A Harsh Cure

A Harsh Cure

Chapter 5: Settling the Score

"Cloudsdale Team" they were called. Nothing fancy. Lightning Dust didn't mind. She shared it with some decent fighters anyway. Knight Gilda looked pretty strong and capable, as well as motivated. She didn't seem to like the thought of taking out Rainbow Dash, but the thought of leaving it to somepony else didn't sit in well with her. Lightning Dust had trained with Flash Sentry, never did flat out beat him in a spar. He'd do. As for the other two: Gustaf the archer, and that creepy-looking magic crow, Georg, they better pull their weight. At least, they should stay out of her way.

Up ahead, the few remaining clouds of her once proud home city floated like scattered feathers. Not even a trace of Cloudsdale's buildings remained. If she didn't know that this was where Cloudsdale was supposed to be, she would have mistook those clouds for just a random, and odd, formation of clouds.

"Dust!" Flash Sentry called from behind. He took his place flying next to her, a frown already creasing his face. "You know, I recommended that you be picked for this mission because you're one of our best fighters," he said. "Not so you can gainsay our prince."

Lightning Dusk smirked. "Aw, did I embarrass you, Flash?" she asked. "Go buy him flowers, I'll pay."

"Sorry," Flash Sentry said. "I didn't realize treating your superior officer like your superior officer meant you wanted to rut him."

Lightning Dust didn't reply to that, preferring to take some small measure of satisfaction that Flash Sentry was having a bit of difficulty keeping up with her. She looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the monster she had seen earlier. There weren't a lot of places in Cloudsdale's ruins to hide in. Not that this monster was really interested in hiding. No, if this was Rainbow Dash, it was going to charge them at first sight. Now, if it were the other pony, the rather timid one who was supposed to be the Element of Kindness, they might be in more trouble. She banked on that not being the case.

The Elements of Harmony had been somewhat celebrities in Equestria since the restoration of the Crystal Empire. Though she had left Equestria for the Crystal Empire following her failure to join the Wonderbolts, Lightning Dust still kept up with the news. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie; the great heroines of Equestria, the Elements of Harmony, responsible for saving the land several times. It wasn't hard at all to get plenty of information about them. Applejack, a frequent participant in rodeos and known for her roping skills, had turned into some kind of ground-based rope monster. These transformations were still based on something. Following that trend, any flying monsters would be one of the two pegasi. Fluttershy, however, was often derided as a winged earth pony, both for her terrible flying and her affinity with plants and animals. She wouldn't be up here, flying around like she owned the skies. No, the monster here had to be Rainbow Dash.

"Hey!"

The griffons had finally caught up with Knight Gilda at the lead. She flew next to Lightning Dust, a death glare fixed on her face already. "Don't blow your stamina out showing off, dweeb, we're here to save what's left of your precious kingdom, not win races."

Lightning Dust raised an eyebrow. "Dweeb? Oh, you hurt my feelings, Knight Gilda. Maybe later you'll put gum in my mane or give me a swirly."

"Dust," Flash Sentry said. He put himself between her and Knight Gilda. "We'll need a plan of attack. We saw how fast this monster was."

Lightning Dust snorted. True, the monster was fast. When they scouted this place out, the monster had circled the clouds only once. That quick pass already told her plenty. First, it was big, bigger than a pony, with enormous wings of multi-colored, scintillating wings; a dead ringer for Rainbow Dash, even if Lightning Dust didn't bother with the rest of her deduction. Second, it flew at great speeds, making it impossible to catch anymore details beyond the most obvious. "Do we?" she asked. "It's big and fast. We'll draw it out, surround it, and pick it apart."

"Sounds easy," Georg rasped. "But all plans sound easy when discussed in safety."

"Give me a few more days of scouting and I'll offer you a detailed report, crow," Lightning Dust said. "Oh wait, we don't have a few days because that ugly purple pimple around Ponyville's about to pop. If you want more details to make a better plan, we'll need to poke this thing and see what it actually does."

"True, we need to engage," Gustaf said. "But that doesn't mean we need to make it a decisive battle right away. We can always retreat and regroup once we determine its abilities. No need to get anyone killed."

"As Prince Shining Armor had suggested," Georg said. "I shall focus on magical analysis once we sight it. Keep it busy, and wait for my report be we either commit to the attack or fall back."

"Look at you, large and in charge," Lightning Dust said.

"You misunderstand me, Miss Dust," Georg said. "Crows never take charge. We do advise though, you'd be wise to listen."

Lightning Dust snorted again. "This is Rainbow Dash we're dealing with," she said. "I'm the stronger and faster flyer. We'll down her with this one attack."

Georg simply bowed his head and pulled out a necklace made of small, preserved, eyeballs from one of his robe's many pockets.

Knight Gilda's frown deepened. It took a lot for Lightning Dust not to laugh at the sight. The group flew in closer, and hovered at a spot that Lightning Dust and Flash Sentry knew the monster was going to pass.

"Knight Gilda looks ready to gut you," Flash Sentry whispered.

"Guess she knows Rainbow Dash too," Lightning Dust whispered back. "Maybe an old friend reluctant to see her go." Her grin widened. "Or maybe an old rival who wants to be the one to beat her, and can't stand the pony who keeps acting like she's got Rainbow Dash's number."

Flash Sentry let out a sigh. "I know about the Wonderbolts Academy incident, Lightning Dust," he said softly. "I overheard Shining Armor discuss it with the princess when we signed up. I even caught a glace at the letter Spitfire sent them."

"What about it?" Lightning Dust asked.

"If you're pushing for this immediate confrontation because you want to get back at Rainbow Dash..."

And Lightning Dust let out a brief laugh at last.  "You're close, Flash," she said. "But not close enough. This isn't revenge."

"Then, what is--"

The flash of colors amidst the purple haze that was Cloudsdale cut Flash off. He and Lightning Dust drew their blades. Before they made their way to Cloudsdale, all of them already had their weapons enchanted. The monster was approaching and, at its rate, they'd have about a couple of seconds before the battle was joined.

The monster...Lightning Dust snorted. It was Rainbow Dash, so she may as well acknowledge it as Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash's transformation appeared more drastic than Applejack's. While the latter still retained the shape of a pony, the former had turned into something else completely. It was difficult to see the monster that owned the storm of prismatic feathers that blew around it. Lightning Dust squinted at the assault of colors. Sunlight struck the feathers, bouncing off them in a visually painful dazzle. Was this thing perpetually molting? It had to be regenerating those feathers just as quickly or it should be bald by now.

The fancy, highly distracting wings, were connected to a creature more lizard than pony. Her hairless, nearly transparent skin glistened, her red eyes had no irises and showed no emotion. In contrast to her ridiculously flamboyant wings, Rainbow Dash had become plain and streamlined. Her muscles, lithe and taut, bulged with each flap of her enormous wings. She had no visible mouth or ears, and her nose was nothing more than a small ridge on her pointed face.

"Well," Lightning Dust mumbled through her blade. "Time to check out what she can do!"

She zoomed in, pleased that Flash Sentry had not opted to scold her, instead flying close to back her up. Rainbow Dash answered her charge with a powerful flap of her wings. More feathers fluttered before them.

'What is this chicken move?' Lightning Dust thought. 'Can't even meet my charge?'

Several arrows whizzed past Lightning Dust, but the shots were all wide. Rainbow Dash didn't even bother evading.

'Great,' Lightning Dust thought. 'I've got a cross-eyed archer to back me up.' She moved in even closer. Rainbow Dash hadn't grown any claws or fangs. Her legs still looked a bit like pony legs, although her tail had turned into a smooth, lizard-like appendage. As Rainbow Dash gently flew back, Lightning Dust closed the distance, her blade swinging straight for the chest. Shining Armor had stabbed Applejack in the heart, where her Element of Harmony was apparently residing. The blast from Princess Cadence's magic had shattered the artifact and killed the monster. The same may be applied for Rainbow Dash.

The swing appeared to strike true, but all Lightning Dust felt was air. Nearby, Flash Sentry also swung and missed. Rainbow Dash answered by simply continuing her lazy flutter backwards. Knight Gilda let out a fierce cry, first swinging with her sword, following it up with a left claw. When both missed, she flapped her wings to hover briefly, bringing to bear her lion hind legs. Both claw strikes also missed.

"Damn!" Lightning Dust mumbled. "Is she some kind of ghost?"

"You three!" Georg called out. "Fall back!"

Flash Sentry sheathed his sword. "Dust, regroup!"

Lightning Dust brushed away some of the annoying feathers constantly fluttering around her. Even falling back felt like she was losing to Rainbow Dash. She swallowed her pride, and backed away, however. Rainbow Dash didn't seem interested in attacking. Several more arrows flew towards Rainbow Dash, but missed by a wide margin. How this stupid hawk griffon even got out of basic training was starting to baffle Lightning Dust.

"It's the feathers," Georg said once they were close enough. "They are distorting the light around it. The creature appears closer or further away depending on where you view it. That's why your attacks are missing."

"Then blow them away, crow," Lightning Dust said. "You can cast spells, right? A bit of wind should get rid of them!"

Georg opened his mouth, but the Lightning Dust heard nothing. The sight of the crow griffon disappeared into a blur of rainbow colors. Something struck Lightning Dust's shoulder, sending her spinning towards the ground. The struck shoulder burned in agony and her left foreleg hung limp. Even trying to move it hurt. It took several precious seconds for her to right herself and look around. More feathers fluttered around Lightning Dust, the tell-tale sign that it must have been Rainbow Dash's charge that struck her and the rest of the group. At a distance Flash Sentry and Knight Gilda had just recovered. Georg and Gustaf had to be nearby. The more important thing, however, was to locate Rainbow Dash before another charge ripped her in half.

Flash Sentry and Knight Gilda had recovered already. They didn't look as badly injured as her.

"Lightning Dust," Georg rasped. He was hovering behind her as it turned out.

"Wind please, crow," Lightning Dust said.

"Set your shoulder first," Georg replied. When Lightning Dust didn't do so right away, he grasped her left foreleg, and pushed it up. She cried out loudly as bolts of pain ran down her shoulder and spread to her leg and back. Georg muttered something in his language, and the pain diminished slightly.

Lightning Dust moved her left foreleg, grinning when it didn't hurt as much. "So you have a use after all," she said.

"Try to follow my example then, pegasus," Georg replied. He flew back and pointed the necklace of bones towards Rainbow Dash. His beak moved, and his other claw was clenched into some kind of sign. Lightning Dust didn't bother listening. It was humiliating enough that the enemy landed the first blow on her. That this crow was telling her to step up was more so.

Rainbow Dash was lazily circling them, not even bothering to maintain the blinding speed she used to smash the group.

'Lazy, typical," Lightning Dust thought. 'Never could push yourself.' She clamped down on her blade again and signaled towards Flash Sentry and Knight Gilda for a pincer attack.

A gust of wind finally came from Georg's direction, sending all the prismatic feathers spiraling away. The barrage of light distortion hurt Lightning Dust's eyes, forcing her to look away. For a few moments, she had a clear view of her target. Gustaf fired again, his quiver already have empty. This time, the arrows flew true. They would have found their mark, but Rainbow Dash was quick notice the change in the situation. As soon as her little light trick was neutralized, she flapped her wings hard, easily turning into a blur of colors.

"That's more like it!" Lightning Dust snarled. She flapped her wings hard. The feathers were only going to be gone for as long as Georg could maintain that wind, which wouldn't be for long. It didn't matter if it only lasted seconds, because the next one already saw Lightning Dust by Rainbow Dash's side, blade raised for a killing strike. She looked at those black eyes for a second, searching for, hoping for some sign of panic. Not even an "Oh, crap!" in those eyes. Well, it didn't matter. Her vision clear, Lightning Dust's blade struck true.

The glistening, translucent skin offered next to no resistance. Lightning Dust had sliced through tougher onions during her time in the Crystal Guard. Rainbow Dash's monstrous form was clearly built to be fast, and maneuverable. Heavy, bulky armor was out of the question. No blood leaked out, however. Instead, arcs of magic exploded out of the cut, like a small geyser of light.

Flash Sentry and Knight Gilda followed suit, but Rainbow Dash had already recovered and easily flew out of the way.

"Keep up!" Lightning Dust shouted at the two. She followed after Rainbow Dash. For a while, it seemed that she was the only one. Even Gustaf's arrows didn't seem able to catch up with them. Rainbow Dash stared at her with those insipid black eyes, not even able to give Lightning Dust the satisfaction of a pained screech. More feathers fluttered out of those ridiculous wings, and Lightning Dust's eyes were starting to hurt again. Soon, she'd start missing with her swings again, unless...

Before the feathers could take their effect, Lightning Dust strained her wings for one more burst, crashing into Rainbow Dash's torso and hanging on for dear life.