could kill you, Rainbow Dash. But I need you to deliver a message. No doubt the press will want the rookie to tell everything about your encounter here. So, I need you to tell the press that we will return. The shadows will return. They will be feared. They will be loved. They will be victorious. No matter what you do, the shadows will prevail."
A loud crack resonated throughout the arena. The mother and child cried out in fear. Lightning Dust looked up. "Looks like that's my cue." She lifted up, giving Rainbow Dash a sinful grin. "Later, Rainbow Crash." She flew upwards and out of the arena, disappearing.
Rainbow Dash stood up, gaping at the long crack that spread on the stone ground before her. She gave the two ponies a desperate glance. "We have to get out of here!"
She grabbed the two, both crying out in fear as the cracks widened. They sped along the plastic seats, the ones they passed falling into the wide crack that was pursuing them. Rainbow Dash huffed along, her lungs feeling heavy and exhausted. She urged the mother and son to go faster as they stumbled down the stairs. They turned right, facing a large exit. She sighed with relief, pulling the two down the long hallway. Her sigh caught in her throat as she saw the concrete ceiling begin to crack. "Hurry!" She yelled, trying to be heard over the rumbling arena. They sped up, entering a long stairway. They quickly staggered down the cracked stairs, breath hitching everytime a step fell away. Continuing on, they listened intently as the cracks suddenly stopped.
The mare, a red-orange pony with a curly white mane stopped. "Why did they stop?"
Rainbow Dash grabbed her hoof and forced her to continue down the stairs. "We have to keep on going. This place is going to fall down on us!"
Finally they reached the bottom, the wide entrance empty. They pushed past the turnstyles and galloped out, eyes wide and bodies covered in ash. Rainbow Dash eyes darted around searching for her teammates, a flash of relief filling her body as she saw Spitfire sitting alone by some ambulances. Her face was hidden. "Spitfire!" She called out, happiness sweeping through her. She approached her, an ashy grin on her face. "Where are the others?" Confusion laced her rough voice.
Spitfire looked up, worry contorting her face. She shook her head, hooves clutching her temples. Rainbow Dash's grin fell and she felt horror sweep her stomach. She turned around, wings unfurling and a determined look set on her face. She lifted off, only to have her tail tugged back. She whipped around, ready to strike at anyone who was stopping her, and saw a unicorn paramedic with worry in his purple eyes. She didn't strike him, but still struggled against his telekinetic bond. "Let go of me! I need to save my teammates!"
The paramedic pulled her down. "Ma'am. We need to help you, you have inhaled too much smoke." Rainbow Dash fought against him, trying to fight past his strong magical aura.
"Let me go! They need my help!" She felt hooves tug at her arms, and saw more paramedics surrounding her. She fought them, wings beating furiously through the air. She wheezed. The paramedics pulled her down onto the gurney, their voices blurred. Her throat constricted as she entered another coughing fit. Small specks of blood splattered onto her hooves as she looked on in horror. She continued to struggle, but her movements were weaker. "I got to..." She wheezed, her voice growing weaker. "My teammates."
Her last vision was the great stadium falling, before the doors of the ambulance closed.