Once a Time Lord, Now a Pony

The explosion was heard all throughout Canterlot. It woke ponies in their beds, and later one Blueblood would be heard complaining to his "Auntie" that he'd been woken from his beauty sleep and wanted the pony in question who was responsible for the arson beheaded by him personally if it all possible. But that was besides the point right now wasn't it? What was the point was that when Twilight heard the explosion she didn't know how it was done, but she knew who was responsible for it. So that was how she found herself in front of a manor on Wintergreen Street, actually not too far from her old home here with her parents, watching the fireponies desperately try to contain the blaze that threatened to engulf nearby homes.

"Well... No question at all who did this." Sunburst muttered as he watched the home burn.

"Yeah, if I was a betting stallion, which I am not, I'd be betting on Dust alright." Galaxy Swirls commented. "Man, tell me she wasn't always this nuts?"

"No, I dare say she's taken a real step up." Sunburst said dryly.

Twilight meanwhile frowned to herself as she lost herself in her thoughts. Sunburst's statement, deadpan as it was, had a point to it. Lightning seemed to be losing her grip on sanity more and more, and any chance  to help her was slipping from her grasp by the minute. They needed to hurry.

"Who lived here anyway?" She asked.

"One of Lightning's old band members I think, before she got kicked out of the group." Sunburst answered, before a voice came from behind them.

"Aye, I can confirm that lad." The voice said in a accent that identified it's owner as coming from the Trottish Highlands and Sunburst, Galaxy and Twilight all turned to see a green stallion with a guitar for a cutie mark on his flank.

"Wasn't exactly public knowledge, but ole Dust got kicked out of this here group for her... attitude. You saying she did this, lad?" The stallion questioned. His voice was in a tone of shock, and Twilight felt a bit sorry for him as he seemed to not want to believe Dust did what she had.

"Yeah, seems that way." Twilight said sadly. The stallion's face fell and became sorrowful.

"Oh dear Celestia... What's happened to you Dust? When I heard about your accident... I... I'm sorry, will you lot give me a moment please?" He asked, and all three turned away to give him some privacy to the shaken stallion's whose whole world as he knew it was turned upside down. Twilight's pity for him only increased.

"So... What do we do now?" She asked.

Galaxy piped up excitedly.

"That's easy! We find Lightning, and open up a can of whoop-flank!" He said grinning, a bit like a madman. Twilight suspected by this point he might be insane.

"Er... Shouldn't that be opening up a can of whoop-a-?" Sunburst asked in confusion before being cut off.

"I don't curse or do anything my mother told me never to do, cause that would be immoral and wrong." Galaxy responded, that grin of his still on his face. Sunburst sighed, he really should learn to keep his mouth shut at times. It would just be better for him that way. Meanwhile, Twilight groaned as she felt a headache coming on. Why was she always the one to attract the weird stallions?

The very next day as the sun rose, a well rested Twilight came up with a plan. Said plan was still a work in progress, and was a bit crazy but still a plan. Twilight just wasn't going to admit she was making half this stuff up as she went along. That bit, she supposed she'd learned from the Doctor. Anyways, the plan involved a giant mirror created by R.I.F.T and enchanted by Twilight, that if it worked, would redirect Lightning's abilities back at her (Hopefully) taking her down for the count. Problem was, they just had to find her and bring her to it.

"Sooo... uh, anyone want to draw straws to lure out Ms. Trigger Happy?" Galaxy asked sarcastically. "For the record, I just want to state NOT IT!" He yelled suddenly startling Twilight and making Sunburst nearly jump and nearly drop some parts, as he put on the finishing touches on the mirror which was shaped like a giant disk.

"Hey, watch it. This stuff isn't cheap, you know." Sunburst frowned. Galaxy laughed nervously.

"Oopsie..." He said. Twilight facehoofed.

"I'll do it." Twilight said. "Lightning really hates me, and on that basis I could easily draw her out of wherever she's hiding." She finished, making Sunburst frown in concern.

"So, you're just going to offer yourself up on a platter as live bait? Braver stalli-Er, mare then me." He admitted, his face flushing red. "Not that it's very difficult to be that." He said sadly.

"Hey, you're a lot braver then you think you are if you're going to try and help with this plan." Twilight told him, but he shook his head.

"No... I'm not brave at all, just doing what needs to be done." Sunburst said sadly before he pepped himself up a bit. "So, how you going to draw her out again?"

Twilight smirked.

"Like this." She said, before using the spell that the Princesses used for their Royal Canterlot Voice.

"LIGHTNING DUST! I CHALLENGE YOU! YOU WANT ME? WELL, COME AND GET ME!" Twilight yelled, forcing anypony nearby to cover their ears to avoid deafness from a pitch that would make Luna proud. But the plan worked in any case, as a streak of lightning without a cloud appeared before them and soon Lightning Dust stood in it's place.

"Here I am. Time to die." She snarled, and Twilight smelled ozone.

"Not today." She smirked before yelling "Sunburst, NOW!"

Twilight moved out of the way as the bolt flew past her and hit the mirror activated by Sunburst, which did exactly as it was intended and redirected it back towards it's owner. There was a loud explosion and dust flew everywhere making Twilight cough. But when it cleared, Lightning Dust lay in a crater unconscious, but alive.

Twilight stood over her and whispered "I'm sorry, I wish I could have done more..." to herself. It wasn't long before the Royal Guards arrived to take the Pegasus away to prison, but Twilight stopped them.

"No, prison's not for her. She needs help." She said.

Celestia came over.

"And I promise she'll get the best of care." The Sun Princess stated, and Twilight glanced at Dust.

"Pinkie Promise?"

"Pinkie Promise." Celestia smiled, before mimicking the timeless gestures for it. "Sunburst, if you please?" She asked, and the stallion in question nodded.

"Got it, milady." He answered, with a salute before gesturing to some of his fellow R.I.F.T scientists who picked up Lightning and put her on a stretcher before taking her away. Celestia and Twilight watched sadly as it happened.

"You think they'll be able to help her?" Twilight asked.

"We can only hope, my faithful student." Celestia replied sadness in her tone. "We can only hope."

Later, Twilight was at her home back in Ponyville reading a book as always when she received a knock on her door. She opened it, only to see the Doctor in front of her. He grinned.

"So, how was your day?"

END