Shadow Dash

by lordcurly972

After Effects

Several hours had passed since I woke up next to the factory. The other weather ponies had just come back from putting out the fires and turning off the pipeline spewing liquid rainbow. Today I was supposed to give a sonic rainboom demonstration for Ponyville elementary, but after leaving Twilight's I really didn't feel like doing anything. I felt as if all of my energy was being sucked out of me. Maybe it was the bump I took to the head, or maybe all of the stress of the accident was getting to me. Whatever it was I needed to forget about it, my demonstration was in a couple of hours and I needed to practice.

"Okay Rainbow, you can do this," I told myself reassuringly; I had been trying the rainboom for a good half hour now. My wings just didn't want to cooperate. What was wrong with me? Had this whole event really taken that much out of me? I really needed to get it together for the demonstration, Scootaloo was going to be there and she would be counting on me. I snapped my wings to my side and began to plummet to the earth. I was beginning to pick up speed; I could feel the sound cone forming around me. Would I finally breach the sound barrier? I was feeling pretty confident about this run, when suddenly I could feel myself dozing off.

"No, no, not now," I thought to myself. Falling asleep at this speed would be suicide. I tried to keep my eyes open, but my eyelids just felt so heavy. There was a voice in the back of my telling me to give in and just go to sleep. I began to listen when I realized what I was doing. My eyes snapped open just in time to see the ground quickly approaching.

I pulled out of the dive, but the opposing force caused me to go spinning out of control. I was having trouble finding the ground to even myself out. Why was I having such a hard time with this, I ruled this stunt at the Wonderbolts academy. Finally, I found the ground and straightened out, but it was already to late. I felt a hard thud as I went tumbling through the side of somepony's barn. I came crashing to a halt against the other side.

I expected there to be a huge wave of pain, but instead of pain, there was a rush of euphoria. I felt excited, the happiest I've been all day. I wanted to destroy something else; I wanted to smash something to pieces. I didn't even give it a second thought. I took off towards the sky, straight through the roof of the barn. I didn't even care who it belonged to. I soared high into the sky, stopping just below the clouds. Looking down at the barn, my whole body was shaking with excitement. I snapped my wings to my side once more, soaring towards the roof of the barn. This time my body was giving me full support, I was now wide awake. As I grew closer my vision grew more and more funneled. My mind was muddled with how awesome the destruction would be. Just before I crashed through the roof, I blacked out.

When I came to, I was inside the barn. What was left of it anyway, I had left it in shambles. The roof was completely demolished and only bits and pieces of the walls. What had I done?

I reached up to rub my head, but I noticed something strange about my coat. Was it dulling? It didn't look like the original bright blue like it was before. It seemed almost greyish. Something was clearly wrong. I needed to tell Twilight. I was just about to take off towards the library when I remembered my demonstration. Was I even up for it? I was still fueled by the adrenaline from the earlier destruction, but I was worried. I shouldn't enjoy destruction, I really didn't know why causing so much havoc was bringing me joy and I really didn't like it. But I didn't have time to think about it, I couldn't let Scootaloo down.

At the schoolhouse, all of the fillies had gathered in a huge group right next to the playground. I scanned the crowd, and sure enough, there was Scootaloo, front and center. She had worn her Rainbow Dash mane cap and was waving a Go Rainbow Dash flag. I floated down to the crowd, causing an outburst of excitement. It sort of made me blush, who knew I was such a hero?

"Ah, Rainbow Dash, glad you could make it," a voice said behind me.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world Ms. Cherilee," I said waving at the crowd, causing another burst of cheering and shouting.

"Well, whenever you're ready to begin," she said moving next to the crowd of fillies.

I gave her a short nod and took off into the sky. Adrenaline was rushing through my veins, I wanted so bad to fly into something else. But, I knew I had to control those urges, wouldn't want to soil my image. I took a deep breath and counted down from five.

5...

4...

3...

2...

Blast off! I took off like a rocket towards the ground. I heard the crowd chant in excitement.

Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! I beamed with joy. I started to feel the sound cone form around me. Just a little faster and I would break through. I stuck my hoof out to cut through the air. And that gave me just enough speed to break through. I felt myself shoot forwards, and the explosion of the sonic rainboom behind me.

"You've done it Rainbow," I chuckled to myself.

I awaited the applause and cheers of the fillies, but none came. I turned towards the crowd to see what was wrong. Instead of cheering, all of the ponies below were whispering and pointing, they seemed almost scared. I turned towards what they were looking at.

I was taken aback at what I saw. Instead of bright and beautiful colors, the aura of the sonic rainboom was full of greys, whites and blacks. It was horrifying! As the aura spread across the sky, a shadow was cast on all below. It finally dissipated and returned the skies to normal. Something was clearly wrong with me. But, yet it felt right somehow. As if something inside me was telling me to accept it. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head.

If I could do a sonic rainboom big enough to cast a big enough shadow to make it seem like night, I could destroy as much stuff as I wanted and nopony would know it was me.

I shook the thought out of my mind. Why would I want to do that? This whole destruction thing was getting out of control. I needed to tell Twilight that something was wrong.

I drifted back down to the crowd; they all stared at me worryingly.

"Is everything ok Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked with a hint of fear in her voice.

"Yeah, everything's fine, I'm just not feeling too well," I told her while playfully messing her mane up with my hoof.

"Well, come back and show us another demonstration whenever you're feeling better," Ms. Cherilee said as she began to walk the fillies back to the classroom.

"Sure thing," I called after her.

I took off towards Twilight's; I really hope she could help me out. She had to discover something about that goo by now, I'm sure that's what is causing me to act so strange. I just hope she could figure something out to fix it.

Author's Note:

I've decided to just use my original sketches for the illustrations until I can find a program I can color them properly in.

Comments

[Rainbow87dash]

Lol

[Selbi]

Honest opinion time!

The first two chapters barely gave anything away, and if it wasn't for the fact that I had already downloaded the story to my E-Reader, I would've probably stopped right there.

BUT! then came chapter three and oooh boy, it was awesome! RD turning into a psychopath to destroy everything just because? That could become a very good story and I'm looking forward to it!

To add to the cover image debate... yeah, it is very bad in contrast with the story and it certainly doesn't deserve to get this false first impression. You could probably go ask some artist to make a simple but better recreation of it; some vector stuff or something.