//------------------------------//
// Para Siempre 
// Story: Thunder and Lightning 
// by UnweptSchlipps 
//------------------------------//

Somewhere in some unknown town in an unknown alleyway, a hooded stallion awoke from his slumber. He had been flying non-stop for a day through sleet and rain, until finally a bad hailstorm forced him to take shelter. He lay in the small passage wearing an old jacket he had picked up to shield him from the cold.

As he wearily stood up, the stallion took a glance up at the sky, now devoid of storm clouds. To his surprise the sun had already risen, signifying the hour as 12:00 noon. The date: November 11. At first he thought it was no big deal, and was relieved for the much needed sleep. But then he remembered how far he still had to fly. Startled by how fast time had flown, the stallion quickly scuffled out of the dim alley.

Still aching from the hail last night, the stallion spread his wings, thinking, I'm going to be late!

Then with a flourish, he took off, flying determinately toward his destination. It would be another 24 hours before he'd touch the ground again.

xxx

Ponyville was hyped up.

The streets were hustling and bustling with activity. Everypony was busy, whether it be from running the stands, raising funds, or just having pure fun. All ponies from ages 9 to 99 were there, participating in the wondrous events that were taking place. High energy practically emanated from the village as ponies rejoiced in jubilee. For a good cause, of course.

A billboard towering high above the crowds was printed with the words "The Helping Heart Herd". The Herd was the name given to this annual charity event dedicated to raising money for the less-fortunate ponies of Equestria and beyond. Started as a simple gathering among a select few families, the tradition continued to balloon and balloon. Over the years, the simple idea of donating money while having fun and games became more popular among the citizens of Equestria. Now, it has blossomed into one of the largest publicized events in history.

This year, it was Ponyville's honor to serve as the host town for the HHH charity event. There were a few reasons that led to the village's selection. But the biggest reason by far was the recent surge of popularity. With the whole Nightmare Moon incident, the Elements of Harmony, Discord, and the two Princess's constant visits, it seemed only reasonable to hold the event at the once-sleepy village. And Ponyville was ready to give the festivities everything it had.

Rainbow Dash sat at a table off the beaten path, a little bit away from the crowd. It was a miracle she had even managed to get there in the first place. She had to carefully and slowly weave her way through the tightly packed crowd. Every few seconds, another pony would accidently bump into her side, causing her to flinch from the sharp jolt of pain running up her wing. But now that she was sitting there safely, Dash was taking time to think.

The rainbow-maned flier scanned the crowd. On the stage in the middle of the square were performers showing off an acrobatic routine. Vinyl Scratch (a.k.a DJ PON-3) sat atop a roof dropping beats like nobody's business. Then across the street was Octavia daintily playing Neightoven's Violin Sonata, impressing the crowd with her melodic music flow. There was Hoity Toity and Photo Finish showing and auctioning off their latest and greatest collaboration (for charity of course). And there was Fancy Pants doing what he did best, being the most important pony in all of Canterlot/Ponyville. And yet, no matter how much Dash surveyed the scene before her, there was absolutely no sight of the Wonderbolts.

She kept telling herself not to worry. Frankly, that happened to be exactly what she was doing. Dash didn't like to worry; it wasn't really her thing. But when it came to family ordeals like this, she couldn't help but feel a little bit jittery.

Rainbow was still watching the mob when Pinkie Pie seemed to pop out of nowhere, right in front of the rainbow pegasus's face. Already on edge, the sudden surprise made Dash fall back off her chair.

"Oops! Sorry Dashie! I was just so excited when I saw you over here. Twilight was afraid you weren't going to make it, but I said that was silly, of course you'd make it! How could somepony miss the most amazing-est, awesome-est, spectacular-est event in the history of Ponyville! But anyway, the point I'm trying to say is- OH MY GOSH IS THAT COTTON CANDY!"

The hyper mare skittered towards the sugary treat, leaving Rainbow to say from the ground, "Nice to see you too…"

At that moment, the rest of her friends emerged from the crowd. Twilight looked a bit peeved, saying, "Watch the shoving, buddy!"

Upon seeing their rainbow colored friend, the group's annoyed looks were replaced by relieved grins. "Rainbow, I am so glad you could make it!" Rarity exclaimed. "I thought your wing was going keep you from coming!"

Rainbow flashed a confident smile and responded, "Pffft. I couldn't miss this thing if I tried. Just took some Rainbow Tylenol, y'know. Now I'm all good."

They were happy to hear that their friend was getting better. "Well shoot, Ah've never seen Ponyville this packed in mah life!" Applejack exclaimed as Pinkie came back with a wad of cotton candy as big as her head.

In one swoop, the pink party pony gulped up the fluffy treat, smacking her lips in delight. Then she said, "I know, Applejack! And so many celebrities too! Like Vinyl Scratch, The Brony Bunch, Sapphire Shores…oh, and of course the Wonderbolts!" On the last words, Pinkie winked at Rainbow and nudged her, who proceeded to grin uneasily.

"Sooo, speaking of the Wonderbolts, have you guys seen 'em yet?" the rainbow colored pegasus asked, masking her curiosity.

But before anypony could answer, the sound of bells rang through the square, signifying noontime. The commotion died down and the attention was directed towards the stage. There the mayor stood regally, giving the massive crowd time to settle down. When she was satisfied, she said, "First of all, I'd like to extend my gratitude to everypony who managed to come to our little town for today! It is an honor to host this year's Helping Herd, and it is our hope that you all enjoy the festivities, as well as donate to the charity."

For the next few minutes, the mayor went on and on, giving a long speech about public service and generosity. It was a tradition for the hosts to give a speech like this, but Dash was hoping that this year they could skip it. She knew she should be listening to it, but it was just so boring. Sure she felt a smidge of guilt because it was for the charity, but it didn't stop her from focusing on something else. In this case, some delectable apple treats Applejack had baked up.

The pegasus was already stuffing her face with some tarts when the mayor said, "For the first speakers today, fresh from an appearance in Fillydelphia, please welcome…the Wonderbolts and their newly commissioned rookies!"

When Dash heard the introduction, she instinctively sucked in, sending some crumbs into her windpipe. She began to sputter out the remnants of her snack, thinking, They're actually here!

She was anxious to see her cousin all dressed up in the Wonderbolt gear. She wondered if he would see her among the crowd. Then she realized, Of course he will! I stick out like a freakin' sore thumb. She thought of the things she'd tell him, the apology she'd say. Sure she was nervous. But at the same time she felt a little relieved that finally she could make amends.

The curtains spread, and there before her stood the best fliers in all of Equestria decked out in their electric flight suits. Dash couldn't help but notice how similar they all looked with their gleaming smiles and their wind-blown manes. She could name them all. There was Soarin and Spitfire, Fleetfoot, Starbolt, Firefly. She saw that red-maned rookie from the magazine, who for some reason wore some bandages over his snout. They were all familiar faces.

And yet one…just one was absent. The streaked mane, the lightning bolt tail. That winning smile that she had been waiting for…was missing.

And just like that, Dash's world became utter misery.

Spitfire stepped forward to deliver her speech, but Dash kept her eyes trained on the back row. She kept looking back and forth, hoping that when she swerved back her cousin would magically appear out of thin air. But every time he was still gone.

She couldn't believe her luck. All this time she had been thinking of how she could fix things up between her and her cousin. And now it was as though it didn't matter. Dash was angry more than anything, mostly for thinking it would be so easy. But now she scoffed irritably at the idea, wishing she had realied this sooner.

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie's voice rang out from the crowd. She was singing a tune, and soon ponies began to join in like an avalanche of sound. The sudden noise broke Dash's trance, and she looked around confused. The pegasus wasn't in the mood for a musical number, not mention the fact that she hadn't been rehearsing with the others. So as the crowd gathered around singing a song about generosity (no doubt written partly by Rarity), Dash slipped away from the commotion.

She was still in disbelief. Dash shook her head as she began to trot away, mostly out of frustration and not sadness. After all, she had waited to see her cousin only to find that he wasn't going to come. For all she knew, he could be hiding in some far away city where she'd never find him. Her mind dug into the thought of Lightning avoiding Ponyville, staying in the comfort of some unknown location…

Then she stumbled. The rainbow flier, in her angry thoughts, hadn't noticed the hooded pedestrian rounding the corner. The two collided, and they fell to the ground in a heap of dust.

Rainbow caught a glimpse of the stranger's tattered clothes and dirt-caked fur, and she immediately thought she must've crashed into some homeless pony. Part of her was so frustrated that she wanted to yell at the wanderer. But before Dash could scold the stranger, she calmly dusted herself off and uttered, "Sorry about that. I didn't see you there…"

A gasp escaped the cyan pegasus's mouth as she turned to face the stranger. His hood had slipped off, revealing the badly worn face of somepony who had travelled far. The pony's body was dotted with small bruises, and his fur was matted and messy. But underneath the tangled fur and dirt, the stallion's hazel eyes were unmistakable. And as if on cue, the stallion's tail sprung out from his cloak, unveiling a glimmering lightning bolt.

"Lightning?"

"Arco?"

The instant the cousins locked eyes, all the frustration inside of Rainbow melted away. She would have hugged him right there, until she saw the poor condition her cousin was in. "What…What happened to you? You look like…like..."

"Like crap?" Lightning replied. "I guess…I guess you could say I flew through a hailstorm." Lightning tried to chuckle a little, vaguely remembering the lie he had told Slips earlier. But when he chuckled, a slight pain went through his chest.

Ignoring the nagging ache in his chest, he began, "So…do you guys always sing a musical number like this?"

"Lightning, stop. You look terrible, you need to rest."

"No, Arco. I'll be fine. Besides, I didn't fly all this way to rest. I came here because…" Lightning trailed off, trying to think of a way to finish his sentence.

"You wanted to talk?" Dash said, finishing for him.

The stallion nodded ever so slightly, and with a sad grin he said, "You know, the whole way here all I could think about was what I'd say to you. But now that I am here…it's a pretty different story."

Dash answered, concerned, "Why aren't you up there, with the Wonderbolts? I thought you were going to be famous. Is it...is it cause of me?"

"No, prima, it could never be about you. It's just that, well..."

Lightning stared at the ground, not wanting to answer. The fact of the matter was that he was ashamed to tell his cousin what had gone on in Fillydelphia. But then he glanced up at the rainbow-maned pony before him, and he saw a look of genuine worry printed on her face. He had come back to Ponyville to make amends, not to hide the truth.

So he reluctantly began, "You know I can't lie to you, Arco. I messed up. I messed up real bad. After everything that's happened…I guess I got too rough for my own good. The Wonderbolts kicked me out, and things just went downhill after that."

Truthfully, this isn't the first time I've been living on the streets. But you know what? This time, things were different. Because out of all this…I realized something. I realized was wrong, Dash."

Brushing his forelock out of his eyes, he continued, "What I'm trying to say is…I'm sorry, prima. For everything. For blaming you for everything that's happened, for everything that went wrong. You were right; I could've just brushed off those insults instead of letting them get into my head like a stupid idiot.

"I guess…I guess I've been ignorant, y'know. I guess I've been trying to pretend the past never happened and that everything was all sunshine and rainbows. But in all my efforts, I didn't realize it was hurting you. But I want you to know that it never was my intention to hurt you, Arco. I wish I had seen that earlier."

Rainbow stared at her cousin stolidly. Although Lightning couldn't tell it, Dash was quite touched by the stallion's words. Soon she came to the realization that her cousin was waiting for her to reply. Her competitive side wondered how she was going to beat that apology. But another part just wanted her to pour her soul out.

So she said timidly, "Well Lightning, you're not the only one who's been acting like a stubborn mule. Back when you were helping my friends out, I was…."

Dash began to grit her teeth. The mare searched her soul, scrounging for every ounce of willpower she had. She felt Lightning's eyes on her, waiting for her response. Finally, after gathering up every bit of sincerity she could muster, Dash said, "I was a jerk, okay? I was jealous. I saw all the attention my friends had given you and I wanted it too. And I've been so busy trying to get it back that I hadn't realized you were doing everything…for me."

In her emotional confession, she felt her eyes begin to water. Embarrassed, the rainbow-maned pony began to rub her eyes with her hooves, trying her best to dry her almost-tears. She said with a quiet chuckle, "Great, now you've got me bein' all sappy." Then she continued softly, "Listen, I'm not really good at this apology thing, cousin. Not one for words, y'know. You've given me the world, Lightning, even though you've had it rough. And driving you away like that, after everything you did for me, it…it wasn't right. And…and I'm sorry. I understand if you don't accept it, after all I haven't been the best friend out there. I've been selfish, envious, and angry. But I just want you to know that I really am sorry."

Finally, Rainbow glanced up from wiping her tears only to find her cousin staring at the ground. She waited for him to answer, or at least say something. Nothing.

She had begun to believe that her cousin wasn't as willing to forgive as she thought. Dejected, the pegasus was ready to slowly back away. But just when Dash was about to say 'I understand', Lightning replied quietly, "Dash, do you…remember the promise I made to you when we were young?"

The colorful pegasus shook her head, confused.

"Here, let me start," Lightning said, his eyes gleaming warmly. Then he cleared his throat and began to recite, "'Promise me that no matter what I do, no matter what happens…"

"'Promise me you'll always care'," Dash whispered as she began to recall the memory of that fateful night.

"And I never make promises I don't intend to keep. You remember that too, right prima?" Lightning asked, a faint smile playing on his lips. This time, his cousin nodded her head.

"That's still true, Arco. Even now." The stallion placed his hoof lovingly on Dash's shoulder. "I don't care what the world says about us. Because to me, you will always be the number one pegasus in Equestria. You will always...be my sister. And I will always love you." Although his face was dirty and bruised, Dash could still see his gentle grin glow with happiness. And for the first time in what seemed like forever, Dash returned the smile. Just for that moment, she broke down her prideful barrier and let herself fall into Lightning's tender embrace. And in that single moment, both pegasi knew they been forgiven.

The two remained in each other's loving hooves for another minute, letting the other's apology sink in. Finally, Dash stepped back to wipe her eyes which had begun to tear up again, only to find her cousin doing the same.

"Here's one for you, Dash. Can you promise me you'll do it too?" the stallion inquired.

Without any doubt in her mind, the colorful pegasus nodded her said and replied, "Of course. That's what the Element of Loyalty is about."

"Y'know, that's something that I wish I had, Arco. Your loyalty, your bravery. Even when we were younger, you'd always stand up for your friends and face the world. Me? I've been running from everything like a coward. When my friends and family needed me, I wasn't there. I was flying halfway across the country hoping that my past didn't catch up to me. Heh, I guess it finally did. I don't know, maybe it was for the better. Now, I'm not going to run away anymore, Dash. There's another promise for you, huh?"

One thing still nagged at the back of Dash's mind. Although she was hesitant to start at first, she pondered, "You think things can ever be the same? After everything that's happened?"

The stallion pursed his lips and looked up at the sky, thinking about the question. Finally, still looking up, he said, "Truthfully? No, I don't." But then he looked back at his cousin, gave a humble smile and continued, "But even though things probably won't ever be the way they were, it doesn't mean we can't try to make it even better." Dash couldn't help but smile at her cousin's optimism. Because deep down, that was what she hoped for too.

"You really are the best cousin ever, Lightning."

"No need to tell me twice. So, what do say we watch those Wonderbolts, huh?" Lightning suggested happily.

Dash clicked her tongue and told him, "Oh no, Lightning. You need some rest. I'll take you to Fluttershy's, come on. I know how much you like her."

"¿Perdón?" the stallion asked, confused. But the cyan pegasus just smiled wryly and winked.

Lightning shook his head in mock embarrassment and chuckled. Then he gave Dash a playful flick of her ear and said, "Alright Dash, if you say so. But I warn you, you're going to miss the most importante social event ever!"

"I've already given some money anyway. Besides, nothing's more important to me than hanging with… mi familia."

"Heh, you sound like a gringo, Arco."

"Oh shut up!"

The two pegasi slowly began the walk towards Fluttershy's house, away from all the commotion. The sound of the cheering ponies watching the Wonderbolts slowly faded away, leaving them to the sound of their own laughter. Sure they both ached from their multiple injuries, but frankly, the duo could have cared less. For they were together, and more importantly, they were happy.

At the two neared the cottage at the edge of the forest, Lightning asked, "I don't suppose you've got some paper and pens at home, do you? I've got a letter to write to my parents, tell 'em where I am."

"Know what, cousin?" Dash began. She looked at the horizon to see Canterlot, gleaming like some far away paradise. Then, smiling, she looked back at her own little slice of paradise and replied, "I've got a letter to write too."

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

Dear Princess Celestia, 

I'm writing this letter with my cousin and friend, Lightning Flash. First of all, let me just say that the last few days have been quite eventful. Lightning and I have had our own journeys, our own trials, our own thoughts and secrets. Sure, these trials have tested our bond and pushed us almost to the edge, but in the end, I think it's safe to say we've learned a thing or two about friendship. 

The first lesson (and I guess this one goes more for me) is that envy can tear somepony's life apart. It can cloud your mind until you don't realize who's a friend and who really isn't. Sometimes you'll see another who is getting all the attention and good things, and you'll want them too. But you've got to realize that sometimes it isn't all about you. Envy and selfishness are two traits that nobody likes, and sometimes you need to be willing to hand the spotlight to somepony else for a change. Who knows? Maybe that pony is really doing those deeds for your benefit. Maybe handing it over is best for both of you. 

The second (and this one is more for Lightning) is that ignorance can be bliss for one pony, but it can be complete madness for another. It's easy for somepony to get carried away with something. But sometime you've just gotta step back and think about what you're doing. About whether you're doing it for the good of another, or yourself. In the end, you may be doing more harm than good, even if you have good intentions. 

The third lesson (and this one goes for the two of us) is about promises, perseverance, and happy endings. I've learned that there is no such thing as a happy ending. Not so much because there is no happiness, but because things never really end. Life is full of problems. It's an endless circle of trial and error. But sometimes the mistakes we make have the power to change our lives. And it is our choice to either run away from the problem, or confront it. Nopony is perfect. Everypony makes mistakes. But it's the ones who manage to face the facts and accept them that find peace of mind. And these past few days, I've learned that doing that is most definitely NOT the easiest thing to do. But I've also learned that it IS possible. And yes, things may never be the way they were before. But as my cousin said, that doesn't mean it won't be even better. 

Our mistakes can cause us to lose sight of what matters most. Sometimes things can cloud what's really important, whether it's from insults, anger…ignorance. It's only our nature as ponies to let our emotions cloud our mind. And it's hard to have a clear mind when the world seems to spin around you. But when everything cools down, as clichéd as it might sound, you may find that what you need most was right there all this time. 

You must be willing to fight for your happiness. And if you're not, well, you should probably rethink your priorities and figure out what is worth fighting for. Because I can guarantee there's something…or somepony…out there worth fighting for. 

Lastly, I've learned that there are some bonds that can never be broken. Even through countless storms and numerous trials, there are bonds that will hold strong until the very end. Even though there may be arguments, accidents, and bumps in the road, at the end of the day friends will still be friends. And family will still be family. 

Well, that was a pretty long letter, and I'm pretty pooped out for the day. I'm pretty surprised actually, considering I'm not much of a writer. I hope this letter didn't bore the heck out of you, Princess. And I want you to know that I absolutely meant everything I said here, 100 percent. Anyway, I should probably get to sleep now. Lightning's managed to give himself the flu and a fractured rib, so it looks like we'll both be bunking together for tonight. Next week , once we feel better, I'll be accompanying him back to Mare-acaibo, his home town. We're going to be flying over there in Pinkie's balloon on account of my broken wing. It's gonna be quite the homecoming, and I'm going to be there for him every step of the way. There's no way I'd ever leave him by himself, that's what family's for. We go together like two peas in a pod. 
Or I guess in our case…thunder and lightning. 

Thanks for reading, Princess. 

Your faithful students, 
Rainbow Dash and Lightning Flash



Whoo, that was a long one! The letter was supposed to be a separate chapter, but since it wasn't over 1000 words (and I actually choose to abide by the rules) I'll just stick it in here. Well, this is the end folks. I appreciate the favorites and thumbs-up and the comment and all that shizz. This was my first pony-fanfiction back on that ol' website FanFiction, so all the support really means a lot to me! So yeah, thank you all! Oh and by the way, if you choose to keep following me, this most certainly isn't the last you've seen of Senor Lightning Flash.
Keep on flying, bronies. Keep spreading the love!
~UnweptPegasus