The Venom Inside (Version 1.2)

To say that Lightning Dust enjoyed her newfound power would be an understatement. She loved it. The enhanced strength, the enhanced speed and agility, the ability to stick to sheer surfaces, everything. Lightning also discovered that she could produce tentacles and shoot a black web-like substance from the top of her front forelegs. She didn't know where the sludge had come from, outer space, a lab somewhere, or even Tartarus itself. And quite frankly, she couldn't care less. This was what she needed to destroy Rainbow Dash.

Lightning Dust used the black webbing to make her way back to her apartment, where she began plotting her first move against Rainbow.

"We must bring her to us. Away from her friends... but, how?" muttered Lightning.

Well, what do you know about her? the creature said inside Lightning's head.

"Well, if I recall what she told me back at the Academy, Rainbow's been following the Wonderbolts for several years. She's hardly ever missed a... show," said Lightning as she made her way over to a stack of newspapers. "Where is it? Where is-ah ha!" said Lightning as she grabbed a poster featuring three pegasi in blue flight suits.

What does a piece of paper have to do with this? the creature asked as Lightning chuckled a little.

“Oh trust me. This piece of paper is just the opportunity we need to get back at that whorse.” Lightning said maliciously.

An air show? Hmm... that might just work... but, how do you know Rainbow Dash will show? the creature asked.

Lightning simply chuckled. "Trust me. Her devotion to becoming a Wonderdolt is almost an obsession. Like I said, she's never, ever, missed a Wonderbolt performance. And when she shows up... Venom will be there waiting for her.”

Venom? asked the creature.

"Well, we gotta call ourselves something, don't we?" said Lightning. She looked out the window and smiled a sinister grin. Two days from now, she would enjoy reading Rainbow's obituary in Front Line, the local newspaper... well, one of them, anyways.

~

Rainbow Dash was flying as fast as she could. It was chasing her, far faster than she could ever hope, unless of course she was prepping a sonic rainboom. She didn’t know why it hounded after her but she knew that this thing was NOT a friend. She almost made it when something grabbed her hoof. She looked back and saw that a black tentacle had wrapped around her back hoof and was dragging her down. She struggled but it just smacked her against the wall.

‘YOU WILL PAY FOR HURTING US RAINBOW!’ A snarling voice called out. She tried fighting against it but it was in vain as she was clawed, punched, and slammed against the walls. Then, from above, what seemed like blood with bits of black in it began to fall on her, before it drilled into her with merciless power.

The monstrous voice suddenly cried out in terror. 'NO! NOT YOU! ANYPONY BUT YOU!' it screeched.

The last thing Rainbow heard before the pain the substance caused her to pass out was something using her voice to say, ‘Oh don’t worry MOTHER. This won’t hurt a bit…. it will hurt a lot! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!’

~

"Rainbow! Rainbow, wake up!" said Princess Twilight Sparkle as she shook her friend, who was currently laughing like a homicidal maniac in her sleep.

Rainbow let out a roar as she woke up and looked around. She was safe in her bedroom. The monster and the red gunk were gone. And her whole body was drenched in sweat.

"T-Twilight? What are you doing here?" asked Rainbow.

"Well, I was practicing my flying and I heard you in here," said Twilight.

"Heard me? What exactly was I doing?" asked Rainbow, a touch concerned.

"Well... you were moaning and screaming and... laughing in your sleep," said Twilight anxiously.

A shiver ran down Rainbow's spine as she remembered the monster and the red ooze that had apparently hijacked her body.

"Oh... it was just a really bad nightmare. A really, really bad one," said Rainbow.

"What about?" asked Twilight.

“I’ll tell you later Twi. I just…. OH CRAP THE SHOW! I’M GONNA MISS IT!” Rainbow shouted as she zoomed out the door and into the air. Twilight just stared at her friend. Concerned as to what nightmare she had was about.