exploring Wind Rider, father of Lightning Dust (and grandfather of Zipperflash)


1.) Shocking! Wind Rider's mane wasn't always grey. Have some rambling:

i was pretty sleepy when i was writing this and smushed a lengthy and convoluted headcanon into bullet points

-Despite being a unicorn, Clear Sky has always had a fascination with flying, especially Equestria's most elite aerial acrobatics squad, the Wonderbolts

-As a teenager she became president of her town's Wonderbolts fan club. She entered and won a fundraising contest where the prize was to attend a real life Wonderbolt gala, and sit at a table with legendary hotshot flier Wind Rider. Clear was so excited that she could've walked on clouds herself, despite not being a pegasus

-Clear Sky meets her hero. Wind Rider meets a pretty, naive, and excited young girl. Do you see where I'm going with this. Am I saying Wind capitalized on their differences in age and life experience to manipulate her into certain situations? Yes I am. Would Wind ever admit that? Nope. He'd say he found her sweet and adorable, and was drawn to how young he made him feel. Certainly Clear herself was smitten with him, 100%, and Wind loved basking in her complete and total adoration.

-Clear is 19 when she finds herself pregnant, whoops

-Wind contemplates bailing but is nervous about what would happen to his career if word of this broke out. Also, he's maybe a little hesitant to straight up ditch a young girl and his kid, c'mon, he ain't completely heartless. He does love Clear, and she's completely frightened right now.....so let's get married, why not

-The first few years of marriage are happy. Lightning Dust is born and adored by both parents. Wind calls her his tiny future champion, and spoils her and Clear rotten, treating them like royalty, or perhaps pets. But there's a clear power imbalance in the relationship between Clear and Wind. Wind bores of playing domestic and slowly returns to his globetrotting playboy lifestyle. He's not home as much as he should be, leaving Clear to care for lil Lighty, and ignore her growing dread about how her husband winks and grins at other mares. She tries her best to grin and bear it. She tries her best, for as long as she can bear....

-Until she simply can't anymore. It takes her a long time to pluck up the courage to have a talk with Wind, who says wow, if this really bothered you, why'd it take you so long to pipe up? Also, what'd you expect? I'm a Wonderbolt, and you're just some nobody from nowhere that got lucky. That filly is your mealticket, so be good and pipe down, little girl.

-Clear is shocked and hurt, nothing Wind has ever done has hurt like that

-She decides to prove him wrong and leave, and show she wasn't using him by refusing to demand alimony or child support. She just wants to go home, she just wants her daughter.

-Wind panics at being the idea of being left alone. He may not be able to force her to stay, but he does have one last pawn he can use

-Turns out Equestrian courts are way more likely to hand custody over to a charming rich superstar than some clearly hysterical girl from nowhere

-Wind takes Lightning so he won't be alone, and he'll have someone that will love him unconditionally, someone to shape in his own image

-Clear is shattered

-Then to add insult to injury, she discovers months later that she's pregnant again. The father could only be Wind Rider.

-.....Maybe this is a good thing. Surely Wind will agree that Lightning should be allowed contact with her new sibling, and that way she can see her daughter again, maybe. In a show of good faith, she names her new foal Wind Sprint

-Unfortunately Wind Rider isn't having any of this. He refuses to believe the foal is his, thinks it's all some last petty trick. He turns Lightning to his side. Lighty was already devastated by her mother leaving, and now she's been made to believe that Clear did it on purpose, that she doesn't love her anymore, that she had a new baby to replace Lighty. Wind allows just one visit, in which Lightning tells her mom that she never wants to see her again.

-Clear has had it. She nabs a lawyer and slaps Wind up the ass for child support and state-mandated visitation

-Predictably, this only further sours Wind's attitude. He does not care about this new little filly and whenever she's over for her stupid visits he just dumps her with an assistant or his new girlfriend of the week, and keeps her pacified with toys and other kiddie bullshit

-Wind Sprint is nonetheless mesmerized by her dad's flying talent and wealth and grows to idolize him. It's a vicious cycle of deifying an abuser, just a gift that keeps on giving

-Lightning meanwhile resents the hell out of her "little sister" and also hates her mom (though really it's less hate and more unbearable pain and wondering why she was abandoned). She pours herself into chasing her dad's affection and becoming a better flier than he ever was. Clear Sky keeps making efforts to bridge the divide with Lightning but is routinely thwarted by Wind or rejected by Lightning. For the good of her newest daughter, Clear Sky decides to move away and start picking up the pieces, trying to relearn who she was before she met Wind Rider, and trying to create a loving and supportive home for Wind Sprint. She never stops trying to reach out to Lightning.





2.) here we are in the future! zipperflash is wondering if grampa's been drinking his angry juice again

Wind Rider was one of the most well known and adored veterans in the flying business. A long-time Wonderbolt, record-setter, and all around good old boy, Wind was beloved by his fans, particularly the ladies, a fact that lines up rather curiously with the implosion of his first and only marriage. Despite his womanizing ways, Wind tried to be a decent dad to his daughter, Lightning Dust. Somepony she could look up to, and aspire to be like.

Unfortunately, when Wind smartly and carefully tries to frame that young upstart Rainbow Dash before she can break his long-distance flight record, things go south. Not only does he get caught, but the Wonderbolts have the nerve- the sheer fucking nerve- to kick him out! Him! Living goddamn legend, Wind Rider!

And it only gets worse from there. His attempt to sabotage a young flier prompts an investigation. Things start coming out. Rigged races. Manipulated speed records. Gambling rings. The news is splashed across the front page of every paper in Equestria. Wind Rider- Cheater.

And just like that, everything is taken from him. He's stripped of his titles and trophies, his sponsorship deals- his name becomes poison to everybody in the flying industry. He's gone from being a god to a miserable, depressed, alcoholic joke.

Lightning loyally stands by her dad, and she (and Thunderlane) move up the east coast to be nearer to Wind. In the new darkness of his life, Wind seizes onto the only scrap of light- his grandchild, who can be built in his own image, and someday restore the family name.

If you ain't first, you're last, kid.

3.) "Lighty, honey, I know he's your dad, but-"

"But nothin'! I know everypony else thinks he's just a mean old has-been, but he's not! You don't know him, you don't know what he's been through, you don't know what it's like to have everything taken away from you, all in one swoop!"

"I do. You know I do."

"......Thunder, I didn't mean-"

"What about what you've lost? You packed up your whole life for your dad, but baby......the guy barely notices you exist. You do so much for him, and he treats you like a loser!"

"That's not true! It's my fault I didn't measure up! He's just-"

"A bitter old drunk who hates himself and everyone around him, and he's only getting worse. You want his love so bad you'd enable him to hell and back, but where does that leave you? Us?"

"Are you asking me to choose between you and my father?"

"I'm asking you to choose yourself over your father. Please, Lighty. I know you're hurting."

"......I can't just abandon him. I'm......I'm all he has left. Thunderlane, he needs me."

"That's not your fault, Light. He chose to ruin his own life. You though, you have a career, and a kid, and a whole lot of life left to live. He'll survive without you here to bring his booze and listen to his ranting. Right now, I need you. The Washouts need you. Our child needs you. Lighty......please."

"..........Dad's never going to forgive me for this."

"...."

"........Will you come with me? To tell him?"

"Of course."

"And......y-you'll stay with me, right?"

"I'm not goin' anywhere, Light."

"............................Would you hold my hand?"

"I've got you. Don't cry. Everything is gonna be okay. I promise."

~~~~~~

thunderlane and lightning were faced with a decision as wind rider's alcoholism and disposition worsened. For the good of her family, and herself, Lightning had to cut her father out of her life, and move back to Ponyville. As the years pass on by, the pain begins to lessen, and she begins to long to see her dad again. She maintains her position as captain of the Washouts, she carves out a cozy domestic life with Thunderlane, and her young child grows up, becomes the Zipperflash we know. All is well, mostly.

(.....Good luck with that, Wind.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Been awhile since I gave an update on the progress for my game Only In Legend.
Pretty much all the art for the trailer is done with the exception of the title sequence, cause like a dufus I wanted to make it cool artistic and overly complicated Lol

Its very possible the kickstarter will launch July, I don't want to be to specific just in case we get struck by an asteroid or something in the meantime because this year has been relentless.

Hope you like it X3

I need a vacation when this is all over lol