A Chance

It was a normal day in Ponyville, the sun was out, and a certain mare was clearing the clouds.

  "Take that!" Rainbow Dash said, kicking a cloud into nonexistence. She had been clearing the clouds the entire morning, looking for a perfect cloud to take a nap in. She had found a big, fluffy cloud when a green, black, and yellow blur flew into her, knocking her over.

  "Hey! Watch where your flying!" Rainbow Dash said angrily, shaking herself.

  "Sorry!" the pegasus apologized, standing up, "I was flying really fast, and I didn't see- hey, wait a minute, I know you, your Rainbow Dash!"

"The one and only," Rainbow Dash said, sticking her chest out proudly, then scrutinized the other pony. "Hey, who are you? I haven't seen you around Ponyville."

"My name is Lightning Flash," she said, "You haven't seen me because I just moved here from Cloudsdale."

"You're from Cloudsdale?" Rainbow Dash asked, "That's where only the coolest pegasi are from!"

"You know it!" Lightning Flash agreed, then changed the subject, "Do you know where I could get a bite to eat? I'm starving!"

"Yeah, just follow me to Sugarcube Corner," Rainbow Dash replied, "It's the best place to eat in all of Ponyville! Maybe I can introduce you to some of my friends, if they're there."

"Wanna race?" Lightning Flash asked mischievously.

"Try to keep up!" Rainbow Dash laughed, "I'm the fastest flier in all of Equestria!" She sped off, leaving a rainbow streak behind her. Lightning Flash streaked after her, leaving a trail of storm clouds spiraled by lightning beside the rainbow. She caught up to her opponent, who quickly flew ahead. The two racers flew into a dive, then landed smoothly in front of Sugarcube Corner, Rainbow Dash slightly ahead.

"Nice moves," Rainbow Dash complimented, "You're faster than most ponies I know."

"Thanks!" Lightning Flash beamed, "I practice a lot. My cousin helps me."

"Cool," Rainbow Dash said, leading her into Sugarcube Corner, "Great! They're all here!"

She trotted ahead of her new friend and called out, "Hey guys! Come over here! There's someone I want you to meet!"

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Rarity all trotted over, curious looks on their faces.

"This is Lightning Flash," Rainbow Dash said, "She just moved here from Cloudsdale, the coolest place in the sky!"

Pinkie Pie bounced over to Lightning Flash, peering at her cutie mark.

"Three lightning bolts, huh?" she asked, "You must be fast!"

"Oh, thanks," Lightning Flash said, blushing slightly, "I got it whenever I was flying during a storm on a dare. When I flew around the storm clouds, I saw lightning bolts up close, and they were so awesome! I loved to fly around them, and that's when this here appeared. I knew I wanted to be as fast as the lightning bolts I flew with."

"That was a beautiful story dear," Rarity commented, taking out her lace hankie and dabbing her eyes, "Oh, I can't wait to spend some more time with you! Think of all the new fashion possibilities!"

"Me too," Twilight said, "Maybe you can increase my knowledge about stormy weather, since you fly around in it so much."

"Oooh! Oooh! Me three!" Pinkie squealed, then her eyes widened, "I have a totally fabulous pony-tastic idea! This situation is perfect for a party! I'll invite everyone one in Ponyville, and you can have all kinds of friends! We'll have cake, and ice cream, and-"

"Don't forget me!" Rainbow Dash interrupted, "You should totally hang out with me sometime. I can show you all the cool places to fly in Ponyville!"

"And I would love to show you around Sweet Apple Acres, sugar cube," Applejack added, "Best apples you'll ever see in Equestria."

"I'm sure my animal friends would like to meet you," Fluttershy said softly, "Oh, but only if you want to, of course."

"I would love to do all those things!" Lightning Flash said eagerly, "Oh, I can't wait to tell cousin Soarin about all the friends I'm making!"

Suddenly, all the ponies went silent, and Rainbow Dash's mouth dropped open.

"Cousin... Soarin?" she gasped, "Like, Soarin of the Wonderbolts? You're his cousin? That explains why you're so fast, and why you leave a trail of storm clouds with lightning!"