Race 21
Race 21: The Magic of Speed, and the Force of Friendship
Rainbow Dash cursed as she tried once again to replicate Reverse's move. One thing that Barry had hammered into his student was that speed without control is nothing, and this exercise was proving him right. Rainbow Dash struggled to find the Goldilocks zone. If she accelerated to slowly, she would do an ordinary Sonic Rainboom. If she accelerated too quickly, the Speed Force would erect a bubble around her and insulate her from ordinary physical phenomena.
It seemed like an eternity before it happened. Just as the shock collar was forming, the Speed Force bubble enveloped her. Rainbow Dash vanished from the face of Equestria.
For Rainbow Dash, the world disappeared in a tunnel of blue light. All sensation of speed and acceleration disappeared. Rainbow Dash smiled. She could feel it; she was inside the Speed Force.
“Speed Force! Speed Force! Are you there? Help me! I need you!”
The image of the long-deceased Grandma Dash appeared right beside Rainbow.
“Our help? To do what, exactly? You know it is too late to save your friend. You know trying to change history brings nothing but trouble.”
Rainbow looked at the figure of her grandma and sighed.
“I know that. As much as it hurts to lose my friend Starlight, she showed me how dangerous changing the past can be. She is responsible for my reverse, isn't she? I'm begging you, lead me to my mentor, please."
“This is your battle, Rainbow Dash. Are you telling me that you don’t trust your abilities?”
“I do trust in my abilities, but this goes beyond just me. Barry told me what happened to Thawne, his reverse. If I try this alone, the same will happen to my reverse."
The projection of Grandma Dash shrugged. "That is the way of the Speed Force."
"You don't get it, do you? I wouldn't just be killing a version of myself; I'd be dooming her entire planet! She killed the ones who can control their sun. If I stop her like this, her planet dies. If I fail, every Equestria in every timeline dies."
The projection asked, "If I grant you desire, what difference would that make?"
"Barry can protect my friends while I defeat my reverse. My friends and I can reform her; we can use the powers of Harmony. But, to do that, they must be safe. To do that, I need to be able to defeat my reverse without having to worry about them. Please, I need to see my teacher; more than that, I need to see my friend."
The projection tapped her chin with a forehoof, deep in thought. It then turned to Rainbow Dash and gave her a soft smile and a nod.
The sensation of speed returned with a vengeance. Rainbow Dash spread her limbs instinctively as the advertisement for analgesics loomed. No wings! Her flailing slowed her just enough to make a solid impact on the billboard. Friction against the surface resulted in a rude squeak as she slid to platform.
Slowly, Rainbow Dash used the billboard for support as she stood unsteadily. Balance on two legs was a lot tougher than it was on four. Rolling to face the street, she found she was atop a concrete jungle. This was Manehatten on steroids -- louder, taller, brighter.
Looking out, she saw a sea of skyscrapers. The bright lights were in stark contrast to the darkness of night. In the distance, one building seemed to have a moat of empty space around it. Along its roofline were the words "S.T.A.R. Labs".
Smiling, Rainbow Dash exclaimed, "I'm here! I'm actually here!"
Unsteadily, she descended the ladder and stepped onto the roof. Looking out, she could see she was atop a twenty-story building. The Flash would have no problem running straight down the side and then continuing along the sidewalk. Unfamiliar with her new body, the Dash took the stairs.
It didn't take long for Rainbow Dash to acclimate to her new body. Baby steps led to a tentative walk. A bit more practice led to a respectable trot. Before she reached the ground floor, she was running with confidence.
Things looked much different at ground level. Wait, was that Jitters? She looked at her reflection in the window. The magenta eyes and scruffy rainbow-colored mane were still there, but it was definitely not a pony looking back at her. She was conflicted about the alien body in which she now resided. Barry must have gone through the same thing when he first arrived in Equestria.
A human observer would have described her as having a gymnast's build, petite and modestly-proportioned. Although a chill on her back told her she still had the wing slits, her suit had transformed to a conventional human costume. Her boots and gloves were a pearlescent white, and the suit was still the familiar cyan. However, instead of cutie marks, her chest now sported her cloud and lightning bolt in a gold-rimmed white circle. A rainbow belt ran around her waist, and her goggles were now scaled for her human form.
Flash was running at full speed as he touched the earcup that contained his commlink.
“What do you have for me, Cisco?”
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, a young Hispanic man with shoulder-length black hair chewed on a red licorice stick as the hunched over his computer display. His fingers flew over the user interface as the display cycled through status reports from security systems around the city.
“Everything seems completely normal. Oh, wait! There a disturbance at a mall around three klicks on your seven.”
The Flash grinned; he knew exactly which mall Cisco meant. He flip-turned on a wall and sped off.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, a young woman in her early thirties with curly brown hair and brown eyes sat beside Cisco. Caitlin Snow was not as quick as the youngster, but her analyses were no less valuable.
“Barry! You better hurry!” exclaimed Caitlin. “I'm detecting the transmissions of a remote detonator in that mall!”
“On it!” answered Barry, speeding up.
The Flash darted into the mall through a revolving door. A sudden drop in temperature signaled that something was amiss. It was too late; as slipped on the ice-coated floor.
When he finally reached a dry patch, he looked up at a figure in a parka. Although the eyes were covered by goggles, the cold gun he wielded was a dead giveaway. It was Leonard Snart, or "Captain Cold" as Cisco had dubbed him.
Snart deliberately aimed the cold gun at Flash and fired.
Evading the attack, Flash sprang to his feet. He said, "What do you think you’re doing, Snart? We had a deal!”
"We still do," Captain Cold replied with a slight Southern drawl. "Someone paid be good money to keep you busy for the next five minutes. Nothing personal, Barry. Just business."
Flash frowned. “I know, it's always the same with you.”
Snart smiled ironically, and shot Flash with his cold gun.
Barry tried to elude the attack, but he couldn't get enough traction on the ice. He shivered under the ice that now coated his body.
Snart grinned. “Easier than I thought. You’re losing your touch, Barry.”
“We had a deal, Snart!” protested Flash.
Captain Cold took a small transmitter from his parka. Holding it up in front of the Flash, he deliberately pressed down of the button. Somewhere in the mall, the bomb's timer activated, counting down from five minutes.
“We still have a deal; I’m not killing anyone. You know how good I am at timing things. There's just enough time for you to evacuate everyone in here to safety. You have five minutes; use them well, Barry.”
The Flash watch Snart calmly walk away. Pursuing him would have to wait until all of the innocents were safe.
“Cisco, Caitlin! Tell me, where’s the bomb!” urged Flash.
“We’re trying to locate it, but there's too much interference!” Cisco replied. “It could be anywhere in there!”
“Sorry, but you knew I'd make sure you'd be busy,” said Snart, looking at the Flash’s worried expression. "Get going. Time's a wasting."
Snart smiled at the Flash and turned to leave. Suddenly, a multi-colored streak of light raced along a wall. Snart felt the wind get knocked out of him as it caught him.
As he struggled to regain his breath, he reached for the transmitter. He quickly discovered it was no longer in his pocket. He also found he was hanging on a light fixture by the back of his pants.
As he flailed about, a girl in a blue bodysuit held up the transmitter and asked, "Looking for this?"
Captain Cold snarled, and aimed his cold gun at the new nuisance. He pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.
The Flash stood beside the new speedster and held up the power cell from the gun. "Looking for this?"
The two speedsters looked at each other. The younger beamed while the older looked confused. The younger pointed at her hair. "It's not a dye job." At last, the Flash smiled.
“Hi there, Flash.” said the girl, extending her fist to the hero in red.
The Flash gently touched his knuckles to hers. "Dash?! I don't believe it!"
“Flash! Flash!” called Cisco’s voice through Flash’s earpiece. “There's another speedster in the area. Look out!”
The Flash put a hand on his earpiece. “She's a friend, Cisco; she's right in front of me.”
From the other side of the transmitter, Cisco, Caitlin, and other Team Flash member at S.T.A.R. Labs shouted, “WHAT?!”
From ceiling, Snart called out, "Hey, cradle-robber! You're down to four minutes, thirty seconds."
The Flash replied, "Now that you're just hanging around, why don't you tell us where the bomb is?"
Snart sniffed. "Professional, remember? When I give my word, I mean it. Four minutes, twenty seconds."
The Flash briefed Dash at super speed. "So, I'll evacuate the mall while you search for the bomb."
Rainbow Dash asked, "What happened to your speed earlier?"
Flash shrugged. "I got hit with his cold ray. Let's get going!"
"Give me a second; there's one thing I've been wanting to try."
At normal speed, it looked like Captain Cold was surrounded by a multi-colored streak for a fraction of a second and hoisted to the top of the atrium. When the streak vanished, he found himself cocooned in duct tape and attached to the ceiling. His gun was lightly taped to his side.
Rainbow Dash critically eyed her handiwork from ground level. "Somehow, Pinkie always make it look better." She turned back to the Flash. "Let's do this!"
The Flash triggered the fire alarm and started rushing the bystanders out in ones and twos. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash scoured every millimeter of the mall. Looking for a device with a timer; Barry's memories had shown there was a lot of variation, but a timer was the constant among this type of device. On the rooftop, Dash's sharp eyes spotted a ventilation cover that had been moved recently. Peering through the grate, she saw a bright red display counting down from one minute, thirty seconds.
The timer had barely reached one minute, twenty-nine seconds when she returned with the Flash. After checking for booby traps, he gently removed the grate and pressed the "cancel" button on the detonator. Gingerly, he removed the device and had a closer look. The timer and detonator were quite real, but the squib and the explosive were obvious fakes.
The Flash activated his commlink. "Cisco, the bomb's a diversion. What's the real crime?"
Cisco frowned as the answer popped up on his screen. "Dr. McGee triggered her silent alarm. Her security feed shows she's being held hostage at Mercury Labs. I count six hostiles, including a hacker."
The Flash sighed. "Dash, can I get your help for a bit?"
"Sure!"
"Great! Let me take care of one quick thing, and then it's to the rescue!"
Back in the atrium, the Flash lowered Captain Cold so that he was only one meter off the ground. He said, "Hey, Leonard, I saw your bomb. The deal is still on."
With that, the Flash sped away with his protégé in tow.
At super speed, Rainbow Dash still found running on two legs awkward. She marveled at how easy her mentor made it look.
At Mercury Labs, the hacker kept one eye on the timer as he monitored the progress of his software. There was still a comfortable safety margin, assuming he got the full five minutes he requested. The whoosh of a passing speedster told him his time was up. The hacker cursed, but after the red and yellow streak passed, he breathed a sigh of relief. With the Flash rescuing the hostage, he had a few precious seconds to make his escape.
As he turned to flee, he found himself being pulled away as his vision blurred. When he could see clearly again, he found himself looking down at the floor. Looking about, he found the reason his limbs refused to obey; he was cocooned in duct tape.
Elsewhere, Dr. McGee smiled as the Flash piled the unconscious thugs together. Thanks again, Mister Allen. I'm sorry I keep causing such a bother."
"It's all in a day's work. If you'll excuse me, I need to introduce someone to my friends."
At that moment, a girl in a cyan body suit walked in, dragging a tape-wrapped bundle. Dr. McGee tensed. Urgently, she whispered, "Look out! It's another one!"
The Flash laughed. "This is my student, Dash."
Skeptically, Dr. McGee said, "I don't know about this."
Dash replied, "Hey! I'm Loyalty; and the Flash is a friend."
Dr. McGee shrugged. “If you're sure about this Flash, go on, but don't forget what your so-called mentors did to you."
The Flash nodded. “Thank you for the advice; it's good to know you have my back.”
With that, he disappeared in a streak of light, followed by Rainbow Dash.
As the two headed to S.T.A.R. Labs, the Flash said, “You’re getting better Rainbow! You’re faster than the last time we met!”
“You have to be kidding! This whole thing of balancing on only two legs is messing with my speed!” complained Rainbow.
“But you're learning fast, and your pace is good,” replied the Flash, shrugging. “Now, come on! I can’t wait to introduce you to my friends!”
Unfortunately, the reception at S.T.A.R. Labs was not what the Flash was expecting. The doors were barricaded, and Team Flash was waiting behind cover with weapons at the ready, glaring at the newcomer.
Dash smiled nervously as she studied the hostile expressions.
Joe said, "Blockhouse."
The Flash led the way. "Come on Dash, let's get out of the open."
The blockhouse was an underground facility isolated from the main building. With its rugged construction, it could easily double as a bomb shelter. Once everyone was inside, the Flash looked at the weapons his friends were carrying; they were variations of the cold gun.
Angrily, Iris said, "Okay, you owe us an explanation. Let's hear it."
Rainbow Dash removed her goggles. "Um, I'm a friend of Barry's. My name is Rainbow Dash."
Barry also removed lowered his hood. "Relax, guys. I vouch for her."
Caitlin growled. "Barry, the last time we welcomed someone new at the lab, he turned out to be a homicidal maniac."
“We’re not going to make the same mistake all over again, son," Joe added. "You say you know her, but how can you be so sure?”
“Yeah, dude, I’m pretty sure there’s more you can tell us,” insisted Cisco.
Barry sighed, but still, he smiled. “Where do I begin? After I defeated Zoom, I hurt so much I wanted to run away from everything. I thought I could stop the pain if I made everything right, so I got into the Speed Force, and I, er… tried to go back in time to rescue my mom."
“Barry . . .” said Iris with a mixture of sorrow and disappointment.
“Yes, I was being an idiot, but, I’d just lost my biological father, and almost lost Joe, too. I couldn’t take it anymore!” explained the Flash.
Joe slowly embraced his son. “I get it. But then, what happened?”
“The Speed Force talked me out of it. It told me there were good speedsters out there, and that I shouldn't let Reverse Flash and Zoom break me. To prove there were other speedsters I could trust, it led me to a new speedster. That was Rainbow Dash."
The girl with the multi-colored hair waved a hand, shyly.
“So, she’s another of your mentors?” asked Caitlin, suspiciously.
Barry shook his head, and proudly put his hand on Rainbow’s shoulder. “Not at all; this time, I was the mentor. Rainbow Dash is my student.”
“WHAT?!” shouted Team Flash in unison.
Rainbow Dash smiled happily and gave a small bow with her right forearm across her stomach. “It’s an honor to finally meet you all. Back in my world, Barry told me a lot about you.”
“Your world? What do you mean ‘your world’?” asked Iris.
Rainbow smiled proudly. “Another dimension, other plane of existence. You know what I mean; you're the eggheads.”
“Is this for real?” asked Cisco.
“Yes, but you'd think I was crazy if I told you,” explained Barry. "That's why I kept it a secret."
“So, all that time you were lost, you were training this girl?” asked Iris, suspiciously. "She looks like a high school freshman."
Rainbow Dash snapped, "Hey! I'm not a filly anymore."
Barry gestured for Rainbow Dash to hold her tongue. "It's a little more complicated than that. She didn't have her powers at first. While I was waiting, I moonlighted as a crimefighter with their version of the Arrow. After she recovered from her transformation, I started tutoring her, and she graduated to fighting crime with us."
Joe nodded. “Fine then, but, do you mind if we see for ourselves, Rainbow Dash?”
“How can you do that?” asked Rainbow.
“Easy,” replied the cop. “Cisco?”
Cisco Ramón put on some high-tech goggles and then put a hand on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. Soon, he saw the story from her perspective, starting with the call of the Cutie Map. Her encounter with LeGrand's thugs introduced her to the scarlet speedster and crushed her confidence. Her obsession with speed led to the accident in Twilight's lab. Waking up in the hospital, she discovered her new power. Finally, she became Barry's student, and, after coming into her own, she had to bid Barry farewell."
Soon enough, the metahuman released Rainbow, and he began to laugh uncontrollably, rolling on the floor.
“Cisco, Cisco! What happened, Cisco?!” asked Caitlin, shaking the laughing boy.
But he continued laughing uncontrollably.
“What did you do to him?!” asked Iris angrily.
“Nothing, I promise!” said Rainbow.
Barry rolled his eyes, face-palming. “It’s okay, she didn’t do anything.”
“But Cisco . . .” said Joe.
“Really, just let him finish.” said Barry, resigned; he knew what was coming.
Cisco continued laughing hysterically for a few minutes, until he finally got back on his feet, still giggling. He looked at Barry, with a mocking smile.
“So, hahahaha, that’s where you were all this time? God, hahahaha, it looks like a kids’ cartoon! Hahahaha, that’s a good one, the fastest pegasus alive?”
“What?” asked the rest of Team Dash in disbelief.
Cisco began to laugh again, until he finally calmed down.
“It’s okay; it’s okay, really. It's just . . . too weird; that’s really funny . . . but she’s an okay gal.” He turned to Rainbow Dash. “Sorry for mistrusting you, Fruityloos, but we every other speedster Barry has met has been big trouble.”
Rainbow nodded. “I get it; I get it. Wait, how did you call me?”
“Fruityloos. From now on, it’ll be your new metapony name!” announced Cisco, proudly.
“So, we can trust her?” asked Iris, cautiously.
“Metapony?” asked Caitlin.
Cisco giggled. “Hahaha, oh God! Sorry if I offended you, Fruityloos, but I can’t help myself! This is so rich!”
Rainbow groaned. “Fine, fine. But, I already have a metapony name. It's the Dash!”
Cisco shook his head, as he took a package of Fruityloos candies from a pocket, and throwing them to Rainbow. “Nope, it doesn’t count if is your real name. Besides, these are one of my favorite treats in the world; you should be flattered! Go on, try it! It's a rainbow of more or less fruit flavors.”
Rainbow groaned, but she tried the candy. She raised an eyebrow in astonishment. The real artificial fruit flavors were surprisingly good.
Caitlin visibly relaxed. “Okay, if Cisco says you’re good, I trust you. But, seriously, what are you talking about? Pegasus?”
“I really wish these goggles could project,” said Cisco, trying to hold back his laugh. “It's the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. That world looks like it was made for six-year-old girls." Grinning, he added, "You were absolutely adorable as a pony, Barry. If I had a niece, she'd ask for you for Christmas."
Barry sighed. “Yes, the Speed Force is full of surprises. But, Rainbow, why are you here? I can't believe the Speed Force sent you for a friendly visit.”
Rainbow Dash nodded slowly.
“You're right; I need your help Barry. I have a serious problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
“Her name is the Reverse Dash.”
Barry’s expression darkened. “WHAT?!”
“Please Barry, I need your help. I know I can beat her by myself, but that would mean that her world dies, and I probably lose most of my friends. She's not like Thawne; she's me. There's still good in her; my friends and I can save her, but there's no way I can slow her down enough for that by myself. I need you to help me to protect my friends while I take care of her.”
Barry nodded firmly. He knew how she felt.
“Of course, I’ll help you.”
Cisco said, "Wait a minute? What are you going to do? Talk her to death?"
Barry replied, "Before Dash became a speedster, she was a national hero. She and her friends reformed an insane ruler. And a deity of chaos, and a full kingdom of love-hungry creatures."
Dash added, "That's exactly what I want to do with my reverse."
Cisco ginned. “I’ll join as well. If there’s a chance to see that little world of yours in person, I really want to participate.”
“Okay, I don’t really get what’s going on, but you can count me in, too,” said Caitlin.
Iris and Joe nodded in agreement.
“If they trust you, so do I,” said Iris. “After all, made Barry whole again.”
“Team Flash has your back,” finished Joe.
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YAY!!!!
Oooooooh so loving this story! Can't wait for the next one!
Captain Cold huh? So are The Legends just not a thing in this universe?
8594507
Flashpoint never happened, remember?
8594535
Legends happened in season 2 Flashpoint had nothing to do with it.
8594539
To be honest, I have no idea. Sorry, unfortunately I'm not updated with the Arrowverse
8594545
You should definitely check out legends of tomorrow. Season one wasn't that great but with season 2 it quickly became the best of the 4 shows.
It's fine if it's not a thing in this story just thought I'd ask since it would be impossible for snart to be around otherwise.
Yay! Cisco in Equestria! Also, his reaction was priceless.
Damn you do a good job with suspense! I can't wait for the next
Hmmm Cisco and Caitlin will probaly become Unicorns given their affinity for Science.
Iris .... Pegasus just to match Barry.
Joe ...... ungh...... Zebra? As an african-american?
Wait that would make Iris a Zebrasus?
Can't wait for more.
nicely done; also:
you know, it probably wasn't even the intention, but now I'm suddenly curious to see if we're going to see, within the world of "Reverse Dash", a version of Starlight who returned to the (alternate) present the normal way: by waiting...
8595366
actually there's ANOTHER reason why this might happen: both of them have shown metahuman abilities at this time...and yes, I KNOW that the latter technically never developed powers before season 3, which is retconned in this story, but the potential is still there...
Alright team flash, heading to equestria.