Lightning Dust's attempt at running away from her problems doesn't go as planned.
After being kicked out of the Wonderbolts for her destructive decisions, Lightning Dust enjoys her life as a stunt pony. Founding the Washouts a few years later, she continues to live out her flying dreams.
However, she is soon issued a warrant by the Wonderbolts for failing to show up for questioning regarding the activities of her stunt group. At any time, she can be found, arrested, and taken to the Wonderbolts headquarters where she will be questioned.
Needless to say, she is not about to willingly expose her plans and dreams to anyone, especially to those who took them away from her in the first place. She tries to escape her dire situation by laying low and hopefully being forgotten about; however, multiple run-ins with the Wonderbolts stunt her chances at eluding them.
After a long month of touring by the Washouts, Lightning Dust travelled back to finally relax at her home in Cloudsdale. It was the first time since the start of the month that she was able to get some peace of mind without worrying too much about stunt performances. As she landed at her doorstep, she quickly looked over at the large pile of letters at her hooves. She thought for a moment before swiftly sliding the papers inside her house with her wing and shutting the door.
"They're probably all just fans, I'll read them after I get some sleep," Lightning Dust scoffed. She trudging up her stairs and towards her room. She opened the door, glancing at the alarm clock that read "1:39 A.M." in clear green letters.
"Wow, it's really late," Dust said as she went straight for her bed, jumping in and letting herself drift into a much deserved sleep.
After a few hours, Lightning Dust awoke, stumbling out of bed towards the stairs with soreness in her wings and nothing in her stomach. She glanced at the clock, reading "10:07 A.M."
"Ugh...overslept again..." she mumbled as she made her way to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. After fixing a meal consisting of oatmeal and eggs, she decided to read some of the letters she missed while away on tour.
The first 13 consisted of fan mail and an advertisement for a new restaurant that opened in Cloudsdale. As she reached for the next envelope, she froze as she shifted her gaze to the emblem it beared. It was the Wonderbolt's logo, one she hadn't seen since she got her acceptance letter into the academy. She tore the letter open, curious of its contents.
She began to read the letter in its entirety:
NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION:
You have been ordered to appear at the Wonderbolt's Headquarters for an interview regarding the "Washouts" group activities. You are expected to appear no later than January 15th. Failure to follow the contents of this letter will lead to a warrant for your arrest.
Signed,
Captain Spitfire
Lightning Dust held her mouth agape, now aware of how much she truly missed while she was gone. She checked the date on the letter and swallowed dryly.
“January 8th”
What was today? She checked her calendar and nearly fell out of her chair as she read the date silently to herself.
“January 16th”
“I’m bucked….” She quickly announced with a gasp.
She suddenly heard the sound of hooves landing and moving towards her door. She quickly but silently dove to turn off the lights and hid underneath the table she was eating at.
As the hoof steps drew closer and closer, she confirmed the there were in fact two ponies present. She also was able to distinctly hear the voices of a familiar scratchy sounding mare and an unknown stallion.
“She must be here somewhere, she took her mail inside,” the mare concluded.
“Well, I’m not so sure. She must’ve seen the letter and ran off somewhere. The lights are off and I can’t see or hear anything inside,” the stallion persuaded.
Lightning Dust remembered the name of the mare as soon as she spoke…Rainbow Dash. The stallion was Soarin, second in command of the Wonderbolts, whom she had briefly seen and spoke to on her first day at the academy.
"If only I dragged my ass home a day earlier instead of partying with the rest of the Washouts, I would’ve been fine. I’m completely bucking screwed,” Lightning Dust said with remorse, nervousness and fear quickly setting in for her.
As she crouched under the table cowering with the thought of being captured, she heard the two ponies outside turning and launching off of her doorstep. As she looked outside, she noticed the cyan mare's rainbow mane and the blue stallion's dark blue mane.
"SOARIN TOO?!" she yelled.
She had pushed her limits in the academy, but Rainbow Dash was both faster and stronger than her. But Soarin was definitely able to take her down himself; he was the Wonderbolt's second in command after all. She climbed out from under the table, flew up the stairs and entered her room. She decided then and there to get the hell out of Cloudsdale and hideout somewhere unsuspecting.
Maybe it wasn't the brightest idea, but Lightning Dust knew she had to get away somehow. Her saddlebag held her most valuable belongings: 70 bits, her Washout's uniform, and her notebook. As she headed out the door and flew off her porch, she only had one place in mind.
“Las Pegasus, they definitely won’t look for me there,” Dust thought confidently.
It would be impossible to search for a single pony in the midst of hundreds more. Or so she thought.
She landed at the nearest train station, quickly buying a one way ticket to reach Las Pegasus.
“I only have 60 bits left. I hope it’ll be enough for me to stay away from the Wonderbolts until this whole thing blows over.” Dust thought to herself as the train pulled into the station. She got on and sat in an empty train car so she could think her plans over in peace.
It would be a two hour train ride, meaning she would have to figure out what to eat for lunch soon. That also meant she would have to find a place to stay for the night, perhaps even a few more nights if needed. She didn’t know how long it would take for the heat to die down before she could return back to her home in Cloudsdale, but she sure as hell wouldn’t be found.
As the train pulled into the station, Lightning Dust peaked outside before stepping out into the brightly lit station. She looked around and spotted a cafe, drawn to its uniquely large signage, walking inside to settle down for lunch. She ordered a daffodil sandwich and some green juice, setting her back 6 bits. As she sat down and started eating, her eyes suddenly caught something hanging on the wall.
She saw a picture of her under the words “WANTED FOR QUESTIONING,” and immediately quickened her eating pace. She finished her food and tore the poster off the wall, placing it into her saddlebag as she left the cafe. She hurriedly galloped through the streets searching for a nearby hotel, settling for one that was close to the train station.
Dust spent 15 bits for a room that would last her 2 days and nights. She chose a room on one of the higher floors, as she liked the idea of an extra escape route. She decided to count up her remaining bits, which totaled to 39. Before putting the bits back, she carefully removed the poster that she had taken from the cafe. She confirmed that it was placed by the Wonderbolts, judging from the distinct seal on the corner of the paper.
“Well…they must’ve placed them all over, but that doesn’t mean they know I’m here…right…?” Lightning Dust questioned, sighing as she packed everything into her saddlebag and stretched out onto her bed.
She suddenly woke up, realizing it had gotten dark outside, and hastily left the hotel to search for a place to eat. She didn’t have to walk far, as a tavern grew closer to her with each step.
Entering the small building, she quickly sat herself down at the bar and ordered a quesadilla with a nice apple cider to go with it. Sure she wasn’t that hungry, but she still needed to eat something. She kept to herself, occasionally checking her surroundings for any pony who was watching her and for more wanted posters of herself. Her food arrived and she ate the quesadilla between sips of cider, smiling to herself as she enjoyed the space’s ambience. She finished her first glass before ordering another, and continued to enjoy her night out.
As she was enjoying her cider, her face continued to flush pink as the night went on. She continued to survey her surroundings and, unfortunately for her, she saw something that made her heart sink to her stomach.
At the entrance stood Soarin and Misty Fly, both in their Wonderbolt jackets. They peered into the small tavern, analyzing their surroundings.
Lightning Dust was completely wrong and underestimated the efforts of the Wonderbolts. She kept her eyes on the two and tried to get off of the stool she was currently sitting on. Of course, she couldn’t balance herself and fell on her plot, grabbing the attention of other patrons in the bar. She grunted slightly and blushed red in embarrassment as she tried to stand by balancing herself with her wings. Taking a look back to the entrance, realizing she lost sight of the Wonderbolt pair, Dust started frantically looking around to find them. She stumbled towards the exit to leave the area, but she felt some pony put a wing on her back. The warm touch made her wings curl to her sides, and she froze.
“And where are you going exactly?” a mare asked from behind her.
“I….uhm…..” Lightning Dust mustered out, not wanting to turn and face the pegasus behind her.
At that moment, Lightning Dust bolted away from the mare behind her, turning to see Misty Fly smirking.
She wondered why she was grinning, and quickly found out for herself. As she turned to see where she was running to, she instantly screeched to a halt, falling on her ass. Directly in front of her was Soarin, wings outstretched, blocking the only exit. Averting her gaze from Soarin’s, she froze on the floor, unable to speak or move.
“Horseapples” was the only word that came to mind, as Lightning Dust was surrounded with nowhere else to turn.
“How bad can my luck be? I just ran into the one stallion I wished I wouldn’t see,” Lightning Dust rapidly thought in her mind.
“Well…aren’t you gonna say something?” Soarin asked calmly, still staring at Dust. He used his wing to push her chin up to look at his face.
Lightning Dust blushed as she locked eyes with Soarin. She quickly looked away, and a few tears fell from her face. She felt defeated and ignorant for trying to pull an escape in the first place.
“Maybe we should talk to her, I think she’s done running,” Misty Fly suggested to Soarin.
Soarin used his hooves to carry Lightning Dust to a table, shielding away the forming crowd with his wings. They managed to get Dust seated and tried to calm her down, but she was still drunk-crying.
Misty Fly wrapped a wing around Lightning Dust and managed to stop her from crying any further. Dust sat there in silence, frowning and averting her eyes from the two. Soarin took her saddlebag off and examined its contents on carefully on the table.
“I’m really sorry…I…I-I didn’t know….” Dust whispered, slurring her words. She realized too late that Soarin had taken her notebook, which held personal information about her and the Washouts. She grabbed for the notebook but missed, smacking into the table and sighing in disappointment. Misty Fly didn’t have to hold her back, as Dust slowly buried her face into Misty’s wing. Misty rested her hoof on Dust’s back to comfort her, as Soarin began reading out some of the notebook’s contents.
January 14th - The tour went better than I expected! The cannon fired me through three burning hoops, and I was able to do some arial flips over the crowd. Everyone was cheering, and I can’t wait to do it all again. Next time, I might add more burning hoops. The Washouts have way better stunts than the Wonderbolts, but we barely have any members besides me and a few other team members.
January 15th - Biggest mistake of my life. Apparently I was given notice to appear at the Wonderbolts Headquarters, and I am now being hunted for missing the date. I’m completely bucked and have no idea what to do. I’m thinking about hiding out somewhere, though I’m not sure if I should leave. I hope this thing just blows over. The Washouts are just a group I started to continue my passion for stunt flying along with others. I hope I can get past this and forget about all the mistakes I’ve made, from the Wonderbolts accident to missing this interview.
Soarin stopped reading, turned to look at Misty Fly, and then at Lightning Dust. Dust had burried her head into the safety of Misty Fly’s wing, shielding herself from the eyes of them both. Misty Fly gently prodded her with a wing and she finally turned to look at Soarin. Lightning Dust was worried about what was to come, but no-pony said a word. Instead, Soarin flashed a reassuring smile at Lightning, letting her know that she would be okay. She was past her crying phase and was drained. She turned around, hugged Misty Fly, and passed out in her hooves.
“Cider’s pretty strong here, don’t you think?” Soarin chuckled. Misty Fly giggled at the comment, holding Lightning Dust in her hooves.
Soarin found the Washouts uniform and bits from her saddlebag. He found the folded He carefully placed everything into the saddlebag, including the notebook.
“We need to take her to headquarters. Misty, can you carry her to the station? She seems very afraid and enjoys your comfort. I’ll grab her bag,” Soarin urged.
“Sure thing,” Misty responded.
The two Wonderbolts left the tavern, taking Lightning Dust with them.
Lightning Dust awoke to light shining on her eyes. She opened them slowly, revealing a cyan pegasus with a colorful mane, recognizing her quickly.
“Rainbow Dash….? Is that you…?”
Rainbow turned the flashlight off in her mouth, tossing it into her saddlebag.
“Lightning Dust…I thought you turned into a show-pony. What’re you doing running from us?” She asked, her eyes producing an intimidating gaze upon Dust.
“I didn’t want this to happen, okay? I’m sorry about your friends and that tornado, but this was supposed to be different!” She pleaded with Dash, sprawling her wing over her face to avoid eye contact.
“Well, I’m glad you’re not ignoring what happened. Are you okay…like do you need anything? Misty Fly said you were...uhhm…hanging onto her when they got back to Headquarters.” She explained, a concerned look splayed on her face.
Lightning Dust looked up at Dash, a faint blush appearing on her face before looking down.
“Where am I…?” Dust asked, taking in her surroundings curiously.
“You’re in a holding cell inside Wonderbolt HQ, but you’re lucky. Soarin let you stay here instead of going straight into the cellblock, which is where the real monsters are.” Dash seemed to smile as she looked at Dust.
Lightning Dust looked up at her, a small smile forming on her own face as she gained some hope in her unsavory situation.
“Don’t worry, Misty Fly’s gonna visit you soon, so you won’t be lonely for long after I leave. You’re gonna be interviewed in a few hours, so make sure you’re ready.” Dash added, grinning while rolling her eyes when she mentioned Misty Fly.
Great…now she probably thinks I’m into mares…Bucking stupid, why did I even blush…? Lightning Dust thought to herself as Dash closed the door, locked it, and walked out of sight from the window.
She decided to explore her little room, standing up on her hooves and walking around. The room itself was small, except she wasn’t laying in the small bed that was on her right, she was lying on the floor. She thought nothing of it, walking over to peer out of the window of the metal door that secured her inside. She looked out towards a hallway, seeing other doors lining the walls. She looked behind her, seeing a sink-toilet and a small shelf holding nothing.
Lightning Dust spun around instantly, facing the door. Unexpected knocking and a little latch on the door opened, a tray was balanced on it, and she heard hoofsteps move away from the door. She hesitated before walking to the door and taking the tray from it.
The food looked, to a certain extent, edible. It mainly consisted of colored cubes, and Dust had no idea what she was looking at. She decided to start with the largest cube in the center of the tray, only to yack it up in the sink seconds later. Discouraged, she placed the tray onto the shelf and decided to lie down on her bed and rest, having been woken so suddenly. She slowly relaxed her body and shut her eyes, falling asleep after a few minutes.
The door opened and its loud clang startled Dust very badly, causing her to jolt right out of her bed and onto the floor. She groaned and looked up to see who opened the door.
“Morning,” Misty Fly calmly said to the pegasus on the floor in front of her.
Embarrassed by the fact that she’d fallen on the floor, she quickly got up and felt heat rise in her cheeks.
“How are you feeling? Have you eaten?” She asked, paying close attention to her facial expressions.
“I…the food wasn’t that great…” she finally mustered out, pointing a forehoof at the shelf. She tried to cover her face with her wing to avoid blushing further, but Misty Fly took notice.
“Are you sick? Do you have a fever?” She asked motherly, placing a forehoof onto Dust’s head.
Lightning Dust’s wings shot out in surprise from the contact, accidentally hitting away Misty’s hoof away from her head. She froze as she realized what was going on, her flustered face completely red.
“I…mmm…sorry…” Dust stammered, curling her wings and running to the bed, lying down to avoid Misty’s gaze. She’d really screwed up by swatting her hoof away, but she didn’t mean to. It was just an accident, yet she felt like she committed murder.
“Hey, it’s okay! I’m fine…really. Are you okay? Do you want me to stay here with you? Your interview is gonna be in an hour, but I can stay with you until I have to bring you to the interrogation room. Do you want something to eat?” She asked, concerned for Dust’s wellbeing.
Lightning Dust sighed, turning to face her once again.
“Thank you for helping me so much, I’m really grateful. I think I’m okay for right now.” She quickly said, unable to think about the words coming out of her mouth.
“Okay, if you say so. I’ll be back to take you to the questioning room in an hour, so be ready.” Misty Fly said, turning to walk towards the door. As she was halfway through the doorway, she heard hoofsteps approaching behind her.
“Wait! Can you stay with me…please?” Lightning Dust practically shouted out, staring down at the floor whilst playing with her hoof.
“Of course I can!” Misty Fly responded, smiling at her.
Lightning Dust rushed to her and hugged her with her hooves and wings, wrapping around her in sheer happiness.
“You must’ve missed me!” She laughed, hugging her back.
“Did I?!” She replied, faintly warming her cheeks.
Misty and Dust had a full hour together to wait until the interview began.
”At least I’m with someone I trust. I only have an hour to go before my life is completely ruined…” Dust thought to herself anxiously.
As they sat in the holding cell enjoying each other’s company, both Lightning Dust and Misty Fly got to know each other more.
“So you were discharged from the Wonderbolt Academy?” Misty asked.
“Well, yeah…I just tried to do my best and I ended up putting others in danger.” Dust responded disappointedly.
“Well, I see why she removed you. But that doesn’t mean she hates you. You said it yourself, she made you lead wing pony. She said you pushed your limits harder than any-pony-else.”
“You think she’ll…yell at me or anything?”
“She won’t, she was just looking out for the safety of others. I promise she won’t hate you or anything.
“I trust you…but what happens after the interview?”
“That’s up to Spitfire to decide, she’s the one in charge after all. Don't be afraid, you’ll be fine. I’ll be with you in there.” Misty Fly said, draping a wing over her back.”
“I wish all my friends were as nice as you’ve been to me.” Lightning Dust suddenly sighed, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m still scared…but you’re keeping me from completely losing my mind…”
“Thank you…you’ve been calmer lately. Me and Soarin remember you trying to run, I guess you changed your mind back at the bar…huh?”
“Well…I knew I wouldn’t be able to get past that guy…besides he’s massive. He could’ve grabbed me with his wings and suffocated me…”
“Well, he’s pretty nice deep down. If you talk to him, you can get to know him pretty well.”
“I guess so…anyways…how much time do we have left?”
“Should be soon, Soarin will join us when it’s time.”
“S…Soarin? Well, what are they gonna ask me…?”
“Hm…it’s really just about your Washouts flying group. Whenever an organization or something new pops up, we always request mandatory interviews to make sure they’re not a threat to Equestria.”
“What if I don’t answer a question…?”
“You’ll be fine, trust me. You’re worrying about this way too much.”
“I guess you’re right…” Lightning Dust sighed, looking down at her hooves.
Suddenly, a round of knocking could be heard at the door, before Soarin walked inside. He glanced at Misty Fly before staring directly into Lightning Dust’s eyes.
“Uh oh…” is all Misty Fly heard, before Dust hid behind her wings, cowering in fear.
“Woah! Is she gonna be alright?” Soarin questioned, unsure of how to approach the situation.
“Yeah, she’s gonna be fine…It’s okay Lightning Dust…Soarin’s not gonna hurt you…right Soarin?”
“Right. I would never!” Was his response.
Slowly, Lightning Dust emerged out from the curtain of feathers produced by Misty Fly.
“You….you’re pretty scary looking….uhm…” Is all she could produce from her mouth while avoiding eye contact.
“Well, thanks…Don’t worry, I’m not a monster, I won’t bite.” He said in a playful manner.
Lightning Dust looked at him, slowly working her way up to his face. She reached his eyes, which weren’t as frightening as the ones she’d seen last night.
“There you go…now, your interview is in a few minutes, so we’re going to start walking over there now.”
“A…Are you taking my interview…?”
“Not quite, Spitfire’s gonna be taking your interview.”
Lightning Dust pictured a yellow pegasus in her mind, with a fiery mane starring daggers at her, judging her every movement.
“Sp…Spitfire…right…” she said, chuckling nervously.
“Don’t worry, we’re both going to be with you in the interrogation room. You have nothing to worry about.” Misty Fly informed her.
“She’s not as scary as she looks, you know.” Soarin said with a small grin.
Lightning Dust simply nodded, still trembling at the thought.
“Alright, let’s get to it, then.” Soarin said as he walked to the door and opened it.
Misty Fly tapped Dust with her wing, signaling for her to follow Soarin into the hallway.
As they made their way through the compound, Lightning Dust noticed a number of Wonderbolts walking around, some stopping to stare at her briefly before returning to whatever duties they were completing. As they made their final turn down a narrow corridor, they slowed their pace and stopped in front of a door with no windows on it.
“Here we are…the interrogation room.” Soarin announced.
“Well, are you ready?” Misty Fly asked Lightning Dust.
Before she even got a chance to respond, the door suddenly opened, revealing a yellow pegasus who had an equally colorful mane.
Lightning Dust backed up right into Misty, accidently knocking her back. She turned around and grinned nervously. Misty Fly turned her back around with her hooves, gesturing her to walk into the room.
“Right this way, Lightning Dust.” Spitfire invited her in.
Dust walked ahead and began to survey her surroundings. The room was larger than her cell, nearly pitch black save for a small light hanging above a table with three chairs.
“You can have a seat. Do you need some water or something before we start?” Spitfire asked, staring intently at Dust.
Lightning avoided her gaze, staring down and shaking her head timidly.
“If you say so. Soarin and Misty Fly will be with us while you’re being questioned, alright? We’ll talk about what happens after.”
She shook her head, turning to Misty with an uncomfortable look in her eyes.
Misty walked up to Dust, whispering in her ear, “You can look at her, she’s not mad or anything.”
Lightning Dust obeyed, slowly raising her head to face Spitfire, who smiled.
“There we are. How are you feeling?”
“I…I’m feeling…I-“
“She’s a little nervous.” Soarin filled in.
“Hm. Well, I don’t blame you. You did miss your interrogation date, but that’s not important right now. I need to ask you some questions about your ‘Washouts’ group.”
“A…Alright…” Dust whispered, unsure of herself.
“Let’s begin. What is your role in the group?”
Dust hesitated before responding, “Leader.”
Spitfire took a pen in her mouth and began writing on the notepad infront of her.
“And what exactly do you ponies do?”
“We…ehm…we’re a stunt group. We fly in shows and stuff…”
“Like the Wonderbolts do?”
“Y…yeah…kind of.”
“Hm…so what made you start this group?”
“Well…you did…ever since I was kicked out of Wonderbolt Academy and all, I wanted to continue chasing my dream of being an unstoppable flying machine…”
“So you started this to be better than the Wonderbolts…?”
“Uhm…W…well…not exactly…I just wanted to…fly by my own rules…and with others who’d do the same…”
Spitfire stopped writing and looked up at the sweating pegasus infront of her.
“So…why did you fail to appear on January 15th?”
Dust looked away from Spitfire, glancing at Soarin and Misty Fly before sighing deeply.
“Well, she was out partying after a long month of traveling for their Washouts flight shows. She wasn’t able to return home in time.” Misty Fly interjected.
“Yeah, and we found her out in Las Pegasus. She was…well…a bit out of it. She came with us voluntarily, though, only worried about the outcome of this interrogation.” Soarin added, flashing a faint smile to both Misty and Dust.
“Well, how’d the show go?” Spitfire changed subjects, throwing Dust off.
“Well, pretty great, actually. I did a bunch of firey stunts, but…I don’t think you’d approve of them…”
“Nonsense, tell me about it…one flier to another.”
“A couple of firey hoops…I also flipped through them…” Dust said, lifting her face to reveal a small smile.
“You like to push yourself harder than any-pony I know. I’m proud knowing that I had such a strong impact on you.”
“You mean you’re not mad…or anything?”
“Nope.”
“Not even for the academy disaster I caused…?”
“You had good intentions, but it was very reckless. No-pony got hurt, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
Lightning Dust smiled, regaining her confidence in herself and about the dauntingly old incident.
“Well, that just about wraps this interview up.”
“That’s it…? What about the arrest warrant..? I’m going to jail after this, right…?” Dust frantically responded, her nervous tone seeping back into her voice.
“Oh yeah…well, your sentence would be 2 months in the Wonderbolts Correctional Facility, but…”
“2 months…?! I…I…” she stammered, her mouth agape at the sudden answer.
“But…since you did comply with Soarin and Misty Fly…and you missed the meeting by accident…I think I can lower the sentence to a week.”
Lightning let out a large sigh of relief as she rested her head on the table.
“Well…one week in the facility won’t be that bad…”
“Oh…you’re not going to the correctional hall, you’re gonna be spending your week on house arrest.”
“House arrest…? So I can go home…?”
“Yeah, just as long as you don’t leave your home.”
“Thank you so much! I’m so sorry for missing the interview date.” She exhaled, staring directly at the two pegasi behind her.
“Thank you so much, you two helped me so much. I’m sorry for causing so much trouble for you to clean up…”
“Don’t mention it, we’re only doing our jobs.” Soarin answered.
“Well, you didn’t do anything on purpose. I’m glad we found you before you did anything you would’ve regretted…” Misty Fly replied, grinning at her.
“Well…you’re right…I would’ve dug a deeper hole for myself…” Dust said, smiling.
“Anyways, you’re set to leave today and finish your week of house arrest. Misty Fly, can you put this hoof bracelet on her?” Spitfire asked, pulling out a small monitor from her saddlebag.
“Of course.” Misty answered, taking the bracelet and placing it on Dust’s hoof, tightening it.
Lightning stared at her hoof as the monitor beeped once, emitting a small red light every few seconds.
"Well, what happens if it falls off?"
"We'll know, and we'll send two Wonderbolts to your home. It'll beep rapidly if you leave your home, too."
Dust was nervous about the monitoring, but was also happy she wouldn't be sitting in jail.
"Well...I won't make the same mistake again..."
Misty Fly adjusted the bracelet, turning to smile up at Lightning.
"Is that too loose or tight?" She asked.
"No, it's snug and firm, thanks." Dust responded.
"Well, I appreciate you being so compliant and understanding. Soarin and Misty Fly, can you escort her home?" Spitfire asked.
"Yes ma'am." They both said in unison.
After exiting the interrogation room and leaving the Wonderbolts Headquarters, the three of them started their journey to Lightning Dust's house. Cloudsdale wasn't too far away, which means Lightning would be able to relax soon.
It took around 15 minutes, but the three pegasi had finally touched down onto Dust's doorstep. Dust unlocked her door and let them both in.
"Well, make sure you don't leave the premises, else we're gonna have to come back. That's an order, alright?" Soarin said.
"It's only one week, so I know you can handle it." Misty finished.
"Thank you two, I couldn't have done it without you." Dust replied, hugging them both before they left.
She closed the door, locking it. Alone for the first time since her return home, Lightning had no idea what to do. She couldn't leave, couldn't see any-pony, couldn't go out to eat, and couldn't even go out to fly. What was some-pony in her position supposed to do?
"I guess I can just make do with what I have in my house..." Dust thought to herself as she sighed.
Getting up from her seat on the couch, she made her way to the kitchen, assembling a small flower sandwich. Pouring herself a glass of water, she made her way to the kitchen table. She sat down and started to eat her sandwich, admiring the clouds outside her window.
Finishing her food, she cleaned up and went straight to bed. The interview stressed herself out enough, and waking up so early in the morning threw her off even more.
Stumbling to bed, she practically flung herself onto her mattress, sprawling out across it. Falling asleep was the easy part, as she was out within minutes.
Waking up, she checked the clock.
9:22 A.M.
"How the hell did I sleep for over 12 hours..." she thought drowsily, getting up to go eat some breakfast.
It was her second day on house arrest, and she practically slept through the first one. This was gonna be easy, or so she hoped.
Ironically enough, she decided it would be best to run down stairs to take her mind off of her solitude. As expected, she fell right on her ass, smacking the hoof-monitor on the wall as she rolled down the stairs.
“Hnngrrr...” She groaned, getting up.
Her face dropped when she realized that her monitor was beeping crazily. She examined it to find a large crack in the middle of it.
“OH FOR BUCKS SAKE!” She yelled, laying back down onto the floor.
“Maybe they’ll understand…I can’t leave the building, it broke just because I fell…” she mumbled, cringing at her aching hoof and the sound of the loud alarm.
Sure enough, within ten minutes knocking came at her door. She got up, walked towards the door, and opened it to see two familiar faces.
“Lightning Dust! What the hell did you do?” Soarin said, disappointed.
Misty Fly stood there, looking at Dust’s hoof.
“She’s bleeding…how’d you do that?” She asked, perplexed.
“Explains the broken wall…” He said, walking inside.
Misty Fly stood with Lightning as she took some gauze out of her saddlebag and wrapped it tightly around her hoof.
“Feel better? Can you stand on it?”
“Uh-huh…” was the response.
“What made you crash down the stairs…?” A curious stallion asked her from a distance.
“I was trying to change my routine…this is harder than it looks apparently…” Dust replied, defeated.
“Alright, we’ll mark it down as accidental damage.” Soarin said as he produces another hoof monitor from his saddlebag.
Walking over, he placed the monitor onto Dust’s hoof, tightening it enough to avoid discomfort.
“That’s good…thank you…” She answered, looking back at her damaged wall and sighing.
“Alright, be careful. I’d avoid using that hoof for a few hours until the pain goes away. Other than that, make sure you don’t damage that device again.” Misty answered as the two pegasi walked to the door.
“Will do…!” Dust called out, the door shutting as the two ponies took off into the sky.
”Well that was awkward…and I still have 6 days to live in boredom…” she thought, putting a hoof up to her chin.
“Hmmm..” she smiled, aware of the idea swirling through her head.
“I wonder if I could get her to come back…and maybe get me to go with her…”
Dust immediately looked to her window, thrusting it open and placed her bracelet bound hoof through it. As she did, a beeping sound filled her ears as the tiny device flashed rapidly.
It took five minutes this time, and this time the door opened.
“I forgot to lock the door?!” She yelped internally, instantly switching her face to a look of confusion.
“Alright what is it this time…? Where did you go?” Soarin spotted the mare and walked up to her, with Misty following close behind.
“I just opened my window to get some fresh air, and the device started going off…!” She frantically explained, offering her innocent grin to the two pegasi standing in front of her.
“…With your hind hoof…?” A questioning Soarin asked, a doubtful look in his eyes.
“Ehm…well…yes…?” Dust forced out.
Misty Fly walked over to her and stared her right in the eyes. She took one look at her before tilting her head in doubt as well.
“Okay…maybe I stuck my hoof out the window to get you guys here…but I needed to! I can’t do this anymore! Sorry for wasting your time…if you need to take me to the slammer you can do it now…” She explained, defeat shining in her eyes.
“Well, since you didn’t physically leave your property, we can’t take you.” Soarin answered.
“Say…why did you do that then…?” Misty asked curiously.
“I wanted to see you, Misty…” Dust blurted out, placing a hoof on her mouth to avoid anything else from spilling out.
“See me…? Are you sad or scared? I can’t tell…” Misty replied, confused.
Soarin shot both of them confused looks before fixing his awkward gaze upon Dust.
“Neither! I was hoping that maybe you could…ehm…supervise me out of my home…? We could get lunch! I need some-pony as a friend…I don’t think I can do this alone!” She pleaded desperately, producing a sad frown towards Misty.
Misty Fly’s mouth fell agape, surprised by her sudden oburst.
Dust took her facial structure with deep sorrow.
“Sorry…it’s okay if you don’t want to…I’ll be fine…don’t worry…I’m sorry for being such a burden!” She yelped, opting to play with her hoof awkwardly on the floor while staring down.
Misty Fly reached out her hoof to Dust, pushing her chin up.
“Of course I can! Don’t worry, I’ll be here for you.” Misty reassured her, smiling brightly.
Dust grinned ear to ear, hugging Misty.
“Alright, Misty, if you need anything from me, let me know. I’ll be back at Headquarters, but I’ll come and visit you two tomorrow.” Soarin added.
Misty nodded as Soarin closed the door behind him, launching into the sky.
”Now I have a buddy! Thank Celestia…I would’ve gotten myself arrested just to see some-pony else again.” She thought, a bout of relief washing over her body.
“Well, what would you like to do?” Misty asked, staring at the mare before her.
“Ehm…you can lead the way! I just wanted a friend…and you’re here! Whatever you’d like to do, I’m down to do 100 percent!”
“Well…now that you mention it…lunch would be a good idea.” Misty replies, putting a hoof on her stomach.
“Alright! Let’s go!” Dust yelled excitedly, running to the door with her friend in tow.
“Wait!” Is all Dust heard before she was yanked to the floor, stopping her from moving an inch more.
She turned to see Misty hovering above her, a tool in her mouth that was now prodding the side of the device on her hoof. She fiddled around with her tool for a few more seconds before allowing Dust to get back up.
“Just gotta make sure it doesn’t start going off when we leave. Better be safe than sorry, right?”
Dust smiled happily as the two left the house and took off in the direction of Cloudsdale.
It didn’t take long for them to reach their designated spot.
“Here we are, the Sky Diner!” An excited Misty Fly announced.
“Wow…this place looks awesome!” Dust answered as the two made their way inside and to a booth.
A waiter made their way towards the booth, taking their orders as he neared them.
“I’ll take a dandelion sandwich with a slice of apple pie, please.” Misty said.
“And I’ll have what she’s having.” Dust quickly responded.
“Alright, two dandelion sandwiches and two slices of apple pie coming right up.” The waiter said as he walked toward the counter.
“How original…” Misty Fly smirked and giggled as she stared at Dust.
Dust shared a laugh with her while waiting for their food.
As they sat, two fillies ran to Misty’s side, grinning wide.
“Hey there little fillies!” Misty said, smiling at the two.
“Misty…Fly! You the coolest Wonderbolt Evah!!!” They both said in unison. One of them held a piece of paper in their mouth and the other a pen.
“D’aww, thank you. Do you want an autograph?”
“Mhmmm!” They replied in unison, placing the two items infront of Misty.
She took the pen in her mouth and signed the paper, adding her cutie mark on the side.
“Thamk you!” The two said, clutching the pen and paper in their mouths before running off cheerfully.
“I guess so, kids run up to me everytime I come here. Might’ve been the uniform, but I’m not sure.” Misty answered.
“Hah, no way, it’s gotta be you.” Dust insisted.
Misty and Dust smiled at each other as their food was set out in front of them. They both began eating as they sat back and enjoyed their meals together.
After paying for their food, the pair started their journey back to Dust’s home. As they were flying, Dust caught a glimpse of Misty yawning.
“Someone looks a little tired.” She said, looking at Misty.
“Yeah…been up all night doing paperwork for the Wonderbolts…again…” She answered, sighing.
As they touched down and entered Dust’s home, Dust led Misty to her bedroom.
“You can sleep here, it’ll be like a little sleep over!” She said excitedly.
“Thanks Dust.” Misty Fly said, crawling onto one side of the bed.
The meal made Dust very tired; after all, a large apple pie slice would do that to you. She climbed into the opposite side of bed, turning off the light as she did. The two mares laid there before falling asleep, happy to be spending time with a new friend.
Dust woke up, looking directly at the clock on her nightstand.
”7:37 A.M.”
She sighed as she turned to her side. Misty Fly was on her side, sleeping.
“Well…if she’s still sleeping, then what woke me up…?” She thought as she panned her vision around the slightly sun-lit room.
Her eyes landed on the door to the room, and she spotted a pegasus pony watching them.
“GAH…! WHO ARE YOU?!” She yelped as she leapt underneath the covers.
Mist Fly woke up, surprised as she got up to turn the light on. As she did, Soarin was inside the room with them and spooked Misty as well.
“Woah! Soarin…what’re you doing here…?” Misty Fly groaned.”
“I was gonna ask you the same thing…” He said, pointing to the bed.
Dust got out from the covers and locked eyes with Soarin, blushing.
A faint blush also appeared on Misty’s face as Soarin pressed a hoof over his mouth to keep from laughing.
“Ehm…it’s not what you think! We were just resting after lunch!” Dust exclaimed, looking down from embarrassment.
“Lunch you say…?” Soarin asked, nearly bursting out from laughter.
“Yeah…what time is it…?” Misty asked, perplexed by Soarin’s behavior.
“Uhh…7:40 A.M.” Dust replied.
“WHAT…?! HOW DID I SLEEP FOR THAT LONG?!” Misty exclaimed, surprised at herself.
Soarin started laughing, but quickly stopped to avoid the two mares staring daggers at her.
“You will not speak of this to any-pony, understand?” Misty Fly said sternly.
“Yeah…I won’t…” Soarin said, softly.
Dust couldn’t lie, those first two days on house arrest were some of the best times she’s ever had in a while.
