Return of the Washouts

by SuperPinkBrony12

Rating: everyone
Tags: Rainbow Dash, Wonderbolts, Spitfire, Lightning Dust, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other, Thriller, Drama
Length: 5431

(Takes place within the universe of "A Captain's Reflection".) Not long after becoming captain of the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash faces an unexpected problem when Lightning Dust and the Washouts issue a challenge.

(Takes place within the universe of A Captain's Reflection, and just before the time skip in "The Last Problem".)

Rainbow Dash is still trying to get her bearings as the new captain of the Wonderbolts, learning all the ins and outs of what it means to lead the team. Even though she has some of the other senior bolts to lean on for support, being captain is very much a learning experience for Rainbow.

Things only get more complicated when an unexpected rival shows up in the form of Lightning Dust. She's resurrected and restructured the Washouts, and wants to challenge the Wonderbolts to see who truly deserves to be known as Equestria's greatest flyers.

Facing a dilemma about how best to put Lightning Dust in her place, Rainbow Dash decides to swallow some of her pride and reach out to the old captain: Spitfire. In particular, Rainbow hopes the former captain will come out of retirement for one last grand performance.

Published 2024-06-08 15:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2024-06-08 15:50:02 UTC

One Last Show

Rainbow Dash had hoped it would never have to come to this. When she had taken over the reins of leadership from Spitfire, she had hoped there would never come a time when she would need to pay the former captain a visit and ask for her help. It wasn't that Rainbow was opposed to the idea, by this point she was willing to swallow her pride if the situation called for it. What had stopped her was her desire to ensure that Spitfire be allowed to enjoy her retirement, especially since she had retired at a fairly young age compared to most of her predecessors.

As the now current captain was touching down on the grounds of the modest cloud house that Spitfire had come to call home since her retirement, Rainbow was already thinking about what had led up to this moment and what had ultimately motivated her to do what she had hoped she'd never have to do.

It had started just a few days ago. Oh how long ago that already seemed. It was hard to think that less than a week had gone by since everything the rainbow maned pegasus had known was flipped and turned upside down.

Rainbow was still settling into her role as captain of the Wonderbolts. It had only been about a year or so since she'd gotten the job. Already, it was proving to be more of a headache than she had anticipated. Everyday, it seemed like there was something going wrong. Something that specifically required a captain's presence to sort out. That day was no different.

Some of the Wonderbolts' newest recruits were proving to be quite a hoofful. It didn't help that many of them were from outside of Equestria, and were unfamiliar with many of the customs and protocols that the Wonderbolts had operated under for over a century. This naturally led to tension and conflict. And whenever arguments broke out, it usually fell to the captain to break them up.

Rainbow Dash blew sharply into her whistle that hung from her neck, its shrill blast quickly drawing all attention towards her. A brown and gray feathered griffon looked like she was about to start fighting with none other than Fleetfoot. "Alright, newbie, that's quite enough!" The captain sharply rapped, her eyes narrowed in frustration. "I don't care who started this silly argument, I'm finishing it!"

"But captain!" The griffon whined as she rose to her feet. "Fleetfoot cut me off! She did it on purpose! I saw her!"

Fleetfoot bristled and swished her tail as she indignantly retorted. "I did no such thing. You were in my way. I specifically warned you not to. It's not always about standing out, hotshot. Don't forget that we're not just a performance team, we do search and rescue missions too. Showing off in those situations only puts others at risk."

"Still doesn't change the fact that you cut me off and nearly made me crash!" The griffon complained. "I can't help it if I'm faster than you. You could keep up with me if you trained harder!"

Fleetfoot snorted. "For your information, rookie, I'm still the fastest member of the team last time I checked! Even the captain can't match me at my top speed, and she's the only one who's ever pulled off a sonic rainboom: Three times, I might add."

The griffon only humphed. "Big deal. I could totally take you if I wanted to, and you know it! That's why you tried to mess me up! You're afraid I'll break your records!"

Rainbow stomped a hoof down and blew her whistle again, louder this time. "I said that's enough!" She trotted forward, opting to put space between the two feuding Wonderbolts. "Fleetfoot, you go help Misty Fly with some of the other recruits. I'll handle this rowdy bunch," Then to the griffon she added. "And Grunty, if I catch you picking fights and being rude to your teammates, I won't hesitate to suspend you from the trials and from the team. Gabby and Gilda said good things about you. I'd hate to have to tell them they were wrong."

That seemed to get the griffon to shut up. She turned around and parted from the others with several sharp wing flaps. Fleetfoot left not long afterward, flying off in the opposite direction.

As for the rainbow maned captain, she just looked at the remaining recruits as they all looked at her. "What?" She retorted in a harsher than intended tone of voice. "I didn't say you could take a break, rookies. Get up there and get back to practice! That's an order!" She blew into her whistle once more to make her point clear. All the recruits obeyed without hesitation, taking off as fast as they could.

"A little harsh on them, don't you think, captain?" A familiar easy going, laid back, masculine voice commented. At that very moment, who else but Soarin should happen to come swooping down and land on the now unoccupied runway in front of his superior?

Rainbow let out a deep sigh, putting a hoof to her forehead. "Sorry, Soarin. I tried not to. I really did. But this is the fifteenth time this month I've had to break up a potential fight. I don't know what it is with this batch of recruits, but it's like every single one of 'em thinks they're hot to trot even when they're not," She groaned. "Please tell me I wasn't this bad during my newbie days."

Soarin chuckled as he strolled up to Rainbow Dash and put a hoof around her neck. "Hey, you're still learning the ropes when it comes to being captain. This is your first time running trials week after all, even if you've got me and the rest of the team to fall back on."

The rainbow maned pegasus sighed anew. "I thought I knew what I was getting into. I expected it to be tough, but this is on a whole different level. I don't know how Spitfire managed it year after year for so long. I'm starting to see why she retired so early."

"Hey, don't go thinking like that! Spitfire would never pass her responsibilities onto somepony else just because she couldn't handle it!" Soarin firmly protested. "I knew her longer than you did, and I know for a fact that she wouldn't have passed the badge to you if she didn't have one hundred percent confidence in your ability to be a leader. You've been doing a fine job since taking over from her. And with you running the team, our future looks bright."

"You're just saying that, Soarin." Rainbow retorted. Her tone of voice made it clear that she didn't really believe that, and the blush on her face was a dead giveaway.

Soarin let out a quick, light laugh. "No I'm not. I've seen how much you've grown since you first showed up at our academy all those years ago. Right then and there, I could see why Spitfire had such high hopes for you. You're a born leader. You know how to inspire others to be the best they can be. And you've demonstrated multiple times that you understand the importance of self sacrifice and putting others before yourself. You may not be perfect, but Spitfire wasn't always perfect either. Besides, you shouldn't compare yourself to her. You're not like her, you never were and never will be. You're your own pony. You have to blaze your own path as captain."

The rainbow maned captain began to smile ever so faintly. "If you're trying to butter me up, Soarin, you're doing a very good job."

"Well, you don't mind it, do you?" Soarin questioned.

Rainbow Dash grinned ever so faintly. "Not at all," But she quickly recovered, sliding back into her captain mentality. "But I've spent enough time talking to you. My help's always needed." She turned around and took to the air, and that was the end of the conversation. Yet she couldn't stop thinking about what Soarin had said. Up to this point, she had given little thought about her decision to succeed Spitfire or about why Spitfire had chosen to retire when she did. She knew Soarin meant to be sincere with his words. But deep down, a small, nagging part of her was wondering. "Am I truly cut out to be captain of the Wonderbolts? Up to this point, it feels like I've gotten by mostly on luck."

The captain quickly pushed those thoughts and feelings to the back of her mind. Now was not a time to get hung up on herself. Now was a time to focus on what was best for the team.

The very next day, however, everything had changed quite suddenly for Rainbow Dash. She had arrived at the academy grounds bright and early, ready for what she thought would be another day of enduring the challenges that trials week would offer her. She could take solace in the fact that it was almost over, and then things would hopefully quiet down for her after that, giving her time to relax.

Instead, however, her moderate violet-blue eyes fell upon a sight that she had not been expecting to ever see again.

Standing there in the middle of the academy runway was a very familiar pegasus mare, one who looked almost completely identical to Rainbow Dash given the way her mane and tail were styled. The difference was that this pegasus had a turquoise green coat, a brilliant amber mane and tail with gold stripes throughout and eyes the same color of orange as the sky at sunset. Most telling of all, though, was the fact that she was wearing a jet black and dark green flight suit.

Rainbow's mouth dropped wide open as she let out the most audible gasp she could possibly muster up on short notice! "Lightning Dust?!" She exclaimed in sheer disbelief. She hadn't seen this pegasus in years.

Lightning Dust smirked and flashed a grin that seemed far too big and far too wide to be truly friendly. "Hey, Rainbow Dash," She greeted. Her tone of voice sounded calm and reserved, but it was possible to detect a faint undertone of bitterness, even resentfulness. "Heard you're the new captain of the team. Congratulations. Really, I mean it. You definitely deserved that title, even though we know I could've been just as good a captain as you, if not better."

The rainbow maned pegasus groaned, grit her teeth, and slowly trotted over to Lightning's position. "You've gotten my attention, Lightning Dust. And it's nice to know you haven't changed a bit. You're still as reckless as ever, it seems."

"Look before you leap! That's my motto, and I'll stick to it to my dying day!" Lightning roared in a defiant tone of voice! "Being the best means you can't let anything or anyone hold you back! It's not my fault if others can't keep up."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, I've heard it all before. So what is it you want with me? You didn't just come here to try to get under my fur, did you?"

Lightning Dust nodded, even as she feigned ignorance. "Really? What gave me away?" She then laughed in a noticeably sinister tone of voice. "I just figured I'd drop by and see if you were interested in a little 'friendly competition', that's all."

"All by yourself?" Rainbow Dash snorted in disbelief. "You haven't changed a bit. You're still as reckless as ever," She then smirked. "But if you're really in such a hurry to lose, that's fine by me. I'm ready when you are!"

But Lightning's response took the captain by complete surprise. She threw back her head and laughed long, loud, and hysterically. "If you thought I came here all alone to challenge you, it's you who's in a hurry to lose! Or have you forgotten the Washouts?"

"You mean they didn't disban after what you tried to do with Scoot?" Rainbow snarled. "Don't think I've forgotten. It was one thing to still have it out for me, it was another thing entirely to drag the kid into it. And if it hadn't been for me, she could've ended up in a very bad situation that would've reflected badly on you."

Lightning only flicked a hoof through her mane and swished her tail. "She knew the risks when she agreed to be part of the team. Not my fault if she got cold hooves at the last minute. Being a Washout means you stare danger in the face no matter what. I thought you of all ponies would understand that. But I guess you've only gotten softer since you became captain. Oh well, can't have everything, I suppose," And she gave a whistle before saying. "Say hello to the new, improved Washouts! I think you might recognize a few of the recruits."

In a matter of seconds, four other pegasi all clad in the black and green flight suits swooped down from the sky and landed next to Lightning Dust. Two of them were instantly recognizable as Rolling Thunder and Short Fuse, both of whom showed no signs of having aged since Rainbow had last seen them. If not for the few more visible scars on Rolling Thunder, Rainbow would've thought nothing had changed at all.

However, it was the two other members of the stunt team that took the captain by surprise. One of them was a muscular pegasus stallion whose tiny wings stuck out like a sore hoof against his bulky body. The other was a pegasus mare with a light amber coat, and a pink and pale raspberry mane and tail.

"Bulk Biceps?! Dizzy Twister?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates! "I can't believe a bunch of Ponyville pegasi like you would ever join the Washouts! Don't you know what they're like?!"

Bulk Biceps nodded. "Yeah, maybe they're a bit pushy sometimes. But they believe all pegasi are capable of greatness, even if we're not the best flyers to come out of Cloudsdale," He flexed his muscles. "Besides, I'm so strong that I can get out of any scrape without breaking a sweat," And he loudly and proudly shouted at the top of his lungs! "YEAH!"

Dizzy Twister seemed less loud and assertive. But nevertheless she appeared to be quite confident as she looked Rainbow square in the eyes. "Everypony deserves a second chance, don't they? Lightning Dust made a mistake, but as I recall you made quite a few mistakes yourself on the way to the top. Besides, it isn't fair that the Washouts as a whole should have to suffer just because their founder and leader happens to be a hothead. The Washouts have plenty of fans who believe in them and what they stand for. They're not completely careless, they have great medical care."

Lightning Dust grinned and smirked. "See, Rainbow Dash? Despite you twice crushing my dreams and humiliating me, I found a way to better myself. And unlike last time, Bulk Biceps and Dizzy Twister joined of their own free will. I didn't even have to approach them, they asked me to let them join the team," She then laid bare her terms. "So, whaddya say, former wingpony? Still think the Wonderbolts can lick the Washouts any day? Or are you finally willing to admit that I'm better than you?"

Rainbow growled and grit her teeth, eyes narrowing sharply. "If you're trying to irritate me, Lightning Dust, you're doing a very good job."

The leader of the Washouts continued to grin and smirk. "So is that a yes?"

The captain of the Wonderbolts took a deep breath, swallowing hard. "If I refused, I know you'd just keep on irritating me until I changed my mind. I know you enough to know you won't stop until somepony puts you in your place," She stomped a hoof down. "So go ahead, issue the challenge. Name the game: And you'll see just how good the Wonderbolts are under my leadership. Fair warning, I won't hold anything back."

Lightning proudly boasted. "Neither will I," And she quickly issued the challenge. "I'm thinking we make a real show out of it: Let all of Cloudsdale, no all of Equestria see who's really the best! You pick the four best Wonderbolts you've got, and I'll match you with the best the Washouts have to offer! Whoever wins more of the one on one races gets to call themselves Equestria's best performers, and gets all the bragging rights that come with it."

"You've got yourself a deal!" Rainbow Dash boldly declared. "And when the Wonderbolts beat your Washouts, you'll regret that you were ever foolish enough to challenge me in the first place!"

"We'll see about that, won't we?" The Washouts' leader ominously replied, before she and the rest of her team flew away.

Just like that, the proverbial gauntlet had been thrown down. There was no chance Rainbow was going to let herself or the Wonderbolts back down. There was too much at stake to even consider such a possibility. Defeat of any sort would be inconceivable.

The flashback ended as Rainbow Dash trotted up to the front door of Spitfire's cloud house and knocked on it. She could only hope the former captain would understand how dire the circumstances were (and would be in a receptive mood).

The door opened quite slowly. When Spitfire got a good look at who her unannounced visitor was, she was most surprised. "Rainbow Dash?" She blinked. No, she wasn't seeing things. It was indeed Rainbow Dash who was calling on her so suddenly.

"Hey, Spitfire," Rainbow greeted in a noticeably withdrawn and reluctant tone. "Sorry to drop by so suddenly, but I really really need your help. I mean it this time."

"Again?" Spitfire groaned. "Rainbow Dash, how many times do I have to tell you that you can't keep coming to me every time you have a problem with the Wonderbolts? You're the captain now, I'm not. I'm retired. It's your job to solve the problems, not mine."

"I'm not here to ask you to bail me out, Spitfire," The current captain protested. "If circumstances weren't what they were, I wouldn't bother you. But I don't know who else I can turn to on such short notice."

Spitfire let out a sigh. "What is it this time?"

Rainbow gulped and swallowed hard. "You remember Lightning Dust, right?"

Spitfire shrugged her hooves. "Hard not to forget: She was one of the most promising recruits I'd ever seen. She was probably the only pony who ever came close to matching you, Rainbow Dash," She looked down at the ground. "Which is why it hurt all the more to see her wash out in such an embarrassing, painful fashion," Looking back up at the captain, she inquired. "What? Did she come crawling back, begging you to give her another chance?"

The rainbow maned pegasus shook her head from side to side. "Oh no, she has no intention of ever rejoining the team, and I would sooner be in Tartarus than give her a second chance she doesn't deserve," She bristled and remarked in a bitter tone of voice. "After she washed out of the Wonderbolts, she decided to form her own stunt pony team called the Washouts."

"The one I tried to warn that kid about?" Spitfire inquired.

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah. I guess trying to recruit a kid with no stunt training whatsoever wasn't enough for her, because she's back. In fact, she's somehow increased their ranks to include at least two more members. She challenged me to pit myself and four of the best Wonderbolts against her and the best members of the Washouts to see who deserves to be called Equestria's best flyers. She's even gone so far as to have it take place in Canterlot so that all of Equestria can see the results."

The orangish-yellow coated pegasus mare then said. "Still not seeing what that has to do with me, unless something happened to one of the 'bolts you were planning to enter."

"It's like you can read my mind," Rainbow Dash confessed. "I was going to have Sky Stinger take part along with Thunderlane, Fleetfoot, Soarin, and myself. Unfortunately, Sky being the show-off he still sometimes likes to be, just had to go and injure himself trying one of his overly flashy moves. Nothing permanent, but he'll definitely be out of commission for the foreseeable future," She swallowed hard again. "I didn't know who else to turn to on short notice. Vapor Trail's busy nursing Sky back to health, Misty Fly hasn't taken part in a race in over a year, and Rapid Fire and Silver Zoom are going to stay behind in case there's an emergency."

The former captain sighed, putting a hoof to her forehead. "So you really need my help that badly, huh?" It took her a moment to reach a decision. "Well, if it's that urgent, I guess I can't say no. I'll help you put Lightning Dust and the Washouts in their place."

Rainbow was overjoyed with Spitfire's decision! She rushed forward and wrapped the former captain in a tight wing hung! "Oh thank you, Spitfire! You don't know how much this means to me!"

Spitfire was quick to raise a hoof. "Don't get so excited, Dash. This is just a one time thing. I can't keep coming out of retirement every time something goes wrong. You need to learn how to handle these kinds of situations no matter what."

The captain nodded quite slowly. "Yeah, I understand. And I promise, I'll make this up to you afterward. Name your price."

"All I need is the satisfaction and cheers from the crowd," Spitfire replied. "That, and a chance to ensure Lightning Dust learns her lesson this time."

Just a day later, the big showdown between the Wonderbolts and the Washouts got underway. The stadium in Canterlot was packed to capacity, not a single seat was unfilled. Unsurprisingly, the roar of the crowd was deafening. And it seemed to be evenly split between fans of the Wonderbolts and fans of the Washouts.

Lightning Dust was grinning from ear to ear as she stood and posed with her team. She seemed quite confident of victory this time.

Rainbow Dash, for her part, did her best to keep her worries and concerns in check. She couldn't let the other Wonderbolts see that she was nervous, because she knew it would have a ripple effect on the team. So instead, she turned to the four bolts with her and huddled close. "Okay, team," She tried to speak in her best, most confident captain voice. "We can win this. We just need to stay calm and focus."

Fleetfoot proudly boasted. "We're all calm. Those pretenders will learn real fast that they're no match for us! We're the best of the best, and nothing will ever change that!"

Soarin replied in a more cautious tone. "I don't know, those Washouts look pretty formidable. With Lightning Dust as their captain, they're sure to be tough."

"Well, regardless of how this all plays out, at least we can say we did our best," Thunderlane said with a confident smile, before asking. "So, who's going to be first?"

Spitfire didn't hesitate to step forward. "I'll lead off!"

Rainbow immediately tried to protest! "Spitfire, no! I want to save you for when we're in a pinch! Let's at least wait and see who the Washouts lead off with."

Spitfire refused to be persuaded otherwise. "It doesn't matter who they send or who I face. I'll have to face them sooner or later. And I'm the only one here who's been out of the saddle. I'm confident that even if I stumble, you'll all be fired up to avenge my loss. And if I succeed, it'll help you all see that the Washouts aren't invincible," She flew towards the starting line. "Wish me luck."

Spitfire's opponent soon revealed itself, as none other than Dizzy Twister flew out to stand next to her. The amber coated pegasus mare was most surprised when she saw Spitfire. "I thought you retired?" She questioned with a quirked brow.

The former captain brushed off the question with indifference. "Well, as they always say: Never say never. Dash and the Bolts needed me, and that's all there is to it."

Dizzy only replied with a rather mischevious and cheeky grin. "Don't expect me to go easy on you. I'm going all out from the start!"

Spitfire smiled back. "I'd expect nothing less from my opponent. And if you think I'll be easy just because I haven't flown in a while, you'll soon learn that I'm not to be underestimated. I'm still fairly young, and I've still got enough left in the tank for this."

The referee's voice then boomed over the loudspeakers as an awed hush fell over the crowd. "Racers: On your marks, get set, go!" And with the blaring of a horn, the pegasi were off!

When the first heat ended a few moments later, the results surprised everyone. Spitfire had managed to outlap her opponent and win with relative ease. Dizzy Twister had been no match for the former captain.

But Dizzy was a good sport about her loss, making sure to shake wings with Spitfire when the race was over. "You were impressive, Spitfire. I didn't stand a chance."

Spitfire smiled. "Hey, don't sell yourself short. You gave me a good workout. If this whole Washouts business doesn't pan out for you, I reckon you could make a pretty good Wonderbolt."

The amber coated pegasus mare brushed off the suggestion. "I tried that once, didn't get very far. Being a Wonderbolt just isn't in the cards for me."

The former captain shrugged her hooves. "Well, if you ever change your mind, just talk to Dash."

Lightning Dust, meanwhile, was observing the whole thing with barely contained fury. "Just my luck Rainbow Dash would reach out to Spitfire and use her," She turned to the other members of her team. "The rest of you had better not lose too! I have my... I mean our reputation to think about, you know."

Short Fuse shouted back! "We know, captain! Get off our backs!"

"Easy there, Short Fuse," Rolling Thunder chuckled and cautioned. "It's just one race. We've still got four more races to show 'em what we can really do," She then stretched her wings and asked Lightning Dust. "Permission to go next, captain?"

Lightning eagerly nodded. "Of course, Rolling Thunder. Go right ahead. Teach those Wonderbolts a lesson they'll never forget."

Rolling Thunder flashed a toothy grin. "With pleasure, mate." She then flew off to the starting line as Dizzy and Spitfire went their separate ways.

Dizzy did her best to ignore the frown Lightning Dust was showing. "Sorry, captain," She sincerely apologized. "I tried. Believe me, I tried. I wasn't expecting Spitfire to be so fast."

The Washouts' captain only replied. "Whatever."

The next three heats came and went in the blink of an eye. Miraculously, by the time the fourth race had ended, the score was tied: The Washouts and the Wonderbolts both had two wins. Everypony knew what that meant: The next and final race would be the one that would decide it all.

Unsurprisingly, the final race was between the two captains: Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash. The excitement and tension was building by the second. Everypony was on the edge of their seats.

"I knew I made the right choice recruiting Bulk Biceps," Lightning boasted to Rainbow. "Fleetfoot was no match for him. Now if only Short Fuse hadn't gone and blown it against Soarin."

Rainbow only replied. "Speed isn't everything, you know. Soarin knows how to stay calm. And if Fleetfoot had remembered that, she wouldn't have lost. But it doesn't matter," She grit her teeth. "I wouldn't have wanted this to end any other way."

Lightning Dust nodded back. "For once, I agree with you. This is the only way this could've ended," She narrowed her eyes. "I'll enjoy making you eat my dust!"

"Ha! In your dreams, maybe!" Rainbow Dash shouted in reply. "You're good, Lightning Dust, but I'm better. And all of Equestria is about to recognize that fact!"

"Racers:" The referee's voice boomed once again over the loudspeakers. "On your marks, get set, go!" And with a thunderous roar, the two captains took off! Neither wanted to lose to the other, even though both knew there could only be one winner and one loser. There would be no tie breakers. One way or another, this was all going to come to an end!

Time itself seemed to all but stop, even as the race quickly reached its conclusion. Before anypony knew it: It was all down to who would cross the finish line first! Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust were neck and neck! Nopony knew who would win it for their team!

At last, with one last "Whoosh", the race ended! And the seconds that it took to verify the winner seemed to pass in agonizing slowness. It had been so fast that nopony in the stands could tell who had won.

But soon enough, the decision was announced. "After careful examination of the reply," The referee's voice informed the audience. "The winner is..." There was a brief pause, before at last the voice triumphantly proclaimed! "Rainbow Dash! The Wonderbolts win the showdown by a score of three to two!"

Lightning Dust's mouth dropped wide open in shock and disbelief! Rainbow Dash had beaten her once again despite everything!

Rainbow naturally couldn't resist basking in the crowd's adoration and admiration! This was perhaps her most satisfying victory yet. "Thank you! Thank you! You're all too kind!" She smiled and waved, posing for picture after picture.

It was only once the crowd had dispersed and the jubilation had died down that Lightning opted to approach her victorious rival. "Well, Rainbow Dash," She sighed, her tone of voice indicating how much of a struggle it was for her to contain her frustration. "I hate to admit it, but you beat me fair and square."

The rainbow maned pegasus was taken aback by Lightning's statement. "You really mean it, Lightning?"

Lightning nodded ever so slowly. "Of course I do. I can accept when I've lost," Then she declared. "But don't be so proud of your achievement. You may have beaten the Washouts and I this time. But next time will be a different story."

Rainbow groaned, putting a hoof up to her face. "Seriously, you're still intent on trying to prove a point? How many times do you have to lose before you accept that you'll never be better than me? That you'll never be better than the Wonderbolts?"

Lightning growled. "I'll never accept that! I meant it when I said we'd be rivals for life," She turned to leave. "So you'd best watch your back. One day, when you least expect it, I'll be back. And if it's the last thing I do, I will surpass you!" She then flew back to her team, ready to depart with them.

The captain of the Wonderbolts could only sigh and shake her head. Lightning Dust was as stubborn as they come. Still, a faint chuckle escaped her lips. "If you're gonna keep coming back, Lightning, I'll always be up for another challenge. I could use somepony like you to keep me at the top of my game."

Spitfire then approached Rainbow Dash with a bright smile. "So, Rainbow Dash? Are you starting to see why I made you my successor? I knew you were just the pony to help the Wonderbolts grow even better. And you haven't disappointed me at all."

"Glad to hear it, Spitfire." Rainbow replied.

Author's Note

It's really a shame we didn't get to see the Washouts or Lightning Dust again after Season 8. I really do think they could've had potential as a rival to not only Rainbow Dash but also the Wonderbolts.

For those of you who've known me for a long time and have read most of my works, you may recognize Dizzy Twister. But I haven't done anything with her since Scootaloo's canonical family was introduced back in 2019. So I figured it would be nice to bring her out again, this time without her being headcanon Scootamom.