The Life Of Lightning Flash

                                                                                   Chapter Eighteen

A couple months passed and it was now Spring. This years Winter Wrap Up in PonyVille went well and Dash had got herself a place for being the Weather Team leader next year!

With Xenon Draft now retired we had a new class teacher for our Flight Skills and History class. Her name was Miss Skyline and she had apparently worked in 2 previous flight schools. We hadn't known her long and she didn't know us at all.

We were all missing Xenon Draft. Especially myself and Rainbow Dash. He was the one who got me to join Wingbury Academy. The one who brought Dash to that stadium and than saved my life. He was almost like a father figure to a lot of us. But I'm sure our paths will cross again.

"So did ya finish that homework on Wind Resistance?" I asked FireSpeed as we headed towards the classroom for our next lesson. Today was Tuesday and meant there were no outside lessons. Only writing, studying and revision. The most boring day of the week!

"Well...no." Replied FireSpeed turning his head away from me as we walked down the corridor.

"Why not? I mean it wasn't that hard."

"I just got things going on at the moment. Didn't get time."

"Nah that's cool. Don't know how Miss Skyline will respect that though. Haven't had the full chance to see what she's like ya know?"

"Guess we'll see today huh?"

We approached a set of toilets which were on the other side of the hallway from the classroom. Rainbow Dash walked out of the Mare's door and noticed us two before entering the classroom.

"Hey guys!" Said Rainbow walking over to us with her satchel carrying a few books inside.

"Sup Rainbow?" Asked FireSpeed.

"Yeah. Guess we better get to class." Said Rainbow Dash heading towards the door.

All three of us walked into the classroom and took our seats, The ones that weren't all ready taken that is. There were 12 desks in total for 12 students plus the teachers desk in front. The desks were arranged in three horizontal rows of four. I sat in the middle row with FireSpeed to my right and Thunderlane to my left. Rainbow Dash took a seat directly behind me.

With all our satchels layed either beside us on our desks Miss Skyline entered the room. Her coat was a sunset orange and her mane was as blue as the deep ocean.

"Good morning class." Said Skyline throwing some books onto her desk and grabbing a stick of chalk before standing in front of the chalkboard positioned behind her desk.

"Morning." The whole class except FireSpeed replied. What was bugging him so much? Something to stop him from working was quite odd but seeing him jusr sit there now with his head drooped made me worry.

"Today we're going to focus on Wind Resistance and famous stunts or maneuvers  where other pegasai have cut straight through the air with perfect ease." Said Skyline writing down any keywords on the chalkboard.  "Any questions?"

Everypony sat  silent.

"No pony at all? Well you're all either very good in this topic or your too feather brained to notice."Added Skyline catching a few ponies attention. But still not FireSpeed.

"What did you just call us!?" Said Rainbow rising from her seat behind me.

"A pony with some attitude?" Skyline walked past me and Speedy and faced Dash who was now glaring right back at her."Prove me wrong."

"Oh I'll show ya who's a feather brain alright! Outside. Now." Commanded Dash.

"A real flyer can prove their skill without their wings. Might want to remember that." Said Skyline walking back past me.

Rainbow slumped back into her seat but stayed annoyed.  What crap was that? A real flyer can prove their skill without flying? Complete crap. "Have any of you done your homework?"

Almost everpony's hooves shot up except FireSpeed's.

"Excuse me lad but did you not finish your homework or are you a little tired?" Asked Skyline.

FireSpeed slowly raised his head to look her directly in the eyes "No sorry."

"Mind saying why?"

"His been dealing with some things outside of school Miss." I butted in saving FireSpeed's breath.

"I was asking him. Now..what's your excuse?" Said Skyline rudely and turning back to Speedy. I looked over my shoulder to Dash, she hit her hooves together to show she didn't like this teacher either.

"Like Lightning said. I've been going through some stuff lately."

"Well for all I know you could be lying and I DON'T tolerate liars in my class." Skyline stomped her hoof into the floor. "An Essay on how one can break the barrier of sound. I expect it done tomorrow."

"What!?" Dash jumped out of her seat.

"Miss Dash! Sit back down!"

"Miss you can't give that to him!"  I shouted. Everypony else in the room were just avoiding any attention or involvment in this whole thing.

"Well Lightning was it? I don't tolerate ponies who don't bother with their education."

From the corner of my eye I could see FireSpeed's hooves begin to shake and his face cringe with anger.

"I don't slack off. I'm a better flyer than you could ever be." FireSpeed muttered under his breath. Skyline didn't seem to notice and walked back over to her desk

"Oh and Miss! About FireSpeed's essay. That should be about light too." I said. FireSpeed snapped his head in my direction.

"Excuse me? You are quite mistaken little Lightning. No pegasus in over a thousand years has ever broken the light barrier." Replied Skyline.

Little Lightning? Only one pony called me that. She hadn't just insulted the class, commanded Dash and upset my friend. She had no right in calling me that or denying my skill.

She had just made an enemy within 5 minutes of knowing her.

"Better rewrite those history books. I've broke the light barrier more than twice. Oh and don't call me that name." I said with a cocky tone. I knew this was gonna get me into trouble but I couldn't just let her push my friends around.

"I don't know who you think you are but you and your little lying friend there can head straight to the headmaster's office."

Skyline stomped her hoof on the floor once again as she stood furious behind her desk.

Me and FireSpeed rose from our seats and proceeded towards the door.

"Come on Speedy. Bet the headmaster will trust us...he has worked here longer than you." I said looking at FireSpeed and than turning to Skyline.

"Office! NOW!" Skyline demanded.

FireSpeed walked into the corridor and waited for me. Before leaving I looked across the classroom to Rainbow Dash. I grinned and she smiled back. She wasn't worried about me. I was worried about Skyline though or Dash. One of them was sure to light the fuse again.

Me and FireSpeed proceeded down the long empty corridor to the headmaster's office.

"Who the buck does she think she is?" Asked FireSpeed.

"Obviously somepony better than us? Jerkoff more like."

"She had no right giving me that work! She don't know a single thing about me! She's just some dumb whore coming into our school and taking a position she can't see through!"

"Agreed." I'd never seen FireSpeed so angry. His hooves shook with rage as he walked beside me. His eyes twitching slightly ever so often. "Hey bro. What's got ya so down? Apart from Skyline that is."

"I guess your the only pony I know who will truly understand."

"Dude I've been through my unfair share of crap. I just wanna help ya. I'm always here to help ya." I stepped in front of him bringing our walk to a stop.

FireSpeed gave out a quiet sigh and backed up against the wall to lean on. "I don't know how to say it." FireSpeed suddenly broke out crying and falling back onto his rump.

"Woah dude!" I grabbed him in a hug and patted him on the back. FireSpeed sat back onto the wall.

"Last night I came home after school and I started thinking about....about when my mother died! How I saw it! How I just stood there and didn't do a thing!!!" FireSpeed's eyes filled with tears. He covered his face with his two front hooves.

"How useless I was! Everyone has their parents and I don't have ANY!!"

FireSpeed stopped and looked up at me once again before his eyes drowned in tears.

"She's gone Lightning....she always will be.."

"Speedy....I don't know...I don't know what to do. I know how ya feel. I had no idea what caused my father to pass away and I still don't. I hate it everyday that I couldn't help him"

"What would she even think of me like this!? What the hell would I have done to make her proud!!??" More tears ran down both of Speedy's cheeks.

"Dude we can't stay here with you like this. Let's go to the headmaster and explain things to him. I'm sure he'll understand." I suggested standing back up.

"No. I'm not staying in this place!" FireSpeed jumped up and flapped his wings before flying down the corridor.

"HEY! WAIT!" I shouted before quickly folllowing him. He turned a few corners, passed a few classrooms until finally reaching the main entrance. Which was always left open for visitors and student breaks. FireSpeed flew straight out of the entrance and away from the Academy's grounds.

Luckily there were no staff around to realise our little escape.

While now having left the Academy's grounds, me and FireSpeed were now leaving CloudsDale and heading in the opposite direction of PonyVille. I don't think he knew where he was going. Probably just flying where ever his wings will take him.

I was able to keep up with FireSpeed, staying just at the same speed a couple meters beside him.

"FireSpeed! I know this is difficult but we need to head back!"

"No! I've lost my mother, I've been harrassed by some new snobby teacher and you expect me to deal with it!?" FireSpeed was more angry than sad now. He'd never ever snapped at me like that before. I couldn't blame him.

"No I don't! But I don't wanna see ya get any worse than this!"

"I didn't even get to give her a proper goodbye! My life is crap Lightning! I've lost my mum, I got to deal with crappy work and a whore of a teacher. I don't even have a cutie mark! I ain't even got a special somepony! The only one I could love so much doesn't even know my name!" FireSpeed was talking about the one he had always had a huge crush on. The amazing Wonderbolt known as Spitfire.

"Dude life's not all crap but ya gotta see that this will all be different! I can't fix those things for you. I'm sorry. Please just stop and let's head back!" I pleaded him to listen but it was no use.

"ARGGGHH!!!" FireSpeed yelled at the top of his lungs just before the frightening happened.

With a sudden jolt of energy, rage or depression. Whatever was inside of FireSpeed it caused him to suddenly increase in speed. He had begun to fly faster than he ever had before! He soared ahead of me but I just about managed to keep up without using any ability's of mine.

FireSpeed kept his head pushed forward and never looked in any different direction than in front of him. His speed just kept increasing by ridiculous amounts. As if he was trying to win a race!

As FireSpeed's speed continued to up itself whether he realised it or not...it seemed to be controlled by his anger somehow.

Flying alongside him but still keeping my distance I could see that his face had been flared with rage.

As he flew I could see the wind splitting around him. Than in a blink of an eye his body became consumed in a ball of fire!

Still soaring forwards FireSpeed was somehow going so fast that his body was literally burning up. I could barely see any recognisable part of him. He was indeed a fireball itself.

"FIRESPEED!" I yelled. I didn't know if he was gonna crash and burn into the ground or turn to ash!

There was no response from the fireball that was now Speedy.

While still on fire, FireSpeed was now creating a trail of flames behind him as he cut through the air. What the hell was this!?

"BOOM!"

With a crack of blast piercing my ears FireSpeed zoomed forwards and continued at a speed I couldn't even keep up with. Not without using my FlashBang trick that is.

This wasn't a mystery though. FireSpeed had just managed to break the sound barrier! Just like Rainbow Dash but instead of a rainbow trailing behind him he had a string of flames.

I couldn't let him get too far ahead in this state of his. I dashed forward to follow his trail of fire but than it happened again!

"BOOM!"

As he began to slow down from his first breaking of the sound barrier he suddenly did it again! Twice! FireSpeed was now quite a distance ahead of me but I continued to pursue him.

There was still a faint trail of flames remaining in the sky where Speedy had flown. I managed to catch up to him as he started to slow down.

"FireSpeed!" I shouted again. He turned towards me and stopped, hovering in the air.

Now losing his appearance of a fireball his mane and tail were still on fire! He literally had a mane and tail of flames! His eyes were no different. They were burning inside. His pupils and iris's were now flames.

"Lightning?"

"Speedy...what the buck did ya just do?"

"I-I-I don't know! It felt good though. As if I was a hot knife through butter!" An appropiate phrase I guess. It was good to see that he hadn't burnt up into ash but I was still worried to the fact that his mane, tail and eyes were still in flames!

"Do ya feel..any different now?"

"No not really. My vision is a little weird. It's like I'm able to see everything but some things are glowing more than others. Like you!"

"What?" I began patting myself down incase I was at all effected.

"Hahaha! I don't know why but it's weird!" A family of birds flew overhead."Them too! Their glowing like a white light compared to everything else."

"Weird. What about ya tail and mane?"

"Huh?" FireSpeed snapped his head round to look at his tail."Woah! Wait...I'm glowing too! Ah really bright!" He shielded his eyes and turned back to me. That's when I noticed it. He had a Cutie Mark!

"Dude look!" I pointed a hoof at his flank.

"Huh?" He looked back at his flank to see a fireball thrusting upwards as his Cutie Mark.

"SWEET! HAHA!"

"I think it's quite appropiate! Heheh!"

"Hell yeah!" FireSpeed flew slowly past me and I followed. He obviously wanted to head back now

"How did you do all that Speedy?"

"I'm not sure."  His tail, mane and eyes were still burning. It was hard to look at him normally.

"Ya do realise that you broke the sound barrier right?"

"Really!?"

"Uh yeah! Twice in fact I think! But I guess being a fireball makes one bad with remembering things. Hahaha!"

"I have no idea how I did all that. I was just so angry and upset. I focused all those thoughts into my energy to fly faster. Hoping I would somehow lose it."

Sounded a lot like how I did my FlashBang trick! Focusing all ya thoughts and such while flying. There was definately a connection between mine, FireSpeed's and Dash's Cutie Marks. They weren't like a job or goal to pursue. They were our ability's, talents and they were all to do with speed! We could all break at least one barrier.

Mine being light and Dash and Speedy's being sound.

It took us about ten minutes to get back to Wingbury Academy. We decided to fly back a bit slower and calmer this time around.

Rainbow Dash, Kensei Coal, Hemlock and Fluttershy all sat together enjoying their lunch at the canteen. Lightning and FireSpeed still absent.

"Speedy and Lightning can't still be in the headmaster's office can they?" Asked Kensei sipping his drink.

"Surely not." Said Hemlock.

"I heard that the headmaster didn't even see them. Apparently the two of them never arrived at his office." Added Fluttershy finishing her sandwich.

"What!?" Shouted Rainbow Dash scaring Fluttershy by accident.

"I-I don't know!" Squeeked Fluttershy.

"Where could they have gone?" Asked Kensei.

The canteen's door swung open with a loud swoosh of air entering the room. In the doorway stood Lightning Flash and a still partially in flames FireSpeed. Everypony turned to see them and were gobsmacked by Speedy's new style.

The room erupted in a cluster of whispers and chatter about FireSpeed.

"What the?" Said Hemlock and Kensei in perfect synchronisation.

Me and FireSpeed walked over to the others without grabbing any lunch.

Fluttershy jumped behind Kensei in fright, Hemlock and Kensei twisting their heads in amazment and Rainbow Dash hovering in the air with the most confused look on her face!

"What the hell happened!? Asked Dash.

"Long story." I replied.

"Lunch has just started. We got time." Added Hemlock.

"Let's just say I'm a pyromaniac and ya shouldn't tick me off." Said FireSpeed with a smile.

"More like light ya up! Bahahaha!" Dash broke out laughing at her own remark.

"What's with the burning mane, tail and eyes?" Asked Kensei.

As FireSpeed went to open his mouth, the flames that were his mane, tail and eyes that had continued to burn calmly throughout our conversation were suddenly extinguished from out of nowhere.

"Nevermind I guess!" Said Dash.

"Well that was a...um...one of the many results from my ability!" Replied FireSpeed.

"Ability? What ability?" Asked Kensei with a suspicous eye.

"Wait look!" Fluttershy jumped into life after being quite terrified of FireSpeed's new approach with fire. She pointed at Speedy's flank to show his new Cutie Mark.

"Oh that! Yeah that was the other result from my trick. Heheh." Said FireSpeed.

We sat down with the others and explained to them all what happened. The fireball, Speedy's weird vision and how we think he did all of it.

Kensei commented on his odd vision and said something about thermal vision? Not completely sure what he said but him and FireSpeed seemed to understand it and agree.

With FireSpeed getting his cutie mark and all made me realise something. I have never found out how Hemlock and Kensei got their cutie marks! Kensei's was a pair of headphones with a paintbrush in between the ear muffs. Odd indeed but so was Hemlock's. Hem had a twenty sided dice on his flank. A TWENTY SIDED dice!? What?

"Hey Hemlock how'd ya get your cutie mark than?" I asked. It was time to get some answers.

"Huh?" Hemlock finished his last few gulps of a drink."Oh mine? I got it by winning at Dungeons and Dragons!"

"Dragons and what now?" I asked.

"You know that board game I love to play sometimes? The one with all the fighting, magic, characters and races!" Replied Hemlock.

"Wait races!? As in racing like the Wonderbolts do!?" Rainbow Dash burst into excitement.

"No! Races as in different types of species and such. Like us ponies! We're Pegasai, Unicorns, Earth Ponies and Alicorns." Replied Hemlock downing Dash's gleeful mood.

"So what? Ya just played a session, won and there it was?" Asked FireSpeed.

"No. I attended an official Dungeons and Dragons tournament! I went up against the best of the best and eventually won! Got my cutie mark and haven't lost yet." Added Hemlock.

"Ah okie dokie than! Now your turn Kensei."I said turning to Kensei.

"What me? Oh mine is cool I guess! Not amazing like burning up into a ball of fire or breaking the light barrier!" Kensei looked between me and FireSpeed and smiled."Well one day back in my first year at Wingbury, I was in art class and our teacher had asked everypony to create an original piece of their own. So to get myself relaxed and in the mood I popped in my headphones and listened to some of my favourite tunes!" Kensei finished his sandwich before continuing.

"I never really listened to music as I worked before but when I did that day I managed to create my best drawing that I ever made! So I realised music helped me with my art and eventually I decided instead of just listening to music why don't I create some!? I created my first couple of tunes and used them as further inspiration for my art. Than one day it just appeared!"

Kensei looked at his cutie mark with a smile.

"What the buck does it mean though?" Asked FireSpeed.

"Well it represents two things actually! One of them being that I have two great talents and the other meaning being that music is an art! Heheh." Replied Kensei.

"Pretty interesting. Why did you ask anyway Lightning?" Asked Hemlock.

"Just that we all know how the rest of us got our cutie marks but we had never found out yours!" I replied.

"But who's got the coolest Cutie Mark!?" Demanded Rainbow Dash.

"Well I think that's pretty obvious. It's definately-" I was interrupted by the end of lunch break bell. Which also meant that our next lesson was about to begin.

"Crap." I said.

"Urgh. Best get going than I guess." Added Kensei.

"See ya guys later!" Said Rainbow Dash as Hemlock, Kensei and Fluttershy headed off to their lessons.

"I'd say today's been pretty cool so far right Speedy?" I said as us three stood up and walked through the canteen.

"Cool? Wrong word bro. I ain't cool today. Ya know why?" Replied FireSpeed but as mine and Dash's mouth's opened he quickly added."Because today I was on fire!"

Me and Rainbow Dash turned to each other and both facehoofed ourselves.

"What? Can't take the heat?" Added FireSpeed.

I opened the canteen door for Dash and Speedy and as I shut it I grabbed Rainbow by the shoulder and said..

"No. So I guess we better get outta the kitchen than."