Two years had passed and Lighting Dust could honestly say she had been the happiest in her life since before her sister died. Working as a maid took some time, especially when she hadn’t done anything like it before, but Butter Blue and the others were able to help her out. Speaking of which, Butter Blue was quickly become her best friend, as the transgender maid had taken the young pegasus under her wing and taught her everything.
Redstreak quickly became more than a master to Lighting Dust, he became the closest friend she had. He always treated her with a smile and asked her about her day, sometimes inviting her and the other maids to eat with him. He even taught her a few flying tricks that she never imagined learning before. Even Spitfire would sometimes come over (apparently Redstreak had been one of her teachers at the Academy) and fly with Lighting Dust, quickly becoming another friend. Redstreak wasn’t even a terrible boss either… in fact he was perfect. If she made a mistake he made sure to correct her politely instead of yelling at her like her parents did. He let her take days off and breaks, and made sure to pay her on time. Sometimes he offered to just talk if she needed to get things off her chest, which was a lot considering what she had been through.
She didn’t even think about her parents that much, finding solace that she was happy without them and didn’t need to reflect on them. She still hated them, and she wasn’t sure if she would ever forgive them, but a part of her pitied them. They couldn’t get past Vorpal’s death and it had destroyed the two ponies that raised Lighting Dust, the ones who loved her and treated her with kindness. Even if years down the road they wanted to finally realize their mistake the damage was already done, and whatever bonds they had were gone forever.
It was a sad thing, when she really thought about it, but she wasn’t going to let it overcome her. She had a new life, one that she was perfectly content with. Yet, she wanted more.
While being a maid for a while with a home and food was nice, Lighting Dust still didn’t know what she wanted to do. She tried racing for a while, but she always outbeat her opponents so there was no challenge to it. She thought about going to school like college, with Redstreak even offering to fund her tuition, but decided to hold on that for another year if nothing came up. Then there was the military, but that was soon shot down when Spitfire told her that since she quit the academy she had technically quitted the military as well. After all, the Wonderbolts were not just entertainers, they were a military unit as well.
It seemed that Lighting Dust was never going to find her calling in life, until destiny decided to be kind to her once more.
***
Lightning Dust, in her maid outfit, was dusting the railway of the stairs when she heard the doorbell ring. “I got it!” shouted Lighting Dust as she placed her feather duster on her back and gently flew down to the door. After undoing the locks she opened it up and smiled, “Welcome to Master Redstreak’s home-Princess Luna?!”
Indeed it was the said Princess of the Night, flanked by two of her night guards. Rarely did anypony see her during the day except for special occasions. Remembering her manners, Lighting Dust bowed for her co-ruler as the night princess said, “arise, young servant. We are here to meet with your master on an important subject.”
“Of course, I’ll bring him to you at once,” said Lighting Dust as she rose. She guided the princess and her guards down the hall where other maids had seen them and started whispering to each other. It wasn’t a surprise after all. How many ponies saw royalty this close?
Eventually, they made it to the study room where Redstreak was working on some papers. When he saw who it was that was interrupting him, he smiled and got up from his seat. “Ah, Princess Luna. You’re sister told me that I would be expecting you. Please have a seat,” he said as he pointed to some cushions.
“Thank you, do you have tea? My guards and I are a bit parched from our journey,” asked the princess as she sat down.
“Of course. Lighting Dust?” asked Redstreak as the maid stood in attention. “Some tea and biscuits, please?”
“At once, Master,” said Lighting Dust, bowing. She quickly left the room to make her way to the kitchens when he saw Butter Blue holding a tray out already for her with Redstreak’s favorite tea and biscuits.
“He always orders this for his important guests. Quickly!” said Butter, handing the tray over.
Lighting Dust thanked her friend and quickly flew as carefully as she could back to the study where he knocked on the door. After being let in by one of the guards, Lighting Dust placed the tea and biscuits out on the table. Princess Luna poured herself a cup while speaking, “Has my sister told you anything about my plans?” She then eyed Lighting Dust and raised an eyebrow. “And perhaps we should remove the maid as well since this is a matter of state secrets.”
Redstreak waved his hoof. “We can trust Lighting Dust. She will not reveal anything to anypony, I promise.”
Princess Luna eyed a very nervous Lighting Dust for a few minutes before turning away. “Very well, we shall trust your judgment. Now, again, what do you know of my plan?”
“Only a few details here and there, but I would love to hear it from you,” answered Redstreak with a smile.
“Well, I have had some... concerns about the Wonderbolts for some time. It is not that they are not talented or unprofessional, but my sister prefers to use them more for the scheduled events for moral and strength through aerodynamic feats,” said Luna, sipping her tea. “I don’t doubt that such an action hasn’t had a positive impact on our subjects. They do love seeing a Wonderbolts show, as do I as a matter of fact. However, the Wonderbolts are still military and while we may have peace with most of our former enemies now than we did a thousand years ago, we cannot assume that other parties are not calculating our military strength today.”
Lighting Dust, who stood ready if she was need, did her best to hold in her thoughts that Princess Luna was being paranoid, but she then remembered the changeling invasion, Tirek, and the recent cult attack by a unicorn lead by Starlight Glimmer who was still wanted for her actions. Even if no country dare go to war against Equestria, there were still those who wanted to disturb the harmony they had for their own dark reasons.
“As such, I decided that we should have a fully militarized and black ops flying divisions trained with Wonderbolt tactics and training, but with additional methods that would suit for night operations, blitz attacks, and assassinations,” continued Luna with a smirk. “I call it Project: Shadowbolts.”
“An interesting plan, your Majesty,” answered Redstreak finishing his tea. “One that I approve of as well.”
“Then you will agree to help find worthy candidates and help with the training?” Asked Princess Luna, leaning forward.
Redstreak chuckled. “I suppose I might as well do one last service to the crown. Heaven knows I get bored sitting on my old rump all day with nothing to do.”
“Excellent,” said Luna as she stood up and shook hooves with Redstreak. “We look forward to working together with a flying legend such as yourself. We shall start training in four weeks time. Please forward any possible candidates to me for interviewing. Farewell for now.”
Her guards escorted out Princess Luna, as Lighting Dust turned to her master once the room was filled with only them. “Are you really going through with this, Master Redstreak? Didn’t you say you were happy being retired?”
“I was happy, yes, but I’m even happier if I can do something to help my country,” proclaimed Redstreak as he got up and turned to the Equestrian flag that was held on the wall. “You can’t tell a good soldier to stop being a soldier, because he doesn’t need the uniform to be one. It’s the discipline they teach you that stays with you all the way.”
He then turned to Lighting Dust with a smile. “You know, you might be good to put your name in.”
“M-m-me?” asked Lighting Dust, eyes widened.
“I haven’t just been training you to be a better flyer just so you can waste your days in this old house with a dustpan and broom,” chuckled Redstreak as he walked over and put his hoof on her shoulder. “You’re a natural flyer, Lightning Dust. And it would be a crime to have you not put that talent to good use.”
“But I don’t want to be a Wonderbolt, isn’t this like them?” asked Lighting Dust.
“Not at all. The Wonderbolts are mostly used for entertainment rather than missions like in the old days, and even their missions are mostly reconnaissance or aerial battles,” said Redstreak with a rare serious tone. “This would be a pure black ops group, one that deals with night raids and swift strikes against key enemy locations. We may not be at war, but we are also on the look out for dangerous changeling hives, and other such foes. I don’t need to remind you of the Manehatten firebombing incident caused by the Cult of Equality a few months ago.”
Lighting Dust winced in remembering the headlines. The Cult of Equality, lead by a wanted Starlight Glimmer, had planted timed firebombs in all five boroughs of Manehatten. The fires raged for hours with hundreds dead and thousands more injured. The Cult of Equality claimed responsibility for the attack and were not the number one wanted group in Equestria.
“Groups like that exist and need to be taken out,” said Redstreak. “I won’t force you to do this, but I would like to know that somepony I respect and trained is going to help me with this team.”
Lighting Dust looked into his grandfather like eyes that held both pride and hope. She, like many others, had been disgusted by what had happened and the thought of helping ponies with her speed again did draw her in.
With a big smile, she nodded her head. “Okay, I’ll do it!”