Overnight, it began to rain.
It wasn’t unheard of for the desert, but Lightning’s reports showed that there was virtually zero chance of precipitation with the current arrangement of clouds and winds. None of the non-pegasi weather office ponies could offer an explanation, no matter how much Lightning shouted at them.
One of them guessed that the natural magic of pegasi was causing weather anomalies. Another said this was surely a time of doomsday.
The two had to be separated forcefully by deputies, and Braeburn ordered the office closed and sent everyone, including Lightning, home for the rest of the day.
She climbed into bed and lay there with Fiddle wrapped tightly against her non-winged side, and the two stared up at the ceiling listening to the rain. Nobody in town seemed to sleep at all that night.
The next day brought more of the same. The entire town was shut down: nobody dared step outside into the rain. Shops and houses stayed boarded up. The train didn’t even come into town.
Braeburn returned at some point with a newspaper and a grim look. Fiddle and Lightning had reread the headline hundreds of times. They still couldn’t believe it. Every single pegasus in Equestria had flown away, forming a massive flock that moved like a twister.
More would join the flock every day. And not one could attest as to where they were going.
“Surely you’re not the only one without a wing,” Fiddle said. “There’s gotta be someone else out there in the same boat.”
Lightning shrugged. “You heard them talk about how easy it was to get prosthetics done these days. Even then… I dunno if they’d have any more answers than I do.”
They fell silent, listening to Braeburn’s voice flow in from underneath their bedroom door.
“You gotta give me more than that.”
“Consarn it, I can’t!” barked Applejack’s voice. “I dunno any more than you do right now. Twilight went off to Canterlot, and she ain’t talkin’ to nobody. Went up and shut herself in the throne room with Celestia and Luna. Ain’t nobody knows what’s goin’ on.”
That statement twisted a knot into Fiddle’s stomach. Lightning sensed this and hugged her tighter. She always hated making Fiddle nervous.
Lightning took a deep, shaky breath. “Hey.”
“Hm?”
Her wing began to flutter even faster. “I… I don’t want to scare you.”
“Honey, I’m already terrified,” Fiddle said with a sad chuckle. “What’s wrong?”
“If anything happens… If I…” Her wing slapped rhythmically against the mattress. “I love you,” she said with a whimper.
Fiddle turned, a sad look in her eyes as if she knew that
She couldn’t
Keep her
Forever.
“I love you too.”
The rain pattered against their window. “I’m scared,” Lightning whispered.
“I know. Me too.” They leaned in close and pressed their foreheads together, holding their breaths and waiting.
The rain stopped in the morning, and Lightning Dust was gone with it.