Where We May Lead

by Shadowmane PX-41

Rainbow Dash and Flash Magnus: The Epic Adventure of Awesomeness Begins

Rainbow Dash and Flash Magnus soared through the skies of Equestria, the wind forcibly throwing their manes and tails backwards. Every so often, they would swoop down to the ground, then pull up inches away from the grass, blasting everything around them away like it was nothing. To most other pegasi, it was scary and seemed like a dangerous game. But for Flash and Rainbow, this was nothing more than fun. Awesome fun at that.

"So. How long have you heard about the Pillars, Dash?" Flash Magnus finally asked after the two of them pulled away one last time.

"Well, if I'm gonna be honest, Flash, you were the only Pillar I'd ever heard about. Heck, I didn't even know you were a Pillar of Equestria to begin with!" Rainbow Dash threw her forehooves downwards. "I was more interested in the super-awesome tale of how you fended off a horde of dragons with that shield of yours."

"Oh. That." Flash turned towards the shield on his back. "Y'know, Rainbow, I might've been brave, but dragons were pretty intimidating back then. You've gotta have some REAL guts to stand up to those things. And even then, most ponies who do never live to tell the tale."

"But you did! And that's what makes you the coolest Pillar of them all!" Rainbow could barely keep herself still for a second around Flash, and zipped around to his side. "One pegasus, all by himself, fending off lots of ferocious fire-breathing dragons so his battalion could make it home safely! The stakes were high, the danger totally real, the the chance for failure high as the sky itself!" She took a deep breath and played the whole thing out in her head, envisioning herself in that very same situation. "Even with the Sonic Rainboom, not even I would've been able to stop those guys from turning my friends into a pot roast!"

"Yeah. It almost feels like yesterday when I was able to stand up to those beasts..." Flash Magnus wasn't much of a bragger, but he did like to dwell on his heroic deeds from time to time. "Even now, I can still hear Torch's roar as fire came crashing down on that shield of mine."

"Torch?" Rainbow Dash lifted a brow. "You mean that big dragon who's Dragon Lord Ember's dad?"

"You know him?" Flash's eyes almost popped out of his head. "Did he try to threaten your land?!"

"No! No. Nothing like that." Rainbow Dash shook her hooves vigorously in front of her face. "It's just that Spike did this little thing in the Dragon Lands once. He told me all about Torch, Ember, and so much more when we went to get your shield back." She chuckled. "He was talking so much, it was almost a new world record or something..."

"Well, the Torch I remember isn't be like the one you and the rest of your friends know." Flash started flying off, with Dash close behind her. "He was vile, merciless, and powerful. He could tear up entire forests just by swooping over them! His flames could set fire to a lake! He could turn snowy mountains into just plain mountains in minutes!"

"Geez. That sounds a bit like he's overcompensating for something..." Rainbow Dash tipped her hooves.

"But unlike other dragons, he could back it all up. I distinctly remember the time he and his crew laid waste to Stratus..." Flash's head recoiled, as screams began to fill his mind. "All those friends of mine, screaming as dragons barreled through the clouds and blew the city to pieces."

"That sounds like dragons alright..." Rainbow Dash brought a hoof around her mouth. "But... aren't they supposed to attack only when someone steals their gems? Why'd they wanna torture ponies like that?"

"Dragons are a lot more mighty than you think, Rainbow Dash," said Flash, keeping his course. "Back then, there wasn't someone to keep them in check. So, they just did whatever they wanted; and that included hurting ponies and destroying the lands.

"Even with the shield my battalion gave me, those guys weren't ever gonna let up. In fact, when we were battling Stygian back then, I was sure that the dragons would've torched the place to cinders while we were gone." Flash took one look down at the rocky chasms beneath him, watching some creatures skitter about within it. "The fact that this place is still here must mean that the dragons either gave up or someone stopped them." He slowed down and took his helm off for a brief moment, revealing his mane. "It's good to be brave, Rainbow. But when you know that something's unavoidable, you can't help but feel a little worried about it."

"Tell me about it. I've had my fair share of shocks too." Rainbow also lowered her pace and let out a big sigh. "Sometimes, I've been known to do really stupid things because I thought it'd be awesome. But those just ended up backfiring on me in more ways than one."

"How come?" Flash tipped his hoof to her.

"I'd... rather not say." Rainbow winced and recoiled. "They're not really my best moments. In fact, just telling them to you might make you think less of me."

"Rainbow Dash, I'd never think any less of you or your friends." Flash came over and tenderly massaged Rainbow's shoulders. "You were chosen by our Tree of Harmony. Nothing you could say or do would ever make me think otherwise. Plus, you kinda rub off on me on a personal level."

"Personal?" Dash twisted her head around.

"Yeah. I mean you're brave, confident, and you never seem to shy away from danger. Not many ponies are like that, let alone normal pegasi." Flash grinned down on her. "I mean, I don't really know what you've done, so I can't judge you on your feats of heroism or anything like that, but I'd say that you've been working pretty hard to get where you are today, Rainbow Dash."

"Well, I am in the Wonderbolts; the coolest team of pegasi in Equestria." Rainbow began to blush heavily, and looked up at Flash like a kid would to their dad. "I could show you a few of the tricks I learned while we go on this epic adventure across Equestria if you want."

"I'd love to, Rainbow Dash, but first, I've really gotta see what's happened around here." Flash put his helmet back on. "You know what they say: A hero's work is never done; not even after they've come back from a thousand year prison."

"Then what are we waiting for just sitting around here?" Rainbow perked back up and buzzed her wings faster and faster. "Let's get going! See what there is to see!"

"Sure!" Flash blasted off, almost sending Rainbow spiraling out of control with his sudden burst of speed. "Let's go, Rainbow!"

As Rainbow took off after Flash, she noticed something about him almost immediately. Unlike most other pegasi, he was fast; almost as fast as her, even. But she was Rainbow Dash, the fastest, coolest, and most awesome flier in all of Equestria! And if Flash was as fast as her, then that was totally fine. It was great to have some competition to race against, especially considering that most of her friends weren't always up for a race—probably because she'd beat them hooves down.

Flash looked back at Rainbow Dash and watched as she tried her best to keep up with him. For being in limbo for a thousand years, he had been looking forward to stretching his wings and getting back in the skies again after so long. And now that he had her to keep him company, he felt even more at home in the air than he did with any of his former soldiers. Sure, she wasn't as steeled as he was and he couldn't tell what to make of her from a simple glance, but Flash knew that, deep down inside, Rainbow Dash had a lot of potential; waiting to be unleashed.

"So. This must be a pretty big thing for you, huh?" Flash called back to Rainbow Dash. "Getting to fly the skies with one of the most famous pegasi in the history of Equestria. Y'know, most ponies would only ever dream of this."

"I know! But I'm getting to live it!" Rainbow Dash was abuzz with excitement and adrenaline as she raced with Flash over the river beneath them. "I—no, we're the luckiest ponies in the world to have you and the other Pillars back. Twilight especially with Starswirl. She's got as much of his stuff as I do Wonderbolt stuff."

"Well... Starswirl's alright if you're a unicorn. But most of the time, he's all about the works of magic and all of his spells and all that stuff," said Flash. "But if you want action, thrills, and exhilaration, then I'm your guy!"

"And what a guy you are, Flash." Rainbow Dash nodded. "I couldn't have asked for a better guy to look up to as a kid. Even now, you're inspiring me to go farther."

"Oh, am I now?" He grinned. "Well, let's just see how far the two of us can go together, huh, Rainbow?"

"Yeah, Flash! Let's explore the world together, battle awesome monsters, and see some great sights that'll totally make the other girls jealous!" Rainbow felt so much vigor build inside of her that she thought she would explode.

"Alright! First stop, Iron Ore Outpost, right on the outskirts of the Dragon Lands!" Flash grinned and started to pick up speed again. "Let's get going!"

Rainbow and Flash jetted off again, drafting off of each other and constantly trying to overtake the other as they rocked the ground beneath them. With how fast the both of them were going, it was no surprise that the grass, plants, and even the water itself shook and shuddered beneath them, with the roaring noise of the air hitting the ears of all the animals and making them scurry away.

Flash and Rainbow raced long and hard together. In fact, they were racing to hard, that they barely even noticed the transition they made from grass lands to barren and lifeless rocky wastes. All they were concerned about was who would win their race first and whether or not they were getting rusty. But as smog began to fill the air and the skies grew darker, the two of them knew that their finish line was in sight and that they couldn't give up now.

"You're pretty good, Rainbow!" Flash called back as he tried to surge forward again.

"Thanks! I haven't had a good race like this in a long time!" Rainbow Dash beamed from ear to ear as the race began to reach its' climax. "Mostly because Fluttershy's not a big fan of racing and Twilight's been trying but still comes up pretty short."

"But we're not done yet! The outpost's just up ahead, by the looks of it." Flash lowered his brows and flapped his wings as fast as physically possible, feeling sweat begin to trickle down from his brow. "Last-ditch, girl! Go!"

As Rainbow Dash came to the end of the race, she started to get into formation for her trademarked Sonic Rainboom. She stuck behind Flash to get the speed she needed, beginning to bore a whole through the air itself. Once she was fast enough, she lightly pulled away from him and blasted forward, leaving a massive blast radius and streak of rainbow behind her as she shot past Flash at breakneck speeds, shooting right over the outpost and up into the air above, curving back as she made a rainbow arch.

Flash, being right next to Rainbow when the Sonic Rainboom had went off, did start to tumble out of control at the last moments and nearly crash into the ground below. His helmet flew straight off of his head in the ensuing chaos, clattering on the ground and was almost dented in the fall. Before his face could meet with a hard slab of earth, he flapped backwards and regained control of himself. He looked up and saw Rainbow's rainbow shine out through the dark and almost lifeless barrens of the Dragon Lands' outskirts, his mouth dropping wide open as Rainbow finished the arch and stopped right next to him.

"Looks like I won there, huh, Flash?" Rainbow puffed out her chest proudly as she came to a stop. "And you got to see one of the best things ever to happen to Equestria since sliced bread."

"Okay, I'll admit it." Flash closed his mouth and put his helmet back on again. "THAT was pretty cool what you did there, Rainbow. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it in my life!"

"Ya like it?" asked Rainbow. "I call it the Sonic Rainboom, and it's something that only I'm known to do." She folded her legs proudly.

"How much wingpower did you use for that move, Rainbow?" Flash was now the one who seemed giddy and childish in the face of a true legend. "You must be pretty exhausted after such a move like that!"

"Actually, Flash, I'm pretty fine as it is." Rainbow Dash let off a little chuckle. "I've been doing the Sonic Rainboom for such a long time now that I've never ran out of steam when using it."

"Really?" Flash leaned in. "You've gotta try and teach me that move some day, then. It'd be a nice little trick to have when me and the other Pillars are called to save the world."

"First things first, Flash. We've gotta see how this place has held up since you and the others went to limbo with Stygian." Rainbow Dash finally landed and recoiled her wings.

"Yeah." Flash took a deep breath and composed himself, exhaling heavily as he too stood on all fours again. "That sounds about right. Even if my old battalion's gone, we've gotta find out what's happened."

---

Iron Ore Outpost was not like what Flash had been expecting it to be. Whereas he would normally had been expecting ruins, he instead saw that the base was still fully functioning, with most of the brick towers and wall holding up. There was some decay to be found, but other than that, it all seemed structurally sound to him.

Inside the fort, however, it was an entirely different story. There were actually a few ponies inside, living peacefully together. Some were in small tents while others were in small houses. There were children, adults, and even a few foals surviving in this harsh location, unfazed by the thick air or lack of fertile land. Not even the ash and dirt on their clothes and faces were off-putting for them.

"Whoa..." Flash had to rub his eyes to make sure that he wasn't seeing any illusions. True enough, the village was still there after he had finished. "This is..."

"Strange." Rainbow stepped forward. "Why would there be a town like this right next to the Dragon Lands? Don't these ponies know the danger they're all in?"

"If they did, then they wouldn't have settled down here..." Flash took a few steps forward. "Still, it's nice to see that the place is still buzzing."

"Yeah. But why, though?" Rainbow followed after Flash. "At any moment, the dragons could take notice and wreck the place. Living all the way out here's pretty bold, I gotta say."

"Iron Ore Outpost used to be a simple little place where only me and my soldiers would dare to lay down roots." Flash turned to Rainbow. "When we banded together to push Torch and his dragons back to their home, this was the last little outpost we had outside of Equestria." He pointed out towards a distant river of lava, with a large wooden bridge hanging over it. "Once you went over that bridge, you were in their territory. And let's just say that dragons still aren't really fond of ponies in their land; even if those ponies happen to be friends of another dragon."

"Tell me about it." Rainbow nodded. "The dragons me and Spike dealt with weren't just gonna cough up your shield like that. We had to deal with them ourselves to get it."

"How large were they?" Flash lifted a brow. "Did you have to bust out that Sonic Rainboom of yours to get it?"

"Nah. Nothing like that." Rainbow brushed her hoof out to the side. "They were only teenage dragons. Not those big, bad, mindless monsters you've had to fight."

"Teenage... dragons?" Flash's curiosity piqued. For all the times he had been with his soldiers and with the very Pillars of Equestria themselves, he had only ever seen full-grown dragons.

"Yeah. They're much smaller. Kinda like the size of two ponies stacked on top of each other," Rainbow Dash put a hoof on top of her other hoof for emphasis. "Much more kid-like as well. They weren't all like, 'You dare to steal my gems, little ponies? Prepare to be burned alive!'." She let out a gruff roar that went well with the accent she was putting on.

Flash couldn't help but giggle at Rainbow's impression of a dragon. "That's pretty much them, alright. But I've still never heard of any dragon smaller than the ones I've seen." He turned back towards the village and took another look at the peaceful ponies in it. "Huh. Maybe they have changed since I left."

"I bet'cha they have." Rainbow nodded. "Now let's go and see why in the heck all these ponies are living out here in the middle of nowhere."

Flash and Rainbow walked into the town side by side, with so many questions filling their heads. How had such a single outpost evolved like this? Why didn't the dragons destroy the place at first sight? And why were all the ponies in this village thriving without a clean environment? Those and more swirled around through their minds as they finally passed through the gates and onto the first pathway of the new village. Truly, their adventure had begun.

Author's Note:

Alright. There's only one more pillar pair to break in, and then the cycle will begin all over again. Twilight, Starlight, Starswirl, Stygian, and Sunburst are all gonna get their moment in the spotlight in the next chapter, so expect a lot of talk on magic, Twilight's fangasming, and many more.

And if you especially enjoyed the FlashDash in this chapter, then please feel free to let me know with a comment or two. The comments really help me out when I'm writing with characters that I've never written before, so some constructive feedback on all of the Pillars would be nice, as it can teach me how to improve and change them in certain areas and make them even more enjoyable to watch as they travel the world they once vanished from for a thousand years.

See you in the next chapter, all!

Comments

[SuperPinkBrony12]

I wonder if Ember knows why ponies are living in Iron Ore Outpost now?

[EchoWing]

Honest truth? Flash Magnus comes across as a touch too informal in his word choice.

[OmniFox]

Do know there's two Flashes: Flash Sentry and Flash Magnus.

Also still thinking about the Crystal Empire tour?

[SuperPinkBrony12]

8707438 I have the headcanon that Flash Sentry is related to Flash Magnus, and that's how he got such a high ranking position in the royal guard at such a young age. At least one fanfic went with the idea that Flash Sentry is Flash Magnus' grandson (kind of think the over 1,000 year gap makes that impossible).

[Nyperold]

Just don't push any unmarked levers.

[MixMassBasher]

Loving the competitiveness of Rainbow and Flash