Rewashed
Scootaloo grinned as Lightning Dust flew her towards the hill where her scooter and the rocket engine lay. “Lightning Dust, I have to tell you, I actually started Equestria's first Washouts fan club! Er, as far as I know. So this is a real honor, ma'am!” She paused. “Um, do I call you ‘ma’am’?”
Lightning Dust turned her head to give the filly a cocky smirk. “You land this jump, you can call me whatever you want.”
The clouds parted, bringing the scooter and the rocket pack into view. Scootaloo’s eyes bulged at the sight of the massive projectile attached to her tiny little scooter, big enough for her to fit inside it with room to spare. “Wow. That sure is…”
“Dangerous?” Lightning landed in front of it and knelt for Scootaloo to jump down. “Nah. Well, maybe a little.” She walked up to the rocket and checked the straps securing it.
Scootaloo slowly followed her, swallowing heavily. “H-has anypony tested it before?”
“Nope.” Lightning put a hoof to her chin. “Well, a guy out in Fillydelphia used one of these to jump Luna Bay. Didn’t stick the landing, though.”
Scootaloo paled. “What happened to him?”
“I heard he has to drink his meals through a straw now.”
“He ended up in a full body wing-and-hoof cast!?”
“No, just a cast for his front hooves. And he couldn’t eat solid foods for a month.” Lightning patted the side of the rocket with a grin. “See, Spitfire was exaggerating. No worries.”
“Sure…” Scootaloo slowly stepped up to the rocket. “So what do I do?”
“You know how to hold onto the handlebar? Try that.” Scootaloo laughed nervously. Lightning Dust shook her head. “No, really, hold the handlebars straight. If you veer off-course you’ll miss the ramp.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Also, remember to hit the rocket release button after you launch. Unless you wanna get an overhead view of Cloudsdale in six seconds flat.” Lightning pushed some equipment away from the scooter to clear it. “Well, time to go. The audience is waiting.”
“Yeah…” Scootaloo gulped and stepped onto the scooter. “J-just a question… What happens if I miss the ramp?”
Lightning began to answer, but paused as she looked past Scootaloo. Her expression soured. “Well, look who flew back with her tail between her legs.” Scootaloo turned her head to see Rainbow Dash fly down next to her.
“Hey, squirt,” Rainbow said, keeping her eyes on Lightning Dust.
Scootaloo gulped. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”
“Mad? Nope.” Rainbow shook her head, still locked eyes with Lightning. “You’re free to make your own choices. I’m your friend, so I’m here to support you.”
“Oh… ‘kay.”
“And to save you if something goes wrong.” Rainbow now looked down at her with a small frown.
“Really?”
“C’mon, Dash!” Lightning snorted and put an arm on the scooter’s handlebar, giving her a cocky smirk. “Don’t you trust me to look out for her?”
“No.”
“Whatever.” Lightning’s smirk faded. She reached down and tossed Scootaloo her helmet. “We’re all set here, kid. Time’s a wasting.” She waved a hoof down at the bottom of the hill; Scootaloo heard a drum roll begin. She slowly looked down at the helmet.
Rainbow leaned into her ear. “Just say the word and we’re out of here. I don’t care about the Wonderbolts or the Washouts or whatever. I care about you.”
Scootaloo turned her eyes. “You’ll really save me if something goes wrong?”
“You know it.” Rainbow gave Lightning Dust a glare. Lightning rolled her eyes in response.
“…I’ll try.” Scootaloo brought the helmet down over her head and held onto the scooter handlebars. “I’m ready… I think.”
“Good luck, kid!” Lightning Dust grinned and brought her hoof down on the launch button.
The rocket’s exhaust port glowed yellow for a moment before it ignited. Scootaloo screamed as she shot forward down the hill. Her hooves turned white on the handlebars, gripping them tight to keep the wheel pointed at the ramp.
Rainbow shoved herself into Lightning’s face. “If a single hair on her mane is singed, I’m gonna make you sorry you ever started the Washouts!”
“Gimme a break!” Lightning snapped back. “She’ll be fine!”
Scootaloo reached the ramp and launched into the air, and screamed. She sailed forward, her hooves leaving the scooter. She lowered her eyes and saw the flaming carriages flying by under her.
“She’s not gonna make it!” Rainbow coiled and spread her wings, and was stopped when Lightning Dust wrapped her hooves around her neck.
“She is so!”
“How do you know?”
“Trust me!” Lightning thrust a hoof to point and Rainbow swiveled her head.
The two pegasi watched as Scootaloo’s scooter continued through the air. She looked down at the console and hit a second button. With a rush of air a pair of wings unfolded from the back end of the scooter, snapping apart the straps binding the larger rocket. The rocket angled up and fired up into the air, vanishing into the clouds, while the smaller rockets on the scooter pushed it to the far ramp. The front wheel hit with a bang and the rear soon followed.
Scootaloo and her scooter rolled down the ramp and onto the ground, her eyes wide. The small rockets on the side of the scooter fizzled out and popped. She pulled her helmet off and stared at the ramp.
“I… I did it.”
Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. Lightning smirked and grabbed a megaphone from the equipment nearby. “Let’s hear it for Half-Pint Dynamite!”
The crowd burst into cheers and applauses. Rows of fireworks launched and the other two Washouts began a synchronized routine through a series of bladed rollers.
“Well, go on.” Lightning nudged Rainbow. “Make sure she’s still breathing.” Rainbow took off without a word, leavening Lightning to follow at a more leisurely pace.
Scootaloo wheeled her scooter behind a support column for the stunt equipment, her chest heaving. She raised her head as Rainbow landed in front of her. “I did it! I did it! I think I saw my life flash before my eyes, but I did it…” She swooned and fell to the ground.
Rainbow knelt and lifted her head. “You sure did. I was scared for ya, but you were awesome, Scoots.”
Scootaloo saw Lightning Dust fly down and glared at her. “You could have killed me!”
“As-if!” Lightning waved a hoof. “Like I said, that rocket is graded to be able to launch into Cloudsdale. You think you’re heavy enough it wasn’t gonna get you over that jump?”
“B-but, it was so dangerous!”
“Of course, that’s the point.” Lightning pointed at the other two Washouts, weaving around the spiked rollers with less than inches to spare. “We practice these stunts all the time, but never safely. If there’s no element of danger then what’s the point?” She smirked and ruffled her wings. “You don’t wanna know how many feathers I’ve clipped on this stuff. Probably enough to make a spare set of wings.”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “So, you knew Scootaloo would be okay?”
“Yeah? What, did you think I was gonna risk her life for a stunt? None of the Washouts do anything we aren’t comfortable with, and I’m not gonna strap a filly to a rocket scooter if I don’t know for sure she’ll make the jump. That’s not reckless, Dash, that’s just stupid.”
“Seems like your kind of reckless from what I remember.”
Lightning recoiled. “Wow, was my last impression that bad?”
“Yeah, see, your ‘last impression’ was creating a tornado that almost got my friends killed.” Rainbow snapped.
“Almost. But they didn’t, so chill!” Lightning replied. “Accidents happen, Dash. Especially in this line of work, they happen every day. If I spent my time worrying about all the ways I could get thrashed flying around these things, I’d never perform. I don’t let fear stop me from doing my best.”
Rainbow shook her head. “That’s why the Wonderbolts have all those safety rules you think are a waste of time, and it’s why you got kicked out the Academy; because you think caution is fear and recklessness is courage.”
Lightning’s expression soured. “That was low, Dash. Real low.”
“And it’s also the truth.” Rainbow stood her ground. “You wanna risk your life on shows like this, that’s up to you, and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t cool watching you. But when you actually end up in a full-body-wing-and-hoof-cast, you won’t feel like laughing at Spitfire then.”
“Probably not,” Lightning replied. “And it’ll be my own fault, too.”
“Yeah, except this time, it would have been your fault if it happened to somepony else.” Rainbow put a hoof around Scootaloo. “I don’t like ponies who endanger my friends. You should know that.”
“I do. ‘Element of Loyalty’, so I hear.” Lightning looked up at the performing Washouts. “I never would have let the kid get hurt, you know. I’d have swooped in myself to snag her if I thought she wouldn’t have made it.”
“You could have said something before,” Scootaloo said softly. “I might have felt better trying it.”
“Would you really?”
“...Maybe.” Scootaloo frowned. “Probably not. It’s cool watching you guys perform and all, but it’s way, way scarier trying it for yourself.”
“Yup. But I always thought life would be boring without a couple of scares now and then.” Lightning grinned wickedly; neither pony returned it and Lightning let hers fade. “Not funny?”
“Nope.” Scootaloo shook her head. “I think I’ll take a break from riding rocket-powered scooters for a while. Maybe a lifelong break.”
“Really?” Lightning Dust looked at her “Lifelong, huh?”
“Maybe not that long, but I don’t think it’s gonna happen again soon.” Scootaloo gave an embarrassed smile. “Sorry, Lightning Dust. But I guess I’m not cut out for the Washouts after all.”
Lightning just watched Scootaloo for a moment before letting out a breath. “I would have disagreed with you on that one a few minutes ago. I thought I saw something in you. You were pretty brave through that.”
Scootaloo brightened. “Really?”
“Totally. A lot of fillies wouldn’t have had the guts to go through with it at all.” Lightning winked. “I can’t say I’m not a little disappointed, but you do you, kid. You ever change your mind, lemme know. You’ve got a free ticket to the Washouts any time we visit Ponyville.”
“Awesome!” Scootaloo cheered.
Lightning turned her attention to Rainbow Dash. “If Half-Pint Dynamite is out, our show’s down to three performers. Still got a spare uniform in the back if you’re up for it, wingpony.”
“No thanks.” Rainbow patted Scootaloo on the back. “I think I’m just gonna take her to the stands to watch.”
“Suit yourself.” Lightning pulled her goggles on and grinned. “That door’s held open for you too, Dash. If you’d just loosen up some, you’d make one heck of a Washout.”
“And you’d make one heck of a Wonderbolt if you’d straighten up a little.” Rainbow gave a small smile. “I’d say the two of us are right where we should be.”
“When you put it like that, maybe you’re right.”
Lightning held out her hoof. Rainbow looked down at her, then back to her face and solidly bumped her own hoof against it. Lightning took her hoof back, saluted, and flapped her wings to join the show.
Author's Note
I loved "The Washouts" up until the final scene. It is unbelievable to me that Lightning Dust would force a filly to perform a dangerous stunt she does not want to do, and would emotionally manipulate her to coerce her into doing it, and seemingly just to try and stick it to Rainbow Dash.
In "Wonderbolt Academy", Lightning Dust was a reckless show-off who was dismissive of the danger she put others in, but there's a bit difference between that and purposeful endangerment of a child. I did not need a direct "redemption" of Lightning Dust, or even necessarily want one. I would have been fine for the episode to end with her still being an antagonistic character. But they took her way, way too far, and totally derailed her character.
I wrote this fixfic to try and create a scene that allowed Lightning to remain in-character and for the episode to end satisfactory without defaulting to a redemption arc for her.
Lightning and Rainbow probably couldn't sustain an actual friendship. But they don't have to be enemies, and they can at least respect each other's skills and choices.
