Rainbow Dash landed on the hillside in Sweet Apple Acres after a long day of setting up snow clouds for the winter season, with Hearth’s Warming only a few days away. Of course, living with one of her dearest friends Applejack, Hearth’s Warming meant relatives from all over Equestria coming to visit. While most of them were only coming over the day before and leaving the day after, Rainbow Dash was well aware that some of them would stay at the barn longer to properly catch up and even indulge in the sights and activities of Ponyville. Seeing Granny Smith talking to two other elderly mares right outside the barn that she recognized as Auntie Applesauce and Apple Rose, Rainbow Dash jumped off the hill and flew towards them.
“Hi Applesauce, Apple Rose,” Dash nodded in the direction of both mares. “Just got here this morning?”
“We did,” Apple Rose responded. “We got up to a lot of quilting, did you want to see our work?”
“I’d love to!” Dash grinned. “I’ll go say hi to everyone else, and then I’ll come see them.”
“Oh, well, the only other ponies that are here are Fiddlesticks and her marefriend,” Applesauce pointed out. “But you’re right, after all, her marefriend seems to have met you before.”
“Huh?” Dash felt her blood run cold as she glanced at the barn door, that could mean anything. “Well, I best not keep this mysterious mare waiting, right?”
“Best not,” Granny Smith agreed, her lack of smile speaking clearly to the pegasus. “Seems like y’all have some catching up to do.”
Rainbow Dash flew to the barn door, leaning her ear against it for a brief moment to hear Applejack talking. Feeling the elderly mares’ eyes on her, Rainbow Dash opened the door and stopped flying altogether, landing on the ground as she processed who it was. At the kitchen table, there was Fiddlesticks, a mare that Rainbow Dash remembered as being relatively quiet, oftentimes letting her instrument do the talking for her. And beside her, listening to Applejack, was Lightning Dust. Memories replaying in Rainbow Dash’s head caused blood to boil inside her, and she stomped her hoof before pointing her hoof at the other pegasus.
“You!” Dash snapped, caring less about anypony else hearing outside. “Is this your newest plan to mess with my head? It wasn’t enough to nearly kill my friends and Scootaloo, but now you’re sleeping with some mare to get close to us again?! What’s your angle here? Do you really have it out for me that much?”
“Dash, settle down,” Applejack frowned.
“No!” Dash glared at Applejack briefly before looking at Fiddlesticks. “She’s just using you, you know. Once she realizes that she can’t destroy me, she’ll just throw you away like she threw Scootaloo away-”
“Ah said, settle down!” Applejack got up and shouted over Rainbow Dash. “That’s enough, Rainbow Dash. Is that anyway to treat guests under our roof? You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”
“But s-she nearly killed you and the rest of our friends!” Dash protested. “And Scootaloo! Have you forgotten that?”
As Rainbow Dash felt her anger slipping, she saw Lightning Dust looking at her. There was no grin or glint in her eyes, only tired red eyes of a shaking mare with Fiddlesticks beside her, her forehoof wrapped around Lightning’s neck. Lightning Dust took a deep breath, before focusing her gaze on Rainbow Dash.
“Believe me, she hasn’t forgotten. I haven’t forgotten,” Lightning spoke up as Fiddlesticks leaned forward and pressed her muzzle against her marefriend’s cheek. “The day after you saved Scootaloo from that stunt, the weight of how I acted really settled in. I talked to Rolling Thunder and Short Fuse, and we disbanded that day. I wanted Rolling Thunder to pursue a real career and for Short Fuse to seek help for his anger issues. But my dreams were dead the day Spitfire ripped that badge off me. But you were just as cocky and arrogant as me, so why did Spitfire only keep you?”
“Because I didn’t nearly kill-”
“Rainbow Dash, let me stop ya right there,” Applejack spoke over her. “Think about it, was it Lightning Dust’s fault that a bunch of flightless ponies chose to bring an air balloon to the Wonderbolts Academy without considering the obvious risks at hoof? Do you even know what happened when you stormed off to turn in your badge?”
“I…I don’t-”
“Lightning Dust was apologizing to all of us, and then later you came snapping about how you quit because the Wonderbolts weren’t who you thought they were,” Applejack explained. “And then Lightning Dust had her badge ripped away from her without getting a chance to explain herself!”
“How come I didn’t know about this till now?” Dash huffed.
“Because we were tryin’ to be supportive!” Applejack snapped. “We even tried to talk to Spitfire privately, but she wouldn’t budge. She felt like she had to throw her away in order to keep you.”
“But what about Scootaloo?!” Dash demanded. “Tell me what excuse there was to nearly kill a foal!”
“There isn’t one,” A tear rolled down Lightning’s cheek. “By the time I started The Washouts, all I wanted was to see ponies cry and hurt like I did all those years ago. I surrounded myself with ponies who felt that same poison cutting into their hearts. And then after we disbanded, I moved to Manehatten to get a fresh start and a new job. Once I had it in me to show my face to the world again, I went to see an Orchestra perform. That’s how I met Fiddlesticks here.”
“She’d try to push me away every so often,” Rainbow Dash flinched as she realized that Fiddlesticks pulled her face away from Lightning, and was talking to her. “Telling me, ‘you don’t want a monster’ or ‘you’d be so much happier without me.’ Even after learning about what happened with this foal, ah couldn’t understand how you could turn a blind eye to a mare that was clearly drowning in her mistakes. How would you like it if Spitfire ripped your badge away for a reckless mistake you made?”
“But ah didn’t leave, because ah don’t see her for that,” Fiddlesticks continued without waiting for Rainbow Dash’s response. “Ah see her for the mare who stared at me like ah was the only pony in the theater, the mare that held me and whispered about how pretty my eyes were. And then ah watched as she turned into somepony else, destroying herself because she didn’t think she was good enough for anypony. But you know why she believed that, don’t you?”
“I ended up seeing a therapist, I couldn’t lose the one mare who believed in me,” Lightning wrapped her wing around Fiddlesticks’ back. “I found out that I needed to come back to myself, I hadn’t felt like myself in a very long time.”
“So,” Lightning concluded. “Several hours ago I visited Scootaloo and apologized to her, she actually took it very well. I really did want her to succeed without flying. It’s not like Spitfire would’ve ever believed in her.”
Rainbow Dash looked at the ground, thinking everything over before she spoke once more.
“I suppose we aren’t that different from each other,” Dash nodded her head. “I could always talk to Spitfire, maybe she’ll change her mind?”
“Not necessary,” Lightning got up, trotting over towards Rainbow Dash. “I may not be angry at you anymore, but I still stand by what I said: the Wonderbolts are an exclusive clique. With Fiddlesticks, I don’t need to be good enough. So, am I cool to stay here? Are we good?”
“Yeah,” Dash saw Lightning Dust lift a hoof towards her, and she gave it a brief hoof-bump. “I guess we’re good.”
“Cool,” Lightning Dust smiled a smile that Rainbow Dash never saw before, a gentle smile that only strengthened as Fiddlesticks trotted to her side. “Oh, and by the way, Rainbow Dash? Some advice on helping your cockiness?”
“...what would that be?” Dash narrowed her eyes, tempted to press her hoof against her forehead.
“Find the right mare to balance ya out,” Lightning Dust chuckled, kissing Fiddlesticks’ cheek as they began to leave the kitchen. “Not Applejack, she’s like your twin for Celestia’s sake.”
All three mares bursted into laughter as Rainbow Dash’s face reddened brighter than a tomato, the pegasus turning and glaring at Applejack as her laughter died down.
“She’s got a point sugarcube,” Applejack snickered. “How many times have we butted heads over tha same stuff? Besides, ah know who you really like anyway.”
“Not another word,” Dash growled as Applejack laughed even more.
Lightning Dust followed Fiddlesticks up the stairs and into the simplistic guest room they’d be staying in: a one-bedroom with green sheets and a few apple decorations here and there on the wall. Fiddlesticks got underneath the sheets, and Lightning Dust joined her, holding her tight as she remembered the first time she held the earth pony in her hooves. That day, the stress and poison faded away, and everything felt right with the world as a calm wave took over.
Whatever Lightning Dust did with her life now, it would be with Fiddlesticks by her side.
Author's Note
Watching the Lightning Dust episodes all over again, I remembered just how much of an asshole Rainbow Dash is. I like Lightning Dust better. She feels like a much more complex character to me that didn't get to be explored more like Gilda or other characters.
Hope y'all liked the story!
