From Nothing To Something

by Rated Ponystar

Chapter 3

Lighting Dust’s story was interrupted when Rainbow Dash slammed her hoof on the table, knocking her coffee off onto the floor. The sound nearly made Lighting Dust jump while she was sure all the patron’s eyes were on them now. Snarling, Rainbow Dash shouted, “What kind of parents are those jerks! I can’t believe they threw you out as if you were trash! Augh! I want to kick their tails from here to the moon!” Taking a few deep breaths, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and tried to calm down. “I take it you're not on good terms anymore?”

Shaking her head, Lighting Dust looked at her coffee and glared at it. “I haven’t spoken to my parents since that day and I have no reason too. They want to do nothing to do with their living daughter and instead spend everyday focused on their dead one. I told my family that they were dead to me since I’m dead to them. And I have no intention of seeing them ever again.”

“Do they know where you live? Or that they have a granddaughter?” asked Dash, wiping up her mess with napkins.

‘No, I never want them to know. I’m fine with the way things are and I have no intention of changing them,” answered Lighting Dust.

Smirking, Dash shook her head. ‘I guess we both have had family problems, huh?” Upon seeing Lighting Dust’s raised eyebrow, she answered, “My Dad never approved of me trying to become a Wonderbolt. My Mom was a reserve member and she died in an accident while practicing. I guess now that I’m older I can understand why he acted that way. He didn’t want to lose me. He wasn’t abusive or anything, but he did everything in his power to keep me from my dream. Eventually, I just left home and stopped speaking to him for years until he came to my house one day.”

“Why?” asked Lighting Dust.

“He was dying of cancer and he didn’t want to die with a messed up relationship with his daughter. After some encouragement from my friends, we started talking. A lot. I forgave him and was there when he passed away last year,” muttered Dash, rubbing her eye. “And I thought my childhood was messed up.”

“At least you had a home for three months...” whispered Lighting, earning a look from Dash that screamed “Are you serious?!”. “Yeah, I was without a home, money, or warmth for that entire time.”

***

It never rained or snowed in Cloudsdale, but that didn’t mean it didn’t get cold. Contrary to popular belief, pegasi did get cold it just takes much colder temperatures for it to kick in. Lighting Dust did her best to stop her shivering teeth as she felt the freezing wind whip her in the face as she struggled to find some kind of food in the trash.

Three forsaken months since her parents kicked her out. Three months since she last had a decent meal and a bed to sleep on. The streets were a jungle and a living hell for those without homes. Once, Lighting Dust was like the rest of the population, looking down at the homeless or ignoring them. She even remembered saying they were better off just living on the ground doing nothing. How ironic that she was now one of them.

Very few other hobos talked to her, most were suspicious of her and even threatened her if she came back to their “turf” again. The few that were kind offered her spare old robes and flea homed blankets, along with tips on how to survive. If there was ever a rock bottom, this was it for Lighting Dust.

Everyday she had to search for food in trash cans or even steal if she had a very lucky break. Sure, it was mostly half eaten garbage, but it was better than starving. Sleeping in cardboard boxes that smelled like piss. Having to go to the bathroom right over the edge of a cloud where you had the risk of being seen. Even been jeered and insulted everyday was just a hassle.

She could have gone back to the Academy for help. Maybe even leave Cloudsdale for a new home. But she couldn’t go back, not like this. She couldn’t beg for help, on the street or with ponies she knew. And that was because of pride. The pride that she was still Lighting Dust, awesome flying stunt mare.

All alone with nopony to love her but herself.

“Damnit, nothing,” cursed Lighting Dust as she got out of the dumpster. Rubbing her dirty wings together to keep them warm. Lighting never really cared about her appearance that much, but the dirt on her fur, the messed up and torn mane, and the ruffled feathered wings were something even she wished she could fix.

Making her way down the alley, she gazed at the moon with a deep sigh, wondering why Faust was doing this to her. Then again I haven’t prayed to her since Vorpal died...

Would it hurt to pray again?

“Faust... if you even have the slightest bit of mercy... please help me,” begged Lighting Dust, a tear dripping down her eye. “I’ll change... I’ll pray to you every day... I’ll do anything and everything... just don’t let me suffer like this anymore.”

Taking a deep breath, Lighting Dust turned around to head for her temporary home for the day before moving to another street. However, by the time she fully made the turn, she saw a wooden club heading straight for her face that she didn’t have time to dodge. She felt the blow against her muzzle, a crack echoed in the air followed by the pain of having her nose snap, blood gushing out. She landed on the cloud, hearing nothing but a ringing in her head and the sound of her heart beating over and over again. The pain came back ten fold and she could feel her eyes tearing up.

She tried to get up, spread her wings, get to the air, but another blow against the head sent her back down. The second blow seemed to give her back her hearing as she closed her eyes but still heard the sounds of her attackers.

“Careful, Blitz, don’t want to cause too much noise now. You want to wake up half the neighborhood?”

“Buck you, flankhole. Just be glad I saw this homeless bitch or else we wouldn’t be getting any fun at all. So how are we gonna knock her out before getting tail? Pelt her with rocks? Use our hooves? Smash her face into the walls?”

In an instant, Lighting Dust’s eyes widened and every instinct in her as a mare lit up. Oh, Celestia... they want to...

She tried to get up, but something was keeping her down. Through her blood and tear covered eyes, she couldn’t see the faces of her attackers in the dark, but there were two pegasi and one unicorn, whose horn was alight with a dim blue magical glow. He was holding her down with a spell and she couldn’t do anything.

“Ugh, forget it. I’m not tapping a hobo’s flank. Let’s just kill her and get it over with.”

One of the pegasi walked over and began fondling her rump, making her whimper as she tried to scream for help, but the spell had silenced her as well. “Damn, her flank is good for a homeless bitch.” He leaned closer and smirked. “I bet you're wondering why we’re doing this, right? Well, its simple. Nopony’s gonna miss a homeless nobody like you. But that doesn’t mean we have to rush it.”

“Guys, I don’t know about this. Surely the police will catch on with what we’ve been doing. Maybe we should take the night off,” suggested the unicorn before one of the pegasi backhanded him.

“What are you chicken? Just keep that spell on her and stay of this if you’re that worried. Now hand me the knife.”

“Wanna gang up on her at the end? Like we did with that last one?” asked the other pegasus, before giving Lighting a smack on the face with his hoof. She started cursing every hateful words she knew at this guy. If she wasn’t being held down by the spell, all three of them would be dead.

“Buck, yeah. That as fun. Now let’s get this show on the road. Stay still, pretty girl.”

Lighting Dust felt her blood turn to ice as she felt something sharp slither down her back, just inches away from her neck. This is it? This is how it’s all gonna end? Killed and forgotten in this bucking alley?! Please?! She felt the knife right against her throat, slowly drawing blood. NOT LIKE THIS! NOT LIKE THIS! SOMEPONY HELP ME! SPITFIRE! DASH! MOMMY! DADDY! BIG SISTER! NOOOO!

“What the buck are you bastards doing!?”

Every prayer to Faust that Lighting remember in Sunday School went through her head as she heard somepony rushing towards her. She was tossed aside as the three shouted before she heard the sounds of a fight. All Lighting Dust could do was hold herself and cry as every barrier she had been holding collapsed. She had just almost died. Died. All she could do was cry at anything and everything along with the sounds of broken bones and shouts of pain. She wanted to disappear. She wanted to just imagine her whole life was a dream.

She just wanted to be safe.

She wanted her family back.

The four of them, happy and together. Her big sister teaching her how to fly while her mommy and daddy were watching and clapping as she completed her first flight run. How they went to celebrate with ice cream and cookies. Coming home to a warm fire place where everypony hugged each other on the couch and read books.

She wanted that comfort, that happiness again. To be lost in that time instead of this dark, cold and lonely world. Lighting Dust felt so weak... and yet maybe that’s how she’s always felt.

The last cry of pain was heard from her former attackers then there was silence.

Lightning Dust still didn’t move. Still didn’t open her eyes. All she did was lay there in a ball, frozen to even think. Then she felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time as somepony came up to her and slowly wrapped his arms around her. It was warmth.

“It’s okay, child. They’re not gonna hurt you. Yer safe now,” said a voice, strong and full of wisdom.

Slowly, Lighting Dash opened her eyes and red bald pegasus who looked to be in his late fifties. His warm blue eyes spoke of care and gentle kindness.

Before she knew it, Lighting Dust dug her bleeding face into his chest and cried.

***

It had all been a blur after that. The police, the hospital, learning that her attackers were going to jail for a long time. When asked for where she lived, she didn’t tell them. There was no home for her anymore and she didn’t want to go into the streets again. Not after what happened. Apparently, the three half dead flankholes were a gang of serial killers who were already wanted for the death of three other poor, defenseless, homeless ponies. Lighting Dust could have been the fourth if not for the arrival of her savior.

That said savior offered to take her to his house. Any self pride Lightning had wasn’t putting up a fight to accept help, and she took his offer with promises to answer police questions soon. Unable to bring herself to fly, they took a carriage to what had to have been one of the biggest mansions Lighting Dust had ever seen.

Opening the gates, the two were greeted by maids of all things who happily welcomed their master back while also tending to Lighting Dust by taking her rags and directing her towards a hot tub. Lighting Dust didn’t wait a single moment, she was zooming and diving cannonball first in the pool sized tub faster than anypony could blink. The warm water and bubbles made her sigh in relief as the feeling of having an actual bath was almost alien to her after being denied hot water for so long.

The maids soon came and began to scrub her body and mane clean and Lighting Dust had no objections to this. If anything, it was helping her wash away the feeling of that knife right against her throat...

No, don’t think about it... not now...

“Master Redstreak said there is food for you at the dining table when you are done here. He would like to talk to you about where you’ll be sleeping here tonight and more,” said one of the maids, a yellow lemon color pegasus with a light blue mane, named Butter Blue.

“Redstreak... where have I heard that name before?” asked Lighting Dust, as she sank into the water some more.

Butter Blue giggled before saying, “Chances are you know him by his nickname. The Red Daredevil?”

Lighting Dust’s eyes opened in a second as she shot out of the bath and stared at an amused Butter with her mouth wide open. “The Red Daredevil?! That Redstreak?! Retired Commander of the Wonderbolts and known for setting the most records in Wonderbolts history?! The guy who lead missions into dangerous territory and never lost a single member?! One of only fourteen ponies in history to be given the Cross of Harmony?!”

“Yup! That’s our master!” said all the maids at once.

Lighting Dust almost felt her entire body crumble from the revelation. She had been saved by one of the most famous Wonderbolts in modern day history! No wonder those three were beaten to a bloody pulp!

After her bath, a still stunned Lighting Dust was guided towards the dining room where she was, yet again, stunned. The entire table was filled with the one thing she missed most in the world. Food. Honest to Celestia decent food. Salads, sandwiches, fries, drinks, noodles, fried and grilled and baked dishes. Her savior, Redstreak, was on the other end of the dining room, calmly eating mushrooms and fried asparagus. Looking up he grinned.

“Welcome, I didn’t know what you wanted to eat so I had the chefs make a bit of everything.” He lifted his hoof towards the food. “Please, enjoy yourself.”

Lighting Dust didn’t even speak, she just dived for the food and took anything she could get her hooves on. She didn’t bother with a fork or knife, just the sight of all the delicious grub pushed any manners out the window. Tasting warm hot bread and butter, mixed in with daisy sandwiches and hay fries all at once made her eyes cry tears of joy. Her taste buds sang praise as she swallowed it all in one gulp.

Bite after bite. Drink after drink. Everything she could see she tasted. If this was a dream, she never wanted it to end. Lighting Dust finally came to remember, half way eating the whole table, that she was still being watched by Redstreak who was watching with a smile on his face.

Wiping her dirty mouth, Lighting bowed her head. “Mr. Redstreak... I just want to s-say... th-thank you. Thank you, so much. If it wasn’t for you I... I...”

Lighting Dust quickly grabbed her drink of hard cider, promising herself to take a few bottles for the evening to help wipe away tonight’s events. The bad ones at least.

Redstreak raised his hoof. “Just call me Redstreak. The Mr part makes me sound older than I am. Now,” he leaned forward and pressed his hooves together. “Lightning Dust, I know it might be difficult to ask you this, but I need to know your story.”

“M-my story?” asked Lighting Dust.

“Yes, according to the doctor’s scans you showed signs of only recent malnourishment in the past few months and I can tell by your body structure and form that you were an athlete, practically flying material.” He sighed and asked, “So what made a bright kid like you a victim on the streets?”

Lightning Dust didn’t say anything. She just stared at her savior for a long time as her heart debated on what to tell the stallion who she owed her life too.

In the end, she told him everything. Her sister. Her parents. Wonderbolt Academy. Rainbow Dash. Spitfire. Her mistake. The fall out. Being kicked out. Her life on the streets. Everything that had happened to her in life she told him.

By the time she was done, she was crying into her hooves like a baby as he walked over and held her. “It’s going to be okay, Lighting. It’s going to be okay.”

For the first time, Lighting Dust actually believed those words.

Author's Note:

Now things start turning around for Lighting.

Comments

[mbpony 512]

Now I do wonder if Spitfire herself would enter the story ?

I mean with such a strong tie to the Winderbolts even Spitfire has to give her a second chance after hearing her story or at least feel a bit sorry for her.

Great update to an interesting tale.

[Seether00]

5533539

Based on the intro that doesn't happen

[Bad_Seed_72]

Damn, that was an emotional rollercoaster. Great chapter.

[Biker_Dash]

There are no words... just feels upon fields of feels

[EchoWing]

Finally sat down to read this, and it was worth the wait.

I think you could use an editor, but this is a good story and it's off to a good start. Keep it up.

[Frankie2]

If Rainbow Dash was made before, after hearing what almost happened to Lightning Dust will REALLY set her off.

[Pete100]

Shaking her head, Lighting Dust looked at her coffee and glared at it. “I haven’t spoken to my parents since that day and I have no reason too. They want to do nothing to do with their living daughter and instead spend everyday focused on their dead one. I told my family that they were dead to me since I’m dead to them. And I have no intention of seeing them ever again.”

Does she have any other relatives?

“He was dying of cancer and he didn’t want to die with a messed up relationship with his daughter. After some encouragement from my friends, we started talking. A lot. I forgave him and was there when he passed away last year,” muttered Dash, rubbing her eye. “And I thought my childhood was messed up.”

Why would she think that?

Slowly, Lighting Dash opened her eyes and red bald pegasus who looked to be in his late fifties. His warm blue eyes spoke of care and gentle kindness.

On one hand, I wanna say him and lightning dust’s mother are related, but they don’t act the same.

Lighting Dust’s eyes opened in a second as she shot out of the bath and stared at an amused Butter with her mouth wide open. “The Red Daredevil?! That Redstreak?! Retired Commander of the Wonderbolts and known for setting the most records in Wonderbolts history?! The guy who lead missions into dangerous territory and never lost a single member?! One of only fourteen ponies in history to be given the Cross of Harmony?!”

God Damn