Disclaimer: All MLP:FiM characters belong to Hasbro and DHX Media. I do not own any of them except my OC.
I was walking around when I heard my friends listening in on the conversation Rainbow was having. Rainbow had said "Can you believe she actually said that?" Who said what? Pinkie said "Well, yeah, eavesdropping on every meeting is kinda weird." FINALLY! They shamed one of their friends for eavesdropping. They used to be hypocrites because they would get mad at me or Discord for doing it, but when one of them does it, no one bats an eye. Not this time. Rainbow said "I mean she basically said that the Wonderbolts aren't cool!" Okay, I got the what, but now I need the who. "And it kinda sounded like she didn't think I was cool either." Ouch. That does hurt. That was a massive hit on your ego. "But pah! We all know that's crazy." No, not really. Don't tell her that though. She'll try and kill me. "I mean, I'm definitely not worried about her looking up to somepony else." I'm not so convinced on that one, Rainbow. You might not look that way, but I know your heart is saying something else. I can tell. I know these kinds of things. I've been there before, so I know what it's like.
"Nope. Not… At… All." Why are you making that face, Rainbow? That looks very creepy. I hope she don't turn into a serial killer. I ain't trying to die by a chainsaw in my sleep tonight. If that happened, Twilight is going to get real mad and blast someone into a one way trip to oblivion. I know it will happen. Applejack said "Well, I'd understand if you were." Not really. Kids have different interests. They change all the time. Unfortunately, that's life. Yeah, it can hurt sometimes, but you can't force someone to like you because it makes you feel good. That's just being selfish and prideful. "It'd be like if Apple Bloom started lovin' bananas more than apples!" That would be strange. Not gonna lie. "Hahaha! *plays belt slapping effect in the background* Y'all tell me if that ever happens, ya hear?" Yes ma'am! Dang, she about to pull out that belt if that happens. Better watch out because that pony can seriously injure you in like two seconds just from one kick. Rainbow asked "But what could the Washouts possibly have that I don't?" I don't know. Maybe you can find out yourself. As if on cue, Pinkie jumped up with a poster flyer and said "Why don't you find out?" She read my mind! Dang Pinkie. You're good.
Rainbow grabbed the poster and read it. She said "They're doing a show in Ponyville this weekend?!" If that's what it says on the flyer, then yes. Pinkie grabbed the poster back and showed it to the crowd. I appeared right next to Twilight. She said "Wow… they do look pretty amazing… ly unamazing." That made no sense, but nice save there Twilight. I'm kinda skeptical of this group, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now. "Trying so hard to look amazing, is what I mean." Nice one. Pinkie said very loudly "Nice save, Twilight!" I said "You do realize that we can all hear you, right?" Everypony gasped and I said "What? Ugh! Honestly. Every time I show up, ponies jump in fear and get scared half to death. It's so annoying." Twilight said "It's not that we're trying to hurt your feelings, it's just you show up unexpectedly sometimes and it makes us jump. Although, that seems like normal for you, so I'm not sure why we even do it anymore." I think I might know why.
A few days later…
It's finally the weekend and I have to show up at this place? Why am I even here? Oh wait. I said I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, so that means I have to show up whether I like it or not. Doesn't mean I have to watch it though. Scootaloo sighed and said "I knew we should have lined up last night." I said "That probably wouldn't be a very good idea." Scootaloo asked me "Why's that?" I said "Well, back where I came from, people would always camp out in Walmart parking lots the night before Black Friday which is where you can get discounts on expensive items, and when the store opened the next day, people would fight each other trying to get in and run inside the store like a buffalo stampede. Sadly, people get killed on Black Friday every year because of people trying to get the last of something. It's really stupid considering it's the same day as Thanksgiving when you're supposed to spend time with family and be grateful for what you have and not envy for things you don't. But it is what it is." Scootaloo said "Woah. That's a lot of information." I said "I know it is. But sometimes, things can't be explained in one sentence." Applejack pointed towards an opening on the bleachers and I followed them.
Pinkie said "I'm sorry for making us late." It's not your fault. "Who would have guessed x-treme chocolate air show cupcakes would take an… x-tremely long time to bake?" OH! OH MAN! That was good. Nice one Pinkie. Also, those cupcakes looked so delicious that I could devour the entire thing. Not the baking sheet though. Pinkie put one in her mouth and Rainbow carried Scootaloo up to the bleachers. She said "Look at this! It's a total Wonderbolts rip-off!" How so exactly? Scootaloo asked "What do you mean? The show hasn't started yet!" She's got a point Rainbow. Rainbow replied "Yeah, but look at what we're sitting on." Who cares about that? "Hello! The Wonderbolts have bleachers too. We practically invented sitting on bleachers." I said "What's the big deal about that? Bleachers aren't Wonderbolts exclusive Rainbow. Honestly, you're acting worse than Discord right now. Sheesh." The rest of the group tensed up at that because that was a big slap to the face right there. Yeah, that one probably hurt.
Rainbow grabbed the popcorn and cotton candy out of the ponies in front of her and said "And look at that! Popcorn and cotton candy? Rip-off!" I said "How is that a rip-off? Every kind of event whether if it's a concert, sporting event, or carnival, they're all going to have popcorn and cotton candy. Honestly, I've never seen so much illogical thinking in my life. I thought Discord would be doing that. Not one of my own friends. Good grief." The music started playing and that was my cue. I put on my sunglasses and started reading the newspaper. Twilight was very much annoyed at that, but when she tried to take it away from me, it didn't work. My magic blocked hers, so she couldn't do anything about it. After a few more attempts, she just gave up trying and paid attention to the show. The loudspeaker came on and the announcer said "This is the time." Well, that pony sounds very aggressive. "This is the place." Not really. "This is the team… this is.. The Washouts!" Well, that presentation was kinda cool, but I've seen better. They came flying around and I stuck up my paw while still reading the newspaper. Once they were done passing me, I put it back down and continued reading. Yeah, I didn't even look up once. I looked down on the paper the entire time. I know that's kinda rude, but I don't care and this is what I do at every event like this.
"Say it with me now, the Washout's official motto…" The crowd then said all together "Leap before you look!" Well, that sounds awfully dangerous. I don't trust that kind of motto. They started doing stunts and the announcer said "Remember ponies, while they're amazingly awesome, The Washouts are highly trained professionals with protective fireproof flight suits!" There's no such thing as fireproof in this word. Nothing is really fireproof. You have fire resistant, but not fireproof. The only thing I could think of is if the material is made from volcanoes, then it would be fireproof. Other than that, nothing else is really fireproof. There's also expressions for it as well, but not when it comes to physical items. "Do not try this at home!" Do you really think I would try this, you dimwit? Of course not. I'm not stupid, okay woman? Sheesh. Also that's what they say for car commercials. It says at the bottom "Driven on closed course by trained professionals. Do not attempt." Oh my. That looked terrifying. Oh now I see Rainbow's expression changing. Eh, still think it's kinda boring. Not my cup of tea. It's too painful to watch. Especially with those moving death traps that could instantly kill you. No thank you. Rainbow said "That was insane!" Hmm. A change of heart I see? That's interesting.
Scootaloo said "I told you!" Yeah, and while it got pretty terrifying, it's still not cool enough for me. Hate me all you want, but it doesn't meet to my standards. I'm entitled to my own opinion. Rainbow said "I mean… *clears throat* it was pretty cool." She always says that. "Who are these guys?" I don't know. Maybe you'll find out later on. After that was over, I decided to stick around just to observe what was going on. Scootaloo said "I can't just go up and talk to them!" Sure you can. If they are your fans, then you have to talk to them at some point. Just don't crap yourself while doing it. Rainbow said "You can if you're with me." Of course. Let's boost your ego, shall we? Ugh! Get me out of here. "After all, one of the reasons there's a Rainbow Dash fan club is because I'm fearless. Observe." Oh, I'm watching all right. I have a feeling you're going to fail miserably at this. Rainbow tried saying hey to them, but they only stared at her weirdly in response. Ouch. Awkward. "Uh… so… as a fellow aerobatic professional, I really enjoyed your show." Are you sure about that? "Heh, actually, you might recognize me since I'm a… "pause for dramatic effect…" A Wonderbolt." Uh, is Scootaloo okay there? She's been staring in shock for the last minute or so.
The two ponies just laughed at her and it made Rainbow confused. Not everyone is going to respect you Rainbow. That's the cold hard truth. Sorry if that hurts your ego, but that's just facts. Can't do anything about it. The purple pony said "Join the club!" What's that supposed to mean? Rainbow said "Ok" all confused and the purple pony explained. She said "No, I mean literally join the club. We're called "The Washouts" because we all used to be Wonderbolts just like you… until we "washed out." Hmm. That seems awfully suspicious. That's sus gus bus. Famous quote from Ruffles. Go sub to him on YouTube. Great guy. Anyways, getting off topic here. Rainbow was shocked and said "No way!" They ain't lying Rainbow, or else they wouldn't tell it. The purple pony said "Yep. The name's Rolling Thunder." That's a pretty cool name. I remember back home that Rolling Thunder was a group of motorcyclists that honored military veterans who fought during the Vietnam War. Yeah, people who fought that war got treated horribly after they came home. If you've paid attention in history class, you know why Americans treated them that way. If you haven't, just look it up on Google. It will tell you why.
The motorcycle group would go out once a year around the country and you would see them out on the road in a line with two being able to fit in one lane with even more behind them. "I got booted out of Wonderbolt Academy cause of "flagrant disregard for hazardous weather." Psh." Uh, that stuff is nothing to laugh about. You are not an alicorn or some sort of immortal being, so you can't be doing stunts like that recklessly. That's how you get killed. Lightning is some of the most powerful, if not the most powerful electricity in the world. That kind of voltage is hotter than the Sun's surface. Yeah, that's how destructive it is. "If doin' barrel rolls through nine-hundred million volts of electricity in a raging thunderstorm is wrong, then I don't want to be right." 900 MILLION VOLTS?! ARE YOU INSANE?! THAT CAN INSTANTLY KILL YOU IN LESS THAN TWO SECONDS! Just one strike of lightning can kill you within a couple of days. I do not recommend this whatsoever to anybody. Don't ever underestimate how damaging electricity can be. It can hurt you really bad or worse, kill you, so NEVER EVER play with electricity. It's not a good practice and it can cost you your life if you're not careful.
Rainbow thought it was cool for some reason and I just facepalmed in frustration. She should know better than to say something like that is cool. She ain't immortal so that's not okay to play around with. "This here is Short Fuse…" Oh dear. That doesn't sound too good. As a teenager, I always had a short fuse, but I never started throwing things in anger. I would just grow bitter and didn't listen to anybody. However, most of the time, if people have a short fuse, that means they are quick tempered or not a lot of patience. Also, they have anger issues and can't control their temper. It's a very frustrating thing to deal with if you or one of your family members has it. Anyways, Short Fuse put down his water bottle and said "Nice to meet you." Same to you, my dude. Rainbow asked "What's your story?" Wait for it. Short Fuse got up in her face and yelled "Anger issues! Get off my back!" Dang, that was interesting. Someone was mad. Rainbow said "Uh, ok. So… who's the leader?" I can only imagine it gets worse from here. Rolling Thunder said "Only the most reckless ex-Wonderbolt of all time…" They all looked in the sky and something about that color combination looked familiar.
The pony took off their helmet and it revealed somepony I recognized. Lightning Dust! I heard about what happened when she got kicked out, and it made me furious. I wanted to throw something across the room and blast it to the moon for the rest of eternity. Yeah, that's how mad I got. Rainbow gasped and said "Lightning Dust!" Lightning Dust replied "Rainbow Dash." Both of them snarled at each other and Scootaloo said "Scootaloo. I'm Scootaloo. Hi." That didn't do anything and it only made them grow more bitter towards one another. The heat to this bitter rivalry just got turned up a notch. I know all about bitter rivalries that's for sure. Rainbow said "Lightning Dust… I should have known you were the brains behind a crazy idea like the Washouts. Or should I say "lack of brains." OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Man, she got roasted hard. Nice one Rainbow. Lightning just snarled at Rainbow and Scootaloo said "You two really know each other?" Why do you think they have beef, Scootaloo? Use your brain, you dimwit. Yes, I called a child a dimwit. Big deal. Get over it. "Oh my gosh this is so cool!" Not really.
Lightning said "Your friend got me kicked out of the Wonderbolts." Yeah, she had a good reason to. Scootaloo said "Oh. That's, uh… less cool." Told ya. I came out and said "That's because you decided it was a good idea to have a tornado to clear up clouds faster and instead put my friends LIVES IN DANGER! YOU'RE LUCKY I WASN'T AROUND THEN! BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE BANISHED YOU TO THE MOON IF I HAD THE CHANCE!" Lightning turned around and said "Of course. I should have figured the prince would show up. I've heard stories about this creature always getting mad at the dumbest things." My left eye twitched and I said "Dumb? DUMB?! I THINK YOU ARE THE DUMB ONE! PUTTING OTHER PONIES' LIVES IN DANGER IS REALLY DUMB! I ONLY GOT MAD BECAUSE I HAD TO! DON'T YOU EVER TRY AND MESS WITH ME BECAUSE I'LL BANISH YOU TO THE MOON RIGHT NOW!" I heard Short Fuse whisper to Rolling Thunder "And I thought I had the short temper." I looked at him and roared so loud it pushed him back several miles. Rolling Thunder went wide eyed and quickly left the scene before she could get yeeted across Equestria too.
Lightning said "Anyways, it was the best thing that ever happened to me!" What?! WHAT?! ARE YOU FLIPPING DENSE?! ARE YOU SNIFFING POOP?! ARE YOU HIGH?! Dang something is wrong with this boi. "Great to see you "Wing-pony!" I heard you're a full-fledged Bolt now!" Yeah, because Fire Streak decided to retire and teach full time, so it opened up a slot. Rainbow said "Yeah, well, I'm still-" before getting cut off by Lightning who said "Mad at me? Look, was it wrong of me to endanger the lives of your friends? Yeah." I hope so. "But hey, now I only endanger these knuckleheads." I wouldn't say that to Short Fuse. "Come on, you know you miss me." Why would she? I wouldn't. Sorry if that's dark, but that's how I feel. "Me and her? We blew everypony out of the sky." Oh dear. Here we go. I mean yeah. What they did was cool I guess, but that tornado basically clouded her entire legacy. Just like how the Watergate Scandal clouded President Richard Nixon's legacy forever. He did some good things during his time in office, but that scandal is what he'll be remembered as. Scootaloo was astonished and said "Really?" Yep. Lightning said "Actually yeah, really. All that wind was totally dangerous." Of course it was. "But we had fun, right?" No not really. Don't know why you would even ask me that?
"Two fastest times on the Dizzitron." Oh dear. That thing. I hated that machine ever since they first built it. Rainbow said "If I remember correctly, I had you beat by half a second." But you went easy. Lightning took it up a notch and went to max level. Lightning said "Only because when I went, I cranked up the dizziness factor!" You see? I was right. They both laughed and Rainbow said "Well, I'm glad it all worked out. Your show was pretty dynamite." I beg to differ on that one. Lightning said to Scootaloo "Wanna know the secret?" Uh, no thank you. Your mere presence is already bad enough. I don't need to know your stupid secrets. "We basically ignore everything the Wonderbolts ever taught us about safety." Yeah, that fits for a pony like you. Rainbow said "Well, we do have safety rules for a reason." Yeah, so that ponies don't die every week. Lightning said "Don't listen to her, kid. All their "rules" were just ways of keeping their little club exclusive so they could feel good about themselves." I said "Obviously, you don't know how destructive any kind of electricity is, you arrogant fool." Lightning said "I wasn't talking to you." EXCUSE ME?! I said "EXCUSE ME?! I DON'T GIVE A HECK ON WHETHER YOU ASKED ME OR NOT! DON'T YOU EVER TELL ME TO BE QUIET! ONLY I CAN SILENCE CREATURES! NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!" Lightning was about to say something, but then I lit up my scepter and restrained her to the ground so she couldn't get up.
"YOU BETTER WATCH WHAT YOU SAY, YOU SCUMBAG! BECAUSE I CAN WIPE YOU FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH IN TWO SECONDS! DON'T YOU EVER DISRESPECT THE KING OF ALL BEASTS AGAIN! AM I CLEAR?!" Lightning nodded and I could tell she wanted to get out of here. "GOOD! NOW GET OUT OF MY SIGHT BEFORE YOU BECOME MY DINNER, YOU STUBBORN FOOL!" Lightning quickly took off and I snarled at the rest of them before quickly taking off, stomping my paw down on the ground creating a hold on the ground and having dark crystals spike up and send Lightning flying. I went back to the castle and read my newspaper. Twilight came in and said "Hey Zach? Can you come with me?" I said "Sure. Where do you need to go?" Twilight said "Oh, just something I need to pick up." I raised a brow in suspicion, but I went along with it anyways. She took me across town and I recognized where we were. Of course. We just HAD to come back here. I was here not even 5 minutes ago. I said "You can go get your autographs from Lightning over there by yourself. I'm going over there so I can read my newspaper." Twilight rolled her eyes, but I ignored it.
After she was done, we went back to Ponyville, but I saw Rainbow heading full steam towards us and she didn't look like she was slowing down any time soon. She crashed straight into Twilight and said "My fault, my fault- sorry, I… Twilight?" I gave Rainbow a deadpan scowl and Rainbow backed away a bit in fear. Twilight groaned a bit and said "Sorry, I was just, um…" Yeah, you've been caught. Rainbow said "Please tell me you got that stuff so you could rip it up and throw it off a cliff." I said "Unfortunately, no. I got dragged over there just so SOMEPONY could get autographs from probably a group run by one of the most stubborn, reckless, and arrogant fools in Equestria!" Twilight hit me in the back of the neck and she gave me a scowl. I wasn't backing down though. Twilight said "As Zach said, to put in more NICER terms, they were doing an autograph session before practice." Stupid. Rainbow said "Seriously? Ugh. You haven't seen Scoot, have you?" Oh no. I forgot about her! I saw her follow Lightning Dust, but I didn't think anything of it. Twilight said "Actually…" Oh dear me. This is not going to end well. Rainbow quickly flew off and Twilight went after her. I followed as well because I wanted to investigate further. Rainbow said "I can't believe Scootaloo ditched me to watch them practice!" It doesn't surprise me. "Why can't she see how dangerous they are?" I said "That's how kids are. They are young. They don't understand the consequences of their actions most of the time. That's why they need to be taught not to do certain things. However, that doesn't always happen."
Twilight said "That's the draw. It's exciting." I said "Maybe for you. But unless you have immortality, which most ponies do not, it can seriously injure you or even kill you if you're not careful. It can get exciting, but not at the price of someone getting hurt. It's just not worth it." Twilight gave me a glare and Rainbow said "He's got a point, Twi." Twilight rolled her eyes and ignored her. "But it's like the harder I try to convince Scoot they're dangerous, the more she likes them." I said "That's the thing. Kids go through different interests in their life. They're not always going to be a fan of the same thing for their entire lifetime. Unfortunately, you can't control others' actions. You can only control yours. You can encourage her not to do it, but it's ultimately up to her in the end on whether she thinks she's cool or not." Rainbow really didn't want to hear that, but Twilight said "He's got a point, Rainbow." Ouch. Right back in her face. Rainbow said "But what if she chooses them over me?" I said "It's not always about you, Rainbow. That's one of the problems you have. You let your pride cloud your judgement which in this case, not letting Scootaloo make up her mind and force her into a decision only so your ego can be built up."
I knew that one hurt, but sadly, it's the truth. Twilight said "As much as I hate to admit it, he is telling the truth Rainbow." Rainbow said "I don't care. She's gonna get hurt." You really don't understand, do you? Twilight said "I think I might know somepony else who might get hurt if that happens." Rainbow looked confused for a second before finally realizing what Twilight meant. She sighed and said "Maybe you're right." Of course she is. Why wouldn't she? "But this isn't about me." Oh, you actually admit that for once. I didn't think that was going to happen. Well, there's always a first time for everything. "I'm just worried about Scoot." I understand, but don't let your pride get in the way of making the right decision. You need to let Scootaloo make her own decision about it. She might make the right decision. She might not. Only she can make that choice. All you can do is encourage her to make the right one and hope she doesn't go down the wrong path.
We flew back down and Lightning was sketching things out. Probably planning for her next show or something. Short Fuse came out and said "Wow, you're really working hard on this new stunt." He ate the tomato sandwich and spit it out. "What kind of sorry excuse for a tomato sandwich is this?!" He threw it on the ground and I could barely contain my laughter. It was honestly pretty hilarious. Even the author is laughing so hard right now. Lightning said "Sorry Dash, autograph's session's over." I said "More like autocrap." Lightning growled at me and I snarled back at her. I slammed both of my paws down and had dark crystals pop out of the ground sending her flying back and roared super loud to get Short Fuse to fly back a few miles as well. Twilight looked pretty mad, but I could care less. I turned around and kicked that canvas with my legs sending it out of Earth's orbit and right straight to the moon. I went into my shadow form and took off. Lightning came back and Rainbow said "You haven't seen Scootaloo, have you?" Probably. Lightning said "Oh! Isn't she that pony that used to respect you?" Rainbow snarled at her and Twilight pulled her back with her magic.
"I'd appreciate you helping me find her… so I can apologize for trying to make her quit liking you." Lightning just gave a mean laugh and said "Oh, I'm pretty sure she still likes us." She pointed towards the tent and out came Scootaloo in one of those uniforms. Rainbow gasped in horror. Oh dear. This isn't going to be good. Rainbow said "Lightning Dust, I know we go way back, but I can't let her do this." Oh boi. Here comes the beef. Scootaloo said with determination "I don't need you standing up for me." Dang, she got some determination. Rainbow said "Obviously you do, because you can't see how dangerous this is. Do you not remember what Spitfire said?" Let me guess. Walking in a full body wing and hoof cast drinking through a straw? Yeah, sounds about right. Lightning said "Ugh, let me guess, *puts on sunglasses and imitates Spitfire* "You'll be in a full-body-wing-and-hoof cast drinkin' through a straw!" She somehow read my mind. Rainbow said "That doesn't even sound like Spitfire." It kinda does, but that's not the point. "That's it, we're leaving!" Dang. This is pretty bad. Rainbow grabbed Scootaloo and dragged her away. However, Scootaloo finally had enough and wasn't tolerating any more bullcrap. She said "Just because I look up to you doesn't mean I have to be you!" She does have a point there, Rainbow.
"But based on your definition of what makes somepony great, I have bad news: I'll never be the "best of the best," or a Wonderbolt because I can't fly! Is that what you wanted to hear?" Dang. That was quite harsh. But it's the truth and Rainbow needs to hear it because of her prideful, self-centered, arrogant, self. Rainbow looked shocked and Scootaloo continued. "But not being able to fly doesn't mean I can't do something awesome, like strapping my scooter to a multi-stage liquid-fuel rocket and jumping twenty two wagons lined up in front of a roaring crowd!" That sounds quite terrifying and also oddly… specific. Twilight said "That was awfully specific." Once again, another pony read my mind. What's with that these days? Lightning said "That's cause it's what she'll be doing in the show tonight." You're kidding, right? "Half-off for princesses! Bring your friends! I would give a discount to the prince, but since he's been awfully rude today, eh, I'll have to charge extra for him to get in." WHAT?! I burned with anger and immediately blasted her with my scepter.
I came up to her and said "YOU DARE MAKE ME PAY THE MOST MONEY OUT OF ANYPONY ELSE BECAUSE I MISBEHAVED?! YOU ARE SO WRONG! I'M NOT THE ONE WHO PUT MY FRIENDS LIVES IN DANGER! YOU ARE ONE OF THE MOST ARROGANT FOOLS I HAVE EVER SEEN ON THIS EARTH AND I'LL SEND YOU INTO A ONE WAY TRIP TO OBLIVION IF YOU DARE TALK SMACK TO ME ONE MORE TIME! NOW GET OUT OF MY SIGHT BEFORE I BLAST YOU INTO NEXT TUESDAY!" Lightning quickly took off and I summoned dark crystals everywhere in anger which resulted in devouring the scenery and having things destroyed. Twilight was furious at me at this point, but I went into my shadow form and looked like Sombra completely disappearing. Twilight asked Scootaloo "Scootaloo, are you sure that's what you really want to do?" It seems like it. Scootaloo replied "Absolutely. And there's nothing you can do to stop me!" Let's see if Rainbow admits to her mistake. Rainbow said "You're right. You're your own foal and you have to make your own decisions." You finally admitted the truth. Scootaloo said "Good. Because I already have." Dang, that was blunt. Rainbow just flew away and Twilight looked away with guilt. I need to go vent somewhere. I can't do it here since I already devoured the scenery. That's just what happens when I get mad.
A few hours later…
I looked from the Everfree Forest on what was going on and ponies were taking their seats. Pinkie said "I'm sorry for making us late again." I don't even care at this point. "Who would have guessed Scootaloo's Super-Difficult-Stunt-Special Cupcakes would have been super-difficult to bake?" You already mentioned this a couple of days ago. Applejack looked around and said "Whoo wee, looks like all of Ponyville's here… except for Rainbow Dash." Twilight sighed and said "Zach as well. I want to be so mad at him, but I just can't." Rarity asked "Why is that?" Twilight sighed again and said "It's just he kinda how do I want to say... devoured the scenery here earlier and threatened to send Lightning Dust into oblivion." Fluttershy said "Oh my." Yeah, and I regret nothing. Rarity said "Why in Equestria would he want to do something like that?" Twilight said "I think he knows about what happened back when Rainbow was in the Wonderbolts academy. Since he knows the effects, it fuels his anger towards Lightning Dust and causes his magic to go haywire and destroy anything that crosses his path. When he's not around, it makes me worried because I'm afraid he'll do something he'll regret and end up harming Equestria." Okay. I won't go that far. Sure, I can get mad, but not to that extent.
The loudspeaker came on and the announcer said "And here to introduce the most dangerous stunt we've ever performed, it's your fearless captain… La La La Lightning Dust!" The crowd cheered and Lightning had a crazy introduction once again and I just rolled my eyes as I have seen better than this kind of entrance. She took off her helmet and said "In just a moment, the newest member of the Washouts will be rocket-sledding down that hill, up that ramp, and over all twenty-two wagons, to land on the other side… in one piece… if she's lucky." You better be careful on what you say. "Put your hooves together for Half-Pint Dynamite!" Scootaloo jumped out of the trampoline and waved to the crowd. You'll see the truth later, Scootaloo. She hopped on Lightning Dust's back and was taken to the top of the hill. Scootaloo said "Lightning Dust? I have to tell you, I actually started Equestria's first Washouts Fan Club… as far as I know. So this is a real honor, ma'am. Umm, do we call you ma'am?" It don't matter. Lightning said "You land this jump, you can call me whatever you want." If she dies, I'll have you be disintegrated into oblivion. I'm not joking. I will do that. I have the power to do it. Scootaloo saw what it looked like and suddenly got scared. I told you it wasn't safe. Scootaloo said "Wow, that sure is…" Dangerous? You would be right. But you said you wanted to do this, so oh well. This is what you get.
Lightning said "Dangerous? Nahh." I beg to differ on that one. "Well, maybe a little." So at least you admitted to it being a bit dangerous. Scootaloo asked "Has anypony tested it before?" I hope so. Lightning said "Where's the fun in that?" Okay, no. I don't think so. If you haven't tested something, then that means your chances of survival go all the way down to 0%. Well, maybe not that low, but very low. Not testing something can lead to disaster. Just ask Callahan from Big Hero 6. Lightning added the last couple of rockets and Scootaloo asked in fear "There's more?" Afraid so. Lightning got defensive and said "You're not thinking of backing out, are you?" Probably. Scootaloo said "No! I'm just thinking about drinking through straws." Sheesh. Lightning started to get pressed and said "Are you the president of my fan club, or not?" Presidents of fan clubs don't do this kind of thing. Scootaloo said "Of course, it's just…" before getting cut off by Lightning who said "You wouldn't want to get impeached for dishonoring my wishes, do you?" That's not even worth getting impeached for. This sounds like the same crap when liberals tried to get Trump impeached for the dumbest things and failed miserably every time.
I won't go any farther than that, but you see the connection I'm making here. Scootaloo said "I- is that a thing?" Not really. Lightning Dust just picked up Scootaloo and put her on the scooter. Oh dear. She put on the helmet and yelled "Light it up!" I'll show you light it up. The wagons all had flames above them and Scootaloo said "Ok, now I am thinking about backing out!" Now you want to admit you were wrong. Lightning said "Too Late!" and pressed the red button. The rockets turned on and started blasting away using hundreds of pounds of thrust to move this dang thing. It was moving so dang fast I could barely keep up. The crowd was excited, and Scootaloo was scared to death. When she began floating in the air, the crowd gasped and Scootaloo was fearing for her life. Thankfully, Rainbow came flying in as fast as she could and saved Scootaloo just in time. Rainbow said "I know I was supposed to let you make your own decisions, but that doesn't mean I can't swoop in and save you from time to time." She had a point. Lightning said "If I'd known you were gonna bail, I would have done the trick myself!" I don't care.
Rainbow said "Great! So you won't mind how that rope's about to coil around your hoof!" Lightning looked down and just when she realized it, it was too late. Lightning said "Rivals for life!" That's fine. I lit up my scepter and blasted her to the moon where she could be banished forever. Rainbow said "Wouldn't have it any other way." Me neither. Scootaloo said "I'm sorry for joining the Washouts… Lightning Dust wasn't who I thought she was." She can manipulate you like that, especially with your young, undeveloped mind. "She didn't care about me being scared or putting me in danger." That's Lightning Dust for ya. "She only wanted a good show, even if it meant I got hurt." And that is what gets you into trouble and something only the fool does. They'll learn later on in life about how destructive their actions really are. "That's not the kind of pony I want to look up to." That's a good decision to make. You never want to follow in the hoofsteps of those kinds of ponies because they will take advantage of you and leave you hurt in the end while not caring in the slightest about your feelings.
Rainbow said "I'm the one who should be apologizing…" Why's that? "For not acting like somepony who deserves a fan club." I guess that's a fair argument. "I've been lucky enough to have somepony who thinks I'm the coolest, but there's nothing cool about making you feel like you'll never be as awesome as me." Scootaloo gave Rainbow a hug and Rainbow smiled. "I think we should cancel the Washouts Fan Club, because I know a fan club that could use some new members." And what would that be? Scootaloo said "The Rainbow Dash Fan Club!" Maybe. I went outside the treehouse and Rainbow said "Welcome to the first ever meeting of the newest fan club for the awesomest, previously under-appreciated pony in Ponyville… with founding member and president Rainbow Dash presiding, it's the Scootaloo Fan Club!" Well, that's a new one. Twilight was outside holding Scootaloo in the air so she could see what was going on. She said "You know, Rainbow Dash was right. Eavesdropping on your own fan club isn't weird at all." Maybe, but I'm still not sure. Twilight rolled her eyes and continued watching along with Scootaloo. I watched too. After that was over, I took off and went off on my own. I was so sad which resulted in my anger being fueled and me wanting to destroy something in rage.
Why do I feel so corrupt? My eyes turned green with purple mist coming from it and I took off to the Everfree Forest. I went through it quickly and stopped at the Castle of the Two Sisters. The end has come and I shall burn this world down. I charged up my scepter and blasted a huge hole in the ground as hard as I could which caused the ground to shake heavily and turn into an Earthquake. I flew down and slammed my paws down which created cracks in the floor and summoned dark crystals everywhere destroying the walls and breaking it into tiny pieces. If I can't live with happiness in this world, I shall take the rest of this world with me. I charged up my scepter again and blasted red magic in the sky which turned into a thunderstorm and snow began descending from the sky. Finally, I turned back into my shadow form and looked like Sombra. Nothing shall stop me now. What? I felt something tug me and I looked down to see it was Twilight. She said "Zach! Please stop this! I know you are better than this!" I yelled "How can I? I'm too far gone at this point. I must as well get corrupted by the darkness than try and redo things." Twilight said "You are not too far gone! You have ponies who care about you! I care about you! Please. Don't do this."
I looked at her and she gave me a pleading look that I just couldn't resist. Something feels different. Wait. What am I doing? Why does it feel like I'm about to go on a rampage and turn evil? I snapped out of it and got rid of the change of environment. I even restored things back to the way it was. I couldn't bear to look at Twilight. Before she could say anything, I spread out my eagle wings and attempted to take off. But Twilight jumped right on top of my back before I could take off. Ow. I said "What was that for?" She didn't answer, but instead hugged me with all her might. I'm going to die one of these days. I don't know why she does this. It only makes me feel more guilty. I said "Twilight. I don't understand. Why are you hugging me like this? I don't deserve your forgiveness." Twilight let up a bit and said "Of course you do! I'm sorry." I beg your pardon? Did I hear that right? "You heard what I said." Oh crap. I said "Twilight, I'm the one who should be sorry, not you. I caused serious property damage and even threatened to send somepony to oblivion! Heck, I even destroyed some of this place in anger because of my depression and loneliness." Twilight said "Of course I have something to be sorry for! I should have given you a talk instead of not doing anything and letting you escape." I guess she has a point. "I get so worried when you disappear like that because when you escape, you do outrageous things and can be very unpredictable sometimes." What is your point exactly? "I just don't want to lose you!"
I should have figured that. No matter what I do, she never gives up on me. Usually, most would have given up by now. I know Twilight isn't like the rest of humanity, but because of how my past was and my experiences with it, I still have that in my head. It's nothing personal, but that's how my brain functions. How long will it be before I crack and darkness invades, having me under it's full control? "Let me help you! Please. Don't shut me out." That's easier said than done. My sinful heart wants to slam the door on Twilight, but in my head, I know I can't do that. I said "Fine. I struggle with self doubt issues as you can probably tell." Twilight shook her head and said "When will you stop blaming yourself for things and start believing in yourself?" Probably never. "You really think that will get you anywhere?" No, but my stubborn brain refuses to do anything about it. "I'm going to have to find my way around your defenses and break down those walls in order for you to believe in yourself again." HA! Good luck with that. I'd like to see you try. My defenses around my heart will be some of the most powerful you shall ever see. Even if something were to happen drastically, that still wouldn't change anything and shatter the stone in my heart.
"I will defeat your defenses and when I do, you'll finally be set free." Okay, yeah sure. Whatever. I don't want to be set free. I need to be contained. That monster still lurks inside of me waiting to get out and tear me up. Twilight let go of me and I released my anger. No, I did not blast a hole in the ground. I just grabbed the nearest tree and smashed it with my claws releasing all of that pent up aggression out into the open. I needed to get it out. It lasted a few minutes and once I was done, I came over to Twilight and collapsed on the ground in exhaustion. She looked at me and said "Feel better now?" I said "Yeah, I feel better now, but I still feel stupid for being absolutely irrational and ridiculous like always." Twilight put a hoof to my mouth and said "Shh. Everything is fine now. Let me take care of this right here." She pointed at my chest towards my heart and I sighed. I said "Fine. Go ahead." Twilight said "See? It wasn't that hard." You'll find out that won't be the case later on. As long as I continue to live, I shall resist until the very end when all my tears will be wiped away and there will be no more pain. I'm afraid that if you try to free me from all my burdens and pains Twilight, then you have got a long road ahead of you.
AN: This chapter was an interesting one per say. The seeds of darkness are finally being planted and are starting to grow. Twilight has quite the challenge ahead of her. But that won't be a major issue until later on. Anyways, I'm really disappointed that Washington lost to Tampa Bay this past Sunday, but boy did they put up one heck of a fight. It was quite impressive. However, I am happy that my Baltimore Ravens got their revenge against the Titans after they came to spoil the party last year in the Divisional Round. It was also really cool for Lamar Jackson to get his first playoff win in his career. So I can't wait to see the action he'll have against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills this upcoming weekend. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Next Chapter: A Rock and a Hard Place! When Rockhoof is kicked out of his hometown, he goes to Ponyville to try and find something he can do for himself. Unfortunately, times have changed and shovel ponies aren't really a thing anymore. He struggles with this as the Mane Six try to help him and Zachary notices this. He feels empathy towards him because he's been in that exact same situation before. Will he be able to help him, or is Rockhoof too ancient to adapt to the modern times?
Until then, my fellow readers
