Iron Mare

Rainbow Dash knocked on Lightning Dust's door. She lived in a large house, though it didn't quite qualify as a mansion.  It was perfect for Lightning Dust, who had never been one to spend bits on lavish things.

Rainbow hadn't seen or heard from Lightning Dust in almost two weeks. Normally, that wouldn't be cause for worry. Lightning Dust had always enjoyed her privacy, but with the circumstances being what they were, Rainbow couldn't stop herself. On top of all that, Lightning Dust had been acting a bit strange ever since her experience in Saddle Arabia several weeks ago.

It started with her constantly asking for others to repeat themselves when no one said anything. At first, Rainbow dismissed this as a simple hearing problem, and even made a crack about Lightning Dust being ancient (something she would normally laugh at) only to receive a hateful look from the older mare. That's when Rainbow found her mumbling to herself during a routine walkthrough of the DashCo factory. Hearing problems were one thing, but talking to herself was another.

Rainbow begun to worry that the entire thing was somehow linked to Saddle Arabia. She hadn't seen or heard anything about the Diamond Dogs since she found Lightning Dust in the cave they were supposedly hiding in. It was like they vanished without a trace.

Rainbow Dash let out a quiet gasp when Lightning Dust opened the door.

There stood her friend, mane disheveled and dark circles under her eyes. She obviously hadn't slept or groomed herself for some time.

"What?"

"What happened?" Was all Rainbow Dash could force out.

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"But, what about your eyes? They're-"

"I haven't gotten much sleep. Sue me." Snapped Lightning Dust. "Are you going to come inside, Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow looked from side to side before answering. "No... no I'm good... but I just want to know if you're okay."

Lightning's eyes brightened up and she smiled.

"Fine! I've never been better, Rainbow!"

"You really don't look it..."

"I look a little under the weather, so what? It's not like I'm the face of DashCo or anything. I'm not you, Rainbow Dash. I'm not a celebrity."

All the cheeriness quickly faded from her face, as if the previous statement had brought up a long buried feeling of jealousy. The world around them went silent for a moment before Lightning Dust shook her head and looked at Rainbow with the smile plastered on her face again.

"Now go on! Don't worry about me, Rainbow. I'm fine" she finished.

Hesitantly, Rainbow Dash turned around and began walking down the way she came. She heard the door close behind her as she continued along the path.

Lightning Dust turned away from the door and leaned against it before sliding down to the floor. The turquoise Pegasus let out an exasperated sigh and shut her tired eyes.

She couldn't remember the last time she slept. Her anxiety had made sure that she got as little as possible over the past several weeks. Was it three days or four? Maybe it was even five-

There was a sudden cackle off to her right, causing her to jerk her head in the direction it had come from.

"S-somepony there?" she asked.

"Somepony...." came an eerie, whispery reply.

Lightning got to her hooves and looked around the room.

"Where are you?"

"Follow the cold shiver running down your spine..." said the voice.

Lightning slowly began to walk in the direction the voice had come from, toward a nearby hallway that lead to her bedroom. For weeks, she had been hearing things. Voices. Laughing at her. Mocking her. It was scary, yet at the same time, she hadn't brought it up to anyone else for fear of being labeled a nutcase, or worse, institutionalized.

Lightning Dust continued through the room, the air growing colder. Like a twisted game of hot and cold, she went in whatever direction felt more uncomfortable. Pressing into the unknown, she continued down the hallway and made a turn into her bathroom.

"I'm right here!" she heard.

Turning, Lightning Dust found herself looking at her reflection in the mirror.

"I don't get it..." she whispered.

"Don't play dumb..." said her reflection, causing her to take a step back. "You've known this whole time."

"No... That's not possible. This is a dream. I'm dreaming!"

"Oh but it is, Lightning Dust. I'm as real as you are."

Lightning reached over and turned on the sink before splashing cool water onto her face. A moment later, she opened her eyes and looked in the mirror once again.

"I'm still here" said her reflection, grinning back at her.

She took a step back and leaned against the wall, putting her face into her hooves, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Oh, don't be such a scared little filly. This shouldn't come as a surprise to you" it said

Not moving her face from her hooves, Lightning Dust simply asked the most pressing question in her head.

"What are you?"

"I'm you. Just.... Improved." said her reflection. "I'm everything you ever wished you were. Everything you are or wanted to be, I am.

She opened her eyes and lifted her face from her hooves, looking into the mirror to find her reflection staring back at her, still grinning.

"What do you want?"

"To say what you won't. To do what you can't. To eliminate those who would stand in our way."

"Where did you come from?"

Her reflection licked its lips deviously, almost sexually. Like it was enjoying the fear on Lightning Dust's face.

"Remember? Saddle Arabia? Your little run in with the Diamond Dogs and Ahuizotl?"

Lightning Dust gasped at the realization.

"The cave..." she whispered.

"Bingo. Me! The single best thing that's ever happened to you."

"How is a split personality supposed to be the best thing that's ever happened to me?"

"You'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it.. That is... If Rainbow Dash hasn't already done it."

"Shut up!" cried Lightning Dust.

"Too scared to admit that you're jealous of Rainbow Dash? Too scared to face the truth?"

"I'm not scared!"

"Then say it!"

"Say what?!"

"Say you hate Rainbow Dash!"

"I don't! I don't hate anyone!"

"Admit it! You can't stand her. The way she trots all over you to get what she wants. The way she's always strived to outdo you. The way she took DashCo.  from you when she was old enough and shoved you out of the spotlight."

"I don't hate her for that!" Lightning yelled at the mirror, the slightest twinge of uncertainty in her voice.

"How long have you lived in the shadow of Rainbow Dash?"

"I'm not IN her shadow!"

"No.... you're not. You're just another pony she stands on the shoulders of to stay on top."

"That's not true and you know it!"

Lightning Dust's voice was growing just a bit in volume.

"You know it's true. Let me help you, Lightning Dust."

"Shut up!" Yelled Lightning Dust, stomping her front hooves.

"I'm your friend, Lightning Dust. I only want what's best for you. Now let me out. Let me out, Dusty."

"SHUT UP!" Screamed Lightning Dust.

Having heard enough, she raised her hoof and smashed it into the mirror, causing the glass to crack. Her reflection stopped smiling at her and split into several smaller images of her.

The room fell silent for a moment before she heard the cackle again. She fell to the ground in a heap and buried her face in her hooves.

"Please...." she whispered, "Go away..."

Lightning felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"You hate Rainbow Dash... you've known it all along. Now let me out... "

Something snapped in the back of her head. She began to smile wickedly and stood up, the tears that had built up in her eyes now trickled down her face as she walked out of the bathroom, leaving the broken mirror behind.

Lightning Dust trotted up to a nearby wooden drawer and opened it up, rummaging through it's contents for a bit before finding what she was looking for. A small tape recorder. She rewound  the tape, not caring how important whatever was on it was and brought the recorder up to her mouth.

"It took me some time to figure out what happened to me in Saddle Arabia. I thought there was something wrong, but now I realize that I've just never had my eyes opened before. I feel amazing. Whatever happened there was incredible. Life changing.  This is a new me."

She stopped and licked her lips.

"I'm going to show Rainbow Dash that she's not going to walk over me ever again!"

"I swear, Scootaloo, she just had these... DARK circles under her eyes. It looked like she hadn't slept in weeks. They kinda creeped me out."

Rainbow Dash sat in the middle of her boom room, looking over a set of schematics for her suit of armor. Scootaloo stood next to her, gazing over her shoulder at the designs on the table.

"Miss Dash, if you ask me, it just sounds like she's still shaken up about what happened in Saddle Arabia."

Rainbow rolled her eyes and turned away from the schematics to look at her assistant.

"Being shaken up is one thing, Scoots, but this is something else. I've never seen Dusty so.... out of it, before. It was like she was a completely different pony. And with the way she's been acting, that can't be a good thing."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, she's been acting strange. Talking to herself. And not just mumbling, she's having full on conversations. I'm really getting scared that she might be showing signs of schizophrenia..." Rainbow paused to think for a moment.

"Miss Dash, can I ask what happened in Saddle Arabia?"

"Well... basically, Lightning Dust went into the cave on her own, and I was ambushed by two dogs with Saddle Guns. That was no issue, but I figured that if the Dogs knew I was staked out there, then they must've known that Lightning Dust was in on it. But it just leaves the question... /How/ did they know? It just bothers me that-"

"Miss Dash" came T.A.N.K. "Miss Spitfire is at the front door asking for you."

"Alright, let her in, I'll be up there in a sec" said Rainbow Dash, rolling up the schematic.

"I'll tell you later, Scoots."

Rainbow Dash ascended the stairs rather quickly to find Spitfire standing in the living room, gazing up at the shiny trophy Rainbow had won earlier that year. She trotted up next to her friend, and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"So did you do it?" She asked the Wonderbolt.

"We did. The suit is locked up in a Wonderbolt facility just outside of town."

"Good. I guess the only thing left to do now is keep an eye on Lightning Dust."

"Lightning Dust?" asked Spitfire, unaware of the elder mare's strange behavior "What's wrong with Lightning Dust?"

"She's been acting weird lately... just... not herself. I'm worried about her."

"Should I call a doctor?"

"I'm honestly not sure... I just got back from from her place like an hour ago. She seemed kind of eager to get me out of there. Maybe we should let her be. Give her some time to cool down from whatever it is that's bothering her."

Lightning Dust held the phone up to her ear.

"Set up a new project under the Crystal Chamber in the DashCo factory. Recruit our top engineers for this one, I want a prototype right away." She said, "Label 'Project Dynamo' in the records. I'll bring the designs over tonight."

Lightning Dust looked at the crumpled papers in her hooves with a twisted smile and an eye twitch.