The Masked Mare of Mystery

Lightning Dust's POV

I can't believe I ran out of ammo during that fight, as quick as it was, I had a good chance to finish Rainbow right there. I wish I hadn't sold Pitch out now, he could have helped me, maybe there was some spell that can prevent me from running out of bullets. With no other chose, however, I was forced to retreat back home, at least until I could get more ammo.

About five months ago, everypony in Equestria was issued this thing called a television, which worked by showing you moving pictures in a box, something fairly new to Equestria.  As soon as I turned mine on, the story of the assault at the bakery was on the Pony News Network. Ugh, at least the helmet the suit came with covered my face. I turned off my TV and took off my HEV suit. I needed to clear my head.

I went outside to see a cloud blocking the sun. Seriously, where's the weather team when you need them. I flew up to the cloud, about to bust it when a head popped out.

"Great, another one!" it cheered.

"Another what?" I asked.

"Another pony for us to defeat over and over to make us stronger." another head that popped up replied.

I now I just stared. "Who or what are you?" I asked.

"We're gremlins." they said together.

"And where you talking about?" I asked.

"The town we came from, we used a cloud to block out the sun. without the sun, the equines got depressed. We draw power from negative emotions, so we were getting stronger from their sadness. This blue pegasus with rainbow hair kept trying to beat us so they'd get the sunlight again, but she only made us strong with every loss. Eventually ,however, she did win in the end." the smaller one said.

"So you just came here to Fillydelphia, after that?" I asked.

"Yep, so now, we feed of your misery." the bigger one said.

"Wait, what if I told you you could make it big, without having to do this?" I asked.

"Make it big? Like, we can become rich?" the bigger gremlin replied.

I nodded.

"Keep talking." he continued.

"You'll have to do something for me first, but if you do, I'll show you the way to great wealth." I promised.

It was an empty promise, of course. But my confidence was shaken when the gremlins seem to see through me lies.

"You double cross us, and your precious town will never see the light of day again. UNDERSTAND!?" the smaller asked.

"Sure." I said. Looks like I just got two practice targets.

"What do you need us to do?" he asked.

"First, get rid of this cloud, or at least move it out of the way of the sun." I replied.

After they did, I lead them to my house and showed them the bullet shells that had stayed in one of the guns for some reason.

"I want you to bring me bullets, they'll come in casings like this." I said.

"Where do we find these "bullets" you need?" the bigger asked.

I'm going to take you there." I replied.

I lead them to Equestria Labs. For creatures who came off as idiots, their approach was actually pretty smart. They used clouds to create a fog within the facility, then went in undetected, coming out with boxes of bullets. They did this until they couldn't find anymore (or so they say). Just as they had finished, who should show up but Rainbow Dash herself.

"Hey, what's going on here?" she asked.

"On no, it's her." the short gremlin cried.

"Hold your horses, I'm not looking for a fight, I just want answers." RD replied.

"I'll humor her, just take care of the stuff." I whispered. Then lead Rainbow away from the gremlins and the stolen goods.

"I know you got them to steal that stuff.I'm not going to stand by and let a crime go" Dash grunted.

"Don't worry Mare Do Well, after I advertise the Hazardous Environment suit for them, they'll have more business than they'll know what to do with. In a way, I actually paid them for it." I snickered.

Rainbow still wasn't amused.

Rainbow Dash POV

Is she for real? Well, the stolen ammo isn't what I'm afraid of.

"Look, you don't know what your doing dealing with gremlins. They're dangerous, I should know, I had to deal with those guys when they blocked the sun with a cloud. Given the correct circumstances, they'll get stronger and harder to defeat." I warned.

Dust only snorted. "I have a way to deal with them."

I raised an eyebrow. "And how, pray tell, do you intend to do that, Takedown?"

LD smirked. "I'm going to kill them after this." she whispered.

Nopony deserves that, even if they are gremlin.

"Look Dash, you said it yourself, they're dangerous. They way I see it, we only make Equestria a safer place shedding their bad blood. I'm practically doing your job for you." Lightning said.

I glanced behind us, the gremlins were carrying the boxes of ammo for Dust. I turned and flew away. When I was sure Lightning won't see me, I pulled up along side the cloud gremlins.

"What do you want now?" the bigger one asked.

"Lightning Dust is going to kill you when you get to her place." I warned.

They looked at each other. They seem to believe me, but at the same time, they didn't trust me, and I don't blame them, but would they really risk there lives?

"We don't believe you." the short one said.

They would risk their lives.

"Okay, don't say I didn't warn you." I said as I flew away.

Third Person POV

As the gremlins and Lightning approach her house, the pegasus contemplated whether to dump the corpses in the local dump or be polite and bury them. As they entered, Dust began to reload the turret guns on her suit.

"Okay, we did what you asked, now for your end of the deal." the short gremlin said.

"Of course, first stay were you are." Dust replied as she put on part of her HEV suit that held the guns.

"Alright, now what?" the bigger one asked.

"Now DIE!" Lightning exclaimed and opened fire at them.

Suddenly, an electrical white circle appeared in front of the gremlins and deflected Dust's bullets. Lightning Dust stopped shooting and the shield disappeared, revealing Rainbow Dash standing between the two gremlins.

"How did...?" Dust pondered aloud. While she did, Dash pulled the gremlins out the house and they flew away. Dust was steamed, but decided to let them go. She and Dash would met again. This time, it was going to be more interesting since Dash got some new tricks

Rainbow Dash and the gremlins came to rest on a cloud when they were sure they were out of harms way. After a moment of awkward silence, one gremlin spoke up.

"Um, thank you for saving us from that pony, we figure she was all talk..." the smaller one started.

"But given our history, we weren't willing to trust you." the bigger one finished.

"That's okay, I'm the same way sometimes." Rainbow laughed.

A moment of awkward silence followed.

"You know, we never learned each others names, I'm Rainbow Dash." Dash said.

"My name is Big Boy." the bigger gremlin replied.

"And I'm Runt." the smaller one added.

"So you guys got a place to call home? You're welcome to come to Ponyville with me if you don't?" Dash offered.

"No thank you, Big Boy and I are drifters at heart. We'll find somewhere else to live." Runt replied.

"Just so long as I don't have to come and do a Double Rainboom." Dash joked.

They exchanged goodbyes and their separate ways. As Rainbow Dash flew away, she couldn't help but reflect on her history with the gremlins. She never imagined she'd save their lives one day, and yet, she had, and gained them as friends, and yet, here she was. She smiled and speed up to mach one, leaving a boom and a rainbow in her wake.