Redemption of a Wonderbolt Cadet

by twilightsparkle3562

Rating: everyone
Tags: Lightning Dust, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire
Length: 10776

Following the events of "Wonderbolt Academy," Lightning Dust reveals to Spitfire the real reason behind her recklessness and is given another chance to become a Wonderbolt. However, will Rainbow Dash and the other cadets accept her new outl

Following the events of "Wonderbolt Academy," Lightning Dust reveals to Spitfire the real reason behind her recklessness and is given another chance to become a Wonderbolt. However, will Rainbow Dash and the other cadets accept her new outlook?

Published 2014-02-19 20:40:25 UTC
Last updated 2015-05-12 20:23:47 UTC

A Second Chance

Author's Note

Disclaimer 1: I do not own "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic," or its characters. They are property of Hasbro Studios and DHX Media.

Disclaimer 2: I do not own the original idea to this story. It belongs to anyone who had this idea firsthand.

A Second Chance

"Redemption of a Wonderbolt Cadet"

By TwilightSparkle3562

"The Wonderbolts are looking for the best flyers in Equestria," said Spitfire, as she and her guards trotted over to Rainbow Dash and her friends. "You were right; being the best should never come at the expense of our fellow ponies. It's not just about pushing ourselves; it's about pushing ourselves in the right direction. You've shown you're capable of doing just that."

Those were the words that Lightning Dust had heard come out of the Captain of the Wonderbolts. Upon nearly putting Rainbow Dash's friends in danger, the truth was now out for all to hear and as Spitfire beckoned her over to face the consequences, Lightning Dust knew that this was the end for her. With a swing of her hoof, Spitfire snatched the lead pony badge from her uniform and sent her away. Lightning Dust looked over one last time at her ex-partner and walked sadly away with the guards escorting her.

"I guess I was wrong about really pushing myself," she thought sadly as she was led away. "Maybe Rainbow Dash was right, maybe if I had been careful at what I was doing and not being reckless, then perhaps I could be a Wonderbolt. Guess that is not going to happen now."

As Lightning Dust lay in her bed that night, she looked out the window and looked up at the stars and wondered what was going to happen next. After all, Lightning Dust had the same ambition as Rainbow Dash and that was to join the most prestigious flying group in Equestria and earn the respect and admiration of all who would see her do what she did. She was the youngest in her family of flyers and was often looked down upon as a worthless flyer who would never join the Wonderbolts. Perhaps, now that her dream was about to be shattered, Lightning Dust wondered if there was anything out there for her to chase. She didn't want to take any other boring job in Equestria and life in Cloudsdale would not be the same for her. Nevertheless, she went to sleep that night, not knowing what was going to happen to her.

Early the next morning, the sounds of knocking were heard on her door and Lightning Dust was so startled by the sudden sound that she fell out of her bed and ran over to the door.

"Who is it?" she asked groggily. "I'm up, I'm up."

Lightning Dust flung open the door and looked to see the two guards who had escorted her away from Rainbow Dash and the others. They looked down sternly at her, but were not stiff.

"Spitfire wants to see you in her office," the dark colored guard said. "Apparently, she wants to understand the method of your madness, cadet."

"Follow us and then you will be sent down to the mess hall for breakfast," added the light colored guard.

Doing as she was told, Lightning Dust got on her uniform and as she was led down to Spitfire's office, she took an enormous gulp and wondered if this was truly the end. The dark colored guard knocked on the door and then opened it to reveal Spitfire standing at her desk, with her sunglasses glaring at Lightning Dust.

"Close the door and no one enters until I say so," she said to the guards as Lightning Dust walked in. Seeing the door close behind her, Lightning Dust looked up nervously at the Captain of the Wonderbolts and prepared to take whatever punishment that Spitfire was going to put upon her.

"Do you know why you are here, Lightning Dust?" she asked sternly, but understanding.

"Yes, Ma'am," gulped Lightning Dust nervously. "You are here to kick me out of the Academy because of my reckless behavior, is that it?"

Spitfire stood there wide eyed for a minute, seemingly understanding the mess that Lightning Dust had gotten herself into. Trying to not be so tough, Spitfire took off her sunglasses and leaned over on the top of her desk.

"That is not why you are here, Lightning Dust," replied Spitfire. "As a Captain of the best flyers in Equestria, I must say that I am very disappointed in you for your reckless behavior. Rainbow Dash told me everything about what you have done when you were partnered with her. The Wonderbolts are built on respect and dignity and you clearly did not display that for the past few days. What have you got to say for yourself?"

Lightning Dust looked down at the floor and then looked back up at Spitfire and closed her eyes once, sighing at what she was about to say.

"Spitfire," she said nervously. "All my life, I have wanted to be one of you and be one of the few Pegasi who would be admired and respected all throughout Equestria. When I was a filly, I was never respected and was told down by my older brothers that I would never be like them and they weren't even Wonderbolts."

Spitfire could see that Lightning Dust was trying to hold back tears and realized that there was more to be told about this story than met the eye.

"It seemed that by joining the Wonderbolts, I can prove my brothers wrong and show them I can be better than most Pegasi like them," continuedd Lightning Dust, looking away in shame, trying to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes from Spitfire's view. "With each test that we did, It seemed like I was trying to prove myself a little harder just to send a message to them. I guess now, it's all for nothing."

Spitfire was now beginning to feel sorry for Lightning Dust as she could well remember that there was a time in her own life that showed that she was also looked down upon by her brothers as well. Unlike Lightning Dust, Spitfire had fellow cadets in the Academy that were open to listening to what she wanted to say. It seemed that now, Lightning Dust was going through the same phase.

"Not quite over," said Spitfire as Lightning Dust looked up at her. "You see, I was like you once and I was looked down upon by my older siblings. But, I had fellow cadets who were willing to listen what I had to say about my situation. But, from what I see, you don't have anyone to turn to in times of need."

"What do you mean?" asked Lightning Dust, eagerly. "Are you saying that you are not going to kick me out?"

"We believe in second chances," said Spitfire, handing Lightning Dust a silver badge. "I am going to give you a second chance, but you will be Rainbow Dash's wing pony, starting today. In addition, I will have you start again with all the activities that you have done previously. However, if you start being reckless again, then you will be expelled from this academy."

So, Lightning Dust's second chance at redemption was about to take place. But, the question now was, would Rainbow Dash and the other Cadets accept Lightning Dust in her second chance?

As she joined her fellow cadets at the mess hall that morning, Lightning Dust was unsure of the reception that she was going to get. After all, her reckless behavior had somewhat driven her away from those that were around her. She then saw Rainbow Dash sitting at a table with some of their fellow ponies including Bulk Biceps, Thunderlane and Blossomforth. When they saw Lightning Dust walk over to them, the table fell silent and Rainbow Dash stared at his ex-partner with wide eyes.

"You?" cried Thunderlane, surprised along with the rest of his cadets. "I thought you got kicked out."

"YEAH!" added Bulk Biceps as Lightning Dust quivered at the loud booming voice of the muscular Pegasus with tiny wings. However, Rainbow Dash glared at him and ignoring what he had just did, Rainbow Dash looked over at Lightning Dust.

"Spitfire gave me another chance," said Lightning Dust nervously. "She thinks that I have a lot of potential and I need to have a fresh start."

The other cadets simply ignored her and just went on to finishing their breakfast as Rainbow Dash got up from the table and placing a wing over Lightning Dust's shoulder. Even though Lightning Dust had angered her for what she nearly did to her friends with the tornado, Rainbow Dash felt that being a wonderbolt meant dealing with ponies you didn't like. However, she could not have those feelings of anger or resentment towards Lightning Dust.

"Look, Lightning Dust," said Rainbow Dash as she walked with Lightning Dust from the mess hall. "Just because Spitfire gave you another chance doesn't mean that I can trust you. There have been times where I did some stupid things in front of my friends and I have often been looked down upon it."

"What do you mean?" asked Lightning Dust. "By being reckless, you can get yourself into trouble and not push yourself in any way?"

"It's not just about being reckless," replied Rainbow Dash. "Sometimes we let our pride get in the way of our judgments and put us in situations we don't want to be in."

Lightning Dust could see fully as to what Rainbow Dash was trying to tell her. She was being reckless and it was all because she wanted to earn the respect of her family, whom looked down upon her as a weakling.

"Actually Rainbow Dash," said Lightning Dust as they stopped at a cliff overlooking several cadets doing the obstacle course. Rainbow Dash wanted to show Lightning Dust the true way of doing the activities the Wonderbolts have their cadets do. "There has to be another reason for why you are acting this way. You can tell me if you want."

Lightning Dust was unsure if she could tell Rainbow Dash her private matters. But, she did harm Rainbow Dash's friends so there had to be a real reason for this. She walked away from the cliff and lifted herself into the air and wanted to fly like her old self again, but she couldn't. Not unless she could tell Rainbow Dash the truth.

"Actually, Rainbow Dash," explained Lightning Dust, landing back on the ground. "Do you have older siblings or are you an only foal?"

"I'm an only foal," replied Rainbow Dash confusingly. "Why do you ask?"

"Because the only reason why I came to Wonderbolt Academy in the first place is to prove to my family that I can be great just like them," replied Lightning Dust, her mind filling with anger. "My brothers have always looked down upon and me and said that I could never be like them. By coming here, I thought that by becoming a Wonderbolt, I could prove to them that I am someone."

"But you are who you are, Lightning Dust," said Rainbow Dash, trying to calm her down by placing her front hooves on her shoulders. "You can't let those thoughts cloud your mind. What you were initially doing was allowing yourself to be what you are by being reckless. By being my wing pony, I can help you. But, you need to help yourself."

The message was now starting to get through to Lightning Dust and she was now starting to calm herself down. Rainbow Dash released her grip on Lightning Dust and a sense of relief became to come through her mind, putting out the anger like a wildfire. It was at that moment that Lightning Dust began to realize that by working alongside Rainbow Dash, she could become who she always wanted to be: be someone who was greater than what most ponies would say about her.

"I can help you," added Rainbow Dash. "Being Wing Pony is the way to go through this. Do it not just for my sake, but for yours."

"If that's the way you want to be," said Lightning Dust, a small tear coming down her face. "Then I will work alongside you. I've had this nightmare for as long I can remember."

It seemed that Lightning Dust was beginning to see the error of her ways. For most of her life she had been living under the cloud of torment caused by her older brothers. Until the moment she was found out, Lightning Dust had been living by her own rules and that part of her life was over. Now, she had to prove herself to her family that she can be like them, but she could not do it alone. It would take time, but it needed to be done.

As she watched from outside her office, Spitfire could not help but smile for what Rainbow Dash was about to do. Although she had made the mistake of making Lightning Dust lead pony and Rainbow Dash wing pony, perhaps now that by reversing the roles, Lightning Dust would escape the shadows of the evils that have hovered over her for most of her young life.

"Rainbow Dash," thought Spitfire. "I've made you a Wonderbolt, now you must make Lightning Dust a true Wonderbolt and help her understand what being a Wonderbolt is all about."

In the days that would soon follow, Lightning Dust would learn the true meaning of being a wonderbolt and it appeared the second chance that was given to her had paid off for the better.

Face in the Flags

Chapter 3

“Face in the Flags”

When Lightning Dust awoke the next morning, she was still trying to embrace the message that Rainbow Dash had invoked in her about having grace and humility, two important tools that she clearly didn’t have the first time around. In fact, Lightning Dust was hearing the voices of her two idiotic and egotistical brothers in her mind, trying to put her down.

“You think that pony know it all is going to get you to change?” laughed the voice of the red pony. “It doesn’t matter what you do, you will always be second rate to us, Lightning Dust.”

“Yeah,” added the voice of the blue pony. “Think you got what it takes to be better than us? Just try it!”

But Lightning Dust ignored the voices and followed Rainbow Dash to the flag hunting course, which had been made more tougher with the next level of the Wonderbolt academy. Upon arrival however, Spitfire was about to reveal that this would be a lot more different than the last time a flag hunt had taken place.

“Today you will be continue to be doing the next level of the academy with level two of the flag hunt,” said Spitfire. “The first change is that lead ponies and wing ponies will not be partnered together.”

This caused several of the cadets to gasp in shock as the two guards directed the lead ponies to one obstacle course and the wing ponies to another. Lightning Dust nervously followed the rest of the wing ponies thinking that without working alongside Rainbow Dash, she would be subjected to the voices of her brothers inside of her head telling her that she should be better off alone and out of the spotlight. However, Spitfire had a very good reason for splitting the lead ponies and wing ponies apart.

“When you become a wonderbolt,” she explained, taking to the air. “You will allow yourself to work alongside ponies that you are unfamiliar with. We stress the importance of diversity here at the academy and this flag hunt will demonstrate communication with ponies you have never worked before.”

Lightning Dust could see that she was most likely going to work with Bulk Biceps since the rest of the wing ponies had already selected their partners for this exercise.

“You want to work together?” she asked the muscular pony meekly. Bulk Biceps merely nodded nervously, remembering how reckless that Lightning Dust was. “I’ll go easy on you, big boy.”

Feeling slightly comfortable, Bulk Biceps joined forces with Lightning Dust as Spitfire had one final piece of advice for the cadets.

“If you think that this flag hunt is going to be fun,” she said. “You are sadly mistaken. Everything we do here is for training purposes and that this is not meant to be recess. Once you have found your partner, you must fly together and if anypony splits up, they will immediately be disqualified.”

The glare that Spitfire gave to Lightning Dust made her see sense, for the last she had taken part in a flag hunt, Rainbow Dash had hurt her wing.

“Do you understand?” asked Spitfire to the cadets.

“Yes, ma’am!” they replied and Spitfire placed her whistle to her mouth.

“Then, let’s go!” she called and blew into her whistle sending the lead ponies after the red flags and the wing ponies after the blue flags.

Lightning Dust and Bulk Biceps searched high and low for the flags, overcoming every obstacle that came their way. As they got to their first flag, Lightning Dust and Bulk Biceps came to the spot where Lightning Dust’s recklessness had caused Rainbow Dash to clip her wing. This caused her to stop dead in her tracks and the ghostly figure of her blue pony brother stood in the way.

“Think you got what it takes to get that flag?” he snickered. “Then come and get it without clipping your wing!”

Trying to not let the ghost of her evil brother get her down, Lightning Dust flew towards the flag and grabbed it, but then suddenly her wing got caught in the branch, causing it to clip.

“You okay?” cried Bulk Biceps, nervously.

“I’m fine,” whimpered Lightning Dust, trying to not let her clipped wing slow her down. “Let’s find some more.”

Struggling to fly, Lightning Dust and Bulk Biceps continued to find flags despite their respective handicaps with Lightning Dust and her clipped wing, while Bulk Biceps continued to fly despite his muscular size and tiny wings. It was because of this that the two of them were the last of the wing ponies to complete the flag hunt.

“Not bad,” said Spitfire as they landed. “Determination is something that we strive. The rest of you are dismissed until later. I want to speak with Lightning Dust privately.”

So the rest of the cadets saluted their trainer and went off on their separate ways while Lightning Dust remained behind with Spitfire.

“Look, Spitfire,” she said nervously, still wincing her clipped wing. “I know we were the last to arrive but…”

“I know what you are going to say, Lightning Dust,” interrupted Spitfire, placing a hoof to Lightning Dust’s mouth. “But, I wanted you to experience that being a wing pony is just as good as being a lead pony. In normal situations, a Wonderbolt who had been injured would have given up. You clearly didn’t do that.”

“So are you saying that you were intentionally trying to get me to clip my wing?” cried Lightning Dust, shocked at what her idol and superior officer had just said. “But, why?”

Spitfire removed her sunglasses and raised her left eyebrow the same way as when Rainbow Dash had questioned her on why she was named wing pony and not lead pony.

“When I discover ponies who have egos,” she explained. “I have to extract the ego out of them. If I am going to help you become a wonderbolt, then I have to take that ego out. I am not only producing the best flyers in Equestria, I am trying to make model citizens for this great land that we live in.”

Spitfire then led Lightning Dust to the edge of the cliff overlooking the land of Equestria. In the distance, they could see Ponyville, Appleloosa, Canterlot and the Crystal Empire.

“But why show me this now, Spitfire?” wondered Lightning Dust.

“Because this is where you go after you graduate from this academy,” replied Spitfire. “When I was a cadet here myself, I was told what I am telling you now. We all make mistakes and I made the biggest mistakes of my life.”

Lightning Dust was amazed that Spitfire had a sentimental side and thought back to the conversation that Spitfire and her had after she was demoted to wing pony.

“I made a vow to myself after I became captain,” continued Spitfire, the sun reflecting on her sunglasses. “That if I see anypony who made the biggest mistakes of their training, to the point that they face expulsion, it becomes personal to me that I give them second chances the same way I was given second chances.”

“Are you saying that I am one of the ponies whom is…?” gasped Lightning Dust.

“Yes,” replied Spitfire, looking at Lightning Dust right in the face. “I am trying to take you under my wing, similar to how Princess Celestia took Rainbow Dash’s friend, Twilight Sparkle, under her own wing. You have the greatest potential out of all the cadets here next to Rainbow Dash and I want you to succeed, but the methods you use are not what we want to see in a cadet.”

Lightning Dust took the matter deeply into her mind. With every word that Spitfire spoke, it was like she had been ripped from the self-proclaimed wonderbolt wannabe that she had proclaimed herself when she stepped foot into the academy.

“There is more to being a wonderbolt than just being great,” continued Spitfire. “I learned that the hard way myself and I now I am going to teach you the same thing whether you like or not.”

For the rest of the day, Lightning Dust continued to remember what Spitfire had told her. But, at the same time, the ghosts of her brothers continued to pop up in her minds, trying to get her to go back to her old ways. Lightning Dust bravely ignored the taunting and did her best to keep the voices out of her mind.

Still, there was the matter of Spitifre and her past that needed to be cleared up and when Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust met again that night, it seemed that Lightning Dust was finally going to get her answer, or so she thought.

“To be honest, Lightning Dust,” said Rainbow Dash. “I don’t know all that much about Spitfire’s past. I don’t like to get involved in other ponies’ matters unless if I have to.”

“Is there anything you might know about her?” asked Lightning Dust. “Something that may have made her into the pony she is today?”

Rainbow Dash wondered for a moment, but then her face revealed that even she didn’t know what to say.

“I’m sorry, Lightning Dust,” she sighed. “I just can’t do it. Spitfire is too important for me to upset her. If you want to find out the truth, you'll have to ask Spitfire herself.”

“She did mention something about making the biggest mistakes of her life,” said Lightning Dust, thinking back to the conversation that she had with Spitfire earlier in the day. “Could it be that she was once like me? A pony that would do anything to get a goal accomplished, even by being reckless?”

This caused Rainbow Dash to pause in shock. Even she began to wonder why Spitfire would do such a thing and was just as determined to find out the truth as much as Lightning Dust.

An Interruption

Chapter 4

“An Interruption”

For the rest of the second night of her second chance, Lightning Dust couldn’t sleep over the conversation that she had with Spitfire. The fact that Spitfire was just like her made Lightning Dust believe that Spitfire was trying to keep her cadets from making her relive a dark moment in her training to get to where she was. The next morning, Lightning Dust rejoined Rainbow Dash for the second level of the obstacle course, which wasn’t a race the first time around.

“Today you will be doing the next level of the obstacle course,” said Spitfire to the cadets that morning. “It is has been modified for the next level of your training and unlike the last time, it will be a race with the fastest team earning high marks.”

“That’s odd,” thought Rainbow Dash, who was just as shocked as Lightning Dust. “I always thought the obstacle courses were never about winning.”

“That’s what I always thought,” added Lightning Dust, as the rest of the cadets took their places.

“Remember,” continued Spitfire, standing on the left side of the cadets with her whistle in her hoof. “Any pair that splits apart will be disqualified, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, ma’am!” replied the cadets, getting into position. As soon as Spitfire blew her whistle, the cadets took to the air and headed for the first obstacle of the course.

However, it wasn’t long after the cadets were sent on their way did Spitfire notice a pair of Pegasus ponies flying near the edge of the course. Being a Wonderbolt and a military officer, Spitfire fluttered over to discover who the ponies were. But before Spitfire could find out who they were, they quickly took off.

“Something strange is going on here,” said Spitfire, scratching her chin. “If those ponies had breached security…”

“Something tells me that they are trying to sabotage the obstacle course,” remarked one of the guard ponies. “Shall we go after them?”

But Spitfire could sense something was up with them and the sounds of foals laughing rang out through her mind. This caused the Wonderbolt captain to flinch for a few seconds as the sounds of her fillyhood were heard.

“Captain, are you all right?” asked the second guard pony. He tried to offer support to Spitfire, but she pushed him away with her wing.

“I won’t let this curse I have affect my cadets,” she cried, hastily taking to the sky. “Get back here in the name of Princess Celestia!”

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust were passing each of the pairs that came across their path. For a while, it seemed like that they were going to win the race.

“One more to go,” panted Rainbow Dash, trying to fly faster than ever. “We’re almost to the finish, Lightning Dust!”

Lightning Dust could only give out a small smile as she felt a sense of relief knowing that she was going to win by flying fair and square without being reckless. Soon, they came towards the finish line with Bulk Biceps and another Pegasus pony not too far behind.

“We can beat them!” cried Lightning Dust. “Lead the way, Rainbow Dash!”

But just as they were about to reach the finish line, the sounds of screams were heard and the roars of winds were heard and Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust turned around to see a tornado heading right towards them. The twister was sucking in everything it came into contact with: ponies, obstacles and everything else.

“What’s that?” cried Rainbow Dash as they felt the twister coming towards them. “It’s sucking in everypony!”

A thought came to Lightning Dust’s mind that this was no ordinary tornado. If Lightning Dust knew that she created a tornado, she would have been kicked out of the academy.

“We got to do something!” shouted Rainbow Dash, flying towards the twister. “Come on, Lightning Dust!”

So the two pegasi flew towards the twister and saw many of the cadets spinning around in the cyclone. Lightning Dust then looked up to see two very familiar ponies that created the twister. A look of anger came onto Lightning Dust’s face upon seeing who they were.

“It can’t be,” gasped Lightning Dust and fluttering her wings wildly, the teal Pegasus pony flew towards the top of the tornado and pushed the ponies responsible hard and up against the side of the cliff. Released from the grip of the twister, the cadets plummeted down to the bottom of the cliff and into the safety nets.

When the dust cleared, Lightning Dust’s eyes crossed upon seeing who the culprits were: the two ponies that had been haunting her mind throughout her reformation.

“Lightning Dust, stand down,” ordered Spitfire, her eyes glancing on the culprits as well. “Let me handle this.”

But, Lightning Dust didn’t move and continued to glare down at the two ponies who responded by growling menacingly like a pair of wild dogs. The red Pegasus got up and charged at Lightning Dust pummeling her to the ground much to the shock of the remaining ponies.

“Lightning Dust!” cried Rainbow Dash and despite the animosity that she held for Lightning Dust after the incident with her friends, Rainbow Dash flew down as fast as her wings could carry her, only to be stopped by the blue Pegasus who slammed her into the side of the cliff.

“Where do you think you’re going?” laughed the blue Pegasus. “You ain’t gonna help that pathetic pony that my brother and I call a sister.”

Rainbow Dash’s grew wide upon hearing this and kicked the blue Pegasus back as Rainbow Dash snorted and charged at him, head butting him in the stomach. The blue Pegasus snarled and charged back at Rainbow Dash, but missed when Rainbow Dash took to the air. After a moment, Rainbow Dash charged back down towards the blue Pegasus and head butted him again into the mountain side. By this point, the blue Pegasus was weakened and was unable to fight anymore.

“Where’s Lightning Dust?” cried Spitfire as the two guardsponies seized the blue Pegasus.

“She’s down there somewhere!” cried Rainbow Dash, knowing now that time was of the essence. “Come on! We’ve got to find her!”

So, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire flew down to the bottom of the mountain while the guardsponies took the blue Pegasus away. Meanwhile, Lightning Dust and the red Pegasus were down at the base of the mountain with Lightning Dust lying face down in the ground.

“After all this time, you decide to throw away your chance of realizing that we are better than you,” chuckled the red Pegasus as Lightning Dust struggled to her feet. “You weren’t even supposed to be born to begin with!”

“What does that matter, Tornado Spin?” coughed Lightning Dust, as blood came out of her mouth. “You always said that I would amount to nothing and I have tried to prove you wrong.”

“Oh, please,” scoffed Tornado Spin, taking to the air. “You only joined the wonderbolts to get me and Hurricane Eye to shut up and look where it had gotten you.”

Lightning Dust was not going to be deterred by this and got herself to her feet, eager to show this pathetic colt of a brother that instead of causing her to feel weak, he made her feel stronger.

“Yes, I did,” snarled Lightning Dust, her wings folding out straight. “I came here to prove to you that I can become like you and Hurricane Eye. It caused me to make enemies and thanks to Rainbow Dash and Spitfire, I was given something neither you nor Hurricane Eye ever had…grace and humility.”

In response to his sister’s lecture, Tornado Spin rolled his eyes and stormed towards Lightning Dust, pushing her back to the ground.

“Spare me your sentimental nonsense,” snapped Tornado Spin, rearing his front legs at Lightning Dust. “I’ll give you grace and humility.”

But just as Tornado Spin was about to finish off his little sister, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire flew down and pushed Tornado Spin into the ground, knocking him out cold. With her older brother knocked out, Lightning Dust ran over and hugged Rainbow Dash tightly while Spitfire dragged Tornado Spin to his feet.

“You’re under arrest for trespassing and causing harm to the cadets,” hissed Spitfire, glaring into Tornado Spin’s eyes. “I made the mistake once and I will not make it again!”

She turned Tornado Spin over to the two guard ponies and then turned back towards Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash.

“Lightning Dust,” said Spitfire. “I think you have some explaining to do about all of this and I have something that I have yet to say to you.”

So, Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash followed Spitfire back to the Wonderbolt Academy where all would be revealed in time.

Confronting Her Demons

Chapter 5

“Confronting her Demons”

A thousand thoughts were racing through Lightning Dusts’ mind as she followed Spitfire and the two guards bringing in her brothers following their attempt on the cadets’ lives. In her mind, she wanted to disown the two brothers and throw them out of her lives, but at the same time, she knew that they could forgive themselves for what they had done. A little while later, Tornado Spin and Hurricane Eye were placed in an interrogation room with only Spitfire and the two other guards present.

“What do you want with us?” barked Tornado Spin, struggling against his bonds that were placed around his ankles. “That pathetic sister of mine doesn’t deserve to be in this group.”

This only resulted in a slap being given to him by one of the guards, who glared at him with a stern look on his face.

“Shut up, brother,” whispered Hurricane Eye, who was now quivering with fear. “You are only making it worse for yourself.”

“Indeed you are,” added Spitfire, her front legs folded as she stood upright against the door. “Breaking into an Equestrian Military facility is a crime against Equestria. Many ponies were hurt today because of your actions, so if you wish to justify your actions, then I suggest you do it now!”

Spitfire’s ultimatium was met with silence from the two ponies and when they didn’t get any response from either one, Spitfire then motioned to one of the guards who grabbed Tornado Spin’s right wing and began to twist it, causing extreme pain to the red Pegasus.

“Ow!” he exclaimed. “What are you doing that for?”

“Tell me your actions and I will get them to stop,” hissed Spitfire, icily. From outside the interrogation room, Lightning Dust watched with a look of worry on her face. Although she despised her brothers, she didn’t want to see anypony get hurt in anyway.

“Please, Tornado Spin,” thought Lightning Dust. “Just tell her that you were wrong and they won’t hurt you anymore.”

But Tornado Spin was still not talking and the more he resisted, the more the guard twisted his wing. It was at this point that Hurricane Eye couldn’t take it anymore and decided at that moment that he needed to talk.

“Are you going to talk now?” asked the guard twisting Tornado Spin’s wing. “Or do you want me to twist your wing further?”

He gave a glare to the snarling Tornado Spin, who was not trying to let his now injured wing get him to talk.

“Stop it!” cried Hurricane Eye, not wanting to see his brother in anymore pain. “Stop it! We’ll talk! Just don’t hurt him anymore!”

“Very well, then,” said Spitfire, in a much calmer voice now. “Release him!”

The guard released his grip on Tornado Spin’s wing and the red Pegasus winced in pain, still with a hint of anger deep in his eyes. Knowing that Hurricane Eye was going to talk, Spitfire and the two guards gathered around Hurricane Eye.

“Admit what you did was wrong,” whispered Lightning Dust from the other side of the room. “You can do it, Hurricane Eye.”

Hurricane Eye nervously looked up at the Wonderbolt Captain and her two guards and let out a heavy sigh before he said his words.

“Don’t say anything!” cried Tornado Spin, only to be met with a glare from one of the guards.

“Say another word and I will gag you!” said Spitfire, coldly, glaring at Tornado Spin.

With Tornado Spin silenced, Hurricane Eye at that moment revealed the reasons behind the actions of him and his brother.

“Do you why we did what we did?” gasped Hurricane Eye to his captors. “Has there ever been anypony in your life that were meant to do something that you were supposed to do? My brother and I were always the ones who were meant to succeed in our family. Lightning Dust was supposed to be nothing more than the one who would get nothing.”

Lightning Dust felt her heart sank upon hearing this confession. It seemed at that moment that she began to realize that all this could have been avoided if she learned the truth first hand.

“So, you felt that Lightning Dust would never deserve any chances at becoming a wonderbolt?” asked Spitfire. “All this was to keep her from reaching her dream?”

“Yes,” replied Hurricane Eye. “My brother and I are here to keep her from reaching that dream. All the glory was to belong to us and Lightning Dust was meant to get nothing!”

This made Spitfire roll her eyes in disgust and disappointment. She knew that everypony who wanted to be a wonderbolt was given that chance to become one and Lightning Dust, despite her questionable actions had as much a chance as anypony.

“Young colt,” sighed Spitfire, taking off her glasses. “I can see why Lightning Dust would behave so recklessly. It wasn’t out of her own free will, she was influenced by two jealous brothers who wanted all the glory and success to revolve around them. You have shamed your family and all of Equestria for what you have done today.”

But while Hurricane Eye lowered his head in regret for his actions, Tornado Spin showed no emotion whatsoever. In his mind, he was proud of what he and his brother had done, not even caring for the other cadets that he and his brother had possibly injured.

“To this extent,” continued Spitfire. “I am now going to turn you over to Canterlot and Princess Celestia along with Princess Luna will decide what will happen to you.”

“Go ahead,” taunted Tornado Spin as the guards removed him from his bonds. “Turn us over to the princesses. We’re not afraid, we’re tough, and we’ll survive, won’t we, brother?”

He turned over to Hurricane Eye who continued to lower his head in shame. It seemed that Hurricane Eye was the more regretful of the two and it seemed that he would be the one to get a lighter sentence than Tornado Spin. When he didn’t get a response from his brother, Tornado Spin merely scoffed at his brother’s silence.

As they were escorted out of the room, Lightning Dust coldly stared down at them, now realizing that she didn’t have to do what she did initially.

“Well,” huffed Tornado Spin, glaring at his angry-faced sister. “Anything you want to say, sister?”

But, Lightning Dust said nothing and merely turned and walked away. Tornado Spin made out several calls and taunts to Lightning Dust as she walked away, ignoring what was being said to her.

“My hate will die with you,” Lightning Dust whispered as she got farther and farther away from the calls her evil brother made.

It was at this point that she disowned her older brother, although she was hoping that Hurricane Eye would be shown mercy. But that was for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to decide.

Fighting Her Inner Demons

Chapter 6

“Fighting Her Inner Demons”

Lightning Dust could hardly believe of the events that had just transpired before her eyes. Her jealous brothers had the audacity to break into the Wonderbolt Academy and attempt to destroy her second chance with everypony watching. Lightning Dust was taught to believe that she would never succeed at anything, which of course was not true, given the fact that her brothers had influenced her to do so.

“Spitfire,” she said, meekly as she approached her commander. “I want to give a request for my brothers.”

“That’s not my call, Lightning Dust,” replied Spitfire, turning back to Lightning Dust. “It’s for the Princesses now to decide their fate. The laws of Equestria either offer them redemption or imprisonment in Tartarus, depending on the severity of the crimes.”

“It’s not for both of them,” replied Lightning Dust, trying to plead her case. “It’s for Hurricane Eye. He seems to regret ever behaving the way he did towards me.”

Spitfire could see that Lightning Dust was trying to get her to at least help the least evil of her brothers. However, she knew very well that aiding an enemy of Equestria was against the code of a Wonderbolt.

“I know how you feel, Lightning Dust,” sighed Spitfire, taking off her sunglasses. “But we all can’t save everypony. Your brothers did break Equestrian Laws and they have to pay for it. However, I don’t want this to affect the second chance I have given you.”

“I hope it doesn’t,” sighed Lightning Dust, feeling a sense of defeat. “I just don’t want Hurricane Eye to be severely punished, that’s all. Its Tornado Spin that deserves to be severely punished. He was the one that gave me the most influence and even now, I still hear his voice in my head.”

Lightning Dust then walked out of the interrogation building and back out to the main field where many of the cadets were still being tended to. Many of the cadets had suffered cuts and bruises, however many were all just dizzy from the tornado caused by Lightning Dust’s brothers. But before Lightning Dust could say another word, she froze and then dropped to her knees in shock.

“Is this what I was becoming?” she thought to herself. “My brothers wanting me to believe that getting what I want is to be reckless and uncaring?”

Lightning Dust just sat there in shock as Rainbow Dash trotted over to her. Unlike the rest of the cadets, she was perfectly fine aside from a clipped wing and a few cuts and bruises.

“Lightning Dust, are you all right?” she asked, waiving her hoof in her face. “You look like you saw a ghost.”

Lightning Dust stayed silent and did not say a word when Rainbow Dash asked her a question. After a moment, Lightning Dust heard a noise and broke out of her trance.

“Oh, sorry Rainbow Dash,” she said sheepishly. “I just can’t believe what had just happened.”

“I know,” remarked Rainbow Dash. “Those two ponies…”

“Tried to make me do something so foolish,” interrupted Lightning Dust, quickly rising to her feet and startling Rainbow Dash. “They made me the pony that I am today and if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t even be in this situation. Don’t you see what I am becoming, Rainbow Dash? They were trying to teach me how to achieve goals their way, not my way.”

Lightning Dust flew around frantically as two guardsponies restrained her before she could do any harm.

“Its all right, Lightning Dust,” cried Rainbow Dash, trying to calm her down. “You proved them wrong.”

“How could I have proved them wrong?” shouted Lightning Dust, struggling against the guardsponies. “I put my recklessness above all else and its all their fault!”

Spitfire then trotted outside as she soon heard the screams coming from her second chanced cadet. The guards soon released the hot tempered pony as she fell back to the ground, her head lowered in shame.

“Now, I see why I gave you a second chance,” said Spitfire as tears formed in Lightning Dust’s eyes. “You are better than those ponies who put you down, Lightning Dust. I see potential in you and being the best takes time.”

“It does?” remarked Lightning Dust, wiping away a tear. “You see potential in me?”

“You have already proven by being wingpony,” said Spitfire. “That you have what it takes to be a wonderbolt. I know just how you feel as I had my own brothers that put me down.”

This caused Rainbow Dash’s mouth to drop in shock. It was now becoming possible that Spitfire was finally revealing the truth that she had kept from view for some time.

“You did?” cried Lightning Dust, rising to her feet once again. “You had brothers who put you down?”

“And it made me the pony that I am today,” replied Spitfire, looking up at the sun. “I was just like you once, Lightning Dust: a pony that was determined to prove everypony wrong by all means necessary, even if it meant putting my own goals ahead of everypony else. I was given a second chance and I achieved my dream.”

Lightning Dust remembered those words for the rest of the day and when she went to bed that night, she could now see why Spitfire gave her the second chance she needed to get through the academy. The next morning, a knock was heard at her door and Lightning Dust opened the door to reveal the two guardsponies.

“I think you’d better come to Spitfire’s office,” one of them said. “It’s about your brothers.”

Immediately, Lightning Dust followed the two guardsponies to Spitfire’s office and just like last time, they left Lightning Dust and Spitfire alone.

“What about my brothers, Spitfire?” asked Lightning Dust. “Have they been punished?”

Spitfire took off her sunglasses and placed them back down on her desk with a forlorn look on her face, which caused Lightning Dust to fear the worst. Yes, what her brothers did was evil, but they were her flesh and blood after all.

“Your older brother, Tornado Spin, was sentenced to Tartarus,” answered Spitfire, looking at Lightning Dust straight in the eye. “Found guilty of attacking a military force of Equestria with intent to cause harm. “

“What about Hurricane Eye?” asked Lightning Dust, remembering how remorseful the blue Pegasus was.

“He plead guilty to his crimes,” replied Spitfire, sighing heavily. “He will be learning the magic of friendship when the time comes.”

So, Lightning Dust just stood there in Spitfire’s office with her mouth hanging open, knowing that her youngest brother had been spared a harsh penalty.

Still, Lightning Dust’s training was nearing its completion and soon, once the dust settled on this minor incident, she and the other cadets would enter the final stages…

A Reformed Recruit

Chapter 7

“A Reformed Recruit”

In the days since she learned about her brothers’ fate, Lightning Dust had a range of emotions going from being freed from the corrupted words that plagued her mind since foalhood to being torn on whether she should forgive them or not for all they had done to her. Still, she had an objective to finish her training. On the last day of training before moving on to the test that would move her to the Wonderbolt Reserves, Lightning Dust was called into Spitfire’s office once more on a personal matter of importance.

“You wanted to see me, ma’am?” asked Lightning Dust, shutting the door behind her. “You said it was important.”

“It is a matter of importance, Lightning Dust,” replied Spitfire, taking off her sunglasses. “We had just received a message this morning from Canterlot concerning your brother, Hurricane Eye. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have decided that Hurricane Eye should become a Wonderbolt in order to learn what it means to be a productive citizen of Equestria.”

Lightning Dust didn’t know at that moment whether to faint or scream with joy, knowing that the forgiving of her brothers was being offered a second chance at life. Still, she remained erect in the presence of her superior.

“I believe that if you deserve a second chance,” continued Spitfire, producing a small smile. “Then so does somepony like him. I want you and Rainbow Dash to take him under your wing and teach him everything that I have taught you.”

“I won’t let you down, ma’am,” said Lighting Dust, saluting her superior. “Where is he?”

“He is arriving in a few minutes under Royal Guard,” replied Spitfire, just as soon as the sounds of heavy wings fluttering came closer and closer to the academy.

Knowing it was her brother, Lightning Dust darted out of the office and came towards the sight of her brother, in a chariot being pulled by two of Celestia’s guards. At that moment, Rainbow Dash flew down towards Lightning Dust and the two pegasi watched as the chariot landed before them. At that moment, Hurricane Eye stepped out of the chariot and ran over to hug his little sister.

“I hope you can find it to forgive me for all Tornado Spin and I have done to you,” he cried, clutching his sister tightly.

“I have already forgiven you,” said Lightning Dust, warmly as they broke apart. “Maybe now you will learn what it means to be successful in life.”

Just then, Spitfire and her two guardsponies came forward and approached the three pegasi. Hurricane Eye gulped nervously as the captain of the Wonderbolts approached him, knowing how upset she was with him for what he and his brother had done.

“Well, lookie what we have here,” said Spitfire, glaring down at the blue Pegasus pony. “A spoiled colt who tried to harm my cadets. You wanted to be forgiven and while you may have received forgiveness from Lightning Dust, it will take time for you to earn forgiveness from me.”

“I’ll do anything you say, ma’am,” whimpered Hurricane Eye, but Spitfire was not going to tolerate any wimps in her academy and this was going to be no different.

“First of all,” said Spitfire, sharply and causing Hurricane Eye to jump at the sound of her command. “We don’t tolerate crybabies and wimps in the Wonderbolts and if you are going to be a wonderbolt, then you are going to train like one. Like your sister, you’ve been given a second and I expect you to make most of it.”

At that moment, Spitfire took her whistle and placed it towards her mouth, keeping her eagle eye on Hurricane Eye.

“Give me 500 laps,” she ordered. “Now!”

Hearing the sounds of his new superior’s whistle, Hurricane Eye took to the air as he began to circle around the academy at full speed while everypony else watched from below. It took a while for Hurricane Eye to get up to speed, but soon he got to the speed that a Pegasus pony training to be a wonderbolt would normally get to. After a while, Hurricane Eye had completed the 500th lap and came back down to the ground.

“Not bad,” said Spitfire, looking down at her stopwatch. “Like I said to Lightning Dust, I see potential in you and in the name of Celestia, we will teach you what it means to be a wonderbolt and what it means to be a true pony of Equestria. Tomorrow morning, before you go under the wing of Rainbow Dash and the wing of Lightning Dust, you will undergo the same training with the new recruits. Meet me at 0800 hours tomorrow, sharp.”

Hurricane Eye nervously nodded, but received a glare from Spitfire who then placed her hoof to her face.

“When you leave your officer,” said Spitfire, sternly. “You will salute, do you understand?”

“Yes, ma’am,” replied Hurricane Eye, nervously saluting his officer. “I will salute you.”

As she walked away from her newest recruit, Spitfire turned her attention to Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash.

“He’s got a lot to learn about being a Wonderbolt,” she said to them. “I want you to help him as much as you possibly can. If I am going to make a Wonderbolt out of him, I will need two cadets with experience in training to do just that.”

“Like I said,” replied Lightning Dust. “We won’t let you down, Spitfire.”

“Good,” remarked Spitfire, walking off as she knew now that Hurricane Eye was in good hands. But, it would be time before Hurricane Eye would truly earn the forgiveness from those he had tried to harm. Still, as time went on, Lightning Dust would not only help her brother, but also get to reconnect him on a proper scale while continuing to show the grace and humility that she learned in her second chance.

Lightning Dust had been given a second chance and she earned it, finally realizing her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt and at the same time, becoming a grace and humble pony.

Return of the Dizzitron

Chapter 2

“Return of the Dizzitron”

Although Lightning Dust had been given a crucial second chance by Spitfire, it seemed that she was going to have to do whatever it took to finally achieve the goal of becoming a Wonderbolt. For the next level of the academy, Rainbow Dash would assume the role of lead pony while Lightning Dust was downgraded to wing pony. For Lightning Dust, in her mind at least, being downgraded to wing pony would only pale her in the shadows of her older brothers.

“You okay, Lightning Dust?” asked Rainbow Dash, as they stood at a machine that was believed to be the Dizzitron, covered with a blue tarp with the rest of their fellow cadets. “You look nervous.”

“Oh, I’m fine, Rainbow Dash,” replied Lightning Dust, sheepishly. “I’m just trying to keep the thought of my brothers out of my mind.”

Rainbow Dash felt sorry for her former rival and let out a heavy sigh as Spitfire stepped forward along with her two guards. What the cadets were going to do from here on in was move on to the next level of the academy which was a repeat of activities and exercises that they had done the first time around. This time, Spitfire would have the cadets do the activities only to a higher level.

“Good morning, cadets,” said Spitfire, her sunglasses beaming down on the cadets.

“Good morning, ma’am!” they replied in unison.

“Welcome to level two of the academy,” continued Spitfire, pacing back and forth in front of the cadets. “As you probably might have known by now, you realize that the Wonderbolts are the fastest and best precision flyers in the world. But, you also know that spinouts can still happen and when they do, a Wonderbolt must be able to recover quickly. So, to this end, we are bringing back the Dizzitron.”

Remembering the last time that they had to face the Dizzitron, some of the cadets groaned at having to do this again. But, Spitfire cocked her eyebrow to get them to stop complaining and so they did, although they weren’t thrilled about doing this again.

“However, I am sure that all of you may remember,” said Spitfire, as she motioned the two guards to remove the tarp from the Dizzitron. “That the Dizzitron will make you dizzy. This is the Dizzitron, but a far more advanced version of it. It will make you dizzier than the regular Dizzitron. The time you will spend on here is much shorter and the quicker you react is the difference between life and possibly death.”

The cadets cringed at hearing the thought of possibly being killed as a result of not recovering from a spin out. Even Rainbow Dash cringed, remembering the time that she ended up in the hospital as a result of not being able to recover from a spinout.

“Now then, who’s first?” asked Spitfire as she looked out among the cadets. “You, Bulky, you’re up first.”

Bulk Biceps trembled nervously at being called up first and cowered slightly before Spitfire. The mighty and tough Bulk Biceps was reduced to nothing more than a frightened little foal who by now, was probably wishing that he was back at the Ponyville Spa giving out massages.

“NOW!” shouted Spitfire, rising into the air and causing Bulk Biceps to fly over to the Dizzitron, strapping himself in. “Ready?”

“Yeah,” whimpered Bulk nervously as Spitfire turned her attention back to one of the two guards operating the advanced Dizzitron.

“Okay, go!” cried Spitfire as the guard turned on the Dizzitron. Everyone watched as the advanced dizzitron spun faster and faster than its previous counterpart. After a few seconds, the Dizzitron spun faster and faster to its maximum point and Spitfire gave the order to release Bulk from it.

“Release!” she called and the guard pulled the lever that sent Bulk Biceps flying into the air.

But the huge pony had small wings and thus was not able to recover as quickly as the other cadets and upon being released, came quickly crashing down onto the ground and landing on his front side. The hard crash caused some of the cadets to cringe at the sight of seeing the biggest of the cadets lying down on the ground like that.

“Hmm, ten point five seconds,” remarked Spitfire, looking at her stopwatch. “Slightly better, but not something I would go writing home about. Who’s next?”

Spitfire looked among the cadets and turned her attention towards Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust. In her mind, Spitfire thought that if Lightning Dust was going to make the best of her second chance at the academy, it would be now. She also knew that the latter had achieved six point five seconds on the old dizzitron and that Lightning Dust would achieve a similar time on the new dizzitron. So, in an effort to bring Lightning Dust down to Earth again, Spitfire turned her attention towards Rainbow Dash.

“All right, Rainbow Dash,” she said. “You’re up next.”

Saluting her idol, Rainbow Dash flew up to the dizzitron and strapped herself in for the agonizing spin that she was about to endure.

“Okay, go!” called Spitfire as the advanced dizzitron was once again turned on. Lightning Dust watched as the dizzitron spun faster and faster and after a few moments, Rainbow Dash was released and quickly recovered from the spinout that she was in. Lightning Dust was stunned to see Rainbow Dash perform the six point five seconds she had previously done.

Once Rainbow Dash had recovered quickly, Lightning Dust nervously walked up to the advanced Dizzitron and strapped herself in. As she strapped herself in, she looked to see a ghostly figure snickering down at her. The ghostly figure was a red male pony and had a tornado spinning for a cutie mark.

“Well, well, well,” laughed the ghost. “Try all you can, little sister, you will never be a wonderbolt now. There is a reason why mom and dad chose to love my brothers and me more than you.”

“Yeah,” added another ghost, who was dark blue and had the eye of a hurricane as a cutie mark. “You had a chance to prove yourself as a wonderbolt and now you are throwing it all away.”

Lightning Dust nervously gulped as the ghosts disappeared and she lowered her goggles over her eyes. She knew that the ghosts were that of two of her three older brothers and that she had to prove herself to get them to leave her alone.

“All right, Lightning Dust,” said Spitfire. “We have the Dizzitron at maximum speed which is to your liking. Are you ready?”

“Yes, ma’am,” whimpered Lightning Dust as Spitfire motioned for the advanced dizzitron to be turned on. As she felt the speed of the advanced dizzitron going faster and faster, she saw the ghosts again, taunting her at every rotation the dizzitron made. Once the dizzitron reached maximum speed, Spitfire felt the time had come for Lightning Dust to be released.

“Release!” she called and the guard pulled the lever to send Lightning Dust flying into the air. Stuck in a talespin, Lightning Dust struggled to recover and knew that she was not going to beat her original time.

“Face it, little sister!” laughed the red pony. “You will always be a nobody, no matter how hard you try.”

Trying to not let the ghost get her down, Lightning Dust quickly attempted to correct herself and saw that she was heading towards the ground. Reacting quickly, the gold haired Pegasus quickly straightened herself out and came in for a smooth landing. Once she was on the ground, Spitfire and Rainbow Dash ran over to her.

“All right, Lightning Dust,” said Spitfire, looking at her stopwatch. “You were at seven seconds, down from your previous time of six point five.”

But, that didn’t seem to matter to Lightning Dust who merely just looked down at the ground and turned away. This caused a form of concern for Spitfire who saw how sad Lightning Dust looked. But, Spitfire didn’t have time to console her and turned her attention back to the other cadets who had to endure the advanced dizzitron.

When Lightning Dust went to bed that night, Rainbow Dash wanted to find out why Lightning Dust looked so down spirited that night. In her mind, she thought that Lightning Dust was being a sore loser about having her time on the advanced dizzitron go down from her previous time.

“I don’t get it,” said Rainbow Dash. “Why are you being such a sore loser about your time, Lightning Dust? I thought you were not going to be reckless.”

“It’s not that, Rainbow Dash!” she cried, causing the rainbow haired Pegasus to jump into the air. “I saw something today on the dizzitron, somepony that had put me down ever since I was a foal.”

“Who?” wondered Rainbow Dash as Lightning Dust sat on the edge of her bed. “Who did you see?”

Lightning Dust took an enormous gulp and looked back up at Rainbow Dash. In her mind, she could still hear that crazy laughter that the ghosts had made while she was on the advanced dizzitron.

“I saw two of my three older brothers,” began Lightning Dust. “Tornado Spin and Hurricane Eye, two colts that would make younger siblings look like idiots. Ever since I was born, they always put me down and while they went on to achievements that made them recognized, I always was a step behind them. My parents were proud of all of us and what we had achieved as individuals. But, they always thought that nothing else in the world mattered to them and that they were the ones who would always be the ones to earn all the glory.”

Rainbow Dash was shocked to hear this story that her former rival had made. In fact, hearing about these brought back memories of when she was a cocky mare herself and that it was thanks to Twilight Sparkle and her friends that she was able to understand that being cocky was going to get her nowhere.

“I know how you feel,” sighed Rainbow Dash, feeling sympathetic for Lightning Dust. “I was once like them, feeling that getting all the attention was what makes a pony special. One time, I became so caught up in getting attention for doing all kinds of heroic deeds that it got to a point where my friends had to make me see sense.”

“How did you see sense?” asked Lightning Dust.

“My friends each took roles playing a character called Mare-Do-Well,” replied Rainbow Dash. “They were trying to show me that it's great to be really good at something, but it's important to act with grace and humility. Ever since then, I show grace and humility when others outshine me. You can be the greatest, Lightning Dust, but you need to have grace and humility.”

Lightning Dust knew what Rainbow Dash was talking about, she had to have grace and humility, two essentials that she didn’t have in her body. If she was going to be a wonderbolt, she was going to have to earn those.

“And as another thing,” finished Rainbow Dash, quickly getting Lightning Dust’s attention back for a second. “I also learned a long time ago that friendship is much more important than competition.”

“When did you learn that?” asked Lightning Dust.

“During the Running of the Leaves,” replied Rainbow Dash. “When I was competing against my friend, Applejack. I guess we put our rivalry above all else and that was what ultimately caused us to lose the race.”

Lightning Dust took each matter in seriously and Rainbow Dash could see that Lightning Dust would learn these same key lessons if she was her wing pony. Of course, only time would tell if these lessons would get into Lightning Dusts’ head and help her prove her two older brothers wrong.