//------------------------------// // Storm Clouds and Silver Linings // Story: I Wasn't Prepared for This // by canonkiller //------------------------------// Twilight stared up at Rainbow's house, Applejack's sleeping form nearby. The moon illuminated the dilapidated cloud house; a large amount of it had turned dark and stormy from lack of care. Twilight shed her cloak, taking a moment to drape it gently over the sleeping farmpony, and spread her wings. In a few quick flaps, she rose over the edge of Rainbow's 'porch', taking care to tread lightly over the roiling patches. "Rainbow?" There was no response, but the house was still well-lit. Rainbow Dash, even when drunk, would never leave lights on. Ponies could steal her Wonderbolts figures that way. Twilight pushed the door open, looking around. Bottles lay scattered on the cloud floor, enchanted like most items to not fall through. A few blankets were discarded around as well, matted and crumpled from lazy days. "Rainbow Dash? Are you awake?" There was a crash from upstairs, with a thud discernible as a Pegasus falling out of bed. "I'm coming Berry!" A voice slurred down. Twilight backed up as Rainbow Dash thudded down the stairs, coming face to face with her. There were large bags under the Pegasus' eyes, and her eyes themselves were red and bloodshot. Huge knots had tangled into her mane and tail, and her short fur was distressed and matted. Despite all this, she instantly focused and brightened to the second pony in her home. "I told them you weren't dead!" Twilight braced herself for another hug, but Rainbow Dash just pointed a hoof at her. "They didn't believe me because you ran off! They thought I was crazy when I said I saw you in my house!" "Rainbow, I didn't mean to-" "You were the one stealing all that stuff! I couldn't see you at first, but then you started to be a bit more clumsy because nopony was awake, and I saw you all the time! Stalking around like a Diamond Dog on the prowl! They told me I was lying; I'm no Element of Honesty, but I don't lie!" "Rainbow, I'm-" "And now you're here, probably to take more of my stuff, and then you'll be gone again, just like... like everypony else!" Twilight stepped forward, embracing her friend. "Rainbow, I'm not going to leave again." "I-I stayed loyal," she sobbed, leaning on her friend, "even when everyone else was gone." ----- Twilight stretched out in the dust of the library, clouds lifting as she rolled onto her hooves.Today was the day. She could hear the unmistakable 'poomf's of clouds being kicked, and Rainbow's cheers as she soared around. The light leaking through the musty windows was getting brighter by the second. There was a sharp knock at the door, sending her back into one of the darker corners. "Ah wonder if there's any books left in here." Twilight had to stifle a laugh at how fake she sounded, and trotted over to welcome her friend in. Applejack ducked through the door, only sneezing twice at the clouds of dust. "So, how do you reckon we can find the others?" Twilight sat down, curling her tail around her talons. "I don't think it would be too hard. They'd recognize Rainbow Dash, right? They'd come and greet her?" Applejack scuffed a hoof, dust piling at the edge of her foot. "Ah'm not sure about that part. None of us really talked before you came here, and none of us really wanted to once you were... gone." "You didn't seem to react as much as Rainbow did to seeing me." Twilight pointed out, staring out the window as she trailed off from their conversation. "Is it because you weren't waiting like she was?" "That's not it at all." Applejack blurted, immediately covering her mouth with her hoof. She sighed, resigning herself to an explanation. "You know ah lost mah parents when ah was little. Ever since that day, Ah swore that ah wouldn't ever cry again, that ah would be strong for them. Ah knew if ah waited for yah, if ah believed you were really gone, ah was going to let them down. So ah just worked until my physical pain outweighed my inner hurt, and ah treated that outer pain instead." She laughed, bitterly. "Ah guess ah can't use that to escape any more." Twilight blinked, shocked at how open her friend could be. Ages seem to lift off of the Earth Pony's face, tired lines and etched wrinkles replaced by a happy glow. In fact, she was glowing. "Uh, Applejack?" Twilight glanced from her friend's eyes to her coat. "Yes, sugarcube?" Applejack followed her friend's gaze, staring blankly at the shine of her coat. "That's mighty strange." "It's just like when your Cutie Marks got switched!" Twilight scrambled to her feet, sending dust spirals in all directions. "If the Elements fixed everything then, they can fix everything now! I can go back to being me!" "Hey now, calm down. You don't know that." "What else could it be?" Twilight grinned. "It's only ever happened when something really bad could be fixed!" "It only happened once, and that was when we rediscovered our talents." Applejack rested a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "It might not be anything at all." Twilight watched as her friend slowly returned to normal, the only sheen of the short fur being the natural shine. "I guess you're right." She muttered. "Don't fret, sugarcube. Ah'm sure Celestia'll find some way to fix all this." The calm, sentimental moment was broken by Rainbow Dash flying through the upstairs window. "Hey, guys." She shook the shards from her mane, grinning. "Ready to go to Cloudsdale?" ----- Twilight held onto the edge of the balloon's basket for dear life as Rainbow veered around a drifting cloud. She could hear screaming, although she wasn't sure if it was her or not. "You don't get out much, do you?" Rainbow laughed, slowing the balloon down until her harness's ropes went slack. "I wasn't even going that fast!" "Yah darn near dropped us!" Applejack shouted, waving a hoof at Twilight's spread wings. "What good does it do travelling by balloon if the poor dear's gotta spread her wings to keep from dying?" Twilight blushed, quickly pulling her wings under her cloak. "Yeah, yeah, incognito." Rainbow sighed, blowing a stand of mane from her face. "Wasn't there any faster way of travelling? The dragons are going to migrate again before we're even halfway!" "T-t-the dragons don't migrate for a-another twenty years." Twilight stammered, pulling herself together enough to recite facts. "Exactly!" The Pegasus shouted, throwing her hooves up in annoyance. Applejack rolled her eyes. "Ah can see Cloudsdale from here, you lout. C'mon, then, let's git a move on!" Rainbow sighed, muttering something under her breath, but pulled on. Twilight slowly released her terrified grip on the edges of the basket, though she was reluctant to pull her claws free of the woven floor. "Where do you think Fluttershy'll be?" Rainbow called back, glancing over a shoulder. "Even if she's training foals like that mare said, I don't think she'd be at the Wonderbolts Academy or anything." "Ah don't know anything about Cloudsdale!" Applejack shouted back, frowning. "Yer the Pegasus!" "Cloudsdale has sixteen flight schools around the middle of the city. Any ponies outside the ring are home-schooled or have already graduated." Twilight zoned out as countless hours of studying surged fresh in her mind. "Out of all of them, West Wind Elementary is in the poorest area and has the lowest amount of staff." "Teaching the poor? Sounds like something she'd do." Rainbow smiled, speeding up. "She'll be so happy to see us, I can't wait!" ----- Celestia's notes scattered as her younger sister threw open the door. "Twilight Sparkle has been spotted in the airspace above Cloudsdale with two of the Elements!" "That's nice." Celestia lifted up her papers, shifting back into order and resuming her work. Luna balked. "You're not going after her?" Celestia turned a page, squinting at the lopsided hoofwriting and scribbling down something of her own. "Why should I? She's not going to hurt anypony." "You don't know what she'll do!" "Luna." "She's half-dragon!" "Luna." "She could hurt somepony without even meaning to! We need to capture her and-" "Luna!" The Princess of the Night blinked. "I'm not going to trap her in some disguised prison again." Celestia stood up, facing her sister. Weary lines etched the pristine white fur of her face. "Have you already forgotten how much it hurt to be imprisoned by the one you loved?" Luna's anger diminished like a stray cloud in a weather patrol. "Of course, sister." She muttered. "We will wait for your actions." "Don't mope around like the world's dying, sister." Celestia turned back to her studies, lifting the papers and shuttling them across the room. "Just keep an eye on her like you have been, and if she does fall into her draconic side, feel free to intervene." "And what have you been doing, locked up here?" Luna frowned, taking a short glance around the cluttered room. "Starswirl left more than one unfinished spell. His student, an Earth Pony with Unicorn parents, was affixed on transmutation, if only to fulfill his parent's hopes of him. The great wizard took a liking in his student's endeavors, and he successfully managed to change a majority of things, as well as creating the first Philosopher's Stone." Luna's hoof reached up to touch the glimmering stone in her chest-piece, the magic from it flowing untapped through her skin. "From fire and ash, from blood and from stone; let magic flow through this one of it's own." She recited. Celestia smiled. "Rather nonsensical, but yes. He left many unfinished spells for such massive transformations when he passed, and, like any good historian, I have saved them." Luna stepped back cautiously as Celestia lifted all of the sheets in the room, spinning them around so she could scan them. They all fell with off-white whispers as Celestia focused on a single sheet, hovering it in front of Luna's muzzle. In dark, scratching strokes, a huge dragon curled around a small pony; calculations and scribbled hoofwriting spiraled around the impromptu sketch. "What is it?" The Lunar Princess cautioned, taking the sheet in her own magic to inspect it further. "It's Staswirl's last spell." She grinned. "He was trying to merge dragons and ponies." "And that means?" The Princess's smile grew wider, and her wings half-opened excitedly. "He included the reversal spell."