> Thunder at Dusk
>  by Sterling Sketch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Come on, Lightning, you’ve got her right in your sights!
Lightning Flair, a young pegasus, raged through the sky, angry at himself for not catching up to his lesser cousin. Her speed was no uncommonness, though, for she had been an emphatic flyer ever since she was a filly. As for how she had gotten so much faster recently, he had no clue. It appalled him that someone two years younger than him was so much further in the art of the race.
His speed had always rivaled her own. She had done a Rainboom first, and he followed soon after. She made it into the Wonderbolts Academy one summer; he made it the next. Their back-and-forth made it all the more fun. For now, he wore the crown. Fearing he would be dethroned as the Bullet King of Equestria, he pushed himself further toward the colorful mare.
The upper atmosphere’s air stung his face as he neared the cyan missile. His wings grew tired, but he pressed on. Cloudsdale was approaching fast, and his victory was coming soon. Attempting to make himself scarce to increase his speed, he sped ahead, gaining headway by mere inches past Dash. I can make it! I’ve got her!
Rainbow looked left at Lightning, and grinned devilishly. Her wings began to beat furiously, quickening her pace and disturbing the passing air between them. Lightning began to lose his balance, and his neon fur paled as he realized what was about to happen.
He had fallen for it.
A loud shock emanated from beside him, along with a bright flash of light. The white expanded and burned outward into waves of brilliant hues. She had baited him into a close pass and smeared him off the course with a Sonic Rainboom. He was sent careening toward the earth.
As Lightning cascaded from the blast zone, he collected his thoughts. Hitting clouds to slow his descent was his best bet for safety. He aimed himself at each puffy white haven, hoping for a thick cloud to land on softly. With his trajectory aimed directly at a thick mass of white, he offered up a gaze once more toward Cloudsdale, seeing the streak of color paint the sky in a plethora of hues. You win this time, Dash. He smiled as he tore through his target cloud.
Looking back toward Ponyville, it occurred to him that he could counter his fall with his wings pushing him up, but he decided he’d let himself fall like the lightning he was. A shiver of pride snuggled up his spine thinking of his uncanny namesake. He steered himself toward another cloud and prepared to slow his descent. Lighting had failed to take notice of the color of the approaching cloud; his trajectory would hit spot-on a raincloud.
Lightning’s eyes widened as he realized his fate. Another story would soon be told to justify Sketch’s favorite nickname for him: Lightning Rod. He narrowed himself as he slammed through the cold, wet mass. 
He felt the friction build up between his fur and the cloud. The static laughed as it tickled him all over, and he exited to the sky. To think this would be how he made his debut in Ponyville made him cringe even more than the bolt that followed him and struck his behind.
His consciousness began to fade as Ponyville neared. He had become the true Bullet King of Equestria, smoking from the Rainbow Pistol from whence he came. The gold and red of his eyes sank behind his eyelids as he fell under the fatigue of his shock.

Rainbow screeched to a halt in Cloudsdale as she crossed their imaginary finish line. She let out a howl of victory that eventually became laughter. “Flair-bear, you should’ve seen your face!” She continued to cackle as she fell to the ground. After hearing no disgruntled retort, she peeked from under her hoof. No Lightning was to be found. Dash raised herself from the soft surface of Cloudsdale. He wasn’t even in lag on the course. She couldn’t help but grin as she realized that her plan had done just what it should’ve.
Peeking over the edge, she pondered if he had fallen all the way to Ponyville. If so, she would catch up later. For now, she had a few things to grab from her home, including Lighting’s favorite food, apple pie. She had planned a picnic for all her friends to meet her favorite cousin, and he’d be much more sociable when he had a treat straight from her home, donned with the pride of Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow took flight once more, leaving behind any possible worry for Lightning as she made her way home.
Back in Ponyville, lightning was crashing on the balcony of the beloved neophyte princess.

“Ahem, hrrm hmm.” Spike cleared his throat as he began to read Celestia’s letter to Twilight. “‘Dear Princess Twilight, I fear Equestria may be in great danger. Rumor has it that someone has found ill of your coronation as Princess as of late.’ What do you think it could mean?” He looked to Twilight as if she had already read the letter.
“The best way to find out is to read it, Spike. I’ve only been back in Equestria a few days, and I’ve been a little too busy trying to find a way to keep up with Sunset Shimmer to read it myself.” She looked up from her book and met Spike’s eyes. “You wouldn’t mind reading onward, would you?”
“I’m your assistant, Twilight. Of course I wouldn’t mind,” he said, offering up a smile. She had signs of obvious guilt on her face as she returned to her spells. “Is everything alright?”
“Sort of.” She slid a piece of paper into the book and retired it to a stack near her podium. “Even if you’ve always been my assistant, I can’t help but feel a little strange asking you- well, anyone, really- to do anything now that I’m a princess.” She trotted over to Spike, using her magic to whisk away the letter into her own control. “I can handle it from here.” She yielded a smile to him as she walked to her bed.
“If you insist,” Spike replied. “You’re sure there’s nothing you need me to do?”
Twilight perched herself comfortably with her legs folded underneath herself.. “Positive.” She looked to Spike with one more comforting smile. “Go spend some time at Rarity’s house. She’ll enjoy the company with the Cutie Mark Crusaders out of town with Zecora.”
“Gladly.” Spike left with hearts in his eyes and wings on his heels. Twilight couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of a dragon and a pony together. He’s still young, so it shouldn’t be any trouble to let him dream. She began reading Celestia’s letter after her giggling had ended.
A moment later, the house shook in conjunction with a loud bang coming from outside. Twilight poised her head toward her balcony with concern and confusion. Dashie said she had company coming today, so it couldn’t have been the result of her practice going awry again. She flew all the way down to North Marolina to escort some family to Ponyville. Rising from her bed, she approached her balcony.
She swung the doors open using her magic to find a stallion pegasus crash-landed on the floor. He was singed throughout his mint green coat, with thin columns of dark smoke ascending from his wings and tail. Had he been struck by lightning?
Hurriedly, Twilight lifted him onto her back, not thinking of using her spells, and carried him inside. She laid him on her bed, pushing aside the letter which had almost kept her attention. She gathered up her wits and began casting a spell, one that would heal him enough to keep him alive between here and the hospital. Before she could finish casting the spell, he stirred and moaned, lifting himself to sit upright. She gasped and laid him back down, fearing he might hurt himself. His eyes opened, revealing two different colors: one wearing a coat of shimmering gold, brazen in every sense of the word, with boldness and brilliance; the other, burning with a deep crimson, that warmed her to her very soul.
Heat rushed to Twilight’s face as she felt the stress of the situation assume itself all over her body. “Are you okay?”

Lightning opened his eyes painfully. Somepony was holding him down firmly, yet gently. His head reeled as he sank into the soft surface behind him.
Sure, being zapped had happened to him before, but this had been the most tremorous shock. He couldn’t focus just yet on who was holding him or where he was. Maybe this strike had damaged more than his eye’s color? Then he heard a sweet voice, one of care and concern, calling out to him. All concern for his eyes leapt from his conscious thought to the corner of his mind. “Are you okay?”
For a moment, Lightning didn’t know how to respond. Whoever this pony was, it wasn’t Dash. They lacked the gruffness and familiarity of his cousin, his mother, or anypony he had ever heard. Such tenderness kept him mute for what seemed like an eternity of admiration. A lavender figure came into view as his pupils adjusted to the indoor lights.
“Dandy,” Lightning said as he feigned a smile. He winked his left eye closed, leaving only his gold eye to meet with the mare above him.
“Oh, no. You don’t look fine.” The mare responded with disbelief. “Hold still for just a moment, and I’ll let you explain what happened to yourself.”
Without objection, Lightning quelled his desire to rise and laid his head back on the pillow under his mane. He had seen whoever this was before, though he just couldn’t place the source. At that moment, a wave of cool washed over him, along with a contained glow. Magic? Just who was this mare?
“Okay, you can sit up if you want,” the mare spoke, concern still lining her words, “but don’t push it so far that you hurt yourself.” Lightning took the invitation and lifted himself up, now feeling strangely rejuvenated. His eyes came into perfect focus on the violet mare as he sat up.
“How did you do that?” Lightning spoke with accidental admiration. He was grateful and in unimaginable awe, but he didn’t want to seem so naive.
The purple mare was slightly taken aback by his question. “Why, magic, of course. I’ve been saving that spell for a rainy day, so….” Her voice trailed off as she looked away humbly.
“It was certainly rainy for me,” Lightning felt even more air-headed as he spoke.
“I can tell,” she replied, now sitting next to the bed. “Care to tell me how all this happened?”
“Sure, but first, what’s your name?” His mind itched with irritation, trying to recall her source.
“I’m Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.” She smiled at her inquisitor. “Nice to meet you, even though it was through something so scary.”
Lightning’s wings clenched and his jaw dropped as he remembered her: he had been saved by Princess Sparkle herself!
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Twilight?" Lightning tasted the name on his tongue, exercising its every syllable. "Twilight... Sparkle?" He now sported a dumbfounded look, one that couldn't possibly be shirked off as simple disorientation.
"Yes, and what's your name?" Twilight saw the awkwardness coming and attempted to change the subject.
"Lightning. Lightning Flair." He gulped down his nervousness tightly.
Twilight chuckled at his response, reading it to be some sort of joke pertaining to his arrival. After a moment, she stopped, this time wearing his dumbfounded face. "Seriously?"
"Yup." He laughed as well, turning his attention to the charred portions of his coat; more importantly, he turned his focus to something other than the regal pony attending to him. "The strangest part of all is that this isn't the first time I've been stricken by lightning."
Twilight was now rummaging around, looking for household medical supplies. "What?!" She pulled her head out from a cabinet, and looked his way. "And by the way, the correct word would be, 'struck'."
"What?" Lightning turned his head, confused.
Twilight returned to the second floor carrying bandages and various ointments. "'I've been struck by lightning,' is the correct way to say it." Twilight smiled coyly at him as she began to dress his wounds.
This marked the third time he'd made a fool of himself in front of a princess. In his mind, he could hear Dash laughing at him when he told her the events of today. He found solace in the fact that she probably didn't associate with the Princess. Twilight most likely had a lot of duties to deal with on a daily basis, what with her being so new in-- "Ahh!"
"Sorry," Twilight said, continuing to press a medicated bandage on a cut. "I probably should've warned you before doing that, huh?" Her pleading eyes begged forgiveness when nothing harmful was intentionally done.
"It's fine, really." Lightning looked away as his face reddened. "I should be thanking you for treating me when you probably have guards or someone else to take care of me." With a hoof, he scratched his mane, thinking of how he should thank her properly.
Without rising from his bed, he extended his previously occupied hoof and bowed toward her, claiming in a formal tone, "Thank you, your Highness!" A brighter blush boiled beneath the furry flesh of his cheeks.
"Please, call me Twilight." She said, sweetly smiling again. "I can't say I'm so fond of the royalty, so I prefer to just be Twilight." She finished wrapping a bandage around his right foreleg. "And, if you don't mind, could you tell me how this," she said, motioning to his eyes, "happened?"
"With pleasure." Twilight shot him a wary eyebrow raise. "I mean... sure?" Twilight and Lightning shared a giggle as he began.
"Well, when I was young, I found myself outside on a cool summer night...."

"Guys! Guys! Guys!" Pinkie Pie hopped around Sugarcube Corner as the muffins finished baking. "We get to meet some of Dashie's family today! Aren't you all excited?!" Pinkie's usual joviality echoed through the building, assuming the usual crevices it warped around. "Whoever it is, they're gonna act like Dashie, and it'll be like we have two Dashies! Then, we'll all be best Dashies forever!" Pinkie seemed to speed up her bouncing as her enthusiasm skyrocketed.
"I hate ta be the one ta tell ya this, Pink'e Pie, but...." Applejack's voice trailed off as she met eyes with Rarity.
"Whad'ya say, Applejack?" Pinkie halted her bounce and drew all focus to her, awaiting a response. Her innocent, ever-young smile stood in perfect attention.
"Nevermind, sugarcube." AJ smiled and winked at Pinkie, who then resumed her bounce. Immediately as she took flight, the timer yelled for her. As Pinkie attended to the sweets, Rarity made sure all the necessary items for a proper picnic were in tip-top shape.
"Hmm hmm hmm, blanket, tea, saucers, check! Only where did I place my sunglasses?" She began to shift things around in her basket, making all sorts of strange cacophonous clatters and clangs.
"Maybe Spike's usin' 'em outside?" Applejack shrugged. "He is lookin' fer Rainbow, so he'd most likely be-,"
Just then, Pinkie bounced past them both, armed to the eyes in ultraviolet protection and fashion. Applejack laughed as they exited the sweet shop.

"...So after I woke up, they told me that my right eye was golden!" Lightning finished his story, noticing that Twilight had finished tending to his wounds, and now sat captivated on the edge of her bed.
"But," she said, looking around, as if searching for her words. "But how did it change the color? Maybe a reaction between the pigment and a certain frequency of shock...?" She began to ramble to herself, muttering numbers and words under her breath. Lightning took the chance to gather his surroundings. 
He was in the home of Princess Twilight Sparkle, the only pony to ever become an alicorn. Her magic was rumored to rival that of Celestia's own magic, and she had gone to the labor of serving a self-centered pegasus. He laid in her bed, resting at his own leisure, inconveniencing her from her normal routine. Lightning couldn't help but marvel at her visually. She was so humble and beautiful and smart and.... The familiar burn rose once again to his face, spreading across the bridge of his nose. He cared not; he wanted to flatter her.
After a moment of heavy contemplation, Twilight rose her head again. "I guess, if you don't mind, I could do some research to-," Twilight met eyes with the bright-faced stallion. "Are you okay?" She neared him, feeling his cheeks. "Is the charge not all gone?"
His face only reddened more with every touch. "I- I'm fine, really!" Nevermind, I can flatter her another day. Abort, Lightning. Abort!
"You're getting pretty warm, Lightning." Twilight Sparkle just said my name.
"I know, it's because...," he searched for a reason desperately. "The blankets!" He lifted them off of his hind legs, shaking them free toward the bedpost. "I'll be fine, don't worry about me!"
"Are you sure? I can try another spell, if you want."
"Don't trouble yourself with it, please." 
"It's no trouble."
"I'm okay, trust me." Lightning felt his heart churning as the silence followed his final remark. "You've really helped me enough as it is." He raised a hoof and took her own in his grasp. He pressured through an eyelocked gaze, signifying his resolve to not take any more handouts from the princess.
"Okay," she said, backing away to a comfortable, yet attentive distance. "But if you need anything else, please tell me now." The clock on the wall read three-thirty. "I have a date with my friends, and I cannot be late."
"You've already done more than enough," Lightning spoke with a sigh as his face cooled and his heart settled back down. He felt as if he had just run a race faster than he had ever flown before. The adrenaline was all the same, the cold sweats were identical, and his skin seemed to crackle with joy. Only, he hadn't tired himself out. He was not under a spell of weakness, but one of a greater caliber.
"I can escort you to the hospital where they'll take much better care of you." Twilight used her magic to gather a small jug that clinked with jewels, along with a plate of sandwiches and some other utensils.
"Don't worry about it. I know someplace where I can take it easy. I have a friend in town that can help me out." Lightning balanced himself on his legs, taking to his hooves for the first time in what seemed like forever. He pulled her blankets back over her bed, and met her downstairs at the front door.
"Well, it's been nice meeting you, Lightning." She smiled again at the irony of it all. "Will you be in town for a while?"
"Yeah, I'm staying with some family." He opened the door for her, attempting to be chivalrous.
"Who is it? Maybe I know them?" Twilight stepped through the threshold of her door to the outside. "Thank you," she said passing by him.
"Her name is-,"
"Flair-Bear?!" Rainbow Dash, along with the rest of her friends, stood jaw-dropped a little ways off. "What're you doing at Twilight's house?"
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Lightning, standing beside Twilight, locked eyes with Rainbow Dash. She was giving him the glare that he hated, the one that pried any secret he might have been harboring out from his conscience and into the world for all to know. She had to know that something was different with him; he had never been seen so giddy outside of a Wonderbolts race. Thankfully, the gracious Princess spoke up, taking away Rainbow's constrictive attention from Lightning's presence.
"You two know each other?" Twilight glanced from Lightning to the floating cyan mare, who then smirked widely.
"Oh, I know him alright. And before I tell you how we know each other, I'll just, uh...." She lowered he face, thinking intensely. "Be right back." She zipped into a blur of color toward Lightning and within moments, she had disappeared with him. A confused aura settled over the group of five, and they gathered together, waiting for Rainbow and Lightning to return.
"Who was that fella?" AJ inquired of Twilight casually.
"His name is Lightning. He crashed on my balcony, and I fixed him up with a spell." Twilight smiled, remembering her deeds, feeling good for being of service.
"Lightning crashed on yer balcony?" Applejack snickered at the thought. "Don't'cha think that's a little strange?"
"It does sound a little well-rehearsed, I must say." Rarity spoke up in her usual refined voice. "But, Dash seems to know him, so she can explain everything, I'm sure."
"He's a nice colt, I think. He must have some sort of blood pressure problem, though. His face got red a lot."
Rarity and Applejack exchanged glances, smiling, and Rarity nodded her head toward Spike with a giggle.
"He's nice alright," Pinkie Pie piped up, cutting off the suspicion from Applejack and Rarity, "and he's so COOL! I mean did you see his tail? It was like a lightning bolt too! Kinda like Dashie's cutie mark, really. I don't remember what his was. Do-" Rainbow returned and placed a hoof over Pinkie's mouth.
"Everyone," Rainbow spoke, holding back Pinkie's muffled excitement, "this is my cousin, Lightning."

Rainbow screeched to a halt down the street from Twilight's home. She let him down on all four hooves from her shoulder, and he punched her as he got his legs back underneath him. "At least give me some warning as to when you're gonna do that," Lightning snarled, holding his gut where the tackle had landed.
"Sorry, but I have to know what's going on." Rainbow wore a face that expected truth. What a shame that she wasn't going to get it... well, in its entirety.
"Okay, fine." He began to trot about, keeping his multicolored eyes focused on the earth he had trodden on; this was a tell-tale sign of his lying. "You spun me out, I landed on her balcony, she did some sort of magic to make me better, and now we're friends." He motioned to his bandages, hoping that would suffice for his previously discolored face.
"And the char marks?"
"Another lightning strike. I don't have any idea why. Maybe storms just like me?" Lightning shrugged, smiling sheepishly at his attempt in changing the subject.
"And you didn't plan any of this?"
"Not even a little." His pacing was forced to a halt as Rainbow eyed Lightning up and down, analyzing his every piece of being. After a moment, she responded.
"You do know that I'm the weather pony of weather ponies in Ponyville, right?"
"Yup." He nodded gauchely.
"I planned out a nice, sunny, summer day."
"Okay...?" Lightning didn't see where she was headed with this.
"You mean to tell me that a storm cloud came out of nowhere just to zap you?"
Horse feathers. She'd found a place for disbelief and she hadn't even spotted the right piece of the puzzle. Lightning relaxed, feeling relieved that he could tell total truth now.
"It was there! I ran through it, for Celestia's sake!" Rainbow donned her smirk again, arming herself with a conniving glare as Lightning pleaded his case. "This isn't Colter's Mountain. I wouldn't feel right messing with your weather anyway."
"You know, I'm thinking you're pulling a prank on Twilight," Rainbow accused him saucily, "and you don't want me to be in on it. Fine, I'll watch, but I want in on the last laugh." She nudged him with an accusatory hoof on his chest. "Enough messin' around. Let's go meet the rest of the gang, shall we?" Before Lightning had time to protest, Rainbow zoomed off into a blur. Lightning began to move his wings, but soon found that to be agitating to his existing pain. Mustering every ounce of strength he could, Lightning put every hoof into high gear to catch up. Rainbow came into view, along with the other four ponies and the little purple lizard. They stood patiently waiting for his arrival.
The pink pony had been silenced by Dash so she could introduce her unfortunate companion officially to them all. ""Everyone, this is my cousin, Lightning Flair. He's staying with me for a while in Ponyville, so help him feel welcome." She ended her introduction with a wink to her friends and nudged Lightning to do the same.
"Hiya!" Lightning perked up with a trademark salutation, trying to seem as pleasant as possible. Instances like these truly displayed his social awkwardness, so he had rehearsed a few lines to help him break the ice. He hadn't done it often, for he knew everyone around town back home. He'd already thanked Celestia countlessly in his mind that he survived his encounter with the Princess so easily. Another few normal ponies wouldn't be so hard, right?
Wrong. They started to give their names, and he wasn't good with names. As they rattled off each of their titles, he darted to and fro in his mind, etching every detail he could in stone. Rarity, huh? Makes dresses, has a... sister? Maybe that was Applejam. Applejack! That's it! No, wait, wasn't that the little sister's name? She didn't give me her little sister's name. The little thing is a dragon, not a lizard. Got it. Uh-huh... so Pink likes parties? And cake? And candy? Wow, she can talk fast. It's quiet now. Why is it so quiet? Lightning escaped his own mind trying to recall what was said.
"You okay?" Twilight addressed him, and he quickly righted himself. It seemed she was always looking out for him, and he had to start carrying his own weight.
"I'm alright, I just kinda spaced out. Sorry about that." His face ascended in hue as he spoke out of his rehearsed character. "What was the question?"
"Where ya from?" Applejack answered him cheerily.
"Oh, I'm from the mountains in North Marolina. I'm the leader of the weather ponies down there." He smiled as his embarrassment began to wear off.
"D'you know a stallion named Hybrid Apple? He's one'a them fancy botanist types down there." From that point, the group began to amble about Ponyville, every now and again being corralled by Rainbow.
"Yup, he and I work together on the zap apple harvest every year. Shocker, right?" Lightning smiled, hoping a pun or two would make him feel a little less edgy.
"Hehe, I guess I shoulda expected that. He's my...." She raised a hoof to her chin, occasionally scribbling a line in the air, thinking of the relation between them. "Well, he's definitely in the family tree, let's put it that way." She chuckled at her own naivety as she gave up her pursuit of thought.
"Hey!" Pinkie bounced over to him and prepared a battery of questions. "Why's your cutie mark a rainbow lightning bolt too? What's that all about?"
"Well," Lightning looked to his flank as he analyzed it. "It's a rainbow lightning bolt because I have a knack for attracting electricity. Plus, I'm fast - fast enough to compete with my bigheaded cousin." Dash shot a look of evil his way from above, and stuck her tongue out at him. Lightning laughed and continued his explanation. "It's a rainbow because, well... I like being handsome." He slicked back his mane and the group chuckled at his display.
"What about the eighth note, deary?" Rarity inquired of him, twinkling her eyelashes all the while.
"I like singing!" He perked up a cheery smile and cast it back to the white mare.
"How about a little song then?" She responded with a challenging wink.
"Uhhhh...." Lightning looked to his cousin floating above. Rainbow met his gaze, not understanding his predicament. After a moment, she realized his plight swooped in to save him.
"We don't have enough time, y'know." She sped over to Rarity and put a foreleg over her shoulder. "Fluttershy's waiting for us," Rainbow explained as she motioned to the yellow mare resting at the top of a nearby hill. She spun to meet Lightning's attention. "I organized a little picnic so they could all get to know you!" She winked and clicked her tongue at him.
"You didn't have to go to the trouble, Dash." A beam grew across his face as he thought of a nice meal to wind down from the day's events.
"Yeah, it was nothing." She returned the smile as she landed on the grass next to her pegasus friend. "By the way, this is Fluttershy. I have a feeling you and her will get along just fine."
"Hiya!" Lightning repeated his perky training with ease. A response of whispers could be heard faintly.
Lightning cocked his head. His perfect greeting hadn't worked? What... What now?
"I didn't mean to offend you, I'm sorry...." Lightning cast a hoof over his tightly closed eyes and tried with great care to not make eye contact or interaction in general.
Fluttershy looked from under her mane at him and felt a wave of guilt wash over her. "I'm sorry," Fluttershy spoke, rising to her hooves and motioning for all of them to join her. "It's just that I'm not so courageous, and I don't know you and I'm usually not this talkative, so I'll stop." She sat back down and began fidgeting with her forelegs.
The group took a place on the ground in a circle, and as luck would have it, Lightning sat between Rainbow and Twilight. Just try to be friendly, and you'll get through the day without any hitches. Act like you would at home, but not like you act all the time. Just be... nice. Be nice.
"So, everyone," Lightning said with a relieving sigh, "Tell me about yourselves." Lightning had heard a plethora of stories about them all, and he wanted to hear a few from another horse's mouth.
Twilight responded first. "I suppose we could tell you how we all met, right girls?" She looked about her companion's faces, and they nodded in agreement.
"Well, I was once a student of Princess Celestia, and she sent me here to prepare for the Summer Sun Celebration...."

The periwinkle mare walked about Ponyville, casting her bright eyes to the sky to observe the shadows cast by clouds overhead. She preferred the dark to the light, and if shade was all she could have, she would take it. A little sun was worth the outcome of her labors, and for right now, the "labor" wasn't very hard at all. She simply had to be an innocent passerby, quietly monitoring the few there were. Her plodding along had finally paid off, giving her a perfect chance to set her plans in motion, and she couldn't wait to push the pebble that would cause the avalanche. It's a matter of time, my long-lost friend. A matter of thick, motionless time....
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Well, everyone," Rainbow said to the group, "I think it's about time Lightning and I took off."
Lightning stirred himself from his comfortable position he had taken on his back. About half an hour ago, they all had resorted to various sprawled positions on the hilltop to allow them the leisure of stargazing as the night pulled itself over them. They had been out for... about three hours, maybe? Lightning didn't know or care. All he knew was that he made some wonderful, adventurous friends who had saved Equestria more than once. He felt privileged to be counted as a friend to them.
They had all taken a liking to him; however, Spike was especially head-over-heels fascinated with him. The little dragon had all sorts of questions that ranged from his fastest flight to his favorite food, and he even asked Twilight about a spell to give him wings! Of course, she said no. It broke his little heart, but he got over it quickly when Rarity intervened.
Applejack was more open to him than he expected. He had thought she might be wary of unknown ponies in town, even if they were a friend of a friend, but she was quite receptive. In retrospect, this was no surprise considering their similar backgrounds. The two had both been exposed to the country lifestyle, and this made it easy for them to relate on a lot of things.
Rarity was a different story altogether. It took a bit longer for the two to resonate with one another, but once fashion was the topic on the table, they both wanted to talk about style. They even got up and flaunted their favorite struts to yield a laugh or two. Rarity even mentioned holding a fashion show before Lightning had to depart... thank Celestia that Pinkie Pie jumped in.
Pinkie enjoyed his neon-colored presence with many smiles and laughs, although she might have acted like that for everypony. Either way, he liked Pinkie and respected her greatly for her desire to draw a laugh or a smile out from all she encountered. He was the victim of many giggles because of her antics.
Lightning shook himself from his own thoughts and regarded his departing company. "It's been nice to meet you all!" He waved goodbye to the group as he caught up with Dash's slow trot. A flurry of responses echoed back his sentiment, though none were quite as bold as the pink pony's reply. Lightning took up an easy pace as he neared his cousin.
"So, what'd you think of them?" She winked to the previously injured stallion.
"I like them!" Lightning spoke, with a little more pitch in his voice than he had planned.
"I knew you would!" She responded, almost being arrogant in her tone. "We're the holders of the Elements of Harmony, for Celestia's sake!"
"That had nothing to do with it," the teal stallion spat. "I just think you all are an interesting bunch."
"Interesting?" Rainbow was slightly taken aback. "Just interesting?"
"Well, y'all are fun too," Lightning explained, "I just thought interesting suited them better."
"What's so interesting?" Rainbow began another interrogation session.
"I dunno. Nothing for everyone. There was a little something I liked about them all."
"In that case, you must have a favorite."
"Yup." Lightning painted a devious grin across his face as he decided not to say anything.
"Come on, tell me!" She shoved him with a weak hoof against his shoulder.
"Tell ya what. Let's have a race back to your house. If you win, I'll spill it. If I win...." Lightning gestured to her as they stopped, fishing for what she would offer up.
"You can have my bed for tonight." Confidence armed her words with sharp edges and they clashed against Lightning's armor of determination.
"You're on." A brohoof sealed the deal and they lined up for their battle. "And this time, no Rainbooms."
Dash whispered a cool rebuttal. "Won't need any. On my mark: 3, 2, 1..."
Storm's coming.
"GO!" The two zipped off into the deep of the night, colliding in streaks of bleeding, competitive color.

The pencil held itself within the bonds of the hazy violet glow. She set it to the paper and began her scribbling down of thoughts and cares.

My friend,
It has been far too long since I have seen you. I pray that one day I can remedy this. I know that you are suffering because of her, and it is my only wish to make sure she knows of her mistake.
She has made it to where we two, who once were inseparable in dream and in care, are placed on either side of a firmament. I cannot begin to count to you how many times I wish I would've furthered my own skills, for this wouldn't be a problem now if I had. I had access to all the materials I needed, but they threw me out before I knew your fate.
You are still my only companion. The only one I choose to have council with. The only one I desire to make my existence with. Pardon me if I begin to sound like I'm terribly obsessed with you. It's a fascination and admiration for a dear friend.
You showed me care while that serpent made herself a queen. You should've been the one they chose. You are the one, and I'll make sure Equestria knows your name upon your return.

Just hold on a little longer, friend.
Shady

The mare clutched the paper and pressed it into a simple fold, taking care in sealing it away. The envelope embraced the message and took its place next to countless others on a banister in her home. She let out a disappointed sigh, remembering her failure and loss all the same. With an awakening shake, she pushed herself back to a pedestal. This pedestal supported a tome of great size which bore various languages and texts that could hold the key to her friend's cell.
Upon attempting to focus on the far-fetched passages, a rumble uttered from her windows, and she reached them in time to see two pegasi rocketing above her home. They caused a tremor that shook her as well as anything unsecured in her hole.
The quakes subsided. She sat herself up again to meet eyes with a scattered and destroyed display of letters strewn across her floor.
A tear welled up in her eye as she rose to assess the damage.

Lightning Flair was falling behind yet again.
He couldn't let her win.
He won't let her win, not if it will mean fessing up about Twilight.
Lightning pushed himself to pulse his wings quicker. He had already recovered well from his crash because of Twilight's miracle spell, so exceeding his own bounds was no issue. She had done something to him that made him feel even more alive than before he was hurt. It was something astonishing to say the least.
A forested area surrounded Lightning and his competitor. He watched as Rainbow kept herself rigid, cutting through the crisp, cool air and rounding a curve between the trees. She had speed, but it wouldn't be enough after tonight. Lightning, taking his newly-recovered power in wing, cast himself toward the familiar cyan blur. The wind resistance lessened, allowing him a drafting pass overhead. Casting a proud shadow over his cousin, he leapt ahead and locked a gaze on his prize: Rainbow Dash's home.
Sorry, Dash. Guess you won't find out about her tonight!
Lightning made himself scarce as he pierced the landing pad of cloud in front of her door. He howled with a victorious bellowing shout that echoed down to the surface. It resounded his victory call as he circled back below to Dash's floating manor.
"How'd'ya like that?" The victorious missile sang, placing his hooves on the mollified platform.
"Yeah, yeah, good game and all that." Rainbow pushed her door open and Lightning skipped behind her, brimming with joy. With perfect timing, Dash swirled around and caught his chin with a hoof. "Mark my words: tomorrow, we'll have another go, and I'll learn who your favorite was. Got it?" Lightning knew not how to respond with his jaw shut for him, so he nodded awkwardly and she let him free. The two entered with a settled happiness that only came from overcoming.
"So, Dash," Lightning began as he sighed himself down.
"Yeah?"
"Where's your bed?" He snickered and she gestured to a room on the second floor. She sat in her living room, annoyed at her loss.
She motioned a warning hoof to him as he ascended. "Tomorrow, I'm only offering up a second share of dinner. Nothing more, you hear?"
"Got it, Dash." He opened her door and waved a goodnight as he retired.
Lightning cast himself onto the cloudy mattress and looked up at the ceiling. His eyelids shut around his crimson and golden eyes and he began to drown his consciousness in his thoughts. Today has been the best. I can't wait for tomorrow... Goodnight... Twilight....