//------------------------------//
// A Conflict of Deams 
// Story: Lightning's Bolt 
// by PaulAsaran 
//------------------------------//

	Hearts and Hooves Day had never held any special significance for Lightning, so she didn’t care that she was working. She did care that she was working with Rainbow Dash. This time literally; the weather team captain had decided to pair up with her for the day. She seemed to be doing it once every four or five shifts, just to make sure Lightning was ‘behaving’.

If Lightning didn’t need the job, she’d have bucked the color out of that pony’s rainbow by now! She was team captain, surely she could have abused the rank and taken off for the holiday…even if it was a pointless holiday.

Lightning and Keen had lived in Ponyville for nearly three weeks now. Keen seemed happy, at the very least. Being foalsat by Fluttershy was the highlight of the filly’s day, and she went to Twilight’s three times a week now for a little magic training. She was already lifting small objects with ease, and now she was trying to learn to write. Lightning had never thought of it before, but apparently the fine control needed to write with magic was a big step for little unicorns.

But Lightning wasn’t at all happy. Her job was hardly satisfying; every time she tried to improve her standing and impress, it backfired. Rainbow was constantly nagging her to slow down and be a ‘team player’, a phrase that had quickly grown tiring. She wanted to get the job done in her own way – Rainbow did that for her shifts, so why couldn’t Lightning? The mere thought of it raised her hackles.

The worst moment had been at the end of the first week, when Lightning had tried to prove herself to the damned pegasus by challenging her to a cloudbusting race. She knew the weather team captain wouldn’t ignore a challenge, and had thought that she might at least win some respect out of it. But when she’d tried to fly at her best she felt an unfamiliar tug on her side and had known she was straining that one weak muscle. She could still move far faster than almost anypony else in the skies…but Rainbow had made her look like a snail.

Not only had she been humiliated, but now Rainbow was on her even more! It was all bull; she was just using Lightning’s weak wing as another excuse to ride her rump harder and get in a few more lectures.

Lightning hated that pegasus. Passionately.

But work was only one part of her daily frustrations. Keen was still scared of her own shadow, and every day Lightning was more and more frustrated with her. More than once she considered snapping at the filly and telling her to grow some guts, and every time she barely managed to hold it in.

And she was coming to learn that Keen really was a smart filly. She’d already read through the half-dozen books Twilight had let her borrow, and was now going through a magic textbook. It was strange, though; she could plow through pages in a way that staggered Lightning, yet in her regular chatter she didn’t seem any smarter than any other filly her age. More mature, yes, but not necessarily smarter.

Maybe Lightning had it wrong. Maybe being able to read didn’t equate to smarts. It was confusing, to say the least. Regardless, her little reading gift made Lightning uncomfortable.

But the worst part? Keen loved visiting with Fluttershy. She loved it. She seemed okay when she was with Lightning, but she was always happy – even excited – to go to that cottage. It made Lightning  feel…underappreciated.

As she busted her way through a particularly thick cloud, she realized that she hadn’t heard Rainbow gripe at her for at least a minute. She came out of the cloud and paused to look around. There were still lots of clouds up there. Too many; her unwelcome flight partner was gone.

Part of her wanted to rejoice, but she forced the temptation down in case her nemesis was watching from some hidden spot. Instead, she flew in ever-widening circles, eyes roaming about for any sign of that rainbow-maned jerk. If she didn’t at least take a look around she might get accused of leaving her partner behind, and that was a headache she didn’t care to have.

It didn’t take long to spot Rainbow. She was hovering just above the road, talking to a white-coated and blonde-maned Earth pony stallion.

Lightning was anything but lazy. Being a hard worker was perhaps the one thing Rainbow had never lectured her on. As such, seeing her slacking off to chat made Lightning’s blood boil, for she just knew that if she’d tried to do that she’d have a fire lit under her butt in no time! She flew a little closer, hiding behind a cloud to get better look.

She recognized the stallion Rainbow was talking to. He’d helped her in the Crystal Empire! He was one of those brothers. She’d met Jimmy a couple weeks back, so that made this one…Nye? That was it, Nye Stone. Kinda chubby, nothing worth writing home about. Rumor had it he was a determined tail-chaser, too.

Lightning found herself chuckling. It was Hearts and Hooves Day. What if he was asking Rainbow out? She couldn’t imagine any mare being interested, but for some reason it still struck her as amusing.

She realized that if she let them talk for too long she’d probably get blamed; Rainbow would say she hadn’t intervened, or something of that sort. This in mind, she backed up a ways and flew through the cloud, effectively popping it, and zipped down to hover a few dozen feet above the two ponies. “Hey Rainbow! Stop talking to your colt-friend and get up here! These clouds won’t bust themselves.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” Rainbow called with a wave of her hoof. “Good luck, Nye!”

“Don’t need it!” he shouted as the blue pegasus zipped past Lightning, who followed as quick as she could.

“What was that all about?” she asked as she caught up.

“Nothin’,” Rainbow replied quickly, leading the way to a particularly thick group of clouds.

Lightning grinned. “Did he ask you to be his special somepony?”

“Not this time.” They began to gather the clouds together in a large mass.

Lightning raised an eyebrow and took a closer look at her flight partner. “You sound almost disappointed.”

“What, me?” Rainbow laughed. “Like I have time for a colt-friend! I’m too busy being awesome.”

“Awesome my tail,” Lightning grumbled as they hit the clouds at once, their combined attack wiping out the majority of the fluffy object.

Then Rainbow did something unexpected: she kept talking. “It’s just that he does the same thing every year. He’ll go to every available mare in Ponyville with a box of chocolates lookin’ for a date. He never asks me. I sorta feel left out, y’know?”

“Aawww.” Lightning grinned from over a cloud just before giving it a good whack. “Is the awesome Rainbow Dash not feeling pretty?”

“Sh-shut up!” Rainbow zipped past her to bust several clouds in a row. “I don’t see anypony asking you out!”

Lightning chuckled and gave chase. “Did I touch a nerve? Sorry. If ya wanna date him, just say so.”

Her leadpony stuck out her tongue and made a disgusted sound. “Are you kidding? Nye’s like my best friend! Ya don’t date your best friend.”

That knocked Lightning’s prepared tease completely off her lips. “Best friend? That guy? What could he possibly—?” Rainbow flew a sharp circle and stopped right in front of Lightning, who had to flap hard to keep from ramming her. The weather team captain had her locked with a hard glare.

“Do not insult him,” Rainbow snapped. “That guy saved my life. You mess with him and you mess with me.”

Lightning flew back a little and raised her hooves. “Whoa, easy. Ya don’t have ta get all dark and stormy on me!” But then Rainbow’s words really hit her. “Wait, he saved your life? Seriously? How?”

“You don’t need to know that,” Rainbow replied, turning away with a jerk. “Just don’t pick on him, ya got me?”

Lightning stared as she flew off, trying to process what she’d just heard. “Uh, yeah. I got it.”

They went on for a while in silence, busting clouds throughout the West side of Ponyville. Lightning found herself wondering about what she’d just learned, and on Nye Stone. Not just Nye…all of them. She tried to recall those ponies who had been there to fight King Sombra some four months back. Who were they?

She recalled Rainbow – obviously – and there was Applejack, too. Nye and Jimmy Stone, the twins. And Fine Crime, he’d been the one with the plan. Who was she missing? There was that music pony. Lightning hadn’t acknowledged it before, but now that she thought on it that mare had been pretty awesome fighting alongside Jimmy. Octavia, that was her name. And the last one, the one who’d figured out how to break the Crystal Heart’s barrier. Wasn’t she some elite Canterlot mare? She’d seemed rather useless up until then. Crust? That’s right, Upper Crust.

Why was it that when she thought about that brief battle she felt…nostalgic? She didn’t know any of those ponies – except Rainbow, whom she hated. She didn’t even earn any recognition, and she’d taken a direct hit from Sombra! She remembered flying off in a fury because of how things went.

But now that she looked back…at least she’d accomplished something. Up ‘till then, everything she’d tried to do ended in catastrophic failure. Everything afterwards, too. She suddenly realized that – even if she didn’t get the fame she’d been aiming for – the Crystal Empire was the one thing she’d done that hadn’t been a complete disaster. She’d accomplished something…and she wanted to do that again.

“Helloooo?”

Lightning shook her head with force and realized Rainbow was waving a hoof in front of her face. “Huh, what?”

“You really zoned out, there,” her leadpony noted with a raised eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Lightning grumbled as she came to a stop. She cast a quick glance around; had she been cloud busting at all? Well, there were a lot fewer clouds up here…

Rainbow peered at her. “Are you sure?”

“I said I’m fine!” Lightning backed up from the pony with a sneer. “I’ve just got a lot on my—” She winced as something bright flashed in her eyes.

Rainbow covered her face. “What the hay?”

They both looked down as another flash hit them. Lightning’s eyes roamed the Earth until she spotted a pony standing atop a lone hill just outside of town. It was pretty close to Fluttershy’s cottage.

Another flash made Lightning growl. “Okay, that’s gotta be aimed at us.”

“So not cool,” Rainbow admitted. “Come on, let’s show him he’s got our attention!”

They dove, bolt and rainbow wakes side by side. Rainbow got there first, performing a flyby that had the pony’s mane whipping about wildly. He didn’t pay any attention to her; his focus was on Lightning.

She darted past. “What’s the big i—” She spotted his face. “—Fine Crime?” She flew a tight circle and paused over his head to glare. “Is there a reason you’re trying to blind me? Ya trying to make us crash an’ burn or somethin’?”

“Didn’t expect to see you,” Rainbow acknowledged, hovering on the other side of the stallion.

“Hello, girls,” he greeted with a wave. “Sorry about the light show, but I had to catch your attention somehow.”

“Whatever it is, I don’t wanna hear it,” Lightning snapped. “Besides, we’re working!”

But Rainbow landed and gave him a quizzical look. “Last time I saw you was at Applejack’s. Twilight says you were a total jerk.”

He winced. “Err, yeah. That’s a bridge I need to rebuild. Sorry Rainbow, but could I borrow Lightning for a moment? Just need to talk to her for a quick moment.”

Lightning groaned. “I told you, I don’t wanna talk about it!”

He turned to her with a small smile. “You don’t even know what it is.”

“I don’t care!” She waved her hooves in exasperation. “It’s nothing I’m gonna wanna hear!”

“I don’t mind,” Rainbow said. Lightning noted her wry grin and felt her blood run cold. “I’m sure it’s something real important, so go ahead! We’re practically finished for today, anyway.”

“Wait!” Lightning raised a hoof as Rainbow launched. “What are you thinking?”

“I’ll finish the rest,” the weather captain declared with a grin. “You two talk. Have fun!” And she was off, her rainbow wake darting across the sky.

Lightning facehoofed. “There’s no way I’m gonna have fun talking to him.”

“What,” Fine asked with a smug smile, “am I not charming enough for you?”

Lightning faked a gag and landed. “What do ya want, Fine?”

His jovial manner faded instantly. “We need to meet later tonight. I’ve got a little announcement to make.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “So? Make it now and get outta my mane.”

He shook his head. “This doesn’t just involve you.”

Lightning grimaced and turned away. “Forget it! I have no idea what you’re up to, but I want no part of it.” She opened her wings and launched.

He called after her. “I thought you said you wanted to do something for Equestria?”

She jerked to a stop. That had been how he’d lured her in the first time, wasn’t it? All she had to do was ignore him and fly off. She stared at the town ahead, thinking of just how easy it would be to lose him among the buildings. This didn’t involve her…but a chance to do something big? She closed her eyes and remembered her old dreams of glory, of having an army of adoring fans. She could almost hear the cheers…

She let out a frustrated shout and flew back to him. “The last time you said those words, that blue jerk got all the glory! How’s this gonna be any different?”

His face grew hard. “I never offered you fame, Lightning. I offered you a chance to make a difference and give your life some meaning.”

She glowered, but realized that he had a point. Damn him for being good at that. “Maybe I want something else.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Do you really? Is having adoring fans the only thing that matters to you?”

“It’s a lot better than what I’ve got.”

His ears lowered and his eyes grew sharp. “Even with Keen?”

She choked down her words, legs falling limp as she glared. Was her eye twitching? “I…didn’t mean it like that.”

“I wonder.” He rubbed his chin as he scrutinize her with one eye. “Whatever your motivations, I promise this is a meeting you don’t want to miss. Tonight, right here. When the moon is at its zenith. Keen should be in bed by then, right?”

“As long as she doesn’t have another nightmare,” Lightning grumbled. “What’s so big about this meeting, anyway?”

“Go to it and see.”

She growled and launched. “Don’t count on it!”

But as she flew away, Lightning found herself wondering.








Lightning lay on her couch, staring up at the ceiling with hooves behind her head. Keen was asleep in her room, but sleep wouldn’t come to Lightning. The moon would be at its zenith soon, and she was struggling to come up with the best reason not to go to Fine’s meeting. No matter how many excuses ran through her head, however, there was always that nagging feeling that she needed to be there.

Her dream of being a Wonderbolt was dead. She needed another avenue to glory. Fine wasn’t the way to get there, the Crystal Empire incident had made that clear. Yet that little adventure had given her a moment of self-satisfaction, and she longed to have that feeling again.

But what about Keen? Assuming Fine could lead her on the path to fame, could she balance that with her responsibilities to the filly? She wasn’t sure she could. The dream of a lifetime against the future of one filly. How did she ever get into this mess? She wasn’t even sure she was doing right by Keen…but there was also no guarantee Fine could get her to her dream. What if she was destined to fail, regardless?

That thought left an empty feeling in her stomach.

“L-Lightning?”

She fought down a groan and waved a hoof over the couch. “Still awake, kid.”

She heard Keen’s quiet hoofsteps approaching, and the filly’s pale mane came into view. Keen chewed her lip as she looked up with moist eyes. Lightning scooted away and patted the cushions. “Come on up.”

Keen said nothing. She climbed onto the couch with some difficulty, finally curling up at Lightning chest and tucking her head under the pegasus’ chin. A long silence passed between them, and for a moment Lightning’s mind began to wander once more. But then Keen spoke up, her voice barely a whisper. “I’m s-sorry I keep having nightmares…”

Lightning grimaced, but held the filly close. “It’s okay. I still have them, too.”

“But you’re never scared.” Keen shifted so her back was against Lightning’s chest. “I wish I was brave…”

Lightning did, too. Part of her wanted to toss the pony back into her room and tell her to deal with it. Yet Keen wasn’t like her; she couldn’t just ‘deal with it’. Lightning was hit with an intense sorrow at the thought that she still had no idea how to handle this. It was her job, wasn’t it? But she’d done nothing to help Keen so far, and it made her feel like a failure.

She needed advice…but who could she possibly turn to for that? They’d been in Ponyville for almost a month, but she couldn’t claim to really know anypony. Ever since the Academy, Lightning had been bad at making friends. She was always too busy brooding. Ponies kept avoiding her because of it, and she couldn’t blame them; who wanted to be around an unfriendly, snappy pegasus?

But she needed help. How was she supposed to meet other ponies—

Meet. The meeting. If she went she might at the very least meet some ponies. It sounded lame in her head, but she wasn’t exactly being social on her own. And then she could know for certain that nothing Fine was trying to do would interest her, so it was a win-win decision, right?

But if it did interest her, and it did pave the way for her old dreams…

Win-win, again.

Realizing her decision was made, she waited ‘till she heard Keen’s breathing steady and deepen. She moved very carefully, tucking the filly in the corner of the couch and setting the covers on her. She left the house as quietly as possible, but as soon as the front door was closed she zoomed across Ponyville. The moon had passed its zenith; she was late.

Fine was right where he’d said he’d be, sitting atop the hill and watching the moon. She sucked in a deep breath and prepared herself for what she hoped wouldn’t be a completely worthless event.

Lightning dove to hover over Fine, leveling him with a harsh look. “Alright, Fine. I came.”

His smug smile made her hackles rise. “You’re later than I expected.”

He’d expected her to come late? Fortunately her excuse was as legitimate as possible. She dropped down to the soft grass as she said, “I had to make sure Keen was actually asleep this time. She always wants to share the bed.”

He nodded. “Still having nightmares?”

“It’s only been a few weeks,” she reminded him. “The kind of stuff she’s seen will take a lifetime to get over.” She blinked; she’d only said it as part of her excuse…but it was true, wasn’t it? Why did she suddenly feel like she was too hard on the filly?

“Well,” he replied softly, “maybe after tonight you can get her some professional help.”

She raised an eyebrow, not liking the sound of that at all. The last thing she wanted was to get a know-it-all shrink involved. “Uhh, yeah, whatever. Now why the heck am I out here?” She grimaced at a sudden thought. “If you’re about to ask me to be your special somepony I’ll buck you clear across town!”

“Better him than us.”

Lightning blinked and turned to look down the hill. It was the brothers Jimmy and Nye Stone. She couldn’t be sure which one had spoken. Jimmy waved to her in a manner she found strangely friendly for how little they knew one another. “Hey, Lightning. Fine call you out here, too?”

“Uh-huh.” She cast a glance at Nye, who was grinning like a fool. “What are you so cheery about?”

“Him?” Jimmy grinned and whacked his twin on the shoulder. “He finally asked Rainbow Dash to be his mare-friend.”

Lightning’s jaw dropped, her mind going back to her conversation with the weather captain. “And she said yes?!”

Nye was positively glowing. “She sure did!”

Lightning stared at him, unable to believe it. She noted his pudgy face and slightly oversized belly and turned away to mutter, “Goddess, does she have bad taste.” A cursory glance confirmed they’d missed it.

“We’re here.” They all turned to look down the hill once more. Lightning could only stare as Octavia Melody and a very hesitant Upper Crust approached them. She didn’t know they were in Ponyville, too! She cast a sharp look Fine’s way; this had to be his doing.

“Looks like everypony showed up,” Octavia noted, expression serious.

“Everypony?” How did she know this was all of them? Lightning turned that same critical look her way. “So you were in on this?” Suddenly she wasn’t sure she liked Octavia as much as she had.

“I’ve been ‘in’ on a lot of things,” the musician replied. She fidgeted under Lightning’s peering and turned her attention to Fine Crime. “So I guess this means it’s finally time?”

Fine’s nod confirmed Lightning suspicions: Octavia had been in cahoots with him! Just how much did she know? Was she part of his little organization, or whatever he was associated with?

“Hey, Upper Crust,” Nye called, distracting Lightning’s thoughts. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“That makes two of us,” Upper Crust admitted, scuffing the grass with head low, “but Octavia said it was important, so here I am.” She still looked like a scaredy-pony to Lightning. If she hadn’t helped out in the Crystal Empire, Lightning would have doubted that she was of any use at all.

The Crystal Empire. She looked at all of them in turn. These were all the ponies who’d helped that day…except Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Why weren’t they here? Was this supposed to be some sort of reunion? Lightning didn’t know whether she approved of that idea or not.

“I’m glad you all could come,” Fine declared, now standing apart from the them. “It’s time to make things official.”

“Official?” Jimmy asked.

“Make what official?” Upper Crust added.

He turned to them with a solemn frown. “Some things need to be explained to you. I know you all have had a lot of questions about me.”

Oh great, was this supposed to be some kind of tell-all? Lightning jumped to hover in the air, ready to bolt at the first sign of mush. “What makes you think I care?”

“I do have a lot of things I’d like cleared up, actually,” Jimmy noted.

“Me too,” Nye mentioned. “Like who you really work for, and why you seem to know so much about all of us.”

Lightning had to admit, that was something she’d like to know. Maybe she shouldn’t get ready to fly off just yet…

“Indeed,” Upper Crust declared. “We know so little about you, and yet you act as if you’ve known us for years.”

“In a way,” Octavia told them quietly, “he has.” She turned away nervously when they all locked eyes on her. Lightning sneered and turned back to Fine; she didn’t like all these secrets! Why couldn’t anypony be direct like her? But then, if they were about to reveal everything…

“Octavia knows what I am going to tell you,” Fine Crime declared. “She knows because back in the Crystal Empire she chose to stick around and listen to what I had to say while all of you went your own ways.”

So Lightning would have been in on everything if she’d stuck around after the battle? She didn’t know whether to kick herself or be angry that she had been left in the dark. After all, she’d met Fine plenty of times since then.

That thought spurred her frustration, and she flew close to hit Fine with a glare. “And what exactly does Octavia know that we don’t, huh?”

Fine pushed her away gently. “She knows that for the past three years I have been traveling all across Equestria looking for a select group of ponies, ponies who would become members of a small team. I personally tested each qualifying candidate to see who would make the cut and who would be left alone. In the end, we chose the five of you.”

Lightning stared. She didn’t know whether this was too crazy to be believed or just within the realm of possibility for him.

“Alright, Fine, seriously,” Jimmy said, “someday you’re going to shock us all and tell the truth.”

“This is no lie,” Fine snapped. “Each and every one of you showed the qualities we wanted for this team. Octavia, who displayed devotion, integrity, determination, leadership and kindness, was the fourth candidate.”

Lightning glanced at the musician, who maintained an expressionless but high-browed manner. She had all that? When did she ever display such qualities?

“Nye, you maintained your social, optimistic nature even when your own life was falling to pieces, and have the honor of being the first pony aside from her sister to befriend Princess Luna, a true indicator of your character. You were number two.”

Lightning’s ears drooped; oh yeah, he did know the princess, didn’t he? That had been an important part of his contribution to the Crystal Empire fight.

“Jimmy, you overcame your own life’s desire and your fear of your father to do what you knew was right. Number three.”

She glanced at the more muscular twin. Him she could see as special material. Why wasn’t Rainbow going for that guy?

“Lightning.” She blinked and turned to find Fine’s eyes locked with hers. “No matter the situation, no matter how depressed or unprepared you ever were, no matter what you thought your personal reasons were, when the time came and somepony needed help you always answered the call, without hesitation or doubt. Number five.”

She ducked once more. Why were her cheeks burning all of a sudden? Did he really see such a…good quality in her? And when had he tested her?

“And you, Upper Crust,” he said, turning to the elite pony and smiling. “When nopony else would help, when the situation was most dire, you overcame your lack of self-confidence and your personal fears to do what needed to be done. You were the first.”

That weak little thing? Lightning felt she should be impressed, but she was still too stuck on his unexpected praise for her.

“Okay.” Lightning dropped to the grass. “Okay, I’ll admit: that was a pretty good job buttering us up.” She stood tall; she didn’t dare let him know his words had affected her. “I still don’t believe it.”

She glanced at the others and saw that they had been affected, too. All of them were fidgeting and exchanging uncertain looks. It was Jimmy who finally stepped forward to speak. “And what exactly are we supposed to do in this…team?”

Fine smiled. “For that, I think I’d best turn things over to my boss.”

His boss? Lightning glanced about the hill, but they were alone. Upper Crust beat her to the question. “What boss?”

Fine turned and bowed his head. His horn began to glow brightly, sparking in a manner that reminded Lightning of a star. He let it shimmer for a few seconds before it finally burned out.

Quiet filled the cool night air. Nothing happened. “What was that supposed to do?” Nye asked.

“It was a signal,” Fine answered.

Lightning rolled her eyes; would it kill him to be direct? “A signal for what?”

But in rolling her eyes, she’d looked up. In looking up, she seen the moon. And in seeing the moon, she’d noticed the shadow.

“A signal that the team is at last ready to meet her.”

Lightning felt her heart skip a beat as that shadow began to form a distinct shape. She abruptly remembered the first time Fine had offered to let her work with him. He’d given her a talisman, which had held a certain royal sigil. Now, as she saw the dark sapphire wings spreading wide, she seriously regretted pawning it, even if she’d been desperate at the time.

He’d been telling the truth, all along.

Princess Luna landed in the soft grass, tall and regal in the shining moonlight. Lightning rushed to bow with the others. Her mind was stuck on one incredible realization:

She was being recruited.








She flew circles around Ponyville, the chilly night air keeping her alert. She was in a state of disbelief, struggling to sort out what had just happened.

She’d agreed.

She was in a team. Endorsed by Princess Celestia, commanded by Princess Luna. Lead by Fine Crime.

They were a team. They were supposed to support the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

What did that even mean?

And why had she agreed?

She slowed down to push through a cloud, letting the condensed material form water against her body. She came out wet and spun, droplets flinging off her wings in majestic circles. She folded her wings and fell, landing on her back atop the cloud. A second later the droplets hit her, pattering against her neck and belly. It was an old trick, something she used to use to cool her head.

Her head didn’t need cooling, though; it needed clearing.

Upper Crust, Nye and Jimmy Stone, Octavia Melody, Fine Crime.

And Lightning Dust.

None of them seemed like hero material to her. She gazed up at the moon, still recalling Luna’s face in her mind. She couldn’t believe that she was now in the direct service of a princess! What did that mean for her? Would her life change? Or would they be more like the Element Bearers, living their day-to-day lives until called upon to act? Did this have any effect on her old dream to be famous?

The Crystal Empire had been a test run. She understood that now. If they could work together to defeat King Sombra…maybe this wasn’t such a crazy lineup, after all.

But the Crystal Empire hadn’t given her what she’d been after. Maybe this was her chance to become a hero. Maybe not. It was far better than anything she’d been doing before. It might even be better than being a Wonderbolt, though that was a long shot.

She sat up and heaved a sigh. Despite all her doubts and questions and reservations, she’d agreed to join this team. She reached back to rub the scar hidden beneath her left wing, tracing its short length with the edge of her hoof. She was always second best. That was a reason she’d been picked. That fact made her feel…insignificant. So if she’d become a Wonderbolt, she’d not even have been considered?

How else was she supposed to feel about that?

But she’d been deemed worthy. Second place but worthy. Worthy of what? A second place princess? That’s what Luna was, wasn’t she? A lesser princess with a lesser team. How fitting.

Rainbow was an Element Bearer. She was supposed to help her boss? Did that make her less than Rainbow? She sneered and kicked at a fluff of cloud, imagining it as that blue do-gooder’s head. Why did it feel like being on this team was accepting her inferiority?!

Lightning was better than Rainbow. She knew she was better! Why did she have to be on support? The wing-pony? First the academy, then the Crystal Empire, and now this? Maybe she wasn’t an Element Bearer. Maybe she did have a bum wing. Maybe she was saddled with some kid. She could still best Rainbow, and this was her chance to prove it! The Element Bearers just had to slip up one time, and then her team would come in and be the heroes!

Lightning could see Rainbow’s humiliated face in her head. It was almost enough to give her a wingie. She gazed up at the moon with grin…

Her pleasure faded, her head lowering. She stared up at the moon, recalling Princess Luna’s face, her words, her ever-calm manner.

Lightning's first time meeting a princess. What would that princess think if she saw Lightning, now? If she knew the bitter thoughts that ran through Lightning’s head, would Luna want her on the team at all? A princess who forgave her sister after a thousand years of imprisonment had to be above such vengeful concepts.

But Lightning wasn’t. She wanted to smear Rainbow’s good name, and pay her back for everything!

She flopped onto her back, mind rampant with conflicting thoughts. Her revenge might be right in front of her! But to use this new position to attain it, to abuse the trust placed in her by a princess – Lightning wished it didn’t feel so wrong. Why did it feel wrong? She wouldn’t have hesitated a year ago.

If only she didn’t still feel like a loser...

Was that all it was? Did she just want to be a winner for a change? Could she be a winner, even on a team of losers?

She let herself sink through the cloud. Upon dropping through the bottom, she opened her wings and made her slow way home. She probably should have been happier about this situation. After all, it had taken Fine Crime three years to sort through potential candidates. That was like being a winner. It put her among the best, right?

The best of the not-good-enoughs. She landed by her front door with a sigh. Was that really all she was going to be, now?

She went inside and made her way to the couch, eager to get some sleep. Maybe in the morning she’d see things in a more positive light. Maybe she’s recognize the good side of this. Maybe—

She paused and stared; Keen wasn’t on the couch.

She looked about the room, mind momentarily blank. The filly had to have woken up, but where had she gone? She turned and walked down the hall, finding the door to Keen’s bedroom opened. Keen’s bed was too tall for her to climb on by herself, but maybe…

The bed was empty, and a trickle of fear crept into her mind. “K-Keen? Are you here?”

She heard a muffled squeak, and a second later the filly’s head poked out from under the bed. Upon spotting Lightning she burst out and locked her legs around one of Lightning’s. “Y-you’re here! Thank goodness!”

Lightning stared with wide eyes; Keen’s cheeks were covered in tears. “Keen, what’s wrong?”

“You were gone!” The filly cried. “I woke up and you were gone!” She pressed her forehead against Lightning’s leg and sobbed. “I was s-so scared!”

Something dark surged within Lightning as she glared down at the little unicorn. “The monsters are not in Ponyville! For buck’s sake, Keen, get over it!”

Keen ducked, looking up at her with wide eyes. “Y-you don’t know that…”

Lightning stepped back, jerking her leg away from the filly’s grasp. “What do you think, that they’re looking for you? That they’re gonna come all the way to Ponyville just to get you?”

Keen sank low, tears streaming from her cheeks. “I… B-but I thought they had y-you…”

Lightning growled. “They’re not gonna take me, either! Why the buck would you think they’d take me?!”

The filly bowed her head and shook. “L-like… Like they took M-Mountain…”

Lightning felt as though she’d been splashed with ice water. Mountain Mantra…his last words still haunted her dreams. She could still remember finding his broken body in the well. And Keen had seen him dragged there.

If they could cart off a pony as big as Mountain…

For the first time, Lightning understood that Keen had more experience with changelings than she did. Lightning had only encountered them for a brief time, but Keen had lived with them. She’d been forced to hide under her covers and listen while the others foals were shadowed away one at a time, night after night, and brought back as something else entirely…if they came back at all. And how long had it been going on? Weeks? Months?

She’d flown off to do things in the night and not once paused to think of how the filly would react if she woke up alone! What had she been thinking? And now Lightning had blown up at her for being scared of something that she now knew might not be as far-fetched as everypony believed.

She dropped to her belly and swept the weeping filly into her hooves. “I’m sorry, Keen. I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to yell. I mean I did, but it was wrong. I shouldn’t have yelled.”

Keen wrapped her legs about Lightning’s neck. “I-I’m sorry t-too. I’ll try t-to be b-braver, I p-promise!”

“No.” Lightning sat up, lifting the filly in her hooves and looking her in the eyes. Or tried to; Keen was so busy crying she had trouble focusing. “Keen, you don’t have to be brave now. Let me be brave for both of us. I shouldn’t be pushing you like I have been, and I’m sorry. If either of us is wrong, it’s me. I won’t leave you alone like that again, kay? I promise.”

Keen just sobbed, and Lightning held her close for a while. It took some time for the filly to regain control of herself – or perhaps just run out of energy. Lightning climbed into bed with her, but Keen insisted upon sleeping within the light of the moon, so they moved the pillows in front of the window.

“Y-you really won’t leave?” Keen whispered as she snuggled against Lightning’s side.

“Never.” Lightning nuzzled the filly’s soft mane. “Get some sleep. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

She stared up at the moon, thinking about what had just happened. She realized that in her surprise and confusion she’d completely forgotten the reason she’d gone to that meeting in the first place. Her thoughts had turned to the potential for fame – or lack of it – and Keen had completely slipped her mind.

Some parent she was turning out to be. Maybe she really was only suited for second place…