Ranger: Faster

by Rescue Sunstreak

Rating: everyone
Tags: Lightning Dust, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Drama
Length: 1002

Can Lightning Dust make it to Manehatten in time? (SPOILER) you MUST be up to or past Chapter 38 of Ranger

Can Lightning dust make it to Manehatten? Shane had put his trust in her, and she would not let him, or the Rangers down!

A short story done for EFNW 2019 Iron Author. No edit done and posted in the spirit of the event.

Published 2019-05-20 01:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-05-20 01:20:01 UTC

Faster

Faster, she had to go faster!

Behind her she knew a filly cried out for her father. Behind her a mother had committed a crime unthinkable and sat in a cell.

Faster.

She needed to get to Manehatten. The train would be too slow, and the Ranger was counting on her!

Faster.

She again let her thoughts wander, to that little pink filly with the huge black eye. Thoughts of the rage on the LT's face, even the princess had been so upset. Her thoughts went to that of her own mother, what kind of mother would do such a thing? She just could not wrap her mind around such an act. Yes she knew there was bad in the world, but to strike your own daughter hard enough to nearly blind her...for what!

Faster.

Her thoughts went to that of her own mother; sure her upbringing wasn’t the best, but she was never abused. She was never yelled at, never struck for something. No, her mother never lifted a feather in anger, then again she never really helped either. Her mother was usually too busy finding the bottom of a bottle, or locking her bedroom door with the latest stallion she dragged home from the bar in there with her. It was not a great childhood, but she knew she had been loved.

Faster

Blinking behind her goggles; thoughts returning to the here and now. Shane had told her to find Filthy Rich, and she was going to do that. It was her job as one of the messenger corps, she couldn’t let him or Swift Note down. He had bid her to go her fastest, to hold nothing back. That strange human, who had shown her trust and kindness. She would never fail him, not so long as blood still flowed in her veins.

Faster

Doubt started to creep into her head, Rainbow could do this far faster than she could. Why wasn’t she sent? Thoughts of the rainbow colored mare made her pause, but then move past the moment. Dash had forgiven her, as had everypony else, and welcomed her among the Canterlot Rangers. The townsponies of Ponyville treated her with respect, trust, even friendship. In the case of one white coated earth pony nurse, perhaps more.

Faster

Once again she found her thoughts wandering off to the past. The lowest moment of her life, she had been drummed out of the Wonderbolts. She had taken up any job that would have her, something not many would do. Luck had given her a leg up, and she had found work as a messenger pony.

Faster

Her mind wandered to the thoughts of that night eight years later. No other messenger could get through the storm. However a little filly was deathly sick, and needed the medication sitting on the dispatch desk. WIth fear in her heart she took the job, knowing this went far beyond herself. She had made it, and all it had cost her a broken wing, along with two months in the hospital to recover. However that little unicorn filly had lived. The look on her grateful mothers face had been all the reward she wanted or needed. It was that moment that had started her down the path to where she was now.

Faster

Life had sure changed, but none of that mattered right now. Focusing her thoughts, thinking back to her talk with Dash about what it was like to fly faster than sound. Shoving away the thoughts that would slow her down. Shedding the unsure feelings she again returned her focus to that little filly. She needed her father and nothing was going to stop her from getting to him and fulfilling her mission to bring him back to ponyville.

Faster

Something strange was welling up inside of her. Not arrogant pride as she use to be, this was far greater. A warmth, like how she felt when Redheart kissed her the first time. Kind of like how it felt when Dash had forgiven her, and Shane had offered her this job.

Faster

Around her, unknown to her, a haze of color and water vapor formed. Inside that good feeling grew, she felt it in her barrel, in her wings, in her heart.

Faster

A final thought, she was better than her past and now she was going to prove it. Not by showing off, not by being loved by others. No, none of that mattered, the realization of this lifting the last of her doubt like a weight from her back. All that mattered is she give everything she had to help a little filly who needed her daddy.

Faster

She pumped her wings harder, stretching her body out. Tucking in her hind legs, and throwing her forelegs in front of her. Bringing her head and neck down between them, trying to make her body as sleek as she could be. She needed to go faster, she had to! Digging down deep inside she found something.

Faster

Light welled up inside her, It was like everything she loved, everything she cared about all packed down into a tiny ball of energy at her core...the world became a haze of color and sound. She heard a crash, like thunder from a nearby storm echoed in her ears, and the world became a silent blur for Lighting Dust. She could not spare a moment to marvel at what was going on, she had a job to do, and nothing would make her fail at it.

On the ground A lone earth pony near the outskirts of hoofville, looked up at a mighty thundering explosion in the sky. A great circle of gold and teal light radiated out from a streak of white and teal as it shot off into the distance faster than anything he had ever seen. Tipping back his hat in wonder, before heading off at a trot to let his wife know what he saw in the sky.