Author's Note

This charter explains a bit about Red Lightning's behavior toward Firebrand a tad bit.

Chapter 6: Making Amends

Firebrand walked down the hall to retrieve her books for class, Red Lightning had sheepishly made eye contact and hurried on his way.
The look wasn't malicious but it looked as if he wants to say something important. As the classes ended for the day and the students were given lists for a day pack to go exploring the caves. Cold-Steel and Firebrand discussed Red's odd behavior If late. It was making no sense! What did he want?

When the trip day arrived the class met at the beginning of the cave system below Canterlot; when they entered the caves their guide explained all the usual rock facts.........in a very monotone voice. After a few hours as they began the trip out, as they neared the entrance there was a tremor, and the ground shook and rocks from the ceiling began to fall. As everypony booked it; Firebrand took to the rear as she hadn't fully recovered from her injuries and her wing hadn't gained its strength back completely.

Everypony was out except for her, she didn't know if she was gonna make it! There was a blur of red as she was pushed backward and the whole ceiling caved in. In a panic, she stood and banged her home on the stone wall in front of her screaming, "Can anypony hear me! We're trapped!"

"Firebrand listen! We're getting a rescue crew just sit tight." Cold-Steel's voice was reassuring but she knew that the wall would take a few days to remove from how thick it was. Her echolocation kicked in along with her night vision. Who was the red blur that saved her? They had three red-colored pegasi in the class, she was about to be shocked.

Red Lightning stepped to her side and stood awkwardly silent. Firebrand stared for a moment and stuttered, "T-T-Thank you Red, for saving me."

"Think nothing of it, I would've done the same thing for my younger sister......." The sentence fell silent and Red drew circles on the cave floor. He had a younger sister that he swore to protect but his carelessness had gotten her killed. The guilt he carried tore at him, upon seeing Firebrand brought back memories. His sister and Firebrand shared the same color scheme, Firebrand served as an awful reminder of his failure; and the bundled up self-rage came out as brutal violence toward Firebrand who appeared to him as a demon taunting him.
Firebrand sat silently whilst pondering his statement. "May I ask what happened?"
"We went on a hike one Winter and I swore to protect her. Like I fool I forgot the compass and we got lost. I got to a point where I told her I could cover more ground alone. As flew off to find our bearings a blizzard hit and the return took longer than I expected. When I did return she had died, frozen to death. I brought her body home and a self-rage kicked in and depression as well. Seeing you Is like a demon coming to torture me. I took my rage and unleashed it at you, I should've embraced ya into our circles but I didn't. If she were here you and she would be about the same age. Both of you share the same color scheme and your hobbies are about the same as well. Thus brings us to what I wanted to say to you several days ago........can you forgive me?"
"Red I need to think about all this, I mean you almost killed me." Red nodded and sat silently.
All heard from the other side were thunder and rain. Water seeped in from under the rocks and they moved to a higher point three hundred feet back and the water rose quickly. Soaked in sweat from the humidity Firebrand noticed she had developed a fever and after several hours she dell asleep. She shivered as she slept and her fever rose. Red noticed that Firebrand felt feverish, finding a hollowed-out rock he used to scoop water and he tried to bring the fever down. "Don't worry Fire-blaze I'm not gonna fail you again." Firebrand moaned as illness ravished her body, did Red call her Fire-blaze? Her name was similar to his sister's with all he said it made sense. She would have to think more about if she could forgive him. It had been four days when a rescue crew cleared the rock and were able to get them out. The scene they found was quite heartwarming, Red was curled up next to Firebrand trying to warm her as she shook from cold whole her body was burning from fever. Cold-Steel and his parents stood shocked, Red Lightning's parents were very shocked.
The parents had talked about why Red was treating Firebrand so poorly and told about Fire-blaze and how she had died etcetera. The surprise was that he had done everything in his power considering the circumstances to keep Firebrand alive.