"Come on Dusty, QUICKLY" shrieked Rainbow Dash from behind the next building over. Lightning Dust was panicking.
How am I supposed to cross when Celestia was right there? I am in way too bad of a condition to be even walking anyways, the medicine hasn't settled. Oh, I wish that fight with Dash hadn't happ- WHOOOOSH!
The building right next to her went up in flames. Celestia had been burning down the city searching for them, right after an emergency evacuation. How will she even get away with this? She didn't have time to answer that. She froze as their pursuer stood right above her. The only thing that went through Lightning Dust's mind was 'I am SOOOO dead.'
"Well well, look who it is: the ever so pitiful Lightning Dust. You weren't good enough to join the Wonderbolts, so why do you still try? Wasn't that your only goal in life? The one purpose you served, all tossed in the trash by your "friend" Rainbow Dash. How does th-"
"YAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Rainbow Dash jumped at Celestia with unimaginable speed. Bling. A forcefield appeared around Celestia, but the force was enough stun her for a second. She stumbled to the ground, obviously feeling the after effects of the kick.
This is my chance! Lightning Dust bolted from the scene, Rainbow Dash bringing up the rear. They soon reached the port of Cloudsdale, pegasi were still bringing in and shipping out goods to and fro the floating city. But Lightning Dust was in an unbearable amount of pain at this point. If she had to run for much longer, she would drop. If she flew, the medicine wouldn't settle right, and she would be permanently disabled.
All of a sudden, her feet were no longer on the ground. She wasn't flying, but she was one-hundred percent airborne. She looked back. To her surprise, Rainbow Dash had come from behind and picked her up.
Then it hit her. One of Celestia's magical fireballs landed on Lightning Dust's coat. "AHHHH," she yelped. Luckily, the wind that was passing by them - because of Rainbow Dash's immense speed - extinguished the fire, but not before it singed of some of her coat. There was a burnt spot on her left backside; right where her cutie mark should be.
They were headed for a large supply barge bringing in loads of food. Instantly, Lightning Dust knew that's where Rainbow Dash was headed for. The question was; how far behind was Celestia? If they could get there before Celestia realizes where we were, they would be home free. Lightning Dust wouldn't dare look back.
They reached the barge and found a way under the deck. Rainbow Dash was panting heavily, wheezing in between.
She was obviously under so much more stress than Lightning Dust, she could pass out at any second. Having to carry both of their weights and flying at that speed, Lightning was surprised that she didn't just topple over. No wonder she got the spot over me...
"Oh giiiiirls? Come out, come out wherever you arrrre." Celestia's voice rang through their ears, seemingly luring them to her. Lightning starts walking toward the opening of which she entered...
STOP! It's obviously her magic that's trying to bring us out of here. Wait... that means we're safe if we stay put, she clearly doesn't know where we are. "Rainbow Dash, we just have to stay..."
That's when she looked at where Rainbow Dash previously was. Gone. "NO!" She searched the cabin, but she knew what happened to Rainbow Dash: she went towards Celestia. Whatever is going to happen to her, it won't be pretty. After waiting for what seemed like hours, Rainbow Dash finally came back. "RAINBOWWWW!!!! How was it? Are you injured?"
"Lightning Dust, you knew I'd be fine," Rainbow Dash said confidently. "I'm not really sure how I got up there in the first place... But once I did, I gave her a pounding she'll never forget. But Celestia did say one thing: 'Two pegasi will combine for great power, but this creation decides the death hour.' What do you think that means? Meh, it's probably just to freak us out."
"Yeah, we're gonna be fine," Lightning Dust said, but she didn't mean what she said. That sounded like a threat and a prophecy at the same time. If only she knew what that meant... "So what does this mean for us?"
"Well it looks like Celestia is finally gone. What do you think got into her?" contemplated Rainbow Dash.
"Well I don't know anything about the Princess, was she always like this?"
"Not at all, actually, She was always so nice and caring, especially towards Twilight. I don't see any reason why she went all berserk mode," stated Rainbow Dash. "Maybe something went wrong in one of her spells or something. Or it could be something like Nightmare Moon where her soul got possessed. Or maybe... maybe she just went crazy." It made Rainbow's brain hurt just thinking about it.
"So what should we do now?" Lightning Dust implied.
"Well, I definitely need to go home, STAT. Twilight needs to hear about this." Rainbow Dash got into her takeoff position.
"WAIT, what about me?" Lightning Dust knew Rainbow Dash wouldn't leave her - she was the pony that represents the Element of Harmony of loyalty - but Lightning Dust got nervous.
"Oh yeah-" Rainbow Dash took a second to clear her throat "-WHAT WAS THAT BACK THERE?!? I thought you were as fast as man, more nonetheless able to fly. Where was that speed you put effort at camp?" Rainbow Dash sounded enraged and derogatory.
"Dash, you were the one that injured me in the first place," Lightning Dust retaliated. "If it wasn't for you, I would have been out of here already and on the Wonderbolts." What has gotten into her, Lightning thought. One second completely cool, and she's blowing fumes all over the place.
"Well where was that daredevil feeling you had at camp. You were always so willing to do whatever you could to make that team, but where was it here? Nowhere. If it wasn't for me you would've been dead. You've changed Lightning Dust, and I'm going to make sure you aren't a Wonderbolt until you show me some confidence and true speed. Talk to me when you get faster." Off she went, into the endless night sky, leaving behind not only a trail of rainbows, but a heartbroken Lightning Dust as well.
Everything I ever dreamed of, now unachievable. My hometown and Equestria's most important weather factories, up in flames. And now, the only friend I ever had, gone like the wind. And it's all...my...fault... And down came the tears, out like a waterfall.
"FOOD SHIPMENT BOAT NOW LEAVING DOCK," came a voice from outside, but Lightning Dust didn't notice the ship was leaving until there was a strong lurch from the boat that sent her to the other side of the barge, creating a crater in her side once more. She landed on the wood floor with a soft thud. The gripe she felt from the new bruise in her side just made her cry harder. Not to mention the devastation she was facing from all the events that transpired that day. Luckily, the captain of the ship was sound asleep, letting the pegasi below her do the work, therefore not being able to hear the bellows of sobbing that came from the dejected pony. She eventually cried herself to sleep that night, leaving not only a puddle of tears, but everything she believed in.
BANG BANG BANG. "Ohhhhhh," groaned Twilight Sparkle as she awakened from her slumber. She HAD to get her sleep tonight, if she was at all tired, training was going to be much more taxing on her, not to mention her master would be ticked off.
"TWILIGHT OPEN UP!" insisted Rainbow Dash. She didn't care how much suffering and sleep deprivation she was facing, this had to be told to SOMEBODY.
The door opened up with a slight creek as a few strands of light peeked through the hole. "Who is it," said Twilight flatly.
"It's me, Rainbow Dash, and this is 120% urgent." Rainbow plowed through the door, practically knocking it off the hinges. "As you know, I was previously in Cloudsdale on private business. Well, I found the person I was looking for, Lightning Dust-" Twilight gasped "-and she was really mad at me for some reason, and we had a bit of a fight, but in the end I landed a hard kick that broke one of her ribs." Rainbow Dash bucked at the air; for demonstration. "After that, she was chill, but then Celestia came through the door and lectured us about fighting in the streets, and how about she had to evacuate the city because of us. I then made a remark I probably shouldn't have: 'Well if it was for sparky over here, nothing would've happened.' That's when things went absolutely crazy. Her horn started glowing so much, I could feel the heat. We then proceeded to get the heck out of there. Next thing we knew, the hospital was up in flames." Rainbow Dash then told the rest of the tale, which you've already read.
"So you just left an injured pegasus with no hopes, no friends, and an inability to fly?" inferred Twilight.
"She was no good. If you weren't listening, she couldn't do anything, I had to help her to safety. If it weren't for m-" Twilight's hoof connected with Rainbow's jaw, leaving it hanging in agony to suffer.
"Um, okay. OWWWWWWWWW!!!! What was that for?" Rainbow Dash rubbed the hoof mark on cheek, now being the second time in two days that somebody has hit that same spot.
"I expected more from you!" Twilight asserted. "To leave a poor pony there with nobody to help her, how could you?"
"What do you mean?" said Rainbow Dash, now coming to her senses.
"You told me you left Lightning Dust on a boat shipping food to Cloudsdale, after telling her off," Twilight restated.
"WHAT! I couldn't have... I had finally gained her trust..." Rainbow Dash immediately felt guilt in her stomach. "She must be in horrible condition. What if her wing never heals? What if she doesn't trust me anymore? How could I have done that?" Rainbow Dash flew through the door, leaving Twilight to bite the dust.
*HECK HECK,* "What a dirtbag," Twilight stated. "Wait... no she's not... she just didn't... make-" Twilight grasped her temples "-the right... CHOIIIIICE!!" Twilight felt her mind being overcome by what she could only describe as pure rage. "Get out of my HEAD!!!" she sent up as many defensive spells to protect her mind as ponily possible. She could hear a faint voice in her head. She could only make out the last four words it spoke: '...rage will consume ALL!' Twilight blacked out.
Rainbow Dash did control all airspace in Ponyville, so she knew she would see the barge in a few moments. There were many instances where a 'shipment' came in to the small village without notifying Rainbow Dash, and all of them have had things many ponies would not even consider having. The amount is quite surprising, but Ponyville is a nice rest stop for carriers that travel long distances. But if they did not foretell Rainbow Dash of their coming, Celestia had to be called upon, and many legal things came up, so Rainbow Dash hoped they weren't on a barge filled with illegal supplements.
After waiting on her rump until it fell asleep - that weird pins and needles feeling - she saw the light flashes in the sky; three bright, and one dim so that only Rainbow Dash knew it was there. Her castle of a house in the sky was perfect for receiving these signals - and for waiting for them - because of the way it was made. If her mother hadn't gathered all these clouds for it, Rainbow Dash wouldn't have a stationary home, and be stuck with that tree branch in the park, just a short walk away from the Everfree Forest.
Rainbow Dash descended below to the cold earthy soil where these types of things had been landing ever since the system started. As soon as the barge came to a slow stop, Rainbow Dash bolted inside to the spot where they hid from Celestia. Lightning Dust was sound asleep, but not for long. "LIGHTNING!" Rainbow Dash screamed, tears streaming down her face like rivers going through the land. "Oh my gosh, I am SOOOOO sorry for what happened at Cloudsdale, I have no idea what got into me. Whatever I said, I swear I didn't mean at all. Do you forgive me?" Rainbow Dash had gotten her attention.
"Oh my gosh... OF COURSE!! I thought my life was ruined. Thank you," and with that, she zoomed off into the sky with such speed, it was hard to see her, you could only see the trail in the shape of a lightning bolt. She went so high, her shape completely disappeared; until she came back down. In a rapid nose dive - the same way Rainbow Dash performed her Sonic Rainboom. Lightning Dust came towards the ground at terminal velocity, and Rainbow Dash got scared. Was she going to make it? Then, out of the dark sky, there was a flash of yellow lightning, streaking a mile wide across the night sky, illuminating all of Ponyville, followed by a thunderous BOOOOOOOOOOOM. Lightning Dust pulled up and headed straight for Rainbow Dash's house. Rainbow Dash following in quick succession.
"That... was ... AWESOME!!! How did you pull it off?" Rainbow Dash was eager to listen, she was curious to see if it was in any way similar to her signature move.
*Huff... huff* Lightning Dust explained in between breaths, "I have... no idea... never gone that... fast in my... life..."
"What would you call it?" Rainbow Dash asked intently.
Lightning Dust finally caught her breath, "I believe it was a Sonic Lightboom, but I think the only time I performed one was as a filly. Not many people - including myself - believed it was true; but there it was, living proof." Lightning Dust was still facing the shock of.
"I do something similar to yours," Rainbow Dash told the exhausted pegasus, "but I call mine a Sonic Rainboom, and I only can do it once I reach my highest speed in a nose dive."
"Well I know one thing for sure, we are like family to each other, and let's keep it that way. Truce?" Lightning Dust spit on her hoof and held it out towards Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash did likewise and answered, "Truce."
And with that the two ponies ventured inside, wiped out from the days events. Little did they know, they had a spectator for their little performance. "So they finally met, huh." The pony ruffled her wings and made herself comfortable. "Celestia always said they would, but I never believed her. I tried my best to keep this dynamic duo apart, but destiny always wins doesn't it." The mysterious pony let out a long sigh, "Now it is time for them to see if they can handle the true meaning of their lives."
Celestia paced anxiously back and forth in front of her sister; currently going through all of her subjects' dreams. "Well," Celestia requested, "did you find theirs yet?"
"Patience, sister," said Luna insistently. "Finding one or two specific persons' dreams takes time. At first, I do not even know who is hosting the dream. But, I searched through all of Ponyville for those two, so they probably are currently awake."
"It seems we must use a different method to find those troublemakers." Celestia lit her horn and brought forward a piece of paper and a pen to her face and scribbled down some words. "Do you remember the multiplying spell again?"
Luna searched her memory banks for the answer. "Not currently, sister. What would you need that for?"
"Don't worry, I remember now." Her horn flashed a shade brighter, and instantly there was a stack of papers, about the height of a hoof. "COURIER!" A bright blue pegasus instantly showed before the Princess. "Take this stack of papers and drop them around Equestria." Celestia split the stack in half and shoved them in the courier's saddlebags.
"Yes Princess," replied the courier, bowing before flying off into the night.
"That should get them here by tomorrow. Hopefully the world won't end before they get here." Celestia slacked a bit in her throne, but still she felt horrible for sending off those papers. "No," she snapped at herself, "it must happen...
"If only there was some other way to fend off that creature."