> Bolt
>  by InsignificantGryffindor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Race
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	This was it.
Years of accumulated training has lead up to this moment. She felt her heart skip a beat. No, she thought. I can't be nervous. She adjusted her hooves on the fluffy gray cloud, listening to the rain fall down steadily. Four pegasi were adjacent to herself. One, a turquoise mare, was named Lightning Dust. She had been Rainbow Dash's rival for the past three years at the Academy. She didn't know a day when Lightning wasn't glaring at her. Another was a white stallion with a light grey mane, a determined look set in his eyes. She didn't know his name, but she had often seen him around the Academy. And at last was the cream colored mare. Her pink mane was frizzy and her eyes drooped with exhaustion. She would be easy to beat.
"Ya know the rules!" A dark gray stallion called out on top of his cloud. A whistle hung from his neck and his hard gaze raked over the new recruits. "First one to pass the course becomes a Wonderbolt. I don' want no cheatin', ya hear?"
It sounded easy enough, but it wasn't. The pegasi had to pass a massive thundercloud that randomly gave off bolts of electricity, then glide through a field of tornadoes unharmed, then they had to navigate through a massive amount of fog to get to the finish line.
They had all undergone many tests before this one, all testing their limits. Rainbow Dash had witnessed many pegasi fail the tests and drop out of the Academy. She was of one the few who had made it to the final test, the test that could change her life. It was, by far, the most difficult test a pegasi could go through. But she was ready to prove herself.
On the sidelines, a pale blue pegasus stallion stood with his eyes alight with excitement. It was his turn to preside over the Final Trial, to determine who the next Wonderbolt would be. He had a basic knowledge of all the recruits, especially the rainbow-mained one. She was famed for being the first pegasi ever to perform the elusive Sonic Rainboom. She had must've done it three times. Soarin' was impressed, but she still needed to pass this test in order to become a Wonderbolt. No exceptions.
"Ready?" The gray stallion gruffly shouted from his cloud.
Rainbow Dash licked her lips.
"Set?" He lifted the whistle to his mouth.
Her wings snapped open.
"GO!" His whistle was barely heard over the sound of the pegasi taking off. The world around the recruits erupted into a raging storm. High winds blew from every direction, throwing the tired cream-colored mare into the white stallion. Rain came down and battered them in the face, smudging the lenses of their goggles. Rainbow Dash let out a grunt of pain as hail abruptly hit her forehead, and soon huge amounts came from the cloud-covered sky. She braved on, ignoring the sharp jabs of pain that accompanied the hail. Her wings beat the air, and through the thick, tense air she climbed, half blind from the hail and rain. She was aware of another presence by her side, and saw a flash of turquoise. Lightning Dust, she thought. She tried to force her way through the difficult weather, but found no way of escaping.
Then, she was met with a great thundercloud. It was so large, its expanse shadowed both the East and West horizon. Lightning bolts erupted from its surface, like great tentacles that snapped at whatever it touched. The face of the great thundering beast glared down her, making her stop, just for a heartbeat. A flash of yellow tore past her eyes and she was met with an aqua mare. She sped past, yelling over her shoulder, "Too slow, Rainbow Crash!" she turned away and dove easily between the bolts.
She snorted angrily and forced her wings to move at a fast pace as she deftly avoided the snaps of lightning that lit the surface of the cloud. The air frizzled from the electricity, and she feel her fur rising on her back as she narrowly missed another strike. Her eyes set on a small turquoise blur that skimmed the surface of the thundering madness. Smirking, she lowered herself on the cloud, letting her hooves gingerly caress the outer layer of the cloud. She felt the great booms of the lightning underneath her periwinkle hoof. Finally she met with Lightning Dust, her golden tail tickling her nose. She smiled and swerved around the pegasus, sliding sideways as to run atop the hefty black cloud. Her hooves beat steadly on the gray ground, and she met the surprised gaze of Lightning Dust. Smirking, she maneuvered her hooves off the cloud just as a lightning bolt erupted. Lightning Dust was so surprised by her sudden appearance that the lightning strike met her hoof, causing her to scream out in pain. Dash abruptly stopped, cringing. She hadn't meant to harm her. She quickly dove underneath the now unconscious pony and let her rest on her back. She flew away from the storm, her breath billowing out in short gasps and dropped her off on a soft, white cloud, before returning to the race.
Rainbow Dash streaked through the first obstacle course, desperately hoping that she had made up lost time. As the last bolt dissipated, she ripped up through the rough winds, and was met with a new obstacle. A large field of tornadoes met her gaze. They were not too close to converge into one, but each was enough to throw an inexperienced pegasus every which way. But she wasn't an inexperienced pegasus. 
She spun through the air, wings beating at exactly the right pace. The first tornado approached, its absurd wind pattern tearing at her mane and tail. She gingerly entered the winds of the tornado, jarring her from her place and spinning her in a clockwise direction. She beat her wings along with winds, howling filling her ears and leaves from distant trees plastering her flight goggles. When she was at maximum speed, she saw another tornado close by, its wind going at a similar pace and direction as the current tornado. She spent a few minutes catching glimpses of the other tornado, making sure her observation was right. Her wings dug heavily through the air, making sure she didn't fall into the heart of the tornado. Finally, Dash folded her wings and pushed off from the tornado, causing it to warble. She rocketed to the next one, a smug look on her face. I figured out your little trick, Wonderbolts.
She landed in the next one, her wings aching under the harsh weight of the winds. She willed her self to pull through, and the next three minutes were her observing another nearby tornado. This one was larger, but its pattern the same. Copying her previous move, she landed deftly on the outer ring of the thrashing tornado. She carried on with the same technique, eyes darting and wings flashing. And after what seemed like an hour, she reached the last tornado, huge with large wind-filled appendages that lashed out into air. She breathed in, her lungs being filled in with tangy, dirty air, and let go. 
She was in the last tornado, It's big howling winds prominent amongst the others. Dash pulled herself away just in time, to be met with the final obstacle. 
She took a sharp intake of breath. Around her was nothing but gray. The winds were gone, the tornado had thrusted her into a world where there was nothing but gray for miles, at least. She instantly panicked. A pegasus had a great sense of direction and the eyes of a hawk, but no pegasi dared venture into such a large amount of fog. They would lose their most acute senses. And here she was, amongst the most daunting thing known to pegasi. Exhaling and inhaling deeply, she ventured in, going completely straight. That's what they always told her. Always go forward.
Eventually, Rainbow Dash moved faster, always going straight. The only sound was her wings and her quickly beating heart. A slight ringing started in her ears, reminding of her of how quiet this place was. Minutes passed, and the fog did not let on. She felt her panic rising again, but shoved it down. It's just fog, she told herself. I'm not scared of anything, so why should I be afraid of fog?
A sudden sound made her jump. It was a deep sound, a sound similar to large wings cutting through the air. Her mind reverted to the time when she was a child, when she read stories of the Great Winged Beast. A monkey-like thing with no fur, only on the top of their heads, and wings that reached six feet wide. Its eyes were round, filled with intellect beyond their years, and had rough skin the color of peaches. It was designed to scare fillies, but when Dash heard this noise, her heart stopped.
But just as soon as it began, it halted. She felt the breath return to her lungs as she ventured on, unfazed by the sound. If there were wings that big, she thought, comforting herself, they would disintegrate the fog. Dash laughed at her self, and continued to speed through the fog. It was all her imagination.
Throughout the rest of the obstacle, she thought she picked up traces of the sound again, but it disappeared soon afterwards. It's just your imagination, it's just your imagination. This helped nothing; she felt the panic rise up in her. 
Finally, when the beating of wings reached closer, she whipped around, accusing eyes wildly dancing around the gray landscape. "Who's there?" she cried, her voice echoing through the nothingness. When nothing responded, she continued on, casting frantic glances around as she heard the deafening sound once more. She whipped around, hooves poised and ready to attack and yelled, "Show yourself!"
Then she was met with the source the noise. The sound was not of great wings beating the air, no, it was her own panicked imagination that had caused this. Instead, it was the sound of a regular pony's wings. Her gaze widened as she met the angry gaze of a singed turquoise pony. She quickly approached the shocked cyan pegasus, eyes flashing. "Think you can get rid of me so easily, huh?"
Rainbow Dash stuttered. "But I-"
"A shock of lightning, that's it? You think you take me out of the game, just like that?" She spiraled Dash. "Two can play at that game!" she scowled and then brought her hoof down harshly on Rainbow Dash's wing. She felt it stiffen, and she struggled to keep her composition as it fell loosely on her back. "You'll never be a Wonderbolt." Lightning Dust sneered, speeding away as Rainbow Dash fell through the thick fog.
And suddenly she was falling. Her mind was blank with shock, and she watched as the thick clouds of fog succumb her. Her pale blue wings hit against the nearly solid fog clouds. She saw a lightning streak head for the finish line and she knew that she had lost. An image of the turquoise mare in a bright Wonderbolts outfit drained into her mind, another with her in the back, a look of defeat etched on her tired face. Yellow eyes met magenta ones. "You will never be a Wonderbolt." it snapped.
No. Her wings unfurled and beat quickly through the thick air. I will be a Wonderbolt.	
Her wings gathered force. She zoomed through the thick tendrils of fog, leaving a faint rainbow trail behind her, ignoring the panic that rose up in her. When the fog dispersed, she saw the finish line half a mile away. Lightning Dust was halfway there, a triumphant look on her face. Rainbow Dash let out a faint wail of despair. No! She willed her wings to go faster, faster, faster. A faint cone formed around her hooves. Tears gathered around her eyes, but it wasn't from the wind.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster!
The cone broke. A large spectrum cascaded from the explosion. She was suddenly pushed forth, her wings brushing past Lightning Dust. Her eyes widened with anger as she saw the rainbow-maned pegasus quickly pass her. She forced her wings to move quickly, but to no avail. She watched as blue blur cross the finish line, leaving a rainbow trail behind her. 
"Rainbow Dash!" her hate-filled scream ripped from her throat, lost in the cold winds.
Soarin' watched, jaw agape, as the rainbow pegasus performed her acclaimed Sonic Rainboom. The large explosion shattered the winds and fog, and a rainbow trail soon emerged, and headed for the finish line. He gawked as he caught a glimpse of the pegasus who had caused it zipped past the finish line, not slowing down. Something was wrong. The pegasus wasn't slowing down. She bounced off a few clouds, as if to lose force. Rainbow Dash soon bore down, the rainbow trail still loyally following her, and hit the ground. Soarin' lifted himself off the cloud, and turned to the gray stallion. "Get some help!" he told him, the stallion's eyes were wide with awe as he nodded.
I did it. She relaxed her whole body, feeling scratches and bruises. She opened her eyes and struggled to get up, but screamed in pain instead. Her left foreleg was broken, and the wing in which Lightning Dust had kicked throbbed in pain, probably broken too. She rested her face in the dirt, her belly brushing against the dusty ground. Her vision was blurry.
A sound was beside her. It was the sound of rushing wings and a scared voice. She blinked, and saw a pale blue stallion looking at her with wide green eyes. "D-Did I make it in?" she asked faintly. Her head wobbled.
He blinked, surprised she would ask such a question in this state. "Uh... y-yeah. I think you did."
"Good." She breathed, and closed her eyes, a smile on her face.
> The Shadows
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	She felt rage tear at her very being. Her heart burned with a fiery passion, beating frantically against her chest. Her hooves shook from the force of her own anger, smashing into the fertile earth. Her eyes blazed, her great amber depths livid and furious. She tore at the blue and yellow suit, useless and meaningless now, and left the pieces beside the roots of a gnarled tree.
She had landed in the nearest forest after the trial. After Rainbow Dash had performed the sonic rainboom. After Rainbow Dash won the trial. After she had become a Wonderbolt. After Lightning Dust failed. 
Anger pulsed through her once more. She cried out in anguish. She lifted herself in the air, destructively attacking all the clouds that dared opposed her. The rough gray clouds, neglected by a pegasus' caring hoof, tore difficultly underneath the enraged mare's hooves, emitting a loud ripping noise each time hoof met cloud. You failed,  a voice screamed in her head. You failed, you failed, you failed. Soon, there was nothing left in the sky above the dank forest.
I failed. She dropped to her knees, anger gone. Tears fell through her half-lidded eyes. She will never be a Wonderbolt. Her weak legs fell beneath her shaking body. Sobs echoed through the dark forest. Small woodland creatures watched the strange mare weep beneath the thick oak trees, then carried on with their business, oblivious to the pain that wrenched the poor mare's heart.
"Lightning..."
A whisper in her ear disturbed Lightning from her weeping. Her tear-filled eyes darted between the trees, searching for some mythical monster to eat her up. "W-who's there?" she called out, voice cracking. She stood up and wiped the tears from her face and brought her hooves up in a defensive position. "What do you want?"
"Lightning..." came the eerie whisper again. Lightning Dust spun around, looking for the source of the sudden whispers. "We've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the best flier of Equestria..."
Lightining's wings drooped. "I suppose your looking for Rainbow Dash, then..."
"No!" A harsh snap surprised her. Three figures emerged from the shadowy depths of the forest. A mare stood out, her light gray body covered in a dark, leathery uniform, resembling a Wonderbolt uniform, but darker. Two stallions stood by her side, with a darker color palette and the same uniform. "You are the greatest flier," the mare said with a sultry voice. "With us, you can be the most famous flier in all of Equestria."
Lightning Dust looked at them in astonishment. "Who are you?"
The mare flashed out her wings, a clammy gray color. Her yellow flight goggles glowed as she proclaimed. "We are the Shadowbolts, the best flyers in the Everfree forest. With you by our side all will know our terror." A malicious grin spread across her face.
The frightened mare blinked, uncertain how to process this. "Why do you want me?"
The gray mare guided her with a wing to a nearby pool. With a gentle shove of the head, she showed the turquoise mare her reflection. She stifled her breath as she looked down at a tired pegasus mare with sad red eyes, tear tracks plainly visible on her dull coat. The once luxurious golden mane now lacked it's previous beauty, and was now a rough and messy nest. This was the face of a tired, failed pony.
"Imagine," the mare continued. "a pony with great confidence. A pony whose skill outmatched those before her. Whose  talents could be used against the ones who betrayed her. A pony that could be you."
Lightning let her imagination run wild, thinking of herself, eyes triumphant, strong body, golden hair flowing in the wind. She imagined a hoof rested upon Rainbow Dash's skull, ready to crush the one who had brought her down. She smiled weakly.
The Shadowbolts grinned. The mare rose her voice. "With us, you can be that and more. With us, we can take over Equestria and destroy the weak Wonderbolts! We will be feared! We will be loved! We will be victorious!" 
Lightning Dust raised her eyes to the grinning mare. She would never be a Wonderbolt. She would never know the joy of flying alongside her childhood heroes, no. But she will have something else. Something better. She would be a Shadowbolt.
"I'm in."
	
	
> The Celebration
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        The sun filtered in the small hospital room, its golden rays hitting a sleeping pegasi's eyes directly. She stirred and rolled over, trying to avoid waking up. Stupid sun...
"Is she awake?"
She ruffled the covers with her hooves, groaning.
"Pinkie Pie, stand back."
She threw the sheets over her head, desperately trying to sleep again.
"Oh, guys! I think she's awake!"
The covers were abruptly thrown off. Her eyes flew open, falling on a pink mare whose face was a mere inch away. She jumped and yelled in surprise, hitting her head on the bed frame. She rubbed her temples. Pinkie... She groaned inwardly.
The excited mare lept up from where she was standing. She hopped around the room, giggling excitingly. "She's awake!"
Rainbow Dash sighed and sat up. Her wing was erect, bandaged heavily and still slightly aching. Her foreleg was in a heavy cast, and hurt every time she lightly grazed a surface. She cringed, hoping her injuries were worth it. Her mind flitted with images depicting her as a Wonderbolt, and her heart rose.
Her letter hadn't arrived yet.
A circle of friends surrounded her bed, soft smiles on their faces as they watched Pinkie bounce around the room excitedly. Rainbow watched as the joyful mare stayed still long enough to slightly vibrate over the ground, and turned to a yellow mare beside her. "Fluttershy, what's going on?" She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. 
Her turquoise eyes widened with shock. "You mean you don't know?" She turned nervously to Rarity, hiding under her rosy mane. Rarity rolled her sapphire eyes at the pegasi's shyness and gave Rainbow Dash a hesitant look.
"I thought they might've told you by now, darling!" She raised an ivory hoof to anxiously play with her violet mane. "I don't know if it's my place to tell you..."
Rainbow Dash looked irritably at her friends. "What is it?"
Applejack coughed. "What they mean to tell ya is..." She looked away, avoiding Rainbow Dash's gaze.
Twilight sighed. "Well, while you were unconscious-"
"A letter arrived!" Pinkie Pie interjected, voice a little more high-pitched than usual.
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. Could it be?
Twilight gave Pinkie an exasperated look. "We didn't read it but-"
"We looked at the sender and stuff!" Pinkie giggled.
Twilight bit her lip. "Yes, and if I might say," she gave Pinkie a stern look before levitating a folded letter from her saddle bag. "It looked fairly important."
Rainbow Dash looked with bated breath as the letter was hovered over to her. She gently picked the letter up, eyes skimming over the emblem that embellished the sky blue letter. A golden bolt glimmered on its surface. She sat for a few minutes staring at the letter, letting each crease and fold sink into her mind. 
She opened the letter slowly, as to not damage the paper, and lifted the letter out. She unfolded, eyes quickly scanning over the letters. 
Rainbow Dash stopped reading. She felt her breath come back in short gasps. Her eyes filled with tears and she dropped the letter. She felt her limbs go numb, her eyes bulging as tears dropped from her face. Her head fell in her hooves as she sobbed. Her friends watched in despair as they continued to watch their distraught friend break down. Rarity hurriedly came over to Rainbow Dash and gently placed a hoof on her shoulder. "There, there darling. You can always continue to work for the weather team, I'm sure-"
"Are you kidding?" The five mares looked at the rainbow pegasus in shock. She lifted her face from her hooves, revealing a watery grin.  She wiped the tears off quickly, her cheeks turning red. Her tears were not that of sad tears. They were tears of joy. "I got in!" she cried out, laughs erupting from her. "I finally got in!"
A moment later the blue pegasus was surrounded by her friends. All were chanting their congratulations, tears also filling their eyes. Fluttershy had pushed her hair back, her canary yellow face bright with excitement for her old friend. Rarity was wiping her eyes with a cloth, lips quivering. Applejack was cheering loudly, taking her Stetson off and throwing it into the air. Twilight had her mouth agape, but she slowly smiled gleefully, sparks emitting from her lilac horn. Pinkie Pie was now literally bouncing from walls at light speed, until she finally settled down to bouncing in one spot beside the bed. "Hey! You know what this calls for?"

_______________________________________________


"A party!"
The mares stood in Sugarcube Corner, babbling on, clutching bubbly drinks. Music played loudly due to a certain white unicorn at the turntable, dancing while she scratched the records. A brown stallion with an hourglass cutie mark danced unabashedly, his hooves horribly out of synch with the music. Rainbow Dash stood in the center, occasionally being congratulated by a guest or being squeed at by Pinkie Pie. A broad grin donned her young face, drinking generous amounts of the bubbly drinks the Cakes provided. She leaned against a crutch as she swayed to a loud beat played by Vinyl Scratch.
A purple earth pony waved her hooves wildly at Rainbow Dash. She thrusted her drink into the air in Dash's name, watching sadly as some of the drink sloshed out of her cup. Others joined, their loud voices mingling with the music, deafening the blue mare. When they were done, Rainbow laughed heartily. "I told you guys-" she hiccuped loudly, turning to her friends. "I'm the best flyer in 'Questria!" She burped.
Applejack waved her hoof in front of her muzzle. "Certainly have the stinkiest burps, that's for sure."
Rainbow Dash whinnied audibly. A red blush creeped across her cheeks. "Sorry."
Pinkie Pie laughed, falling over on her back. "I don't think-" she giggled. "I have ever seen Rainbow like this!"
Rainbow Dash blinked slowly, struggling to balance on her crutch. "Neither 'ave I." she murmured, before she waddled away.

_______________________________________________

"Soarin'! Look over here!"
Another light flashed in front of his eyes. Celestia, he hated paparazzi. He flew past the huddled hordes of pegasi, their cameras making sure not to miss one inch of him. He lifted his goggles off his eyes as soon he pushed through the crowd that gathered around him. The smile that was left to impress the press fell off his face, to be replaced with a tired grimace. He was inside the locker room of the Wonderbolts, quickly disposing the suit that clung to his body.
It was right after an air show. A particularly draining one. Soarin' was bent out of shape, so tired his wings drooped heavily, but he knew just the solution to his problem. An apple pie so good that it melts inside your mouth, warming the tongue with its gold fluids. And he knew just where to get one.
He zoomed quickly to his locker, perked up at the thought of delicious apple pie. The locker swung open, a flight suit and goggles landing within seconds in it. The pale azure stallion sighed as he slammed the locker behind him, heading for the office nestled in the corner of the large room. He opened the door, unsurprised to see a yellow pegasus mare leaning over a hefty amount of paperwork.
"Come on, Spitfire. Live a little! You never do anything besides work." he groaned.
Spitfire had always been focused on keeping the Wonderbolts intact, never letting one flier slip. She was a strict captain, but she did her job well. The other fliers respected her, including himself. Sometimes, when she was feeling particularly cheerful, she was laid back and fun. But, truly, she was more focused on her work than she was on her friends. She didn't lift her eyes from her work. "Can't. Maybe you remember we're getting a new member? Weren't you the one observing her? Weren't you the one who suggested her?"
He sighed. "Yes."
Her stern orange eyes met his. "Then I am not going to stop working. New members means more money and press. Therefore, more paperwork."
He looked over the desk. She quickly tried to shuffle it away in her desk, but he was too quick. He grabbed the papers and quickly read them.

JACK FROCK'S SURPRISING PLOT PICTURES 

WANT TO HAVE SEXY EYES? TEN TIPS TO MAKE YOUR EYES LOOK LIKE A MOVIE STAR'S!

He raised an eyebrow at Spitfire. "Work, huh?"
Spitfire flinched, a heavy red blush blanketing her face. "If you don't tell the rest of the team... I... I'll do anything you want!"
Soarin' smiled. He loved it when Spitfire begged for her life. "I want to get some pie from Ponyville."
Spitfire glared at him while shoving the explicit content in her desk. "You can't do that! We have practice tomorrow!"
"Hey Rapidfi-"
She shoved a hoof in his mouth. "Fine! Just don't tell anyone you're going out! I don't want the whole team asking for a day off."
He grinned, walking out the door of the office. Totally rocking the airshow? Check. He closed the door and left Spitfire to her business. He lifted off, leaving the locker room and the gaggle of photographers behind in a dark blue flash. Get Spitfire to let me get some apple pie? Check! He flew out of Canterlot, hearing fans cry out behind him, but ignoring them. Now to get me some of that delicious apple pie. His tiredness forgotten, he sped towards the little town of Ponyville.

Soarin' landed on the soft fertile ground. The big farm before him looked empty. The windows were devoid of any light, further convincing him that everypony that lived inside was probably out. He turned away from the farm, disappointed. He followed the path that lead to the small town, yearning just for a small taste of that heavenly apple pie. The road soon hardened to stone, making his hooves clack audibly. Old houses rose from the ground, their dusty wooden frames creaking in the light breeze. No lights in those either. Where is everypony?
He traveled on, his hooves lightly tapping the street as he searched for a sign of the sweet apple pie. Finally, he heard loud, booming sounds coming from a distant building. He moved towards the sound, surprised to see ponies passing by, giggling and laughing jovially. They ignored him and treaded away, apparently too dazed to notice he was a Wonderbolt.
Soarin' passed the crowd of houses and shops, to be met with a particularly lively pink shop. Lights beamed from every orifice, and loud music met his ears, making him flinch. Ponies spilled in and out of the shop, sloppy grins on their red faces. Loud cheers were barely heard above the bashing music, arousing curiosity in the pale blue stallion.
Ponies of many colors pushed past him as he entered the noisy shop. The high pitched snickering of mares and the boisterous laughs of stallions increased when he entered. Cheering sounded once more when the white unicorn at the turntable played another head-ache inducing song. A bright white banner hung on the wall.


CONGRATS ON BECOMING A WONDERBOLT!


He noticed a pale blue mare hanging at the end of the crowd. She smiled weakly at the ponies who passed her, giving her friendly grins, but the smile disappeared once they turned their heads. She watched as they walked away, a longing look in her violet eyes. The mares went on to converse with another group, one of them laughing as one of the stallions fell on his face as he slipped. Rainbow Dash's lip twitched up into a smile for a mere second, but faded into a slight frown before walking out of the crowded shop. He frowned in confusion, but let it slip. Obviously he wasn't going to get pie, so he flew away, casting a glance at the saddened pegasus mare that soon disappeared behind a thick layer of clouds.
Rainbow Dash stood outside the beaming cake shop, slowly treading away with her crutch under her foreleg. She began to flutter off the ground, despite the heavy bandages that covered the delicate azure wing. She hovered above the earth, bumbling over the ground, groaning as her wing had to uphold the heavy cast. She gently guided her body towards the night sky, soon careening into a slight breeze that carried her slowly towards her destination. She melded into Luna's dark night, her pale blue coat lost in the ebony abyss, a wavering flight pattern. The winds carried above the trees and pulled her into the soft clouds, where she landed amongst the largest of the clouds. She softly touched her now aching wing, suddenly wishing she hadn't done this. Nevertheless, the mare took off from the cloud, heading slightly North. Finally, she touched down on the front porch of a large cloud home. She warily took in her surroundings, feeling if she looked away, the beautiful home would float away. 
Silently, she opened the door, its creaks filling the empty house. She recognized the broken door stop that hung loosely from the door, reminding her fondly of her laziness that prevented her from ever fixing it. Toppling over the hat rack, she moved down the hall, eyes flickering over the pictures that depicted her family and friends. The blue wall had a small chip. She had tried to do a trick in a small, compressed space, she remembered, a smile donning her face.
She stumbled inside the messy kitchen, hiccuping softly. She had yet to clean the mess that she and Fluttershy made trying to make soufflés for Rarity's birthday. She remembered that day two weeks ago, the soufflé had blown up in her face, making Fluttershy giggle uncontrollably. She passed the kitchen and went into the living room, where she plopped onto the soft cloud couch.
With a sudden jolt, she realized she would have to move away. She cast a reluctant gaze at her cloud home, nostalgia sweeping over her. She didn't want to leave.
Her heart tore in two. She didn't want to abandon her friends alone when they might need her. What if danger arose, and she wasn't there to help them? How would the Elements of Harmony survive if she just left to become a Wonderbolt? How could she leave the only ponies who liked her enough to call her "friend"?
But she couldn't just not become a Wonderbolt! All her life she wanted to be a Wonderbolt, ever since her first air show. The thrill of flying with her idols... Doing air tricks with the best flyers... The feeling of freedom as wind sliced her mane... No, she had to become a Wonderbolt.
But... I don't know want to go...
She thought of her friends, of how they always supported her, no matter how many times she messed up. They stood by her side as she worked to become one of the elite fliers of Equestria. They cheered her on at the Young Fliers Competition, and they personally sent a care package to her when she was in the Academy. Rainbow Dash sat still for a while, eyes staring at nothing, until she came to a conclusion. This was it. She was leaving home. 
	
> The Introduction
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        It looked like any other building. 
Besides the bright gold lightning bolt that hung as a sign above the plain wooden doors, it was normal. It was big, roughly the size of a large mansion, but it looked nothing like a mansion. The paint was a light red color, it's chipped sections revealing a worn brick underneath. The cracked windows had been dotted with water spots, their metal frames rusted. But the bright emblem gleamed brightly on top of it, its ivory wings glowing in the sun.
Rainbow Dash expected more from the Wonderbolts. This building was run down and beat up. It appeared as if it hadn't been occupied in years. She glanced around the empty Canterlot street, and sighed. For a world-class flying team, they sure didn't have that great of a headquarters. 
Hesitantly, she trudged up the cracked stone stairs and pulled the rusty handle. Locked, she thought grudgingly. Who the hay sends the address to some dump anyways?  She kicked the door in frustration and sat on the rough steps.
It had been a month since Rainbow Dash had received her letter. Once she was out of her casts she did nothing but practice tricks and flips. No more than a week later, she had received another letter detailing the Wonderbolts' whereabouts. She stopped her vigorous exercises to go to the headquarters, only to find a dump. She groaned in frustration.
"Who's there?" Came a gruff voice behind her. Rainbow Dash saw a pale green eye sticking out of the mail slot. The eye spotted her sitting on the step and growled, "Who're you?"
She gaped at the eye, then cleared her throat, "My name's Rainbow Dash..."
The eye widened and unstuck itself from the mail slot. Then came a series of clicks Rainbow Dash could only identify as locks being opened. The wooden door swung open, and Rainbow Dash apprehensively walked inside a small office. Papers floated everywhere as a rotating fan whirred and blew everything about the room. Filing cabinets lined the walls, its drawers protruding with papers and folders spilling out of the sides. A dark gray griffon sat at a desk, his light green gaze glued to a gun magazine.
Rainbow Dash scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "Um."
The gray griffon raised a black talon to a door on the side of the room, eyes never leaving his magazine. Rainbow Dash threw a inquisitive glance at the door and shuffled her hooves. "Right."
She crossed the unorganized office and opened the door quietly. The office she entered now was much bigger, minus floating papers. Instead of filing cabinets lining the walls, bookcases covered the back wall, containing shelves of framed pictures. In the middle of the room, sitting in a desk chair, was a yellow mare. It was Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts- her captain. She was writing loudly, not acknowledging the rainbow-haired mare standing at the threshold of her door.
Finally she raised her eyes from paperwork. 
Her expression was impassive as Rainbow Dash stood straight and saluted. Rainbow felt a small amount of sweat trickle down her forehead as her captain inspected her. Then she did the last thing Rainbow Dash expected, she smiled. "There's no need to do that now, Rainbow Dash. You're part of the team, now."
Rainbow Dash's muscles loosened and she sighed. A bright grin spread across her face. "I won't let you down, Captain!" 
Spitfire was silent for a moment, making Rainbow Dash nervous. When she spoke, Rainbow Dash held her breath. "You know, I was a little hesitant to let you into the team." Her heart dropped.
"You were big-headed, you were very stubborn, and you had a huge mouth. I thought you would never get into the Wonderbolts, myself." She went on, making Rainbow Dash feel worse. "You had no teamsmanship skills."
"But, when you risked your life to save your friends, to save my life, to save even Equestria, I thought that maybe you learned a couple things. So, ever since the Best Young Fliers Competition, I've been keeping an eye on you. I watched you perform your third sonic rainboom, I watched you join the Academy, and I watched- well Soarin' watched- as you passed the last test in order to become a Wonderbolt. I thought it was time," she crossed the room and opened a cabinet on the side wall. "to give you this." She clutched a brand new blue uniform with a yellow trim and a pair of flight goggles. The new uniform glowed from the sunlight that seeped through the blinds, and the goggles shimmered, the light reflecting off the lense creating a multi-colored halo around it. It was too good to be true. Rainbow Dash grinned, eyes sparkling with tears as she held out her hoof to receive the greatest gift she was ever given. Spitfire smiled again.
"Best! Day! Ever!" Rainbow Dash cheered, looping in the air and thrusting up her hoof. She looked down at Spitfire, who was looking at her with an amused smile. She blushed and floated to the ground. "I'll- uh- go put this on in the locker room, I suppose." 
Spitfire eyes widened. "Oh, that reminds me! You're going to need somepony to show you the ropes around here. I know just the guy." She opened the door on the other side of her office and stuck out her head. "Soarin'! Come and meet the new member!"
A mere second later a pale blue stallion entered Spitfire's office, a bright shine in his green eyes. "Hey, it's the pie-saver!"
Rainbow Dash smirked in response, hardly believing anypony could remember something as small as that.
Spitfire rolled her eyes before giving off a list of instructions, "First, Soarin', I want you to give Rainbow Dash here a tour of the headquarters. Introduce her to the rest of the teammates, let her get to know them. This should take thirty minutes, tops. Once you're done, we need to practice for upcoming air show in Fillydelphia. Rainbow Dash, if you think you're up to it, I want you to do your Sonic Rainboom." She acknowledged them with a firey orange gaze.
Rainbow Dash smiled and saluted her new captain. "Sonic Rainbooms? Please, I can do that in my sleep."
The captain grinned. "At ease."


~***~

The two Pegasi left the office, entering a new room completely unlike the last. The entire room was a bluish gray, with high ceilings. The windows allowed light to escape into the gray atrium, though it was abruptly stopped by the stone beams that connected two walls opposite of each other. The rows of lockers lay on the left wall, the navy blue and gold metal glowing under the soft light. In the middle lay two square tables, and two Pegasi sat in wooden chairs, staring intently at the cards in their hooves. One was a pale blue mare, with a coat similar to Soarin's. Her curly navy blue mane was in a messy ponytail, and her red eyes were fixated on the cards she held. A fat cigar stuck out of her lips, emitting smoke in large gray clouds. She smirked and layed down her cards to show the stallion opposite her. "Read 'em and weep, Rapid." The stallion groaned as the mare took a mountain of chips away from the center of the table. She dealt the cards. 
Soarin' gave the mare a mocking stern look. "Windsie, you know you're not supposed to smoke."
The mare did not look up from her cards as she responded, "Yeah, well, according to my therapist, I'm not supposed to gamble either." She glared at the stallion as he showed her his hand, four kings, and took back the chips he lost. He was a pale yellow stallion with pitch black hair. His dark brown eyes watched his hooves intently as he shuffled the cards.
Soarin' sighed his defeat. "Yeah, well, Spitfire will get you later. Put it out before she finds you and come and meet the rookie." The mare raised her scrutinizing gaze to Rainbow Dash, puffing her cigar. "You that rainbow pony?"
"Yup." Rainbow Dash met her gaze.
"Did the Sonic Rainboom?"
"Hay yeah!"
"... You're okay." She held out her hoof to be shaken. Rainbow Dash took hold of her hoof and shook it firmly. "Name's High Winds."
The stallion before her chuckled. "Appropriate name for her considering how much she-" he fell silent at the dirty look she was giving him.
The stallion dealed the cards to her and himself before raising his gaze to Rainbow Dash. "Glad to see you made it on the team, finally. Soarin' and Spitfire told us about you. My name's Rapidfire." When Rainbow Dash shook his hoof, he returned to his losing battle with High Winds. Rainbow Dash heard him mutter curses towards High Winds, and her snarky reply. She and Soarin' walked past the duo, right to one of the lockers.
"Don't worry about those two. When they're not practicing for shows, they're playing cards. Anyways, here's your locker. If you need anything, I'll be by the doors at the end of the room." He trotted towards the back of the room, away from Rainbow as she quickly slipped on the uniform, feeling it conform to her body. She opened the locker, thankful to see a mirror in it. She looked with an inflated heart at her reflection. It fit her like a glove, feeling taught but also quite maneuverable. It was cool on her warm body, making her feel unusually comfortable. The gold trim gleamed under the light, standing out against the bright blue base. She was in a Wonderbolts uniform for the first time ever.
Letting an excited squeal escape, she slipped the goggles over her head, letting it hang from her neck. She followed Soarin' inside to a long hallway, where he began to describe the building itself, "You may have noticed how crappy this building kind of looks on the outside, but rest assured it's completely fine. You see, the Wonderbolts used to be part of the military, now it's just stunt fliers. This used to be their headquarters, but we changed it up a bit. The walls are reinforced with a metal so thick, that if one hundred ponies screamed simultaneously inside this building, nopony would hear on the outside. We used it to ward away paparazzi, but of course they found us anyway. Sometimes, I swear they have this place bugged. I mean, how else would they know about my pie cravings and the exact time I go to bed?"
Rainbow Dash laughed with him as they pushed through heavy double doors and into another large room. It was obviously a gym, with walls so long they appeared to be twenty feet long. Large, expensive pieces of equipment were scattered around the room. Their hooves were muffled by the wood panel ground as they approached two similar looking stallions who were using the treadmills. One spotted Rainbow Dash and Soarin' and said, "Oi, mate," to his friend. They lifted themselves into the air and hovered towards them.
"This is Lightning Streak and Fire Streak. The two jokesters of the team." Soarin' said, if a little negative.
One, a pale cream stallion with lightning yellow hair bowed on his knee. "Pleasure to meet such a fine, young mare as yourself." His voice was Braytish, and his eyebrows lifted suggestively.
The other stallion, a pegasus with light ginger hair and the same creamy coat, pushed his companion out of the way and bowed in a similar manner. "Please ignore my pig-headed brother. I wish I could pay you back in some form... how about dinner?" He smiled a crooked smile.
Rainbow Dash backed away slightly, tail twitching, and glared at the two of them as they begn to squabble. Finally, with Lightning Streak as the victor, he trotted up to Rainbow Dash and smoothed back his hair. "So, like I was saying," he raised a sly eyebrow. "Dinner?"
Her glare intensified as she retorted, "Sorry, but no."
Lightning Streak shared a dissapointed look with his brother, before cockily braying, "I'll get the yes. I always get the yes." The brothers shared a brief hoof bump before returning to their exercises. Rainbow Dash turned to Soarin', who was also glaring at the twins. "Always thought they took stuff too far..." He saw Rainbow Dash looking at him, with an eyebrow cocked up, and smiled. "Just don't let them get to you. They hit on every mare in existence. And then get rejected by every mare in existence."
She smiled as they continued on through the gym, passing a couple of their teammates as they walked by. "There's Blaze," he indicated with his hoof at the yellow mare who was furiously doing wing-ups. "She's Spitfire's sister, as you probably already know. Always tries too hard. She's nice, but I think she acts too much like her sister sometimes." They maneuvered throughout the gym, Soarin' pointing out Silver Lining, a laid back gray stallion who was napping on one of the pull-up stations, Breeze, a white pegasus mare with yellow mane who seemed a ecstatic to meet Rainbow Dash, and Misty, a creamy mare with mint colored hair who barely responded when Soarin' called a friendly greeting. They passed the gym and climbed upstairs to the headquarters, and entered a hallway that reminded Rainbow Dash of college dorms.
A door on the far right end of the hallway opened, a pale blue mare trotting out. She had icy white hair and pale violet eyes that seemed to burn with pride. Rainbow Dash smiled widely, already knowing the name of this particular Wonderbolt, Fleetfoot, her favorite member of the team. She approached the two ponies in silence. It wasn't until Soarin' lifted his hoof in awkward greeting when the silence was broken, "Oh... hi, Fleetfoot. This is Rainbow Dash."
The mare regarded her coldly. "Why is she here?" Rainbow Dash's smile faltered.
"She's the new rookie. She just joined the team a month ago. She's the mare that performed-"
"The Sonic Rainboom." Fleetfoot supplied, but instead of the excited look many ponies had when discovering she did a Sonic Rainboom, she scowled. Rainbow Dash's heart fell to her hooves as the mare pushed them out her way and left the room. Soarin's forced smile disappeared when she did, and turned away from the door. 
"Don't be offended. She acts that way to anypony who threatens her position on the team. Which is pretty much everypony." Soarin' said darkly. Her wings drooped as she followed the stallion down the hall and to a room diagonal to Fleetfoot's. "Anyway," Soarin' opened the door. "This'll be where your staying. I mean, you don't have to stay here, per say, but considering you live in Ponyville..."
The room was small, but big enough to live in. A neat twin bed lay in the middle of the room, a bright Wonderbolt's symbol stitched onto the covers. A sliding-door closet lay in the left wall, while the wall just opposite had a large white dresser. A curtained window was set above the bed, the dark blue curtains refusing any of the light to escape. A lamp sat in the corner of the room, its light turned on. 
"Remember, practice in five minutes. I'll give you some time alone to settle in. There's some land outside of the headquarters that we use for practice; Wave Chill is probably out there now. Spitfire's pretty hard, so be prepared..." His eyes skimmed Rainbow's face briefly before saying, "I'm looking forward to getting to know you better, Rainbow Dash." He smiled briefly before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.
Rainbow Dash smirked and responded to empty air, "Me too."
        
> The Chaos
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Duke's broom sloshed through the muck, making him cringe in disgust. Why is that nopony ever thinks of cleaning up after themselves when the show is done? After sweeping up another soda bottle and putting it in the trash, the old gray earth pony sighed.
A world class janitor, this pony has been sweeping up filthy pacifiers and empty beer cans for thirty years. Sometimes, if he was lucky, he would find a glimmering necklace amongst the muck and sell it to the jeweler. He never once put one in the lost and found. If these ponies ever appreciated what he did for them, then maybe...
The cold night was chilling the old stallion to the bone. The arena was empty, the only sign of life was himself, a gray speck amongst rows and rows of navy blue seats. The arena was roughly one hundred fifty yards, perfect for events such as concerts or stunt flying. Duke never saw a stunt flying show himself, but the Wonderbolts often came to Fillydelphia to do a show here. After seeing what their fans do to the arena during their air shows, he wasn't very fond of them. 
Finally, after sweeping up the last of the paper plates, Duke left the hollow arena and entered the dark food court that lined the arena. Slipping past a couple of greasy fast food places, he entered his own small office, also known as a janitorial closet. He plopped the broom down in a random corner before grabbing his coat. He pushed past the door, cursing as he hit his hoof on the corner, and proceeded into the food court once more. Then, something shifted.
He didn't quite know what it was. A shadow crouched stealthily underneath a Phoenix Fire Nuggets cart, then slipped away quickly as the old stallion turned his gaze towards it. He narrowed his cold brown eyes, searching for some unknown assailant. "Who's there?" his raspy voice echoed off the great pillars of the arena. Nothing stirred, and silence screeched in Duke's ears. He shrugged, trotting down the steel staircase. Damn security not doing their damn jobs...
Then, several things happened at once. A figure emerged from the inky blackness and lashed out, tackling the old stallion. His hoof striked the side of Duke's jaw, causing him to cry out in pain. He toppled over, clutching his jaw, whimpering. "Pathetic old stallion," chuckled the figure, before landing a swift kick to his ribs. Duke grunted in pain before looking up at the figure. He was a big stallion, with broad gray wings that extended over his back. He wore a black and violet suit that covered the entirety of his body. His cold, calculating red eyes glinted beneath his yellow lenses. "Who are you?" he rasped.
The stallion smiled grimly, revealing a scar that carved over his lips. "Something terrible." He aimed a kick to his face, knocking out Duke, and calmly stepped over him. He entered the food court, grabbing a soft pretzel and devouring it whole, wiping the grease off his face when he was finished. He looked up at the dark night sky and saw a flash of bright purple. He watched the purple blue until it disappeared, soon a lilac mare appeared, her pretty face set in a determined expression. The stallion acknowledged her with a less than charming smile. "Did you get the stuff?"
The mare nodded, and with a velvet wing she opened her saddlebag, that was filled with gas bottles. "I'm assuming you got rid of the guards?" she asked, a soft eyebrow raised.
The stallion nodded and laughed heartily. "You shoulda seen them, Velvet. They fell faster than a stack of dominos. Hell, I'm pretty sure I killed one." He laughed harder.
Velvet Cloud hit the side of his arm, though it didn't hurt that much. "Try to keep low will you, Ember? We're trying to keep the Shadowbolts on the down-low for now."
Ember Skies blinked, unimpressed. "Yeah, because what we're about to do is so on the down-low."
The lilac mare narrowed her periwinkle eyes. "I'm serious, Ember. Nightshade will have both our flanks if we reveal ourselves to the public right now!"
The gray stallion smoothed back his teal hair. "Yeah, yeah, yeah don't worry... none of them really saw me. Except for the last guy, but I think I hit hard enough for him to get amnesia. Yeah, that would be nice."
Velvet rolled her eyes impatiently. "Come on, let's get going. Lightning Dust should be there with the supplies."
Sure enough, when the two entered the open arena, the turquoise mare stood in the middle of field. They bolted down to her, where she shifted restlessly. Her mouth was muffled by a bag, and her eyes nervously darted around. She spat the bag out on the ground when she saw them approach. "A-are you sure we should do this?"
Ember laughed. "Relax, Lightning Dust, I'm an explosives expert. Nopony will ever see the bombs. Well, that is, until the next air show." he laughed cruelly. 
Lightning Dust, however, seemed to grow more nervous. "Won't ponies d-" she was unable to finish her sentence.
His eyes glinted mischieviously as he grinned an impish grin. "Yup."
"But-"
Anger boiled inside Ember as he stared at the young mare. "Do you really think they deserve to live? So they can laugh at us because we didn't make it? Because that's what they DO unless we stop their constant, annoying laughter. And there's only one way." he didn't mean for it to come out as a scream, but it happened, and it terrified Lightning Dust.
Lightning Dust gaped at him for a brief moment before clearing her throat. "I'll do it. I'm tired of being underappreciated in this world. If this is what it takes, so be it." her voice was clear, and her golden eyes glowed with hatred.
Velvet dropped her saddle bags, causing the gas to slosh around in the bottles. "Let's get to work then."
By the time they finished, gas was poured in a certain design around the field. Velvet had grabbed a blowtorch and lit the gas, watching the field go up in brilliant flames. Ember had returned from placing the bombs, his eyes alight with delight at the prospect of blowing this place up. Their faces were illuminated by the cruel red light that charred the ground of the arena that so many had watched their beloved Wonderbolts perform. They lifted off, side by side, never looking back. They disappeared into the darkness of the night, leaving only the fires that they lit from their hooves. The message would be clear.
Breaking into the darkness was only one light. It would soon invoke fear into every heart in Equestria. It's message would be repeated in whispers for ages to come. It was the light to remember. The light that nopony would forget.

THE SHADOWS WILL PREVAIL

> The Arena
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Spitfire stared at the paper in front of her. A black and white picture displaying an arena was imprinted in the page, with a caption that read, "AMBER FLASH ARENA ATTACKED, SUSPECTS UNKNOWN."
She had been staring at the same paper for hours, a war raging on in her head. Her fierce amber gaze pierced the newspaper as she thought, lightly tapping the mahogany desk with her hoof.
A soft knock at her door made her jump. "Come in," she muttered, settling down in her seat again.
Rapidfire entered, a dark look in his brown eyes. She raised an eyebrow at his expression, "What's the matter, Rapid?"
The yellow stallion glared pointedly at her, which made her unsettled. "I can't believe you're still going through with this."
Spitfire ignored the unsettled feeling and returned his hard gaze with her fiery one. "What are you suggesting?"
Rapidfire pointed at paper on her desk, growling. "Spitfire, we cannot perform tomorrow."
Spitfire sat up, giving the defiant stallion her infamous glare. "This team has never quit a show. Tell me why I should do that now? The Wonderbolts are known for their bravery during times like this. If we go, we boost the morale of our fans. I'm not quitting now."
Rapidfire groaned, a pleading look in his eyes. "Please, listen, Spitfire. You're putting the team in danger!"
Spitfire narrowed her gaze. "The public needs this."
Rapidfire closed his eyes and sighed. After a moment, his eyes opened, burning with emotion. This time, Spitfire was unable to meet his gaze. "Please."
She didn't answer him. Instead she focused on the pen that had fallen to the floor. Silence rang, Spitfire's internal anger building. Finally, after many minutes of anger brewing, Rapidfire spun around and left the office, slamming to door behind him. Spitfire flinched, and looked up at the empty space, feeling her stomach drop. Her eyes flickered over to a picture that stood in her bookshelf.
It was a smiling picture of herself and Rapidfire. Her anger died, only to be replaced by betrayal.

*

*

Rainbow Dash lifted off from the spongy grass, feeling the crisp air hit her face. She grinned, deftly rotating her body through the wind and relaxing her wings, letting them glide through the calm breeze. Then, with a sudden snap, her wings clung to her sides, causing the sky-blue mare to drop. She pierced the air, a cocky grin on her face. As she approached the earth again, she suddenly opened her wings, fanning them out as they caught the slight breeze. She fell away, rotating in the morning air and doing a spinning flip. She guided her wings upward, doing a corkscrew spin whilst drawing her body upwards towards the sun. Her spins slowed, allowing her back to slowly face the sun. The morning sun's soft light filtered through her wings, causing a brief halo to form around Rainbow Dash before she fell down the sky once more. Allowing her whole body to relax, she opened her forelegs and straightened her hindlegs, falling backwards. She graced the air, feeling it gently hit her face as she sailed down. Her eyes skimmed the ground, a mere fifty feet from the surface. She dropped, going down to forty, thirty, twenty feet. As she reached five feet, she opened her wings quickly, letting the breeze slow her down. 
She touched down, feeling the grass outside Wonderbolts HQ. Her breathing slowed as she she made her way towards the gym doors, yearning for a quick nap before practice. As soon as she reached the doors, though, Spitfire abruptly threw them open. She had an angry, determined look on her face as she hovered across the training grounds. "Let's go team, we need to practice for Fillydelphia!" her yell reached the ears of those in the gym.
"Fillydelphia? But didn't the arena get-" her protest was interrupted by a fierce glare from the captain. She gulped, but said nothing as she went to join the others for practice.

*

*

Rainbow Dash sighed as she slipped the sweaty suit off her body and into her locker. The nervous pang in her belly had not disappeared since she heard the news about the arena. It was her first performance, of course she was nervous. But it was much more than that. The latest news surrounding that particular arena made her anxious. If what her teammates said was true, then they would all be in deep danger tomorrow. Spitfire insisted on going, convincing her teammates that there was nothing to worry about. Rainbow Dash felt different. Although she wasn't sure what would happen tomorrow, she knew it couldn't be anything good.
She left the locker room and entered the showers, allowing the warm waters to calm her crowded mind. She stepped out, but the anxiousness that had settled in her stomach had not alleviated. Sighing, she left the locker and showers all behind and climbed up the dark stairway to her bedroom. Inside she fell upon the bed, exhausted from a whole days worth of practice tricks. The soft covers resurrected her love for naps as she lay on the cloud woven fabrics. She sighed, forgetting her anxiety, and letting the warmth of the bed lull her to a doze. She dreamt of  crowds calling out her name, as she did magnificent tricks that only could be performed by her.
A knock on the door awoke her from her sleep. She yawned, her gaze falling on the clock that lay on her bedside table. 12:03. She groaned, throwing herself off the soft haven of a bed, and pulled open the door. "Soarin'?" She asked in surprise.
The stallion in question grinned and lifted a magenta box to her face. "I got pie!" he said in a sing-song voice.
In the next five minutes, the two were in the kitchen, enjoying a nice, hot pie. Rainbow Dash adjusted herself in her stool giving the stallion across her a curious look. "Where'd you even get pie at a time like this?"
Soarin' raised his head from the slice he was devouring, licking off the apple that slivered down his face. "I got a pie guy. Pony Joe makes excellent pies as well as excellent donuts."
She grinned, remembering that fateful Gala night where all her friends sat eating donuts there. Her grin fell as she thought of the next day, and silently she picked at the slice of pie in front of her. Soarin' noticed this, and took a break from ravaging his slice to give her an empathetic look. "Nervous about tomorrow?"
She scoffed. "As if! I'm the best flyer in Equestria!" She boasted, grinning cockily.
He raised an inquiring eyebrow.
Sighing, she took another bite of pie, her cocky grin failing once more. "Yeah, I guess." Noticing the small smile of satisfaction on his face, she mockingly glared at him. "But not because of that. I- I guess I'm nervous because of the terrorist threat. I'm used to performing in front of crowds. But performing under some veiled threat..." she shuddered, looking down at her plate of food.
"Hey, don't worry about it." Rainbow Dash looked up and saw his reassuring smile under all the apple muck. "I remember on my first time, we were performing in San Flankcisco. I was a nervous wreck, but Spitfire reassured me. She said if I was a good enough flier to get on the Wonderbolts, I was going to make the fans love me. When I did perform, I did an awesome job. Spitfire was right. All you need to do is trust Spitfire, she knows what she is doing. You'll do an awesome job."
Rainbow Dash smiled with him, feeling her stomach lighten a little. This enabled her to gobble down the rest of her pie, and by the time they finished, they had matching apple beards. A belching contest soon (quite literally) erupted. Rainbow Dash belched loudly, her burp resonating off the kitchen walls, which was quickly followed by a louder belch from Soarin', whose belch had echoed across the kitchen and into the gym. He laughed. "I win! You owe me a hundred bits!"
Rainbow Dash glared at him, but the withering glare fell short when a grin bubbled on her face. "We never bet on this!" she chuckled.
"Pay up!"
A large amount of apple mesh splattered on his face. A very guilty looking Rainbow Dash sat on the stool, cyan hooves covered with what appeared to be the contents of the pie. Soarin's eyes flashed under the mess. "It's on now!" 
She laughed in response, but was interrupted by a sudden splash of apple liquids on her face. The two threw apple pie contents back and forth as they made their way up the staircase. Finally, when they reached Rainbow's door, the fighting ceased, both covered in apple dribble. Soarin' grinned at her one last time. "Goodnight, and remember what I said!" He flew across the hall into his room, the door shutting behind him.
She chuckled, going into the small bathroom that was connected to her bedroom. Washing off any relics  of their pie fight, Rainbow Dash quickly prepared for bed. Finally, she fell into the soft sheets once more at 1:57, falling into a peaceful sleep. The anxiety that plagued just hours before had disappeared.

*

*

The crowds cheered once more as Spitfire did another spectacular move, where she skimmed the sides of the arena at breakneck speeds, fire spewing out from where she was a millisecond ago.
Rainbow Dash paced around the entrance to the open arena, the nervous pang back in her stomach, eyes never leaving her teammates as they sliced through the clear, summer air. She was to be the last Wonderbolt on the field, so she could perform the very last trick. 
The crowd cheered once more, and another pang hit her stomach. Maybe Soarin' was right. Maybe it was first time jitters.
She watched as her teammates pulled upwards, only inches apart. They formed a circle, twisting and speeding forward until they were face to face. They fell apart, a bright white spark erupting from the center from where they were. They plummeted downwards and abruptly flew in a circle, going so fast they were nothing but blue blurs. Soon a tornado formed, winds at high speeds, but still the funnel was controlled. The crowd ooh'ed. 
"INTRODUCING THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE WONDERBOLTS, RAINBOW DASH!" a loud bellow was heard throughout the arena. The crowd cheered loudly. All for her.
Her heart beat quickly. She sped past the entrance of the arena, flinching when the sun glared at her through her flight goggles. The crowd screamed even louder when she appeared. She circled around the arena, the cheers making her flash a smile to the spectators. She spun around, heading straight into the tornado her teammates created. At a controlled speed, she flung herself right into the tornado, feeling the winds grasp at her wings. She followed the wind pattern, noticing the cheers had vanished under the loud winds. She pulled herself upward, the winds pulling and pushing at her pelt. She did not comply to them, instead she only used the speed of the winds to push herself faster. She spun about in the tornado, never losing control as she climbed up. Finally, going at top speed, she escaped the clutches of the tornado, feeling a cone start to form at her hooves. She turned in a circle, willing not to let the cone dissipate. The cone grew, and suddenly it broke, creating a sonic rainboom. She did a corkscrew spin above the arena, creating a ribbon-like effect in her rainbow trail.
Once the booming sound the sonic rainboom subsided, Rainbow Dash heard the cheers. They were the frantic, screaming cheers that one would only from the craziest of fans. They were cheers that covered every other sound within a mile radius. The were the cheers that filled Rainbow Dash with warmth, from the tip of her tail to the top of her head. A bright grin spread her face apart, elation rising up in her throat. She felt tears threaten to escape her eyes, but blinked them back, at risk of seeming weak. She lowered herself to the ground slowly, letting the cheers sink into her chest. Nothing could ever compare to this feeling. Touching down, she waved at her fans, the grin never ceasing.
Then the explosions started. Loud rumbles erupted, and stone pillars fell as Rainbow Dash saw her fans' screams turn to horror. She gazed in horror as a great stone boulder fell towards her. Then, she felt a bright flash of hot air, a sharp jab to her side, and then blackness.


> The Destruction
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Her cold black gaze flickered over the crumbling arena, indifferent to the cries of horror. Explosions ripped through the hot air, causing many to scream in terror and pain. She watched absent-mindedly when another column of stone fell on the fake grass of the arena, ears twitching when she heard the sirens of distant ambulances wail. She sighed, bored now that the explosions had stopped. Then, with a joyous gasp, she watched as the last explosion rattled the air, causing another wave of yells. She chuckled.
A sudden flapping of wings roused her. Looking up, she saw an aquamarine mare hovering next to her. She smiled in greeting. "Good afternoon, Lightning Dust. Would you like to see the fireworks?" She asked casually. She patted down the soft cloud she was lying on.
Lightning Dust gave her a confused glance, before laying beside her. "What did you need me for, Nightshade?"
Nightshade sighed with content. "I wanted to show you your good work. And it is excellent work indeed!" She gestured with a hoof to the destroyed arena, the screams still a prominent sound amongst the fires.
Lightning Dust turned her golden gaze towards the broken arena. "But Ember Skies placed the bombs... I-I didn't-"
"No, no, no, dear! Don't be so modest. We're a team now- more like a family, really- if one is stealthy enough to get inside such a heavily guarded stadium such as this, they deserve praise, don't they?" Lightning Dust fell silent at her soft, accented voice. She watched as the fires spread, causing smoke to succumb the oblong stadium.
Nightshade returned her eyes to the arena, the black depths illuminated by the fires. "To break into an arena is not a small accomplishment, ma chérie. You and your teammates have done wonderfully." She chuckled. "Just look at the chaos you have caused. And soon they will truly know of us and of our power. They will tremble and fall at our hooves." She simply stated, as if it were inevitable.
Lightning Dust felt the hatred reawaken within her chest as she saw the shadows of pegasus ponies darting about in the smoke covered stadium. No doubt they were the Wonderbolts, scrambling to save as many lives as they can. She could imagine their panicked frenzy as they searched for the broken bodies of their teammates. They had no control over this firey horror. They were the ones who took her power, and now she was taking theirs.
Silently, she got up off the comfortable cloud. She gave Nightshade a determined look. "I have to do something." Nightshade nodded, eyes still on the destruction.
With that, she glided downwards, into the thick black smoke.

*

*

Rainbow Dash's eyes flew open. Surrounding the mare was nothing but thick black smoke. She sucked in the stuffy, hot air and started to cough uncontrollably. Her eyes watered, stinging under the harsh smoke that emitted from the scorching fires. Her goggles were gone. She struggled to stand up, still coughing. Her hooves shook underneath her own weight, but she still stood, refusing to fall. She shook her head, hoping to get rid of the loud ringing in her ears.
Her mind was rattled. It was filled to the brim with emotions and thoughts. But one thought stood out most. An explosion had happened, and ponies were in danger.
She forced her wings to snap open, her left wing burning from the sudden impact that occurred when the explosions started. She groaned, but did not let the pain stop her from catching the air and looking for survivors.
Her eyes scoured the scorched grounds, searching for the bright blue suits of her teammates. When the ringing subsided, she could hear the cries of horror. 
Her heart rate sped up as the cries became louder. She hovered above the scorched grass of the arena, trying to pick out individual voices amongst the coarse shouts. Finally, with a cry of frustration, Rainbow Dash called out, "Soarin'? Spitfire!"
No familiar voices answered her call. Instead, a new fleet of anguished cries erupted, making it impossible to decipher any of them. One cry for help stood out the most. A particularly youthful scream was heard amongst the tumbling rocks. Rainbow Dash turned, facing the stone pile in which the scream was heard. She dug through, her soot-covered hooves grating against hard concrete. "Don't worry! I'm coming!" She called out to the voice.
"Hurry!" Cried the voice. She grunted as she pushed one hefty rock past, and gasped as she saw the young filly. She was roughly six-years-old, her young gaze saddened and scared. Her pleading voice whimpered, "Help me, please."
Rainbow Dash lifted the little filly onto her back, instructing her to hold on. She lifted off, going at phenomenal speeds, feeling the filly clutch her tightly. She soared over the arena, to be met with the sight of ambulances surrounding the stadium. She swooped down, making sure she didn't fall off, and landed on the hard concrete. A nearby gurney stood unattended. She lay the filly on the gurney. "Don't worry, someone will be here soon." She reassured the filly.
The small filly nodded, her fearful gray eyes downcast. Rainbow Dash lifted off, heading towards the smoky arena. She flew past the cover of smoke, coughing again, and listened for the cries of her teammates. "Misty?" She called out. "Breeze! Where are you?"
More yells responded to her cries, making her look around the arena. Everything was covered in the thick smoke. She growled in frustration. "Where is everybody?"
"Help!" Her head whipped around, seeing a buff pegasus stallion clutching a mare. She galloped towards him, seeing his panicked gaze. "Don't worry, she just needs to get out of here! Fly over the arena and go to the paramedics!" She urged him.
The pegasus stallion nodded immediately, but when he flared out his lilac wings, he cried out in pain. "My wing is broken!" He yelled, panic rising his voice. He coughed fitfully, perhaps suffering from smoke inhalation. 
Rainbow Dash groaned, thinking hard. What would Twilight do?
Then with a flash, Rainbow Dash lifted the mare onto the stallion's shoulders. "Come on!" She cried, fighting off her urge to cough. She guided the stallion through the smoke, looking for a small exit. Smoke blanketed everything, but eventually they found a small opening in the  wall. "Get out of here!" She pushed them in whilst hacking. 
Stumbling, she made her way down what was left of the stairs, still desperately searching for her comrades. "Soarin'!" She cried. Nothing was heard besides the anguished screams. She felt her heart drop. What if she saw her teammates dead? She shook her head. No! You gotta be strong! These ponies need you!
She flew up once more, out of the smoke clouds and above the arena. She was surprised to see Pegasi gathered there. Many of them were handling storm clouds, others were hovering above, eyes widened as they looked upon the destroyed arena. The Pegasi struck the clouds, rain sprouting from their dark bottoms. Rainbow Dash directed her gaze to the Pegasi that flitted about. "Come on! We have to help them!" They seemed to shake out of their reverie, and soon they were falling through the smoke clouds again. She now ignored the coughing fits that she went into, she was too focused on saving everypony. The group of Pegasi split up, Rainbow Dash landing amongst the destroyed stands. Most survivors have left already, heading towards the emergency exits, but Rainbow Dash was sure she still heard yells. The closest one heard was a coughing fit from two ponies. She slowly approached the sound, trying to locate it. The smoke was starting to clear, thanks to the weather ponies. The stinging in her eyes lessened as she looked for the coughing pony. "H-help us." A feeble call sounded from a nearby pretzel stand. She saw a mother and her colt clutching each other, eyes terrified. She tried to smile comfortingly, but her rough throat caused her to erupt into another coughing fit. "I'm coming." She said, taking a step towards the family.
"Oh, Rainbow Dash. You always loved saving everypony." A snide voice called from above her. She looked up in astonishment, seeing a shadowy figure fall from the beams, a flashy white grin donning their turquoise face. She gasped. "L-Lightning Dust? What are you doing here? Wearing...?" Her eyes looked in shock at her former friend, who was now proudly wearing a Shadowbolt uniform.
Lightning Dust glared at her. "What do you think I'm doing here Rainbow Dash? You humiliated me! I was supposed to be the one who won that race, not you!" She yelled, eyes flashing with newfound hatred.
Rainbow Dash met her gaze. "I won that race fair and square, and you know it! But that's not the point!" She pounded her hoof into the stone ground, anger burning. "You shouldn't be wearing that uniform, Lightning Dust. The Shadowbolts are dangerous and manipulative!"
Lightning Dust laughed in response. "I already know that. Why the hell do you think I joined?" Suddenly, she fell to the ground, sliding her hoof across the floor and tripping the young Wonderbolt. Rainbow Dash cried out in surprise as she hit the ground. She felt a pang of pain in her back. Normally, she wouldn't fight her former friends, but she could make an exception. Growling, she stood up, violet eyes meeting golden ones. She moved quickly, flashing out her wings and speeding around the aqua-colored mare. She kicked out with all four legs, causing Lightning Dust to slide across the hard stone floor. The mother and son watched in fear as the two mares faced each other again.
Rainbow Dash stood in a fighting stance, ready to attack with all of her ferocity. Lightning Dust snorted, lightly brushing her hoof against the ground, raising up dust. She charged, opening her wings and landing behind the rainbow mare. Rainbow Dash spun around, but not quick enough. A black leather clad hoof struck her cheek, making the opposite mare cry out in pain. She fell back, but landed on her hooves, fury pulsing through her. "What happened to you?" She asked the mare facing her.
Lightning Dust smirked. "You know something, Rainbow Dash? Everything that happened to me was a direct result from you." She lashed out, trying to kick the cyan mare in the ribs. Rainbow Dash slid right, avoiding the kick, and bucked her hindlegs, hitting the aquamarine mare in the leg. With a cry of surprise, Lightning Dust fell on her back, looking at Rainbow Dash with mingled shock and hatred. She struggled to stand up, but her leg wouldn't support her weight. 
Rainbow Dash looked at her with concern. "Let me help you." She held out her hoof.
Her golden glare pierced her heart. "I don't think so." She jabbed her chest with her good hoof, making her fall backwards. Rainbow Dash fell on the ground, groaning in pain. She clutched her chest, her leery gaze glaring at the Shadowbolt above her.
Lightning Dust sighed, pity flashing in her gold eyes. "How I wish I could kill you, Rainbow Dash. But I need you to deliver a message. No doubt the press will want the rookie to tell everything about your encounter here. So, I need you to tell the press that we will return. The shadows will return. They will be feared. They will be loved. They will be victorious. No matter what you do, the shadows will prevail."
A loud crack resonated throughout the arena. The mother and child cried out in fear. Lightning Dust looked up. "Looks like that's my cue." She lifted up, giving Rainbow Dash a sinful grin. "Later, Rainbow Crash." She flew upwards and out of the arena, disappearing.
Rainbow Dash stood up, gaping at the long crack that spread on the stone ground before her. She gave the two ponies a desperate glance. "We have to get out of here!"
She grabbed the two, both crying out in fear as the cracks widened. They sped along the plastic seats, the ones they passed falling into the wide crack that was pursuing them. Rainbow Dash huffed along, her lungs feeling heavy and exhausted. She urged the mother and son to go faster as they stumbled down the stairs. They turned right, facing a large exit. She sighed with relief, pulling the two down the long hallway. Her sigh caught in her throat as she saw the concrete ceiling begin to crack. "Hurry!" She yelled, trying to be heard over the rumbling arena. They sped up, entering a long stairway. They quickly staggered down the cracked stairs, breath hitching everytime a step fell away. Continuing on, they listened intently as the cracks suddenly stopped.
The mare, a red-orange pony with a curly white mane stopped. "Why did they stop?"
Rainbow Dash grabbed her hoof and forced her to continue down the stairs. "We have to keep on going. This place is going to fall down on us!"
Finally they reached the bottom, the wide entrance empty. They pushed past the turnstyles and galloped out, eyes wide and bodies covered in ash. Rainbow Dash eyes darted around searching for her teammates, a flash of relief filling her body as she saw Spitfire sitting alone by some ambulances. Her face was hidden. "Spitfire!" She called out, happiness sweeping through her. She approached her, an ashy grin on her face. "Where are the others?" Confusion laced her rough voice.
Spitfire looked up, worry contorting her face. She shook her head, hooves clutching her temples. Rainbow Dash's grin fell and she felt horror sweep her stomach. She turned around, wings unfurling and a determined look set on her face. She lifted off, only to have her tail tugged back. She whipped around, ready to strike at anyone who was stopping her, and saw a unicorn paramedic with worry in his purple eyes. She didn't strike him, but still struggled against his telekinetic bond. "Let go of me! I need to save my teammates!"
The paramedic pulled her down. "Ma'am. We need to help you, you have inhaled too much smoke." Rainbow Dash fought against him, trying to fight past his strong magical aura. 
"Let me go! They need my help!" She felt hooves tug at her arms, and saw more paramedics surrounding her. She fought them, wings beating furiously through the air. She wheezed. The paramedics pulled her down onto the gurney, their voices blurred. Her throat constricted as she entered another coughing fit. Small specks of blood splattered onto her hooves as she looked on in horror. She continued to struggle, but her movements were weaker. "I got to..." She wheezed, her voice growing weaker. "My teammates."
Her last vision was the great stadium falling, before the doors of the ambulance closed.


> The Aftermath
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A white light awoke her.
With a groan, the cyan mare slowly opened her wary eyes. The room was pure white, even the lilies beside her table were a soft ivory. A long curtain stretched across the room, shielding the other half from her eyes. Rainbow Dash slowly sat up, rubbing her crusty eyes. Not the hospital again.
Then, with a flash, she remembered the day before. The arena exploding, thousands of screams, her teammates missing. She struggled to get out of the covers, but the sheets remained taught as she fought them. She fell out of bed, feeling weak, but continued to hobble out of the dull white room. Her wing throbbed, but she ignored it's painful jab and threw open the sterile white door. To her chagrin, a yellow Pegasus mare was already standing there, with a bright blue Wonderbolts uniform on. Her stern orange gaze turned to her as the creaked open. "What are you doing out of bed?"
Rainbow Dash regarded her with a worried expression. "Where are the others? Misty? Breeze? Soarin'?"
Spitfire sighed, rubbing her temples. "They're fine... all of them. But..." the yellow mare hung her head in shame, worry glazing her eyes.
Rainbow Dash fell silent, a heavy weight falling in her stomach. "You're not?"
Spitfire fell on a nearby chair, hooves covering her face. "I can't believe I let us do that air show!" her voice turned angry and sorrowful. "I nearly got us all killed! If I had just listened to Rapidfire, no one would be hurt! No one would have..." Unable to finish her sentence, the mare sniffed. She quickly composed herself, wiping away the newly shed tears and fixing her messy tangerine mane. She stood up, and gave Rainbow Dash her infamous glare. "You never saw that."
Rainbow Dash nodded, watching her with shocked eyes. To steer themselves away from this awkward conversation, Rainbow Dash quietly muttered. "But... what happened to the others?"
Spitfire glare softened, and Rainbow Dash saw a glint of worry shine in her eyes. "Misty is barely affected. She was hauled out of the arena shortly after the explosions happened. She's a little shocked, but she'll be alright. Breeze inhaled a lot of smoke... she'll recover, but it will be a long time before she's ready to do another air show. Soarin'... Soarin' was caught under a rock."
"What?"
"Don't worry, it was only his tail... but he was lucky. He saw the tumbling rock heading towards you, so he managed to push you away at the right moment. I don't want to know what would have happened if you or he... well, nevertheless, you should thank him, Dash. He saved your life." She gave her a serious look. "He's in the room at the end of the hall."
She sighed and nodded, quite unsure how to take this in. With a last glance towards the distressed captain, she opened the white door and entered the hallway.
What she saw was to be expected. Ponies filled the wide hall, making it's large cream walls seem closer together. Their eyes were filled with anxiety as they spoke in soft whispers. The moment their saddened eyes landed on her, the whispers grew, and their gaze did not leave her until she reached the door at the end of the hall. She glared back. "You got something to say?"
They turned away. Rainbow Dash felt a pang in her stomach. What if the explosions were her fault? What if she triggered them when she performed the sonic rainboom? Apparently that was the thought of all who were in the room, because the whispers did not die down, nor did their flickering glares. She faced the door uneasily and pushed it open. Feeling their eyes on her back again.
Soarin' was chomping down on a Jello treat, making loud satisfied noises. His face was covered in the red gelatin, and it wasn't until Rainbow Dash shut the door did he notice her. They regarded each other wide eyes for minute, both unsure what to say. Finally, Soarin' cleared his throat, wiping off the jello from his face. "So... I'm guessing you heard from-"
"Yes." Soarin' looked up from his devoured Jello packet and saw a furious Rainbow Dash glaring at him with all the anger possible. She punched him harshly on the side of his arm, making the light colored stallion cry out, "Ouch!" 
"Are you an idiot?" the spectral mare growled, her magenta eyes fierce. "You could've been killed! You would've been crushed. Why did you do that?" She punctuated every word with a hit to his arm.
Soarin' rubbed his arm, casting a downwards glance towards his bed sheets. "I... I couldn't-" he looked hesitantly at Rainbow Dash. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow. He sighed. "I couldn't one of my few friends die."
Rainbow Dash's eyes widened, shock displayed clearly on her sky colored face. Seeing the look of incomprehension, Soarin' went on. "Ever since I was a foal, I was always the one that worked too hard. I always flew faster than my other classmates. So therefore I was the one who was picked on. It wasn't until high school I stopped. I stopped flying so fast, so I wouldn't be picked on so much. It didn't work. I was still the loner that everypony picked on. To prove myself worthy, I practiced in secret every day during my sophomore year. Finally, at the hoofball finals, I showed my true stuff. I was an instant hit. Everypony loved me all of sudden. I just wasn't better anymore, I was the best. They thought I was gonna be the next best thing, that I was going to help them gain more popularity. I didn't let them." His face darkened, his normal goofy smirk veiled from a sad visage. "After high school, I was immediately sought out by scouts. One of them being a Wonderbolt. I quickly agreed and found myself enrolled in the Wonderbolt Academy. It was just a few years until I graduated and eventually became a Wonderbolt. Even then, I had little friends. By that age, I was still the shy one. When my first air show arrived, as you know, I was as nervous as hell. Spitfire comforted me, and we instantly became friends. We spent every minute together, having fun and playing pranks on the other teammates. It wasn't until she became captain did she have to stop spending time with me. I understood, and I- we... grew apart. And then, a couple of years later, you join. You were one of my closest friends I had in all my years. I could be my goofy self around you, and I had fun. After seeing that boulder head towards you... I wouldn't just-"
He was interrupted as the cyan mare abruptly hugged the bumbling pegasus. Soarin' looked on in shock, but then returned the warm hug. They parted, Rainbow's smile sympathetic. "I understand how you feel. I was treated the same way. I just responded... differently." she chuckled, remembering her fierce past self. "It wasn't until I met my friends that I felt I truly belonged. And then I joined the Wonderbolts..." her smile turned into a sad smirk as she thought of her friends. "... I had to say goodbye. I am going to visit them. And so are you."
Soarin' gave her a blank stare. "I beg your pardon?"
Rainbow Dash smirked, swatting his arm again, albeit a bit more softly. "I'm going to introduce you to my friends, chucklehead. That way you can feel like you belong, too."
Soarin' gave her a hesitant look, unsure how to respond.
She smiled, her magenta eyes twinkling mischievously. "They're great ponies, honest!"
He frowned suspiciously, but found himself subconsciously nodding. "Alright..."
She laughed, and Soarin' thought he could hear slightly evil mirth mixed in. She winked at him, whilst leaving the white room. "Trust me. You'll love them."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next day was a dreary one.
The sun was shadowed by dark, heavy clouds that glared down at the ponies who lined the once great arena. Their bright faces were darkened by a mix of tears and rain as they listened to the skinny earth pony at the podium. The pony in question adjusted his round framed glasses on his nose and continued to read from the post card he had written. "...and though there were many lives lost that day, we must know that when they died, they must have been happy. They were not alone when the attack happened. And they will not be alone as they join the King and Queen in the afterlife." He finished, looking at the Wonderbolts expectantly. They had all sat in a row at the front, heads low.
Spitfire stood up, her bright Wonderbolts uniform gone, to be replaced with a black cloak that draped over her shoulders. "The Wonderbolts wish to pay respects to those who lost their family members that day..."
Rainbow Dash stopped listening. She couldn't stop thinking about Lightning Dust's last words to her. Her mind was filled with the lightning yellow eyes that pierced her with their strong hatred. Her words echoed through her mind over and over and over again. Her evil laughter plagued her. Finally, she couldn't take the madness anymore. She stood up and regarded the crowd with her fierce magenta gaze. "LISTEN UP!" she cried, interrupting Spitfire's speech.
Spitfire's suddenly angered gaze snapped to her. "What are you doing? Sit down!"
Rainbow Dash turned to her, and acknowledged her with the same look. "This is something that needs to be said."
She bristled, her eyes growing steadily angrier, but slowly she sat down.
Rainbow Dash returned her gaze to the crowd, now looking at her with wide eyes. "I know who attacked the arena." They gasped, their wide eyes now becoming more pronounced as they grew larger. "The Shadowbolts are an elite team, just like the Wonderbolts. But their ideals are not the same. They will stop at nothing to make sure that each and everyone of you suffer at their hooves. They will do anything to gain fame. They want you to know that they will be feared. They want you to be frightened of them. The Wonderbolts will not let that happen. We will find them and bring them down. We will stop at nothing until the Shadowbolts are nothing but shadows of the past."
The morose crowd soon responded with passionate cheers. Her teammates were wearing faces of confusion. Spitfire looked at Rainbow Dash with incredulity, and Soarin' looked with concern. She turned her gaze towards him, unsure of what she said could come true. But she is going to damn well try.
> The Meeting
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A lone drop fell from the drenched lock of hair. Rainbow Dash wiped away the mop of hair from her face, shivering. She pulled off the slick suit, now covered in water, and threw it into her locker. Rain pelted the windows of the locker room, filling the room with audible clacks. She glanced up at the fall sky and sighed. Months had passed since she had joined the Wonderbolts, and also had many practices passed. Day after day, Spitfire made them work harder and harder, from the freezing mornings to the blazing afternoons. She was exhausted; the Wonderbolts rarely got breaks. Soon the hot summer days disappeared, to be replaced to the rainy days of fall.
"Now, listen here." Spitfire had left her office. She gave her teammates a stern look before continuing, "If you even do something that even puts us in a bad light, I swear to Celestia I will kick your flank so hard you'll land in Las Pegasus. Please do not even talk to the press. In fact, if you see them, quickly get out of there. I don't want Lightning Streak's flank on the front cover of Equestria Daily again. The Gala's coming up, too, so be on your absolute best behavior."
Lightning Streak frowned, offended, but did not say anything.
Spitfire smiled at his reaction. "Alright, you guys. You're free to go."
The locker room erupted in cheers, and Rainbow Dash smiled. She loved being a Wonderbolt more than anything, but it was nice to have some free time. She closed her locker and found Soarin' struggling to get out his suit.
Rainbow Dash laughed at him. "Ya know, after seven years of being a Wonderbolt, you'd think you could get out of a flight suit."
Soarin' looked at her indignantly over the mess of his own clothing. "I really need to get this thing fixed." he remarked as the suit finally slipped off of him. Rainbow Dash looked at the gaps in the fabric and frowned. She ignored the feeling of uneasiness that spread through her, and forced a smile.
"You should have gotten that fixed a long time ago, dunce." She joked. "Don't worry about it, I have a friend who can fix it up right away. She knows what she's doing."
He furrowed his eyebrows in worry. "Friend?" Ever since Rainbow Dash said she was going to introduce him to her friends, he was scared. Every time he asked about her friends, she just laughed. And not in the good way.
Rainbow Dash laughed again and flicked her tail. "Come on."
Soarin' stared after her and sighed, following closely behind. He slung the suit over his shoulders and left the locker room, entering Clutch's office. The gray griffon himself was sitting in his chair, reading the Equestrian Arms. "See ya, Clutch." Soarin' waved to him, only to receive a noncommittal grunt. Typical.
He followed Rainbow Dash out into the quiet Canterlot street and they took off, Rainbow Dash's spectral tail slapping him the face. She pulled ahead, doing flips in the air as she headed towards the small town on the horizon. She dived and drew herself up with a quick corkscrew spin. "Ah!" she sighed in satisfaction. She twisted around, flying on her back as if she were in a swimming pool. "Free at last."
She emerged herself in the soft clouds, her wings gliding over the silky cloud vapors, a smile bubbling on her sky blue face. Then, a sudden shock of lighting came out of nowhere and struck her on the nose. She cried out, rubbing her now charred nose. On a thick gray cloud, a light blue stallion was sitting there, cracking up. She glared at him, nostrils flaring. "What do you think you're doing? You could've killed me!"
Soarin' stopped laughing and gave her a look of innocence. She laughed and grabbed a dark gray cloud nearby and bucked it, causing rain to shower down on the unsuspecting stallion. They threw their clouds at each other and sped off, leaving a fluffy trail behind them. They raced across the dank forest, eyes set in determination as they tried to pull past the other. Finally, they landed right next to a lilac building, dust and dirt flying everywhere. "I believe I won that time." Rainbow Dash proclaimed as the dust settled.
Soarin' chuckled, slapping the dirt off his suit. "Yeah, I-"
"Rainbow Dash!" A fierce scream erupted, and soon the door flew open. Soarin' looked past Rainbow Dash to see a beautiful white unicorn stomp out of the building, sapphire eyes burning with wild anger. "Why in Equestria didn't you WRITE?"
Rainbow Dash smiled sheepishly. "That's what I was forgetting..."
The unicorn grabbed her hoof and shoved her into the ornate building, eyes still livid. Soarin' looked on, aghast. He took a step towards the building, wary of the disaster he might be setting foot in. Instead, he found Rainbow Dash in an extremely tight dress and a purple face. The ivory mare pulled the strings of the corset, teeth grinding against the tough fabric.
"Now," she released the strings, allowing Rainbow Dash to breathe. "Tell me."
"What?" Rainbow Dash choked out.
"About the arena, darling." Her eyes shone with concern. "You haven't written us at all. We were worried sick."
Rainbow Dash glared at the ground. She shuffled her hooves and avoided her gaze. "It's not important."
The unicorn gasped. "But of course it's important! Why, you could've been-"
"I don't want to talk about it, Rarity. Okay?" Rainbow Dash snapped.
Rarity looked taken aback for a brief second, but then put on a strong composure. "Whatever you say, darling."
Soarin' looked on, Rainbow Dash so stubborn that she refused to talk about anything, Rarity doing her business as if nothing happened. The room rang from silence, Rainbow Dash and Rarity refused to speak, and Soarin' just stared at the sheer awkwardness of it all. This is weird.
Then Rarity's eyes fell upon the fidgety stallion in the entrance. She let out a squeak of delight and immediately forgot about Rainbow Dash. She trotted over to him and giggled. "Rainbow Dash, you didn't tell me you brought along a handsome stallion!" Rainbow Dash gave her a suspicious look.
"Tell me, how did you two meet?" She smiled, batting her eyelids.
Soarin' gave her a blank look, while Rainbow Dash glared at her unicorn friend. "Rarity, this is my teammate and friend, Soarin'. We met along time ago, remember?" The last sentence came through gritted teeth.
Rarity gave her a knowing look. "If you say so." She shook Soarin's hand politely, who still had a confused stare.
Rainbow Dash took the torn suit from Soarin's shoulder. "I need you to repair this, is that okay? Soarin' put it off 'til the last second."
Rarity took the suit gently, screwing up her face in disgust. "What are these stains all over it?" she cried out.
"Pie." Soarin' answered.
Rarity gave him an incredulous look. "Oh no, no, no! This needs much more than a few stitches! It needs to be washed, dryed, ironed, boiled in detergent." Rarity screeched. Soarin' frowned, a little offended. They watched as she rushed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.
"Well that's Rarity." She remarked, trying to remove the rib-crushing dress.
"That was dramatic." He whimpered.
She chuckled and pushed the dress off her body. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the rest of my friends."
He smiled at her, but on the inside he was panicking. I'm scared...

***

The dirt road dusted his hooves in a thick coat of grime. He followed the blue mare down this road, the stormy skies threatening to fall down on them at any moment. He walked past various stands that sold flowers and apples, but Rainbow seemed intent on introducing him to her next friend. "This one is less crazy than the last one, I think. Trust me."
He sniveled.
Finally they reached a giant oak tree in the middle of the town. Rainbow Dash knocked on the carved door, a smile gracing her face. Crashing sounds rang, an owl hooted loudly, and a roaring "SPIKE!" was heard. Muffled scattering noises occured, and then the oak door swung open. Rainbow Dash frowned as a little purple dragon with scorch marks answered the door. Cake batter littered his body, but a nonchalant look adorned his face. "Oh hey, Rainbow Dash. Nice of you to drop by." He smiled a toothy grin, a small fang poking out from his top lip. 
Rainbow Dash gave him a sympathetic smile. "What's Twilight freaking out about now?"
"Nothing, as usual. Wanna come in?"
"Sure." She trotted in. Soarin' followed closely, eyes darting over the books that lined the room. A purple alicorn traced back and forth in the room adjacent, batter matting her messy purple hair. Rainbow Dash stook a hoof in front of Soarin', gave him a warning glance, and slowly walked into what appeared to be a kitchen.
The mare herself was lilac in color, and her mane was a deep violet with bright purple and magenta streaks. The mane was a mess, with batter matting its normally smooth texture. The mare whipped around to face Rainbow Dash, her tail lashing. The deep grimace that carved her lips turned upwards into a gleeful smile, and then quickly returned to its former state. Her pupils became pinpricks as they zeroed in on the sheepish pegasus. "What... were... you... THINKING?!"
Rainbow Dash backed up against the wall. This mare wasn't scared of many things. She could attempt to kick out a dragon out of its own nest, or maybe fight a whole heard of buffalo, but when Twilight was angry and stressed, she was nestled in the farthest cloud possible. "Um..."
"She was with the Wonderbolts." Soarin's feeble voice arose. Twilight spun to face him. He cleared his throat and began again, praying to Celestia he wouldn't tinkle in horror. "The Wonderbolts gathered a lot more publicity than normal after the arena attack. Rainbow Dash was the newest member and was there when the... attacks occured. She was probably getting the most press. The Wonderbolts needed her."
Twilight's look of fury grew, making Soarin' prepare himself for an attack, but then fury died in her eyes and she sat down on the floor. She gave Rainbow Dash a stern but sad look. "You could've written."
Rainbow Dash smirked. "I'm sorry."
Twilight smiled warmly and gave her friend a hug, threatening to pop out the pegasi's eyes. "I didn't want this!" she groaned, but soon relented and returned the hug.
Twilight broke apart, eyeing her kitchen apprehensively. The maroon walls were covered in what appeared to be cake batter, burn marks, and mustard. Soarin' wondered briefly how those three were even remotely related, when Twilight remarked, "I was trying to make cake. I acquired some new cookbooks for the library, and well... too say the least, I got intrigued. I read all of the cookbooks, there being ten, and decided I did not need a recipe for baking." She sighed, and levitated a rag to clean up the mess. "I was dangerously wrong."
Rainbow Dash laughed at her friend. "Typical Egghead." She looked over at Soarin' and winked. Thanks, she mouthed.
"Anyways," Twilight continued. "The girls and I are having a dinner at the Hayseed Café. Maybe you'd like to join us. After all, it has been three months since we were all together. I have been busy with my princess duties and cookbooks, and you were busy with the Wonderbolts and... well, you know." She wiped down a glob of horseradish as Rainbow Dash shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe you can invite your friend-" she looked over her shoulder at the awkward stallion. "What is your name again? I know Rainbow Dash spoke about you a lot."
Rainbow Dash tinted red. "I didn't talk about him that much..."
Soarin' chuckled good-heartedly, thinking about the stubborn, outspoken blue mare fangirling over him. "My name's Soarin'."
"Nice to meet you, Soapin'..." Twilight murmured absent-mindedly, never mind the fact that she had met him years before. She was now furiously scrubbing baby powder. 
"We'd better go, when she has her mind set on something, the rest of the world does not exist." Rainbow Dash turned towards the door on the other side of the large tree, walking past Spike as he read by the fire in a smoking jacket. "See ya, Spike." 
The purple and green dragon grunted as he intently read the Superstallion comic. Soarin' watched incredulously until Rainbow Dash pulled him out of the library. He walked beside Rainbow Dash, eyes widened. They walked in silence for several minutes before Soarin' finally spoke up. "Was that Princess Twilight?"
"...You're an idiot."

***

That night, six mares and a stallion gathered around a long table outside the quaint Hayseed Café. Waiters milled around them, hasty to serve both the princess and two Wonderbolts members. Customers looked on in indigence, desiring to be waiting on, until the lilac princess dismissed the waiters, tired of being of smothered.
The mane six however, were not bothered. Rarity kept smiling at Rainbow Dash and Soarin' suggestively, making Rainbow Dash feel so angry that every time she addressed Rarity it sounded remarkably like a demon had possessed the colorful pegasus. Pinkie Pie was so excited that Rainbow Dash had brought along a new friend, that she brought her party  cannon, which had been confiscated by the workers of the restaurant, so she threw napkin shreds instead of confetti. Fluttershy joined in the lively conversation that had happened at the table, but whenever she tried speaking to Soarin', she'd shrink in her chair. Applejack was busy with harvesting season, but still managed to find time for her friends, but sometimes the silly pony would slip apples into the conversation. Twilight Sparkle on the other hoof, was completely and utterly delightful. Except for the three martinis that floated about in her magical aura. All in all, a regular dinner.
Soarin' was petrified.
Twilight glugged down the martini while Rarity gave them an interested look. "So how long have you two been da- I mean, been friends?" She batted her eyelashes innocently.
Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth at Rarity. "Rarity, I swear I will-"
"Three months. Ever since she joined the Wonderbolts." Soarin' hastily answered, before Rainbow Dash could break down.
Rarity giggled slightly, saw Rainbow Dash's face, and fell silent.
Pinkie Pie threw another barrage of napkin confetti at Soarin's face, singing gleefully.


"Happy new friends we'll be!
Happy new friends, you and me!
We'll try new things together,
Spend our lives together-"


"Did y'all know that Big Macintosh has been working all day? Shucks, maybe I should-" Applejack stood up from her seat, but she was pulled down by a magenta aura. Twilight attempted a stern look, but ended up looking like an angry donkey.
"Applesack, you work too hard. Lay ooooffff." Twilight groaned, her face falling heavily on the table.
Applejack gave her friend a dissappointed look. Fluttershy, on the other hand, was trying to summon all of her courage to speak to a stranger. She puffed out her chest, narrowed her eyes in determination, and took a deep breath. Finally she let out a sound. It wasn't distinguishable in any way, and it made Fluttershy turn beat red. A low growling and high-pitched squeaking escaped, "REAEEEEERRRRRRRRRFFFFFFFFFGHHHHHHH!"
The whole table stared at her, a silence stretched afterwards, that lasted quite few minutes. Applejack broke the silence with a rather interesting apple fact. "Did you know that we produce about one hundred thousand apples each year-"
Her sentence was interrupted as Pinkie Pie flung another pile of napkins in the air.

"Never been more happy,
Cause I'm no longer blue!
You are my friend now,
This day you will rue!"

"Okay, stop!" Rainbow Dash cried out. Her friends stopped and looked at blue mare. She sighed and sat down again. "I'm sorry, guys, but we need to go. Soarin' and I have practice tomorrow and we can't stay here. We're going to leave now, and please, for the love of Celestia, take it easy. Especially Twilight."
The purple princess hiccuped indignantly.
Pinkie Pie immediately stopped throwing napkins at Soarin' and faced her friend, lower lip quivering. "We'll see you again soon, right?"
Rainbow Dash saw the saddened faces of her friends and smiled reassuringly. "Well, yeah. Of course I will."
The five mares got up from their seat and gathered around Rainbow Dash. They all interlocked into a tight group hug, beaming. Friendly murmurs were heard from the small group, and Rainbow Dash's face was wet with tears as she embraced her friends.	
Soarin' watched. Rainbow Dash was smiling gracefully, despite the tears sliding down her pale blue cheeks. The faint sliver of sunshine from the sunset illuminated her brightly colored mane, and when she opened her eyes, the deep fuschia pupils were lit by the glow of the sunset. Soarin' smiled.

***

The door to her room creaked open. She groaned and fell on the comforting bed, expecting to fall asleep right away. Instead, she felt a paper underneath her legs. She brought it to her face. "AMBER FLASH ARENA DESTROYED, WITNESSES SUSPECT THOUSANDS DEAD."
Rainbow Dash glared at the paper and threw it against the wall. She lay with her face down against the pillow, desiring sleep. Wait a moment... she raised her face and looked at the paper that law askew on the ground. How'd that get in my room?
Something stepped from the shadows, and immediately Rainbow Dash lept up. When the figure revealed herself, Rainbow Dash stumbled.
"Rainbow Dash," Princess Luna's hard gaze regarded her seriously. "I need your help."
	
	
	
> The Plan
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"And may I ask why?"
Spitfire sat at her desk, brow furrowed in confusion. Her coat was slick with sweat, as they had just completed a practice session. Her bright yellow hooves crossed over the other, resting on the cluttered desk. Her eyes rested uneasily on her teammate before her, unsure how to process what she said.
Rainbow Dash, who sat across from the weary captain, took in a breath. Her thoughts wondered back to the meeting with Luna. Where she explained everything. The Shadowbolts. The chaos they could create. The dark revolution that could be. After several hours of contemplating, she knew this is what she had to do. Risk her life to save Equestria, or watch it be enveloped by shadows.
"... You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Spitfire amber eyes sparked. "Then why should we do this? Doing a show in Ponyville would be incredibly dangerous now. I think we should lay low until this... shadow thing... dies down-"
"But we can't!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "If we lay low, they'll-"
Spitfire gave her a stern gaze.
She sighed again and sat down in the chair again, rubbing her temples. "I know it's dangerous." Her voice was low. "And I know I'm not very convincing. But you know my plan. And I know it will work. You just have to let me do this."
Spitfire tapped her hoof against the desk. She chewed on her lower lip, her eyes distant with contemplation. Then she directed her gaze towards Rainbow Dash. "I trust you, Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow Dash sighed with relief. Thank Celestia.
"But-" Spitfire leaned forward in her chair, regarding the blue pegasus with a stern gaze. "If you mess up, if anypony gets hurt- you're off the team."
Rainbow Dash nodded solemnly, biting her lower lip. If I mess up, there won't be a team.

***

Rainbow Dash closed the door of the donut shop, the scent of the sweet rolls wafting out into the cold Canterlot air. She closed the lid of the pie, smelling its sweet scent, before lifting off. She flew off into the sky, now a rusted orange color from the setting sun, and flew until she landed on the familiar street. The Wonderbolts HQ remained a run down, but the mare smiled at it. She entered the HQ, seeing Clutch listening to the radio as he bounced a small ball against the wall. Past him, the long hallway stretched, paintings of former team members lining its sides. Rainbow Dash entered the hallway, a pie balancing on her back.
Then, a door at the far end of the hallway opened. Soarin' stepped out of the doorway at the end of the hall, his jaw clenched. Rainbow Dash smiled and waved at him. "Hey Soarin', I got some pie! Want some? This time I think we should actually eat it instead of-"
"I heard about the show in Ponyville." Rainbow Dash frowned, only now noticing the anger that etched his face.
"What's the deal?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Why are you so upset?"
Soarin' glared at her. "The last time we did an air show, a lot of ponies were hurt. If we do another show, there will be another attack, no doubt about it. Then I hear that you- you!- suggested it. Why?"
Rainbow Dash met his fierce glare with her own. "I know what I'm doing Soarin'." 
"I don't think you do!" His voice elevated, jarring Rainbow Dash. He sighed, ruffling his messy dark mane. "I just want to know why."
Rainbow Dash frowned at him, Princess Luna's words echoing inside her head. Tell no one of our plan. "I... I can't tell you."
Soarin's eyes blazed, and his face turned slightly red. "Fine." He whipped around and left the hallway, slamming the door behind him. The hurt mare stared down at the pie that was now cold.
	
	
> The Pub
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The rain slapped down on him. He felt the light taps tickle his ears as he trotted up to the tawdry pub that lay on the outskirts of the Everfree. It was once filled with a lively people who were traveling to the small town of Ponyville, but now it was practically empty since the train was built. The stallion took one glance at the large, extravagant door and quickly swung it open, gleeful to get out of the freezing rain. He tugged at the hood that shadowed his scarred face.
Candles made the once exuberant pub glow, a dim light spreading all across the marked floor. A couple of ponies were here. One was remarkably drunk and the other two were embracing each other with very loud sucking noises. With a sneer of disgust, he turned away from the dwindling crowd and turned to the bartender. He stood there, wiping a stubborn smudge, when looked up. His orange eyes glinted. "Want entrance?"
The stallion nodded.
The bartender cast a furtive glance towards the remaining customers, who were completely oblivious to their surroundings. With a quick nod, he pointed towards the back, allowing entrance. The stallion strode past him and into the dark cellar. Barrels of cider lined the stone walls. Inside this room was cold, and the stallion clutched at his cloak as he moved past the barrels and to the back wall. His eyes immediately turned to the right corner. With a quick glance around the dark room, he pressed a loose stone. The stones of the wall unfurled, floating down onto the ground as if by magic. He quickly ventured in, allowing the stones to return to their original places. 
In front of him lay a staircase lit by candles that hung from a wall. He climbed down his hoofsteps echoing off the ancient stones. His bright emerald eyes finally fell upon a larger, more open room than that of the pub. Ragged, etched tables were scattered around the room. He could see Ember Skies having a one sided conversation with Sacred Soul, who looked him with hatred-filled indigo eyes. A small fireplace was being stoked by Velvet Cloud, her gentle gray eyes flickering with red light. Lightning Dust stood from afar, nervously pacing the stone ground. He turned towards the staircase that clung to the side of the room and quickly climbed up them. The hallway he entered was long, and along its sides lay many, small doors. He turned to the first on his right and knocked, waiting patiently for an answer.
"Come in," came the reply. The stallion opened the door softly and saw a mare sitting in a ragged wing chair. A blue light flickered in the room. Her black gaze was thoughtful, as seemed to be most of the time these days. She looked up and smiled, her thoughtful gaze disintegrating. "Oh, bonjour, Poison Dart. What is it that you want?"
He removed his hood, unmasking his aging gray face and graying turquoise mane. He cleared his throat and spoke, his deep Southern accent rumbling through the room. "Ah came to tell you 'bout some news." He lifted his bag from underneath his cloak. Inside the bag was a newspaper that was ruffled from water's touch. He took it out and showed it to the mare, who glared at the headline.
WONDERBOLTS TO PLAY AT PONYVILLE
"Looks like they did not get our message from before." 
Poison Dart pursed his lips, unsure what to say. Nightshade paced the room. "Do they not understand what we can do to them? Do they not understand we can make them crumble? We will kill millions before we get it through their thick heads!" Her black eyes flashed with fury.
Poison Dart new Nightshade cared very little about the lives of the innocent.
They stood in silence, Poison Dart watching Nightshade closely as paced the room, cursing. She grabbed the newspaper, eyes flicking over the words, with her back turned from Poison Dart. Finally, as she finished, the paper fell from her grasp.
"Ah reckon you know what to do, Nightshade. Complete destruction?" He felt a smile form at his scarred lips.
Nightshade turned towards him. It was as if a she discovered something life changing. Her soft mouth contorted into a wide grin that reached her mad, black eyes. The tired, thoughtful expression she had been wearing all week disappeared into her victorious smile. Her chest heaved, as if she were holding her breath for a week. A soft laugh escaped through creases in her teeth, which seemed to glow like fangs underneath the cold light. "Oh, Poison Dart." the grin broadened. "Isn't that always the way?"
> The Gala
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Harsh laughter split her ears. She struggled to escape the binds, but they clung to her body. She furiously met the cold gaze of her former friend as she laughed and laughed. She desperately tried to suck in air through the tight mask, but the frigid air pierced her lungs. She attempted to yell something at the cruel pegasus before her, but nothing came out besides angry muffled sounds. Her foe continued to giggle, her golden eyes flashing. "Looks like someone needs a nap."
She removed her gag, but before she could cry out for help, a new gag was shoved in. She choked on it, her lungs rupturing. The scent of the new gag reeled her into seeing dark spots dance in front of her eyes, and the last thing she saw was the turquoise mare laughing. As she descended into darkness, whispers filled her ears. A light broke out, a phrase that has been branded into her mind forever. The shadows will prevail.
She ripped off the sheets, gasping. Though she had been breathing properly whilst dreaming, Rainbow Dash felt as if she was depraved of air. She gulped in the cold, night air and remembered vaguely that she left the window of her bedroom open. She turned to the window and saw Luna's stars glimmering down on her. What am I supposed to do, Luna? You didn't give me enough help!
With a sudden surge of frustration, she slammed the window closed. She climbed into the cool bed, thinking of her nightmare. She thought of how cruelly Lightning Dust treated her. How she got nothing but glee from her pain. How she got her revenge.
She clutched at the navy blue covers. She knew, as she felt determination rise up in her, that she could not let Lightning Dust get her revenge.

The next morning she arose. Though her nights were often plagued of nightmares, she held her determined look well past the night. With a sigh, she pulled off the sheets and went into the bathroom to wash herself. She cleaned her body until it thoroughly felt like her own, instead of a pale imitation. She dried off and slipped on a clean Wonderbolts suit, ready for Fleetfoot's cold glares and Wave Chill's cruel snickering. 
With that Rainbow Dash trotted through the hall and down the stairs until she reached the mess hall. Her eyes immediately flicked over to Soarin', who was eating a pie alone in the corner. He deliberately avoided her gaze, turning slightly in his seat so as not to accidentaly make eye-contact. She felt sadness and regret wash over, so she turned away and faced her other teammates.
Fleetfoot gave her her signature sneer, her pale violet eyes flashing reproachfully. Next to her, Wave Chill greeted, "Great job on the gig, Rainbow Dash. We probably shouldn't have lived in the first place. Maybe we'll die properly in Ponyville."
Rainbow Dash's magenta eyes flashed angrily. "Keep talking, Wave Chill, and I'll make sure you get hurt sooner." she snarled.
Lightning Streak and Fire Streak sat next to each other on the bench behind Wave Chill. Lightning Streak nudged his brother, who was savagely eating a bowl of cereal. The two brothers watched intently, and Blaze, who sat across from them, casted a stern glance in the direction of Rainbow Dash and Wave Chill. "Calm down, guys. This isn't the time to fight."
Fleetfoot rolled her eyes, and Wave Chill whipped around to face the yellow mare. "Who're you to say anything? Just because your sister is captain doesn't mean you get to tell us what to do!"
Blaze's eyes flashed, and Rainbow Dash was reminded strongly of Spitfire. Blaze opened her mouth to say something, but a high pitched voice flitted from across the mess hall. "Stop fighting!" Breeze cried, her bright purple eyes gleaming with worry. "We're a team, we're not supposed to-"
"Oh be quiet, Breeze." snapped High Winds. "Nothing you say can change things."
Rainbow Dash turned to the normally laid back mare, and noticed for the first time High Winds seemed tense, her eyes tired. Breeze looked hurt, and fell silent, her golden mane drooping slightly. Misty Fly glared at High Winds. "And I suppose you can do any better?" she challenged.
"Lay off her!" cried Rapidfire defensively.
"Guys, I think we should-" Silver Lining started, eyes darting about.
Rainbow Dash watched, open mouthed, as Lighting Streak shouted, "You old git, you never do anything!"
Fire Streak seemed to agree with his brother, because soon he was yelling crude insults to Silver Lining, who responded by equally crude gestures. Misty seemed at wit's end and looked as if she could strangle High Winds. Blaze was arguing furiously with Wave Chill, and just as he raised a hoof- BANG!
The whole team turned towards the sound. Spitfire stood there in the doorway, anger burning her large, furious looking eyes. Her jugular stood out in her neck, and her tail twitched with impatience. "Stop. it. Right NOW!"
The team fell silent as they watched their leader intently. She gasped for air for a bit, and then seemed to realize she was being too harsh. She sighed, and ran her hoof through her tangerine colored hair. "I know it has been stressful lately. And I know we're not exactly relaxed right now. But..." her gaze hardened. "But when they attacked the arena, they didn't just send a message. They declared war with us. They fought against what we know is right. If we constantly fight with each other, how will we win this war? How would we stay together? We have to." Her eyes were set in their usual blazoned expression, and her voice was strong and confident. The Wonderbolts looked around at each other, apologetic looks flashing about in the mess hall. High Winds seemed to relax and gave Breeze a smirk from across the room. Wave Chill gave a hasty apology to Blaze, and even Fleetfoot, who usually remained stoic and cold, looked regretful. Spitfire looked proudly at her teammates. "Because we're a team."
*

*
The reporter in front of her gave her a dashing smile, making Rainbow Dash feel uncomfortable. He held a pen up to her face, practically poking her in the face with his red aura. The unicorn's unnaturally white smile glowed in the dim light of the ballroom as he signaled for the photographer behind him to take a picture. "So, Miss Dash," he began. "Have you found anything about the attack on the arena?" He held up his notepad in anticipation.
She shuffled her hooves uncertainly, thinking of what Luna told her that night about a week ago. "Not a thing." She answered.
The reporter and photographer exchanged a glance, making her angry. The reporter smiled once more, though this smile felt more exceedingly fake then the last, and quickly scribbled down something on his small notepad. "Are you sure you haven't found any... inside news?"
Rainbow Dash blinked in confusion. She saw the wariness in the reporter's gaze and the sharp glare the photographer had been giving her. She felt her tail twitch in irritability. "What do you mean?"
"I was wondering if..." The unicorn's gaze flickered across the ballroom before speaking in a low whisper. "If your Sonic Rainboom had anything to do with the attack on Amber Flash Arena..."
The rainbow pegasus blinked in surprise. Then, she suddenly felt the urge to punch the reporter. She dug her hooves into the satin rug, as to not do so, and struggled to find a reasonable response. Instead, her bubble of anger burst. "Why would I do that? What would my motive be? Finally achieving my dream of becoming a Wonderbolt and then blowing up my fans? That makes no sense! You... you make no sense!"
The reporter stood there silently for a moment, then his fake smile stretched across his face again. "I think that will be all I need." The photographer scoffed and took another picture of the angry pegasus. 
Rainbow Dash watched in boiling anger as the reporter silently traipsed away, scribbling on his notepad. She knew the reporter was going to say something extremely negative, but she didn't care. She knew what was right, so it really didn't matter what the reporter said. Did it? She glanced around the secluded part of the ballroom, catching the sight of the fans of the Wonderbolts. Some gave her wary glances, and rushed to return to their conversations. Others occasionally gave her a dirty glare, making no attempt to hide their disgust. She met their glares with her own, knowing that she was right. She kept looking around the room, trying to gauge the reaction of the fans as she traveled about the room. Her eyes, however, fell on Soarin' who was staring at Rainbow Dash already. She felt herself go slightly red as Soarin' quickly looked away, and turned back to her thoughts.
What if she inadvertently had caused those bombs to go off? With a trickle of fear, she realized that those bombs could have been triggered by her Sonic Rainboom. She knew full well that her Sonic Rainboom had always caused some kind of shift. If somepony was near, the blast of the Rainboom could have caused their ground to shake slightly. Maybe her Sonic Rainboom had disrupted the bombs, so carefully hidden, ready to explode the minute the Sonic Rainboom erupted?
She thought of the cries of the ponies as they struggled to escape the arena. She remembered the small filly she saved, and wondered if whether she ever saw her parents again. All the cries she heard. All the moans of pain. All the lives she could have saved. Did she cause their deaths?
She snapped out of her thoughts as soon as she heard glass shatter. She whipped around, finding the source of the noise. She saw a waitress quickly apologizing to a portly stallion who sat at the bar. He quickly waved her off and continued  with his drink. Suddenly craving a strong drink, she waltzed up to the bar and ordered a whiskey.
She did her best to ignore the accusing glances of the Wonderbolts' fans and continued to chug down her drink. All she wanted to focus on was drinking. An hour passed, but she lost count of her drinks. Her thoughts soon became muddled. The world around her seemed a blur, and she dropped her glass on the bar. She nearly fell off the stool at the bar and stumbled around the large ballroom. She saw a purple mare deep in discussion with a snooty unicorn and stumbled over to them. She giggled at their reactions as she approached, ignoring their revolted looks and swinging her forelegs around their necks. "You guys... Don't I know you from som'where...?"
The mare gave her a sneer.
"Yeah, las' time 'm was here. I- uh... I tried to impress the Wondabolts." She chuckled to herself. "I tried to carry that big ol' statue over thare." She pointed with her hoof to the elegant statue of Celestia, whose ivory wings shadowed the crowd gathered beneath it. "Damn, that princess is full o' herself." she sniffed.
Suddenly she felt somepony dragging her away by wing, and she caught a glimpse of the astonished duo before disappearing behind a crowd of ponies. She cried out, desperately trying to free herself from her kidnapper before she was thrown out on a cold balcony.
She stumbled for a minute, and then glared at her captor, who released her. She expected Lightning Dust, but instead Spitfire stood there, glaring so fiercely she immediately closed her mouth, which was about to let loose a string of curses. "I think it's best you stay here for the rest of the night, Dash. You need to cool down."
She then slammed the door behind her, leaving a shamefaced Rainbow Dash to stare at the brilliant view of the valley below. She shivered at the chilly winter air, and closed her eyes. Her thoughts, though muddled, quickly reverted back to the arena. I couldn't have done it, I couldn't have done it, I couldn't have done it... She repeated this in her head, but saying it over and over made her feel worse. 
There was still Ponyville, one clear thought rang through tangled mess of a brain. She sighed with relief. She could still prove herself. She could still save lives. As she comforted herself with this thought, she still couldn't help but revert back to her previous thoughts. She could've saved more lives. She could have helped them. She was guilty, and she knew it.
She heard the slight creaking of a door and looked up, expecting to see Spitfire. Delightfully, Soarin' stood there. "Hey, Soarin'!" she smiled brightly, ignoring her clear voice that told her they weren't on speaking terms.
His lips twitched upwards, but then immediately fell back in a straight line. "Hey," he said quietly.
She patted the spot next to her with vigor, inviting him to sit beside her. He slowly walked down to Rainbow Dash, giving her a hesitant glance, and seeing that she wasn't mad, sat down next to his slightly swaying friend. She, in response, sighed peacefully, despite her guilt-ridden thoughts.
They stayed silent for a while, gazing at the black night sky that completely blanketed the surrounding valley. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash giggled. "I am soooo drunk."
Soarin' looked at her slightly flushed face and began to chuckle. Soon, the two began laughing so hard, they clutched each other for support. Tears running down her face, her laughter died down. The tears did not stop.
Soarin' looked back at the view, not noticing Rainbow Dash's change of demeanor. "Yeah, well. Spitfire was mad because of that. She said getting drunk around fans isn't Wonderbolts behavior."
Rainbow Dash snorted in laughter, tears running down her face. "Yeah, well screw Spitfire." she said quietly. "And screw the fans."
Soarin' looked around and saw her flushed face with tears running down her cheeks. "Rainbow Dash-" He began uncertainly, but was quickly interrupted.
"I mean, I didn't do shit to them, ya know?" She laughed heartily. "But did you notice, nobody in that stupid ballroom even congratulated me, ya know?" She continued laughing.
Soarin' did not join in.
"I really tried." She continued. "I really tried. I thought I did good. I thought I did fantastic! I am fucking fantastic! But apparently not, cause they think I caused the arena attack with my Sonic Rainboom. They think I deliberately did that. That I did the Sonic Rainboom simply so they could... so they could die!" Her laughter became mad cackling.
Soarin' tried to speak again. "Rainbow Dash-"
"And you know what?" She struggled for breath, laughing and gasping at the same time. "They may be right! I probably did cause it! I did my Sonic Rainboom and then I fucking blew that shit up! I don'... I don't know! I must've had like this shockwave thingy pass through those stupid bombs-"
"Rainbow Dash-"
"And my Sonic Rainboom might've, like, erupted the bombs and whatnot. Might've caused thousands of casualties. Might've made a lot of funerals. Might've killed thousands of husbands and wives and kids. I've caused families to be torn apart, ya know? I caused their screams of pains. I caused their injuries. I caused their hatred. I caused their deaths. So yeah, I might not be fucking Wonderbolts material! I might just be the worst, fucking thing to hit this fucking planet! Maybe they do deserve to hate me!" she shrieked. Rainbow Dash stopped laughing, but the tears still ran down her face. "I killed them all." her voice came out a hoarse whisper as she felt her throat swell.
Soarin' watched as she suddenly broke into sobs. She never really broke down in front of anybody, but her mind was wracked with so much grief and guilt, she didn't care. She welcomed the hysterical sobs. They ripped her body, making her muddled mind numb as she felt tears drop down her wet face. Her chest heaved as she covered her face in her hooves, trying to desperately wake up in world where none of this happened. She heard Soarin' say something, but she was in her own world.
"For Celestia's sake Rainbow Dash!" His yell roused her.
She looked, blinking tears out of her eyes. She clenched her jaw, and tried to tune out Soarin' as he began to speak. "You're being so... so thick!" Rainbow Dash gaped at him. Soarin' even looked surprised by his own words, but continued. "How could've that been you setting off the bombs, when it exploded minutes after you were done with your Sonic Rainboom? Personally, i-it just doesn't make any sense!" She stared as he ruffled his mane in anger. "Of course they- whoever they are- want you to think that you set them off. I- I mean isn't it obvious? They'll do anything just to mess with your mind! You just can't do that! It's impossible for you to let them. You're Rainbow freaking Dash! You did the first ever Sonic Rainboom! You were one of the Elements of Harmony. You were one of the youngest cadets to get on the Wonderbolts! Well, not as young as I was, but you were still really young-"
Rainbow Dash now reflected on his words, feeling her sadness completely vanish. She suddenly felt something click in her mind as she watched Soarin' rant about how amazing she was. 
"Shut up." She said firmly.
Soarin' lost his stern composure and now gaped at her. "What?" He stared at the strange expression on her face.
Rainbow Dash stared at him, her lips pressed together firmly. Then, with a unknown burst of speed, she crashed her lips against his. He felt him stiffen, making her wonder if she should pull apart, but then he relaxed and leaned in. She felt a thrill run through her body. It was so sudden, she didn't have one thought cross her mind besides how warm his lips were compared to the cold night. She rather enjoyed this. She smiled as she deepened the kiss, and she thought she heard a slight groan come from him. No, she really enjoyed this. Warmth spread from mane to the tip of her tail, and she felt a sudden giddiness rise inside her. She giggled against his lips.
What am I doing?
The clear thought burst through her muddled mind, causing her to snap her head back from Soarin'. He looked dumbfounded as their lips pulled apart. She backed away quickly, tumbling over a potted plant. Dirt scattered everywhere. "I-I um..." She stammered, unable to process what she just did. Soarin' remained dumbfounded for a moment, before looking at her in concern. 
"Did I-"
"No! It's f-fine! I gotta... gotta go anyway!" She quickly dusted off the dirt the plant had sprayed all over her body.
"But do you-" Soarin' began, his face turning slightly red.
"No." She snapped. She tried to ignore the hurt expression on his face. "I have to leave. Now."
Without a second glance, she snapped open her wings and disappeared into the blackness of the night, an image of a hurt Soarin' burned into her mind.
> The Dream
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The crisp wind shot through her feathers as she climbed in the air. Below her, the Wonderbolts did their routine. She saw Lightning Streak do his signature "Flashing Bolt" move, causing tendrils of lightning to shoot between the teammates. Rainbow Dash felt her heart flutter as she watched a tendril of lightning shoot in her direction, but gasped as the tendril split in two as it reached her. The two rods bathed her in bright white light, causing a burning heat to course through her body. Rainbow Dash reveled at the sensation, feeling as if she were being cooked, but she knew better. Lightning Streak's move did not burn, it only felt as if it did. No matter how much she practiced with her teammates, she could not shake the awe as they performed their stupendous tricks.
She looked down and saw Spitfire dropping of her formation, flying below her fellow teammates. Her tail flared out behind her, giving the appearance of fire streaming behind her. Soon she abruptly stopped and spun. Her speed grew, and soon fire, real fire, lit around the spinning golden mare. Spitfire continued spinning, the fire now succumbing her in a great wheel, but never harming her. As she spun, Rainbow Dash took note of the small distance between her captain and the fire that was growing in size. Spitfire continued spinning, and soon she spiraled into the middle of her fire ring, and Rainbow Dash watched as the ring of fire burst. Balls of fire of every size flew in the direction of the rest of the Wonderbolts. The whole team spun in place, including Rainbow Dash. As the fire collided with the ponies, they did not burn, but instead they exploded outwards, causing an array of light to warm the field of which they practiced on. 
The largest of the fire blasts headed towards her, just as Lighting Streak's rod of lightning did. But Rainbow Dash knew this wasn't going to split. She continued spinning, going faster and faster until hoof met the blasting heat. The fire imploded, directing the flames outward. Rainbow Dash's rainbow colors reflected onto the warm light of the fires, causing the ember to have brilliant greens, blues, and violets with the natural reds and yellows. The fire dispersed mere seconds later, but she still felt the exhilaration.
Spitfire's commanding bark sounded below her. "Rainbow Dash, fall back into position! Soarin', you're up!"
Rainbow Dash closed her wings briefly, falling towards the bright green field below them. She saw Soarin' shoot up towards her in high speeds. She snapped open her wings, feeling the wind buffet her feathers. As they passed back to back, she felt their feathers brush. She tingled at the sensation and turned red, thinking of that night two days ago. She wondered if he felt the same way, and quickly pushed the thought away, surprised by herself.
She fell back into position, a ring that included Lightning Streak, Misty Fly, and Wave Chill, with Spitfire in the middle. Lightning Streak fell out of position  and climbed the air towards Soarin'. Rainbow Dash watched as the stallion flew past Soarin', who had gathered two white clouds and put them adjacent to one another. Lightning Streak flew into the rough gray cloud system that had gathered above the team. All was silent, save the quiet battering of wings. Then, lightning erupted from the gray mush and streaked right between the clouds Soarin' had placed. Thunder roared. Rainbow Dash watched with bated breath as she saw a light blue blur shoot between the clouds and lightning. A shape began to form in the clouds. Soarin' was molding the shape so it would appear to be... wings.
A lightning bolt with wings.
Suddenly, a small bit of cloud unraveled itself from the compact shape Soarin' was forming. It sped forward and hit him square in the face. Rainbow Dash was met with a vision of herself, having the same very thing happen to her at the Best Young Flier's Competition. Her heart pounded as she watched Soarin' dive, narrowly missing the rod of light Lightning Streak had produced. She quickly dived after him, but watched in relief as he shook off the bit of cloud. His green eyes were glazed with tiredness and frustration.
"Are you okay?" she asked with concern.
He glanced up at her, meeting her concerned gaze, and his expression softened. "Yeah."
She hit his shoulder lightly with her wing. "Well... be careful next time." She said firmly, her magenta eyes flashing with anger. He smiled in return, a smile that made her have confusing thoughts. She blinked, her insides squirming uncomfortably.
She jumped when she heard a shout behind her. "Soarin'!"
Spitfire raced towards them. Her amber gaze was alight with concern. "Are you okay?"
The stallion smiled, but it didn't meet his eyes. He started flying towards the rest of the team. "I'm fine. Let's try again. I'm pretty sure-"
Spitfire raised a hoof to block him. "I don't think so Soarin'. You're tired, I can see it. Go back to your quarters and rest. When you're done, I want you to practice those cloud formations again, you hear me?"
Soarin' sighed, defeat etched on his face. "Fine." Rainbow Dash watched as the stallion flew off towards Canterlot. She saw the image of lightning flashing towards Soarin' and shivered, concern once again filling her mind.
"Rainbow Dash." She snapped out of her thoughts and saw Spitfire giving her a knowing look. "Why don't you go and rest, too. You did a great job today. You deserve some down time."
She clenched her jaw, disliking the look Spitfire was giving her and nodded. Spitfire turned away and started shouting demands at the rest of her teammates, but she wasn't paying attention. She bumbled away towards Soarin', who was still flying off towards the city. She watched as the setting sun glowed warmly onto her friend, illuminating his body. Suddenly, she despised that look.

*

*

She ruffled her hot sheets. Sweat poured down her forehead as she dreamt.
The shadows of the trees stretched along the ground, spreading coldness to whatever secluded corner of the forest it touched.
Her brow furrowed and a low moan escaped her lips.
She was alone. Venturing deeper and deeper into the welcoming arms of the blackness.
"No..." she groaned, fidgeting in her bed. Her mind delved deeper into the dream, tough she yearned to be free of it.
A patch of moonlight escaped from the clutches of the shadows. A figure emerged into the moonlight, a small pale gray mare. Her ice blue eyes fell onto the shadows. "Are you there?" she called out to the blackness.
She stepped out of the darkness, her navy blue mane shimmering. Her cold gaze fell upon her young recruit. She was a yearling, so very young. Only her determinedness had persuaded her to let her join her cause. No doubt she would perish, but it was a sacrifice easily made. The young mare was so smart. It was a pity she joined with her.
Her youth's eyes widened and fell in a deep bow. "Milady Luna..."
She smiled at her loyalty.
The youth quickly stood up, her eyes pleading. "How faired the others?" she asked with a soft voice.
A frown soon etched the immortal's face, and anger coarsed through her ancient bones. "They have died." she put simply, turning away from her.
The young mare's eyes quickly watered. "H-how do you mean? They cant've!"
The princess turned her enraged gaze on the shivering form in front of her. Her voice echoed and shook with anger as she spoke, "Do you dare question my judgement? I watched as the arrows sunk into their exposed flesh! I watched as the spears impaled their armor! I watched as the swords slashed through their broken bones! What, pray tell, makes you think I do not know what death is, young Frost Night?"
The yells echoed through her mind, stirring her. She didn't want to dream any longer. Wake up.
Princess Luna ignored her sobs, turning away from the mare and staring darkly into the forest. She heard her stifle them quickly with small sniffs. "What... what of F-Fiery Haze, milady?"
Luna indulged her. "He was the first to die."
Her sobs grew stronger as she fell to the ground. The princess knew of their affair, but cared not. There were more important matters to attend to. She made no attempt to comfort her recruit, and instead pulled her up by her wings. The mare cried out in pain. "Gather yourself, silly girl. Thou mustn't grieve in such a way. We must leave at once. The rest of the members will be waiting for us back at our fort. We must gather and attack. Our final attack. We shall be victorious, or we shall die trying."
The mare nodded silently, and together they passed through the thick undergrowth of the forest. Light had been admonished from the forest, as the trees had loomed over the trailing figures, their thick tendrils of leaf and branch coiling over the moonlight. They traveled for an hour, the princess ignoring the occasional sobs that emitted from her young companion. They finally stopped, when the princess raised a navy hoof. A large willow towered above them, it's branches swaying, though there was no wind. With an ethereal glow from her horn, she touched a small knob. Soon the tree unraveled.
A wooden staircase going downward suddenly appeared, the steps melting into the shadows. She stepped down the staircase, and heard loud clacking; she knew that her companion had joined her. As she passed, torches began to light, illuminating the stairway. Finally, at the bottom, the large door made of willow opened quickly. Voices flooded the stairway as pony upon pony stepped out, questions spilling from their mouths.
As the voices filled her head, she again tried to pull herself from this dream. It was in vain. Wake up!
The mantra of questions did not ease the stress that had taken over the princess's mind. Her booming voice quieted the room as she said, "Enough!"
She pushed through the throng of ponies and climbed to her throne, which she sat, looking upon the frightened faces of her recruits. Unicorns, pegasi, and earth pony alike had gathered to support her failing cause. They would all likely perish, but she thought them useful, at least for now. How else was she to spread her word?
A stallion, green of color, stepped forth. "Milady, where art thou troops?"
The princess sighed, feeling tiredness sweep through her. "They are dead," She repeated for the second time that day.
Gasps of horror and sadness met her words. Wails of despair rose, and the princess saw Frost Night at the back of the crowd, tears falling once more. Tired of the weakness of her dwindling army, she rose. "Quiet, you petulant fools!"
The room fell silent once more. The ponies stared up at her, fear and sadness glazing their eyes, and she glared back. She knew she must alleviate these cowards' pains somehow. "We must battle again. Our final battle. Celestia will rue the day she forgot our existence. We will fight for the extinction of the sun, only for light to reborn as the moon! We will not be ignored any longer, my subjects! We will be feared! We will be loved! We will be VICTORIOUS!"
The sobs of her subjects stopped, only to be replaced by persistent chants, a saying forever burned in the images of ponies' minds ages to come...
"The shadows will prevail...!" The chant flurried into the air, as mares and stallions gathered spears and armor to fight for their passion. They shoved the crude black armor onto each other's shoulders. "The shadows will prevail...!"
The sound of armor faded into loud marching.
"The shadows will prevail...!"
The ponies gathered in long lines, their grim faces lined with pain and anger. "The shadows will prevail!"
The princess followed them out into the night, feeling their continuous chants rise her spirit. They might actually win this battle. The ponies marched on through the dark forest, ignoring the thistles that snagged. They traveled on through the night, their chants becoming hoarse, but still persistent. The now rising sun glowed warmly against the cold gray blocks of the ancient castle. They burst through the gates, which was suspiciously unguarded. As they traveled through the empty streets, Luna raised her right wing for the troops to stop. "Be on your guard!"
The troops raised their spears and swords as Luna ventured the hollow roads. She passed by quaint village houses and marketplaces, all empty of life. She felt fear grip her icy heart. It was a trap. She turned the corner to warn her troops, when the unexpected happened. There, standing tall and fair, was her sister.
She glared with ferocity at her sister, poised for attack. "Have thee wished death?"
Celestia did not look scared nor angry at these words. "Oh, dear sister." she said in a pained voice. "Please stop doing this. You'll only bring more death."
Princess Luna glared at her, her teal eyes brimming with emotion. "You bring death only because you ignore those who really matter! Those who have true power!"
The white alicorn stepped forward, her eyes pleading. "Luna, you must know. I never had thought of you as weak. You must know this." Her eyes filled with tears. "Luna, I love you."
Luna felt her anger die down. She thought of the time before this, when she and her sister had depended on each other.She thought of the games they used to play. She thought of how happy they were. Maybe it could go back to that. Maybe before all the bitter feelings, they could go back to being sisters. To being equals.
Then one thought struck her. A cold fist grasped her heart and didn't let go. They were never equals. The subjects always cherished her sun more than they would ever cherish her moon. She would force them to recognize true power. Only with fear may a kingdom thrive.
"No." She growled. "No, NO! I have had enough Celestia. They will not appreciate me unless they see the true light! And if they cannot, may the perish like your army!" She stood and looked her sister firmly in the eyes, her teal gaze on fire.
Celestia looked sadly at her. "I am sorry." she said, before lighting her horn. The sun, that had glowed warmly before, now rose in the sky. It was bright red, spilling onto the pavement of the castle. Luna's army watched in despair as soldiers in gleaming gold armor rushed in through the gates. Like the sun's red rays, death had come. 
In her mind, the battle was a blur. She saw blood, so much blood, spill onto the gray ground. She watched as Luna fled from her sister into the forest, angry yells ripping from her throat. Everything was so blurred and confusing; she didn't want to be in this dream. Wake up!
She no longer had anyone. Luna was gone. She had no desire to follow her any longer. She was a traitor. A traitor to the very thing she preached.
Blood dripped from her sword as she pulled it out of the body of a golden-armored captain.
Who was she now? She didn't feel like anything. She looked across the battlefield. No one survived this battle. How did she? There were so many questions running through her head, and she had no time to gather them. She just wanted to leave this destroyed place.
With a shaking hoof, she pulled off the heavy black armor, now stained with a dark liquid. The armor fell to heavy ground, hollow.  Luna had done nothing. She felt anger rise up in her and she looked in the dead eyes of her comrades. Luna fled while her troops died. When they all died for her. "That traitor!" the scream ripped through her throat.
She took off into the air, her eyes blinded by tears. She left the broken castle behind in the dank forest and collided with the nearest cloud. She buried her face in it's white fluff. She welcomed its coolness underneath the beating red sun. She had nothing to live for.
Then, a thought crossed her mind. Luna' cause had been righteous. She knew that from beginning, ever since she joined it as a new adult mare. Even as Luna betrayed them, she knew Luna was right. The ones with true power were ignored, often laughed at or dismissed. As she was. Even in Luna's army.
Well, she thought as she stood up on the cloud. I'm not weak anymore. She flew upwards, ignoring the harsh winds whipping her face. She was far from weak. She was the only one who had survived that battle, thus further proving that those who are more powerful are often dismissed. She felt the air around her grow cold and frigid as she skimmed the great gray mountain. With a burst of speed, she grazed the side of the mountain, the pointed rocks mere inches from her body. For the first time in a while, she felt alive.
Finally, she reached the top of the mountain. The air was thin, but she took deep breaths as she looked down at the valley down below. Frost Night felt powerful, and for once in her life, she didn't think of herself as the follower. She didn't follow Luna's every command. She didn't dote on Fiery Haze. She was the shadows. And those who opposed her will fall.
WAKE UP! With a large gasp, she was pulled out her nightmare. She pulled off her sheets, now covered in a thin coat of sweat. She held her head in her hooves, trying to erase the images of bloody corpses that now filled her mind. She shivered.
"Do not make the mistake I made, young one." a soft voice came from the corner of her dark room. She jumped, and watched with wide eyes as the Princess of the Night stepped from the shadows. Her eyes were glazed with pain from the memories, and from what the young mare knew about the princess, she knew that she didn't appear as aged as she seemed now. She watched in shock as her voice took on a pleading tone. "Do you not think enough blood has been spilled by now?"
Confusion riddled her mind as she gaped at the princess, until a bright blue flash blinded her. When she opened her eyes again, the princess was gone. She was alone.
This was all just a very vivid dream, she tried to convince herself. I just need normal, dreamless rest. She sighed and laid the pillows down neatly to rest her head. She gathered the sheets onto her body and relaxed her tense muscles. Just a dream... Lightning Dust convinced herself, before falling into a fitful slumber.
> The Fleet
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It was the break of dawn when she heard them. The milky blue sky was lightly freckled with stars, and the abandoned streets below were devoid of life. She had woken early, despite her desperate yearnings to be touched by sleep and never be awoken again. She rubbed her eyes, groaning. Though, rather than muddle in her own grievances, she emerged from the feather light covers and pulled herself out of bed. 
The room was as plain as ever. The light teal blankets were now strewn across the floor and tangled her hooves, the foggy window was a crack open to allow a breeze in, and the carpet was a dull brown. Though despite the familiar features, she felt as if something was wrong.
Then, her ear twitched. A light sound reached her ear drums, something she didn't expect. It sounded a lot like... 
Marching...
All the wisps of tiredness was swept from her body as she bolted out of her room, hoof tangled in her teal blanket. She zoomed down the rustic hall and past her sleepy teammates. To her anger, their blurred faces as she rushed by didn't seem surprised by the sudden sound of marching. Was there something Nightshade had not told her?
The sound of marching grew stronger and stronger until she flung open the passage to their headquarters.
A long line of ponies greeted her. Each had a face of determination, their eyebrows etched in fury and stubbornness. All the pegasi from every stretch of Equestria that had felt wronged had joined their cause, and they were now fighting against the oppressive society that did not allow them to be free. They wore the gleaming black and violet suits, and their golden eyed goggles seem to glow from the passion within their very souls. There were many, but they were one. Their regal composure and their sleek suits should have instilled pride into Lightning Dust. It did not.
Nightshade silently approached Lightning Dust, a smile on her face. "We will finally show the world our true intentions, won't we, ma chérie?"
Lightning Dust looked to her mentor, her golden eyes unreadable, and she felt hollow as she nodded, "Yes, Nightshade."
> Preview
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The final day began like any other.
The sun rose from behind the stone mountain, its orange rays pouring onto the mountain and the valley below, bathing everything in warm light. It continued on through the land, vanquishing the shadows of the night and bringing forth a new day. The light breached the darkness of a small town, illuminating the dew on each blade of grass. The stillness that accompanied the night was shattered as a low hum of waking ponies began to circulate through the frigid morning air.
The sunlight creeped along the stucco walls of a bland hotel. Without effort, it seeped into the tightly shut curtains of a young mare's room. The beam hit directly in the mare's eye, forcing her into the conscious world. With a quick peak, the mare noticed that the sun was out. She sunk in the fact that is was a new day, and she lay in the dark room, never getting up. She wasn't tired, despite her fitful sleep the night before. She wasn't energetic, either.
With effort, she sat up in bed, glancing around the bland room. The walls were a dainty color of peach, adorned with pictures of meadows specked with yellow and violet flowers. Her sheets were a stiff cloth, and they had entangled her as she writhed in the queen-sized bed. A dresser sat with a television perched on top its wooden surface across the small room. And as the mare untangled herself from the sheets and fell off the bed, she was inches away from the small nightstand the stood adjacent to her own bed.
Sighing softly, she stood up. She stared at nothing, letting day sink in before finally moving once more. A ray of sun reached out of the curtains and gently caressed her cheek. She ignored its persistent rays and instead turned away from the welcoming light. With a quick glance over the room she had been staying at for the weekend, she sighed and turned away, shutting the door.
The hallway outside was just as bland as the room inside. She slowly ventured forth throughout the hotel, ignoring ponies glance over to her retreating figure. She knew their whispers and insults, she didn't need to hear them again.
With a hovering hoof, she stared at the heavy oaken door to the Ponyville streets. She would see the harsh glares and the crude comments. She would hear the constant scolding. She would be responsible if her plan didn't work. If Luna's plan didn't work.
She closed her eyes and thought back to the time she lay in the hospital bed, her friends surrounding her in a hug. She had welcomed them in joyful tears, but now she was wondering why she ever joined the Wonderbolts. Her teammates were once friendly, but with prospect of the newest air show, they had grown bitter towards the brightly colored pegasus. They grew tired of Spitfire's encouraging speeches, and soon her high-spirited talks dwindled into nothing. High Winds had lost her grumpy exterior and became isolated from the rest of the team. Lightning Streak and Fire Streak have lost their witty jokes. Fleetfoot and Wave Chill had stopped even talking to Rainbow Dash. 
She hoped it would be worth it.
Rainbow Dash was putting all faith into the Princess of the Night, who had confessed all her past to her. She knew what Luna was doing was right. She would be the the help Luna needed. She would be brave.
The heavy doors of the hotel seemed almost heavier now. The moment she stepped outside the cheap motel, she would have to face more stares, more comments, and perhaps worse. She would have to know that if she failed, she would put everyone in danger. She felt overwhelming pressure crushing her. She didn't feel rush of exhilaration she normally did when charging into the unknown. She felt threatened, she felt exposed. She felt fear stronger than any other emotion she felt before.
She ignored her throbbing heart, pushing back on the pressure building in her eyes, and opened the hefty doors of the lobby.
Her first vision of the outside world was her friends holding up a long, make shift poster in their hooves.



HAPPY FIRST AIR SHOW DASHIE!


Rainbow Dash watched in disbelief as her closest friends cried out as she appeared. A pink bullet struck her, crushing her lungs and nearly asphyxiating her. "We are so happy for you and your first air show!"
Rarity smiled a large, uncomfortable smile. The poster fell out of the light blue aura as she stepped over to greet her friend. "Well, darling considering your last-"
Applejack interrupted her before Rarity could finish, dropping the poster and approaching her friend. "We thought it best to give y'all some encouragement. Ya know, before your first air show."
Pinkie Pie continued to squeeze her, leaving bruises to bloom on her skin as Twilight piped up, leaving the poster with Fluttershy.  "Ah, well. I don't really condone... well, but... oh nevermind. Congratulations on your first real air show."
A pale yellow face hovered in the air above the poster. "We're here to show our support!" Fluttershy's soft voice echoed.
She stared at her friends, Pinkie Pie clutching her like Rainbow Dash was the last lifeguard on a sinking boat, Fluttershy desperately trying to hold up the sign her friends had abandoned, Rarity beaming her brightest, Applejack shuffling her hooves and eyes darting about, but still smiling, and Twilight giving her a supportive grin. Then, she broke down.
She heard the sound of paper falling to the ground and soon she was surrounded by more forceful hugs. She let the tears slide down her face, the stress over the last few weeks finally overcoming her. The Shadowbolts will come, and they could destroy everything. "It would be all my fault." she choked out, sobs echoing out into the empty Ponyville street. She tightly entwined herself with her friends as they whispered comforting words. The frigid morning air spiked her lungs as she grasped her friends, desperately trying to hold on. Then, she let go.






---- The final chapter will be published on July 15th ----