Lightning Dust

Lightning Dust is a female Pegasus pony who appears in the episodes Wonderbolts Academy and Parental Glideance, in the IDW comics', , , , and Deviations, and in the magazine comics Daring friends and the missing story! and Just the ticket! Her cutie mark usually consists of a lightning bolt and three stars. She leaves a blue and yellow thunderbolt streak behind her when she flies, similar to Rainbow Dash's rainbow streak and the Wonderbolts' trail of lightning clouds.

Development and design
Lightning Dust resembles Indigo Zap in hairstyle, eye color, and goggles, resembles Sassaflash in pony type, color scheme, and lightning-bolt(s)-including cutie mark, resembles Issue 10 Unnamed Mare - Yellow Star in pony type, color scheme, and star-including cutie mark, resembles "Thunder Dust" in pony type and color scheme, resembles "Whoa Nelly" in coat and iris colors and stars-including cutie mark, resembles Unnamed Girl #19 in color scheme, and resembles Sky Stinger in pony type and thunderbolt streak.

Lightning Dust was scripted as a wingpony at the end of Wonderbolts Academy.

According to the My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Friendship Games DVD/Blu-ray audio commentary, Lightning Dust was originally going to appear in film, but she was replaced by Indigo Zap.

On Twitter in mid-December 2015, IDW comics writer Jeremy Whitley was asked, "Was there meant to be more done with Flim, Flam, Iron Will, and Lightning Dust that got cut? They just kinda...disappeared.", and replied, "I'd actually like to do a ff [sic] with LD and IW. I stand by Flim and Flam as unrepentant opportunists".

Depiction in the series
In Wonderbolts Academy, Lightning Dust quickly forms a friendship with Rainbow Dash. However, she ignores Rainbow Dash's injury during a Wonderbolt Academy team exercise and brushes off the fact that her tornado put Rainbow Dash's friends in danger. Her recklessness and utter disregard for the safety of others eventually lead to her team leader status being taken away and given to Rainbow Dash.

Lightning Dust is mentioned by Scootaloo in Parental Glideance. She also appears in the same episode as a filly in flashback.

IDW comics
In, Lightning Dust appears on cover A and page 16, in both appearances behind Princess Luna and multiple other characters in Ponyville. She also appears in being recruited by Radiant Hope to attack the Crystal Empire. During the attack, she antagonizes Rainbow Dash and Rarity with water balloons, but she is eventually captured. King Sombra frees her in, and she and the other recruited villains defeat the Mane Six, but she harbors second thoughts about her actions by.

In My Little Pony: Deviations, Lightning Dust appears on pages 13-15 fighting against Nightmare Moon in an alternate timeline.

Storybooks
Lightning Dust is mentioned in the chapter books Applejack and the Honest-to-Goodness Switcheroo and Fluttershy and the Fine Furry Friends Fair.

Magazines
In the Signature My Little Pony magazine issue 69 comic Daring friends and the missing story!, Lightning Dust appears at the Canterlot Magic Fair. In the comic Just the ticket!, she gets Songbird Serenade tickets from Ponyville and refuses Rainbow Dash's flying-race challenge at the Crystal Empire.

Software
Lightning Dust is an available character in Gameloft's mobile game. She was added to the iOS version of the game on December 9, 2013 and on the Android version on December 17, 2013. Her in-game description states, "Lightning Dust is a Pegasus pony whose cutie mark is a lightning bolt and three stars. She is very competitive, but reckless!"

Merchandise
A mini-figure toy of Lightning Dust has been displayed at the 2014 American International Toy Fair.

In Enterplay's trading cards, Lightning Dust is featured on series 2 #30 and appears on series 3 #E59. In the Enterplay collectible card game's expansion sets, Lightning Dust is featured on Canterlot Nights #160 C, Absolute Discord #10 U, and Equestrian Odysseys #13 C.

On pages 20-21 of the book Winning Style, "Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust can't wait for the flying competition at the Equestria Games. They work on their speed and agility while flying through the clouds."

Lightning Dust is shown on Acidfree's first art print.

The Elements of Harmony Vol. II guidebook
''LIGHTNING DUST is a highly competitive flyer and Rainbow Dash's good friend. She flies recklessly, and doesn't always see how her actions will affect other ponies. She might have an even bigger ego about her flying than Rainbow Dash, and was actually removed from her leadership role in the Wonderbolts because of it.''

Personality
Lightning Dust is shown to be a vigorous and highly competitive flyer who loves to test her limits. She has strong attitude, speed, and love for flying. However, because of her competitive spirit, she is also very reckless and shows little concern for anyone who becomes a victim of her actions. She also appears to have a bigger ego than Rainbow Dash.

In Just the ticket!, Lightning Dust openly doubts that she would win a flying race against Rainbow Dash.

In Wonderbolts Academy's script, Lightning Dust acknowledges that she was out of control.

Quotes
"Let me show you what I've got, ma'am."

- To Spitfire, Wonderbolts Academy

"Ma'am, can you put the Dizzitron on maximum speed? I wanna push my limits."

- To Spitfire, Wonderbolts Academy

"They should make us Wonderbolts right now."

- To Rainbow Dash, Wonderbolts Academy

"Hey, you snooze, you lose! Besides, Wonderbolts are supposed to be able to recover from a spinout. You saw them on the Dizzitron. They could use the practice. I mean, it's not our fault we're so much better than those other guys. Not every pony is destined to become a Wonderbolt. Only the best of the best, right?"

- To Rainbow Dash, Wonderbolts Academy

"Kicking all that tail has made me hungry."

- Wonderbolts Academy

"You know, I outraced Rainbow Dash at every turn. I just had the guts to do what needed to be done to win and she cared more about making friends. Why does a Wonderbolt need friends? I should be a Wonderbolt right now and she should be the one sitting here."

- To Midge,

"Ha! There’s only one Pegasus that’s even fast enough to get near me!"

- My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Issue #34

"You’ll never catch me, Dash!"

- To Rainbow Dash, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Issue #34

"There’s no way we'd give you our tickets! And you’ll beat us anyway."

- To Rainbow Dash, Just the ticket!

"I was out of control up there. You did what you were supposed to do-- Let somepony know about it."

- To Rainbow Dash, Wonderbolts Academy script