Rainbow Dash was not having a good morning.

Everywhere she flew, there were ponies calling her a "traitor" and a "disgusting skunk with hooves". Rainbow Dash was angry, but she tried her best to not yell at them, and often took out her anger on nearby clouds. She was careful to make sure there was nopony in them, as she didn't want to hurt her adopted sister, Scootaloo in case she somehow got stuck in a cloud.

Just then, she saw a pegasus in a black and green jumpsuit and helmet with an orange-yellow tail zoom through her. "Oh my cloud," said Rainbow Dash. "Who was that pony?"

She zoomed through the skies to look for the pegasus that had just zipped through her, but then she stopped in front of a cloud. She hovered over the cloud and saw the pegasus lying down on it, her front hooves behind her head. The helmet was off, revealing the pegasus' teal fur and orange-yellow hair.

"Um, who are you?" asked the rainbow-haired pony.

"Name's Lightning Dust," said the pegasus.

"I'm Rainbow Dash, the fastest pegasus in the world!"

"Doubt that," scoffed Lightning Dust. "You should prove it."

"You're on!" smirked Rainbow Dash, as she and Lightning Dust gave a hoofbump to each other.

Spike was out in Ponyville, but he didn't see anypony.

"That's odd," said Spike to himself, "Where have they all gone? Is it some sort of pony holiday?"

"Spikey-Wikey!" shouted a voice that Spike knew all too well. He saw Rarity smiling at him.

"Spike, you should check this out!"

Spike decided to go with Rarity to see what was going on and gasped!

There was a stage in the middle of the Town Hall, and guess who was there? The Great and Powerful Trixie!

Spike looked surprised. "She's back? Even after all the things she did to you girls?"

"Yes," said Rarity, "but that darling was genuinely sorry for what she did before, and she's putting on an apology show in a few minutes."

Spike looked around at all the excited ponies, then he sighed. "I guess I'll trust her for now, but if she tries anything funny-"

"Don't worry about it, Spikey-Wikey," said Rarity, "we told her that too, and she understood and promised."

"Attention, everypony!"

The crowd stopped talking and turned to Trixie on the stage. "I, the Great and Apologetic Trixie, is going to put on a show, and also to apologize to everypony, especially Twilight, wherever she is in the crowd." Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie let out a quiet gasp. They forgot to tell her that Twilight was banished, but Trixie continued. "If you don't forgive me, then I understand, but if you do, sit back and relax!"

Over 85% of the ponies left the crowd when Trixie mentioned apologizing to Twilight, leaving only Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Spike, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Flitter and Cloudchaser in the crowd.

"Um, what now?" murmured Fluttershy.

"I guess Twilight doesn't accept my apology," said Trixie with regret, thinking that Twilight was among the ponies who left the crowd.

"Trixie, we have something to tell you," said Spike.

"I won!" shouted Rainbow Dash proudly.

"No fair!" sulked Lightning Dust, although she couldn't help but enjoy the race they had.

"So," said Rainbow Dash, "Wanna meet my friends? I can look for them by flying around Ponyville."

"Alright then," said Lightning Dust, as she followed the flying Rainbow Dash.

As the two ponies flew around, they noticed a stage in the center of the Town Hall, and some ponies in the crowd the rainbow-haired pony recognized.

"So, you're telling the Great and Apologetic Trixie that Twilight was banished from here for an attempted murder that she did not commit?"

"Yes, darling, and we aren't doing good without her."

"I can't believe that. I may have had a grudge towards Twilight once, but I would never kick her out of here. I feel even badder for the way I treated her in the past..."

"Hello!"

The ponies turned to see Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust.

"Hi, Rainbow Dash," said Fluttershy. "Who is that pony with you?"

"The name's Lightning Dust, and you are all Rainbow Dash's friends, right?"

"Yes, sugarcube," said Applejack, "Ah'm Applejack, and here's mah sister, Apple Bloom."

"Hello darling, the name's Rarity, and this is my sister, Sweetie Belle."

"Ummm, I'm Fluttershy."

"Hello! I'm Pinkie Pie!"

"Spike the Dragon, at your service."

"I'm Rainbow Dash's adopted sister, Scootaloo! We became sisters after she saved me from a waterfall!"

"I'm Flitter,"

"And I'm Cloudchaser!"

"The Great and Apologetic Trixie is pleasured to meet you!"

"Nice to meet all of you," said Lightning Dust, "you're all pretty cool! I heard some talk about a pony named Twilight though. I wonder what that was about."

"Basically," said Rainbow Dash, "Twilight was accused of attempted murder on my childhood friend, Derpy. Only me, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Spike were here to defend her. Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had school, Flitter and Cloudchaser were at flying practice, and Trixie didn't know about it until we told her. Speaking of which, what are you doing here, Trixie?"

"I came to apologize to all of you," said Trixie, "and I also wanted to apologize to Twilight, but sadly she's gone..."

Rainbow Dash felt bad. She placed a comforting hoof around Trixie.

"It's okay, we forgive you," she said, "And we all feel the same about Twilight. Hopefully, she'll be okay."

"Say, didn't I hear something about you two being in a reunion of some sort?" asked Sweetie Belle to Apple Bloom and Applejack.

"Well, we were banned from the reunion when we tried to tell our family that Twilight was innocent," said Apple Bloom.

"That sucks," said Rainbow Dash.

"Well," said Trixie, "since we're all friends now, I feel like I should postpone the show and get to know you all better, especially since I no longer hold a grudge."

"We should tell stories!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie.

"I'll start about the time Applejack saved me from those timberwolves," said Spike.

And throughout the whole day, the twelve ponies and the dragon talked about their heroic moments and adventures, as they had a fun time telling stories.

Queen Chrysalis was on her back laughing like a total maniac.

"THE PRINCESSES FELL FOR IT AND BANISHED HER! OH, THIS IS SO GOLD!"

Four changelings were watching the whole thing.

"I swear, she's been like that ever since yesterday," said one named Pharnyx.

"I have second thoughts about working with her," said another named Kevin.

"I never liked her," said a third named Thorax.

"Me neither," said a fourth named Ocellus, whose voice was one of shyness, like Fluttershy's.

The four changelings left their queen to be, as she kept laughing maniacally while on her back.

Author's Note

Judging by the title, you knew which Season 3 episode would be adapted in this chapter.

This chapter's beginning also adapts a few scenes from "Wonderbolts Academy", with a few elements from "The Washouts", a major difference being that Lightning Dust was never a bully or a jerk to begin with, though she still has her daredevil personality. Throughout the chapter, there are mentions of the events of a few Season 3 episodes and how they turned differently in this version, like Applejack mentioning an Apple Family Reunion without her and Apple Bloom, and the events of Sleepless in Ponyville along with Spike at Your Service happening before Twilight's banishment.

The appearances of Thorax, Pharnyx, Kevin and Ocellus also imply some foreshadowing to later episodes such as, "The Times They Are a Changeling", "To Change a Changeling", "Slice of Life", and "School Daze".

This chapter happens simultaneously with the events of Hidden Talents.
Next chapter will be happening simultaneously with the events of The Bomb Goes Boom.