Left In The Dust

by Sapphire Rose 12

Chapter 1: Lost

Lightning Dust entered her grandfather's house and slowly closed the door. Restraining tears, she flew over to the dinner table and sat down.

Her grandfather caught sight of Lightning Dust and was more than surprised to see her. "Lightning Dust, what are you doing home so early? I thought Fall Break was in two months."

Lightning Dust didn't want to tell her grandfather what had happened. Being kicked out of the academy was something that had never happened in the history of her family. Her mother had merely quit the academy to raise Lightning Dust. Her father had actually become a Wonderbolt and earned fame all around Equestria. His death was mourned by Equestrians everywhere since he was so well known. Lightning Dust was the first one in her family to be kicked out of the academy entirely. She felt like she had not only failed her dreams, but also her family name.

"Well, aren't you going to tell me?" her grandfather asked, a stern look crossing his face.

Lightning Dust shook her head. "I don't think you'd like it," she said. "I don't think anyone in the family would be proud of me for this."

"Lightning Dust," her grandfather said. "You're following your dreams and reaching your goals. How could anyone not be proud of you for that?"

"What does it matter to you?" Lightning Dust snapped. "You never listened to me before. Why should I expect more from you now?"

"I'm very busy being a Wonderbolt," her grandfather said. "I don't always have the time to listen. Now, I do."

"You never make the time," Lightning Dust muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind," Lightning Dust sighed. "I... I..." Tears began to pour down her face again. "I got kicked out... of... the.... a-a-academy."

"What?!" her grandfather exclaimed. "Lightning Dust, what in the name of Equestria did you do?!"

"I started a tornado to bust the clouds," Lightning Dust explained shamefully. "It worked, but... I almost took the lives of my friend's... friends. If that makes any sense."

Her grandfather shook his head and clicked his tongue. It was clear that he was disappointed in her. "What are we ever going to do with you?"

Lightning Dust hung her head in shame. Her grandfather's disappointment was enough to add to her heart breaking. Lightning Dust knew she had very little pieces of it left. Lightning Dust knew it would be lying in shards by the time anyone realized how her world was crumbling down on her.

"You know what?" her grandfather said rubbing his forehead. "I've got a Wonderbolts performance to be at in Fillydelphia. I don't think I can stay and talk."

"But, Grandpa Wind Rider---" Lightning Dust cried.

Wind Rider sighed and looked back at Lightning Dust. "Lightning Dust, I'm sorry, but this is the way it works. If you do something to get yourself kicked off, you're kicked off. I can't stay and talk! I've got to go!"

Wind Rider took flight and shut the door behind him. Lightning Dust looked after him as he flew off and sighed. She knew he was right. There was nothing she could do now.

---

Lightning Dust began busying herself with other things. While Wind Rider wasn't at home, she taught herself to cook which she found she actually enjoyed. She made vegetable soups and hay burgers. Once she learned to cook those dishes very well, she moved onto learning more complex meals.

However, cooking wasn't the only new skill that Lightning Dust busied herself with. Lightning Dust also began to learn how to play buckball. She didn't enjoy buckball as much as she liked to cook, but it was still enjoyable for her. She practiced buckball every day and gradually got very good at it.

As much as she enjoyed those new skills, Lightning Dust could never part with flying. She had been flying ever since she was a foal and it was part of her cutie mark. However, flying at her top speed and doing amazing tricks didn't feel right to her anymore. When she flew, she just flew at night as if she were taking a midnight stroll. She just liked to look at the night sky and feel the wind brush her mane back. She did a couple of occassional loops. This was her source of comfort. She no longer felt as if anyone were judging her on flying, she was just free to do what she liked about it. Freedom.

Lightning Dust still felt the pain of being kicked out. It wouldn't leave her alone. Spitfire's angry voice haunted her as well as Rainbow Dash's. When she busied herself with the things she enjoyed, it lessened, but it was always there nagging her and bothering her.

About two years later, while she was cooking, Wind Rider slammed the door in anger. Lightning Dust turned around to see her angry grandfather throw a chocolate stained scarf onto the sofa. He sighed, unzipped his jacket, and threw it onto the sofa. Seeing Wind Rider come home in anger was something Lightning Dust wasn't used to. Lightning Dust usually saw Wind Rider strut into the house in confidence, tall and proud.

"Welcome home, Grandpa," Lightning Dust said as she stirred the soup on the stove. "How did the Wonderbolts performance in Manehattan go?"

Wind Rider scowled.

"I see what you mean about this Rainbow Dash," Wind Rider growled.

"Rainbow Dash, huh?" Lightning Dust asked without a hint of surprise. "Let me guess. Did you get kicked off the team?"

Wind Rider only nodded and plopped down on the sofa with a heavy sigh.

"I'm not surprised," Lightning Dust chuckled bitterly. She shook it off. "Want some soup?"

"Soup?" Wind Rider wondered. "Are you cooking?"

Lightning Dust shrugged. "Beats doing nothing around here while you're gone. Want any?"

Wind Rider shook his head and stormed off to his room.

"O--kay," Lightning Dust said.

After eating some of the soup, Lightning Dust headed off to bed. Every single day, her strength was stripped by trying to be strong through the pain that wouldn't go away. It exhausted her and she knew how to fall asleep quickly. As soon as she climbed into bed, the room began to get hazy and she dozed off to sleep.

---

Lightning Dust didn't know how she was there, but she was back. The Wonderbolts Academy. They seemed to welcome her instead of meet her with glares. She wore her uniform and she even wore her golden leader pin that she thought had been given to Rainbow Dash. She looked around for Rainbow Dash and caught sight of her wearing the wingpony badge. It was impossible.

However, as Lightning Dust flew to complete the laps, Rainbow Dash passed her with a great burst of speed sending Lightning Dust tumbling to the ground. Both of her wings stung and she couldn't take flight. Spitfire saw Lightning Dust and came over to her. Spitfire's cold, hard stare intimidated Lightning Dust. Spitfire tore the leader pin from her uniform and pinned it onto Rainbow Dash. As Rainbow Dash excitedly took flight with her pin, Lightning Dust was forced out of the academy once more.

As she left, she looked at Rainbow Dash's glare. Rainbow Dash smirked, flipped her tail, and flew away. As the world around her began to fade, she heard one word in an unfamiliar voice: Restitch. Restitch. Restitch.

---

Lightning Dust gasped and sat up. She looked around and realized she was still in her bedroom. Just a dream then, she thought.

She thought of the word the unfamiliar voice was telling her. Restitch. What did the dream mean by restitch? She had heard the word after seeing Rainbow Dash.

As she sat in her bed and thought for awhile more, an answer finally came to her. The dream was telling her to restitch her friendships with Rainbow Dash.

"But why?" Lightning Dust asked herself. "Why should I consider Rainbow Dash a friend anymore? She took everything from me. My dreams. My hope. My life!"

Another thought crossed her mind. Lightning Dust knew if she set everything she had done wrong right, she might be able to feel peace again.

"I doubt it," Lightning Dust scoffed. "These wounds will never heal. I'll always feel lost."

However, as morning came, Lightning Dust found herself flying off to find Rainbow Dash. "I can't believe I'm doing this!" Lightning Dust cried.

Author's Note:

This is all for Chapter 1!

Comments

[New Fossil Studios]

I like this story, but the pacing is a little off, not too much though. A very great story.

[Sapphire Rose 12]

8532080
Is there any way that I could improve in the future?

Thank you for your compliment!

[New Fossil Studios]

8532165
Well, what I did when I realized that my pacing was waaay off. I realized that the characters I was using didn't have a long enough train of thought. To grab a reader needs more than interesting plot, what I see a lot of accomplishing writers on this sight do right is give the characters they use a few more words to explain the characters train of thought. But like I said, the pacing isn't too off, it's certainly better than my pacing back then. You're doing a job that is going in a direction that will amaze many others, trust me.