After leaving the gymnasium, Thunder had already made it past the high school cafeteria to a hallway. It wasn’t much of a hallway; it was full of chairs, stacked up close to the ceiling, not even leading to a door. She was confident nopony would find her there. It was dark and that was okay, considering what she was about to do.
Thunder sobbed. She tried to keep it quiet, but it was hard. She hated Windy, sitting there in the dark. She hated Lark. What did I do wrong? Why can’t Lark leave that crippled Pegasus alone? And she hated herself for thinking such ugly things about a filly that had been nothing but loving and kind to her… and to everypony else. Everypony loved Windy… …Why can’t I be more like her?
Lark wasn’t sure what to do. He knew Thunder was upset, about what, he was too young to connect the dots, but he was worried for his friend. Daisy suggested, with no malice, they not worry and have Medium or Misty call her house later. She was sure Thunder could take care of herself, and they could spend half the night looking for the skilled flyer.
While a valid point, Lark still was worried. He decided to look for her. It was cold outside, so maybe she just stayed inside. Still, Daisy, Sherry, and Misty would look outside, while everypony else would look inside. Regardless, they planned to meet back at the gym entrance in 15 minutes. Lark and a couple others suggested, without malice, that Windy just wait at the entrance. If Thunder came back, she was to try to keep her there.
Windy didn’t figure on that happening. Thunder wouldn’t want to see her. Nor did she have the slightest expectation Thunder would come back to the gym. Windy knew damn skippy why Thunder was so upset, and she wished she had dealt with it earlier. She noticed Lark, Medium, and Light took off in different directions, but none of them thought to run into the darkened cafeteria. Or what might be beyond it. She didn’t know. She’d never been to the high school and had no reason to look at a map of it.
But she did know something: she was a girl. She was a girl who spent more time than she cared to remember crying off in dark places, where nopony could bother her… or hear her.
It was as sure as anything. She had 13 or 14 minutes to get back if she was wrong. Watching her step, and not bothering to look for a light, she sought out her friend.
Naturally, the rest of the party had been searching fruitlessly, but they had 10 minutes before meeting up again. They were blissfully and thankfully unaware of what would happen in a couple minutes, but they would know it soon enough…
Thunder’s intense, but muffled sobs had subsided to hiccups and sniffling. What would she do now?
She didn’t know, but she thought soon she’d be able to calm down. Maybe she could sneak out while nopony was looking… make a beeline for home. It was plenty dark, and she hadn’t heard anypony nearby looking for her. She was sure her friends were worried, but she’d try to contact one of them, maybe Medium. There was no excuse she could think of for her flying away and her impending refusal to go on the resort trip in the morning.
By now, her eyes had adjusted to the dark. The only light she had was an exit sign across the main hallway. It was creepy back there, in that little enclave. As upset as she was, the place was scary, and she suddenly felt the urge to leave. Standing up, and moving from behind the chairs, it scared the crap out of her to come face to face with another filly.
So shocked she couldn’t even scream, Thunder yelped and backed into a stack of chairs, knocking down the entire tower.
“Whoa, whoa, Thunder! Settle down…”
It was the last pony on Earth Thunder wanted to see right then, except maybe Lark. But she was still shaken up enough she forgot her upset feelings.
“Windy! How’d you find me? You scared me.”
Thunder hadn’t heard her coming. She was tied up in her own mind. Windy had no trouble hearing Thunder sniffle, even from the cafeteria. She heard it almost as soon as she walked in. It was then Thunder realized she was still crying.
Windy, even in the darkness, didn’t need to hear Thunder crying to know how upset she was; it was plain to see, “Oh, Thunder… I’m sorry I scared you. Let me find a light switch. It’s dangerous back here.”
“No!” Thunder’s voice came sharp.
The sharpness in Thunder’s voice immediately told Windy she was over the initial shock of meeting in the darkness. This isn’t gonna be pretty, is it? Still, she tried to settle things down.
“Thunder… everypony’s worried. You should at least let them know you’re okay.”
Thunder rounded on her. That’s what you have to say to me?! Was Windy clueless, or was it just another instance of her irresistible kind-heartedness? She came about a flinch away from striking Windy, but realizing what she was doing, didn’t.
Instead, she hissed at Windy, her eyes still streaming, “I don’t want to see anypony, now… especially YOU! So leave me alone! I’m going home…”
Windy was actually afraid; she knew if Thunder decided to get physical, she stood no chance. It had looked like things might go that way, but Thunder began backing away, sniffling.
“Thunder… come back here.”
Thunder began walking faster towards the bit of light outside of the cafeteria. She wasn’t worried; she could outrun gimpy and lap her on a racetrack. So, she was surprised when she heard the disjointed trot catch up, followed by being spun around by a hoof.
“Thunder… I think we need to talk.”
Thunder didn’t mean to push her so hard, but Windy went skidding across the floor. It was a mixture of shock and anger that gave her shove power. Thunder was terribly torn over the options presented: she could run, almost certainly getting away; she could help Windy, and then run; she could stay and listen to whatever Windy had to say.
It took Windy a minute to get her footing, but she managed to stand up. Thunder expected her to cry or something, but not another plea for her to listen.
“Thunder… please…”
“No, Windy!”
Thunder went on walking. Windy’s distinctive gait could be heard as she tried to catch up. Thunder didn’t know what was stopping her from galloping away or incapacitating Windy. It only opened a window for Windy to speak.
“Thunder, please!”
Thunder’s blood was rising. But she kept on moving, Windy at her shoulder. The hallways here were lit by the school’s emergency lights.
“Thunder… Stop!”
“Leave me alone…”
“No. Stop.”
“Get away from me, Windy…”
“I’ll leave you alone when you listen to me.” At this point though, she wasn’t sure what she might say. It was beginning to look like a lost cause.
Beginning to cry again, Thunder kept moving, a little faster now. They had reached an exit. Windy knew if Thunder got outside, she would lose her.
Windy caught up, putting a hoof on Thunder’s shoulder; it wasn’t easy for her to walk on 3 legs, “Please, Thunder.”
That did it. Thunder rounded on her, shoving Windy against a locker.
“Get away from me! You broken record! Go away!”
None too gently, she sent Windy sprawling across the floor and into the opposite row of lockers. She hit with a loud clatter that would have woken up the dead. Thunder stood there, panting, looking down at Windy. Instead of rushing out the exit, something compelled her to remain.
Windy groaned, stirring on the floor, “…That really hurt…”
Thunder stood there, her spleen at its breaking point, “You…”
Windy managed to look up. The hatred in Thunder’s eyes was no small thing.
“You ruined everything… coming back after some long stay in Canterlot… Everything here was great until you showed up.”
Windy, still getting her bearings, heard this, but didn’t say anything yet.
“I was happy before you came along and took Lark from me! My best friend!”
Still trying to keep her cool, Windy began to glower up at Thunder.
“What’s Lark see in you, anyway? Just what is it you’ve got that I don’t?” her voice dripped scorn. “Some needy little Pegasus that can’t even fly anymore… You can’t even walk without him looking over your shoulder, watching your little limp.”
Windy was getting angry now, too. She had never dealt with anypony giving her such a hard time about her condition, but she was amazed she wasn’t angrier. She still knew the two of them were friends, despite how ugly this was. Windy knew Thunder was just really upset, pouring out anger. Thunder hadn’t crossed the line yet, but…
Thunder spat, showing all her pent-up frustration against the helpless Pegasus, “Why don’t you just stay away from Lark? You and your disease… Stop riding his coattails. He doesn’t need somepony like you bothering him.”
Hearing that flipped a switch in Windy’s mind, and she staggered to her hooves about as quickly as was physically possible for her. It was possible she had never felt angrier in her life… even some of the times she cursed and hated the world around her for what was happening to her body.
Letting go, and opening her mouth, Windy hollered, “And what’s your problem?! You and your dumb, easy life! Getting by with C’s and D’s. Sometimes I think you’re so stupid, I’m surprised you know what hole to stick food in!”
Thunder was so taken aback, having heard little more than demure speech and lively chatter from Windy. Windy was positively bellowing.
Windy went on, “You and your stupid little crush… Get it through your head that Lark doesn’t like you that way!”
This got Thunder’s full attention. It really hurt to hear somepony say that. And it showed. Within a few seconds, Thunder’s countenance betrayed immense hurt. She was breaking.
Windy looked with full cruelty on her object of frustration, “Is that what this whole drama is about? Some colt not liking you? You wanna know what happened to me this summer?! Some doctors, after poking and prodding me for 5 fucking months, told me I was probably gonna die by the time I was 25 or 30!”
Thunder looked aghast. She wasn’t sure what to be upset about.
Windy went on, unaware the commotion had attracted an audience in the last minute or so. She laughed humorlessly, so hard her voice cracked.
“So, don’t piss and whine at me about Lark not liking you. I’m never gonna fly again. In a few years, I might not even be able to walk. And then, by the time you go to college, if you make it into college, I’ll probably be drooling in a bed somewhere! So, fuck you! Your problems aren’t worth my time…”
Ambling up to Thunder, who was now prone under the verbal assault, Windy leaned in, “So why don’t you leave me alone, you pathetic, little horse?”
For the first time she could remember, Windy felt powerful. She wasn’t cruel by nature, but anger can turn anypony cruel. It felt… kind of good… seeing Thunder blubbering on the floor.
Windy sneered, turning to leave. Maybe she’d go out the exit, and just walk home. She didn’t care at this point and was ready to just split. Upon turning, she came face to face with Lark and their 5 companions. They looked horrified.
A sickness dawned in Windy’s stomach. How much of that did they hear? She looked specifically at Lark. He looked… it was hard to described what he looked like. What did Lark hear? What did he hear me say?!
The 6 ponies were speechless. Windy was rooted on the spot. What stirred her from her inactivity was hearing Thunder sniffle.
So Windy, going with her gut, opened the exit door and trotted as fast as she could away from the high school. Looking back, nopony was following her, but it probably wouldn’t be that way for long. She had to get away. She had to get off the school grounds. Then maybe she could escape downtown. Not looking back again, she tried to move faster.
It was a strange scene back by the little exit in the dimly lit hallway. Medium and Misty were trying to comfort Thunder, who was positively shaken. Light really wished he’d just gone home… he hadn’t been that interested in the game and it would have saved him the sight of that. Daisy and Sherry were trying to process what they had just witnessed. It took some doing.
And Lark, for his part, felt lost. He’d heard something about Windy saying she’d die someday, but mostly he was just shocked she unloaded on Thunder that way. How could he have been so blind? Not noticing the growing trouble among the girls? For that, he felt stupid.
But he knew he had to find Windy. Something was wrong, and not just what they had seen.
He spoke up, “Medium. Misty.”
They looked up.
“When she’s able, take Thunder home… or keep her with one of you… Everypony else, go home… The resort trip is off…”
Looking to the exit, it had been just a minute or so since Windy ran off; he could catch her, “I’m going to look for Windy.”
Before anypony else could talk, he opened the door and ran into the darkness.
Windy had made it to the edge of the school property, her breath already ragged. She could see the downtown area lit up, ponies out shopping or barhopping. Surely, she could disappear.
It came as no shock to hear a voice calling out to her from somewhere behind her.
“Windy… Stop!” Lark hollered.
No… Windy was close. She looked back. He was gaining on her very quickly. It was no surprise… he was one of the fastest colts in 5th grade.
Lark was only a few lengths behind her, when they both ran into hoof-traffic, and she disappeared around a corner. By the time he was free of the crowd, he found she was nowhere to be seen once he made it that far himself.
“Windy!”
She heard him but didn’t stop. Ducking into an alleyway, she was confident she could double back and get home.
…
…
…
Snow began to fall as Lark continued searching for his friend. It had been an hour since that awful scene. It had to be 8:00 p.m. He ran, his mind racing. Windy… where are you?
He couldn’t believe he lost her. He was the 3rd fastest runner in his class and he couldn’t catch her from behind. Thinking back, he lost her downtown. She could be anywhere. He debated whether he should just give up. It was a sure thing she’d turn up, quite ashamed of all that happened… Not that it was just her fault. But Thunder was safe with his other friends, probably warm at home, by then. Maybe he should tell Windy’s parents she was out alone somewhere… but what would he say to them? Was there a chance Windy went home?
He couldn’t answer these questions, but Lark decided he couldn’t give up. He had to try to find her. Maybe he’d look in the park.
Sometime later, Windy had been walking a couple hours. It was cold, but not cold enough to bother her. She was a pony, after all. Their coats existed for a reason. The hat, scarf, and booties she’d thought to wear that day were serving her well. If she wasn’t feeling so rotten, she would have been pleased with herself.
Windy didn’t go home. After a moment of thinking, she decided it wasn’t the place to be. It was the first place Lark would look, when he gave up looking downtown. She hadn’t really had a direction in mind, but something led her to the place she wound up. She entered the gate.
Arriving back at the schoolyard, specifically the elementary side, the night was very still, other than the heavy snow. The lights lit up the playground and she could see the jungle gym looming in the distant shadows. The clock on the side of the gymnasium read 9:20 p.m. The sand was still soft. It would remain so until water got in and froze. It gave way agreeably under her hooves.
She was alone. Taking off her scarf and hat, she put them aside on a bench. She looked to the sky.
It was such a beautiful night. It was a little above freezing, giving the snow a delightful feel, perfect for packing. She thought of all the snowponies foals would be putting up come morning. Tomorrow was Saturday, and they would all wake up to the first snowfall. It would look mightily impressive.
But that’s not why she was there. She remembered Thunder’s words, and that awful fight. The hurt expression on Thunder’s face… The cruel words… Lark seeing her like that… Him seeing both of them like that… She still didn’t know how she had gotten away. She knew she couldn’t outrun any of them. Either she evaded them, or they let her go. Did it matter? She hated to think of Lark and anypony else worried about her, but she had other things on her mind.
Sizing up the yard, Windy unfurled her wings. They were a little stiff, but they moved just fine. Stretching every day, she never gave up keeping her range of motion. She never would. Thinking of her wings bent up and stuck to her side, nearly immobile like some farm-raised chicken? No… never…
Thinking of her promise to her parents, to stop trying, she decided it was impossible to keep. It was the only time they had ever told her to quit trying anything. It was certainly in her best interest to stop. She hadn’t tried since right before leaving Canterlot. And it hadn’t worked then. Not at all… Still…
This is it. After this… maybe I can finally give up…
Windy trotted as fast as she could, spreading her wings, and flapping, lifted. Barely clearing the ground, she tumbled painfully into the snow. Regaining her footing, she tried again. And failed. And then again. After a few minutes, she found herself crying. And then screaming. She tried flying until she was barely able to stand.
“Stupid wings! Work! Work! Fly…”
Still, she tried. And she couldn’t fly. Again, and again… Was this really it?
She stood there, knees knocking, trying to stop her weeping. It was now cold enough that her tears were freezing on her muzzle. You can’t give up, Windy. Just one more time. You have to fly one more time.
She looked up to Heaven, “Please… let me fly one more time…”
Windy steadied herself and took a deep breath. She began by walking, then trotting, breaking into a 3-legged gallop. She had learned some time ago she could move much faster if she tucked her left back leg. This could work. Spreading her wings, she began to flap. Running as fast as she had in a couple years, she tried to take off.
Her left wing locked up, and she skidded to the ground. She was fortunate to not have broken her wing.
This time she couldn’t stand up. She lay there, on her left side, feeling completely broken. She wept silently. She was so tired… Maybe she’d just lie there… and never get up again. She didn’t even hear her friend approaching.
“Windy!” Lark stood a short distance away, panting.
She lifted her head, just enough to see him out of the corner of her eye and dropped her head back down.
Looking around the brightly lit schoolyard, he saw the sandy snow. He saw the skids, the divots, and the indentations. It was obvious what she had been trying to do.
He ran up to her, “Windy!”
Too tired to move much, she resigned herself to his hooves. He cradled her. She seemed so small… He felt his heart sink. In her eyes, he saw a defeat he hadn’t seen since he was 4 or 5. It’s how his dad looked after his mom died. It unnerved him. He couldn’t even bring himself to be angry with her.
“Windy,” he croaked, “Why? Why’d you do this? You could have really hurt yourself.”
He set to checking her out. She was in rough shape, but otherwise unhurt.
“…I… …fly…”
He looked down at her. Her eyes were welling up.
“Windy?”
“Lark… I had to try. I just wanted to fly… one more time… But… I can’t… It’s the end… And I think now… I can give up…”
At this, she broke down completely, clinging to him. All he could think to do was hold her. Choking up, it was maybe all he could do.
The snow fell heavier now, quickly covering up any traces of her last attempt at flight.