When Lightning Strikes Twiceby ZalekaiChaptersStatic WingsThe StormThey Can't Be Red...Static WingsChapter 1: Static Wings "Alright... just get up... and get through the day." Static said, groggily opening his eyes, revealing two dark blue irises, identically matching his coat. He slowly lifted his torso up, fighting the pulling tides of the warm and inviting bed. On any other dull morning, he would've just slept in, but this morning was different. His first day on weather patrol, after the constant nagging from his parents to do something productive. His roommate had been urging him for a while to join, but it wasn't until now Static had sought the initiative. The dark-blue pegasus let out an unnecessarily long yawn and stretched his forelegs, practically broadcasting his lack of sleep to all of Equestria. Ending his yawn just as dramatic as it had begun, Static unfurled his wings and gave them a quick stretch as well, knowing they would come into great use later. With one more burst of energy, he hauled himself off of the comfortable surface and brought four hooves down onto the hard wooden floor, creating a slight echo throughout the room. Static quickly shook his head, trying to flush the tired from his eyes. His mind wandered to the importance of this day. It was his day. A day to show the folks that he wasn't just a paranoid shut in, a day to show Equestria what he was made of, a day to glance towards the clock and realize... He was late. The pegasus let out a sharp sigh and ran a hoof through his mane as he walked towards his bedroom door. He briskly threw it open, broadcasting not his grogginess, but his rage. "Thunderlane!" He called down the hall. After some shuffling from down the hall, in the kitchen, a dark-grey pegasus with a white and light-teal, Mohawk styled mane peeked his head around the corner, trying to hide his extremely apparent nervousness. "How can I help you?" Thunderlane replied. "I thought we were supposed to wake up at, I dunno, 8 or so?" Static asked, his tone showing more anger by the second. "Yeah." "It's noon." "Yeah." Static sighed deeply and facehoofed. "When do we have to be there?" He asked. "Two hours ago." Thunderlane replied shrinking slightly. Static hung his head and let out another hefty sigh, continuing down the narrow hallway, past the kitchen and into the living room. The house was adequate, Static had recently been kicked from his parent's home and moved in with Thunder to help pay for rent, and to cover himself for getting kicked out. Neither one minded the company though, they'd been best friends since grade school. After trudging along the hardwood floor for a few moments, Static finally reached the couch and heaved himself up onto the soft, red surface. "Why am I constantly instilling my trust in you?" Static said, closing his eyes and rubbing a hoof against his temple. "Sorry, man... just lost track of time." Thunderlane said, shamefully trotting into the room and placing himself on the couch opposite of Static. Static waved a hoof sympathetically and opened his eyes. "It's fine, whatever. Just, how screwed are we?" Static asked. Thunderlane hesitated for a moment. "Pretty screwed..." The dark-grey pegasus replied quietly. Static hung his head once more and heaved his tired body up from the couch and proceeded towards the door. "Let's just go... I want to get fired and get it over with." he said, opening the front door. Static was instantly assaulted by a massive ray of sunlight, causing him to recoil slightly and cover his eyes with a hoof. "Glad we're on the bloody weather patrol... all of this sun is killing me..." He said, his tone returning to annoyed. Thunderlane chuckled and pulled himself up from his seat. "It's gonna' take a lot of clouds to block out the sun there, Wings." He said, making his way out the door. Static muttered something under his breath and shut the door behind him. Turning around, he was greeted by the warm sight of his home town, Ponyville. Ever since he could remember, he had walked the streets and carefully avoided the town's residents. Nothing was wrong with them, they were often friendly. But Static had always followed an anti-social demeanor. Whenever greeted, he would usually shrink and force an awkward smile or just run the other direction. With a sigh, the pegasus caught up with his friend and lazily trotted down the street. "What's wrong, didn't sleep well?" Thunderlane asked, noticing Static's sluggish attitude. Static simply shrugged. "Just... getting those dreams again." Static replied wearily. Thunderlane paused for a moment. "You mean the ones about the storm?" He asked, his tone slightly concerned. Static replied with a nod. Thunderlane glanced around nervously, searching for his next words as the two continued down the road. "M-Maybe it'll help you in finding out what that means." Thunderlane said awkwardly, pointing to Static's cutie mark. Static shook his head. "Don't know what it means now, don't know what it'll mean ever." The dark-blue pegasus said, glancing to the two black lightning bolts crossed on his flank. "How'd you get it anyway?" Thunderlane asked. Static rolled his eyes and continued walking down the road, both of them nearing the outside of town. "Dude, come on. We've been friends for, like, 10 years, and you've always avoided that question." The dark-grey pegasus said, his own annoyance becoming apparent. Static stopped dead in his tracks and huffed angrily. "It was a storm, Thunderlane." He said sternly. Thunderlane stopped walking, his eyes going wide. "Like the nightmare?" He asked worriedly. Static gave an over-exaggerated nod, causing Thunderlane to sink slightly. "I was six, and a bloody thunderstorm happened right outside of my house. Next day I woke up, cutie mark. Are you happy now?!" The dark-blue pegasus said angrily. After no repsonse, Static shook his head and continued walking. Thunderlane quickly returned to his senses and briskly trotted in Static's direction, catching up in a matter of seconds. "Listen, man, I'm sorry." He said, apologetically. "Whatever, it's fine." Static said, keeping his eyes to the road. "No really, I shouldn't have pu-" "HEY. It's fine, alright?! Just drop it. We're out." Thunderlane, raised an eyebrow and glanced around, realizing that they were, in fact, well away from the town. "Oh, right, you ready?" The dark-grey pegasus said, spreading his wings. Static sighed and reluctantly spread his own. "Ready..." ... to get chewed out by my new boss. He thought. Static remained silent during the flight, scolding himself that he had given in, and finally told somepony his story. Even thought it was a vague description, it still brought back the memories of that night. The roar of the thunder, the unexpected flashes of lightning, and the nightmares that followed. He shivered at the thought of it. Helpless and frightened, cowering under his mother's forelegs. Normally, a foal wouldn't be afraid of a small thunderstorm, but Static had a whole new level of fear when it came to the subject. It was mostly the feelings he got in his body. He would always feel restless, his bones themselves would be tingling, chilling him extensively and scaring him beyond any known point. Thankfully, his train of thought was quickly broken as a structure came into view, built soundly atop a large, floating cloud. He sighed in relief and increased his speed, hoping he wasn't too late despite the time he had already missed. "This is the place, right?!" Static shouted over the roar of wind smacking his face. Glancing to Thunderlane, he could make out a subtle nod. As the two neared the structure, a landing patch of cloud came into view just outside. Reaching it, Static landed harshly, creating a sharp thud against the soft surface. Thunderlane landed softly however, still sulking slightly at pushing his friend. "Where to now?" Static asked, staring at the large facility in front of him. "Registration..." Thunderlane replied. Static nodded and made his way into the structure. Sure enough, right when the two entered, they found a desk labeled "registration". Static approached and waved at the receptionist, a blue pegasus mare with a pink mane. "Names?" She asked harshly before Static could attempt to speak. "Static Wings and Thunderlane." The dark-blue pegasus replied. "And reason we're late today?" Static looked to Thunderlane and shrugged. "Uhh... f-feather flu." The dark-grey pegasus said shakily. The receptionist sighed. "That's not going to work again." She said, stamping two cards and handing them to each pony. "Down the hall, third door on your left, safety demonstration." Thunderlane frowned. "Safety demonstration?!" He asked, his tone slightly panicked. The receptionist snickered. "That's what you get for being demoted." She said in a snarky, mater-of-factually tone. Thunderlane groaned and rolled his eyes, continuing down the hallway and motioning for Static to follow. "Thank you, ma'am." Static said, keeping his head down and continuing down the hall. Thunderlane groaned again as the two reached the third door on the left. "Dammit... she's teaching the safety course." Thunderlane said, his tone annoyed yet again. "Who?" Static asked, shoving him out of the way and glancing into the window. At the front of the room was a slender, cyan pegasus mare with a flowing rainbow mane and tail. Her violet eyes carrying a look of determination, and slight annoyance. "Wow... you're upset that we have a hot teacher?" Static asked glancing to Thunderlane. Thunderlane reddened and shook his head. "No! She just... doesn't like me that much..." he replied. "Whatever dude, I'd love to get on her good side..." "Who's good side?" the cyan mare asked, throwing the door open. Static jumped a few inches backwards and looked in the direction of the voice. Surely enough, the rainbow-maned pegasus was waiting there with a smug grin on her face. The pegasi inside of the room shared a chuckle as Static's face turned a deep red. "Oh I was just... talking about... you know..." He said, stumbling over his words like a babbling idiot. The cyan pegasus raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "You're not going to get on MY good side by being late. You know what wing-ups are?" She asked, smugly. Static's heart sank as the question processed in his mind. He glanced worriedly to Thunderlane who shook his head and sighed. "Uhh... y-yes ma'am." Static replied, returning his view to the pegasus mare. * * * The next 6 hours were filled with mind-numbing safety procedures from the rainbow-maned pegasus, appropriately named "Rainbow Dash". Static stifled a chuckle at the knowledge of her name, which earned him a few hundred more wing-ups, on top of the extensive amount he had earned for being tardy. After over a hundred of the exercise they both dreaded so much, Static and Thunderlane stared attentively at Rainbow Dash as she wrapped up the class. Even she was bored at this point, from teaching a massive amount of common-sense practices. "... now, if you'll proceed to the department issued to you on your card, you can begin preparations for tomorrow's weather patrol." She said, her tone dull and uninterested. Static glanced down to the card the receptionist had given him, which was only marked tardy. "Uhh... miss?" He said nervously. Rainbow Dash directed her attention to the corner of the room, where Static was sinking, nervously. "Yeah?" She asked, her tone coming back to life quickly. Static was taken back for a moment as she acknowledged him, assuming his question would be met with a harsh command for more wing-ups. He quickly shook the thought from his mind and held up the card. "Mine just says tardy..." He said nervously. "Mine too." Thunderlane said, holding his card up as well. Rainbow Dash quickly grew a smirk. "That means you two get the best job..." She said slyly. Thunderlane gasped and his eyes went wide. "You don't mean...?" He said, terrified. Rainbow nodded. "Storm control." She said sternly. Static's eyes went wide next, followed by him toppling over and colliding harshly with the ground. * * * "C'mon, it might not be that bad." Thunderlane said, trying to cheer his moping friend. Static sighed and sank lower into the bar stool as the rhythmic sounds from the nearby jukebox danced around the room. Thunderlane frowned and put a comforting hoof on his shoulder, sliding a wooden mug across the counter. "Just chill out, we've got the rest of tonight and most of tomorrow. She said the storm wasn't until, like, 9." Thunderlane said. Static shook his head and lifted the mug to his lips, taking a long drink of the warm cider waiting inside. He gave a harsh gulp and sighed, slamming the wooden mug back onto the bar. "It's probably my worst fear, and now it's my job. Sure I'll just calm down." Static replied sarcastically, waving a hoof in the air. Thunderlane sighed and took a drink of his own mug, setting it down much lighter than Static had. "Just trying to help..." The pegasus said with a slight frown. Static shook his head again and chuckled. "It's fine... I appreciate it." The blue pegasus said, shoving his friend slightly, causing him to stumble and fall from the chair. Thunderlane hit the ground harshly, creating a sharp thud that was heard even over the blaring music. Static paused for a moment before bursting into laughter, nearly falling out of his own bar stool. Thunderlane's eyebrows immediately fell, but after a few seconds he began to chuckle as well. Both of their laughing was cut short however, when a familiar cyan pegasus hovered by, carrying a drink in her hooves. "Late today and binge-drinking... smooth." Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. Static paused and stumbled over his words yet again, but Thunderlane spoke up before he could say anything legible. "Just leave us alone," He said, returning to his seat. "We got enough lecturing today as it is..." Rainbow growled angrily. "Hey, I hate giving that class anyway, but you foals need it so you don't screw up out there!" She said. Thunderlane waved a dismissive hoof and turned back to the front counter. "Sure you do..." Rainbow Dash shook her head and continued her flight over to a table of other ponies. As soon as she'd left, Static shot Thunderlane an annoyed glare. "You just had to tell her off, didn't you? You can't let me have a good standing with anypony!" He said in a harsh, hushed tone. Thunderlane chuckled, taking another drink of his cider. "Trust me, you don't need a good standing with her." He replied, wiping the foam from his mouth. "Why the hell not?!" Static spat back at him. "She's... pushy, and over-competetive!" "Yeah, but she's our boss." Thunderlane shook his head and waved another dismissive hoof. "Whatever. You want to go hang out with her then, go ahead." He said, bringing the mug to his lips yet again. Static chuckled and shook his head. Taking another swig, he glanced across the well-maintained and heavily decorated bar to the table Rainbow Dash had flown too. Around it, sat five other mares, two unicorns, a pegasus, and two earth ponies. He'd seen a few of them around before, but one specifically caught his eye, one he hadn't yet seen. Static instantly spat his mouthful of cider into Thunderlane's face and choked for a moment. "Gah, what the hell dude?!" The dark-grey pegasus shouted angrily, trying to wipe the cider from his coat. Static wiped his mouth and pulled Thunder closer, pointing his hoof to the table Rainbow Dash had flown to. "Who the bloody hell is that?!" He asked, his tone hushed to avoid any suspicion. Thunderlane raised an eyebrow and glanced towards Static's point. "The yellow one?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Static nodded his head furiously. "That's... Fluttershy if I remember right. Gah... this is all over my freakin' coat..." The blue pegasus ignored his friend and simply gazed at the yellow pegsus, her light pink mane draping over her face and down along her back, slightly covering her dark-teal colored eyes. Thunderlane immediately noticed his stare and grew a wicked smile. "Why, you got the hots for her or something?" Thunderlane asked, raising an eyebrow. Static instantly broke his stare on her and blushed deeply, turning back to the bar. "You've got the hots for Fluttershy..." Thunderlane said with a chuckle. Static shook his head and slammed a few bits on the counter, then trotted quickly out of the bar. Thunderlane blinked. "A simple 'no' would've been fine..." He said with a chuckle, following his friend out. The StormChapter 2: The Storm Static hated the thought of flying right into the center of a storm. Everything that could possibly go wrong swirled around his mind like a hive of angry wasps, stinging his mind and leaving it shot from overactive nerves. Shaking his head, he slammed the door of his personal locker shut, causing an echo that rang through out the empty locker-room for a moment. Thunderlane flinched at the sound and glanced towards Static, who was on the bench behind him. "How you holdin' up?" The dark-grey pegasus asked in a concerned tone. Static shrugged and cracked his neck to both sides. "Not very well... but there's no avoiding it. If I lose this, I'll hear about it for years." He said, stifling a nervous chuckle. Thunderlane nodded. "Yeah, face your fears and all that, right?" He said, forcing a smile. Static replied with his own fake smile and nodded. "Yep... face my fears..." He said, a shiver coming down his spine. The two exited the empty locker room and took in the view of the Weather Station. The structure was mostly made up of bright colors and old Equestrian architecture, but the colors were dampened by the growing darkness, and only shades of the former colors stayed. This only worried Static further. The fact that they were doing a potentially deadly task in the dead of night with no supervision made him want to just quit and go home. But it was true, so many things were riding on this job. With a shake of his head he continued away from the locker room and out of the large entrance, taking in a deep breath of fresh air and the calming view of Luna's moonlight. Rainbow Dash had said Thunderlane counted as good-enough supervision, but Static knew better. Thunderlane was just as worried as he was, despite the fact that a thunder storm was not his worst fear. Something about the night seemed off to both of them, like things were destined to go wrong. Static forced down a nervous gulp and looked to Thunderlane. "This is... pretty stupid, huh?" He said, trying to make light of the situation. Thunderlane nodded and let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, l-lettin' the degenerates do the dangerous work?" He said. Static frowned upon hearing his statement. They were degenerates. All of the other pegasi had made it on time, why couldn't they? Rainbow probably hates us both. Just trying to kill us... Static thought, now shaking from his nervousness. "Well..." Thunderlane said with a sigh. "Are you ready?" Static simply nodded and spread his wings, which were chilled and shaking as well. With one swift movement of each of their wings, the pegasi took off. The night air chilled Static even more than he already was, adding to his massive amount of nervousness. After a few moments of flight, he looked to Thunderlane. "You've got the coordinates, right?" He asked shakily over the gentle breeze. Thunderlane nodded and held up his foreleg, where a small collection of characters had been etched with a quill. Static couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of the numbers and responded with a nod of his own. Suddenly, the faint roar of thunder echoed off of the night sky, causing Static to stumble sideways in-flight and whimper nervously. "Or we could follow that..." Thunderlane said, his tone shaky as well. Static cleared his throat and tried to return to a somewhat calm demeanor before nodding and hovering into the direction of the sound. * * * There it was. After just a few short minutes, the two pegasi arrived in front of a large spot of black clouds. The clouds hung menacingly just outside of their hometown, Ponyville. Each one was flickering with light, as the bolts of lightning danced underneath each one, constantly flashing across the blackened sky, creating showers of sparks and assorted colors against the night. The two weather ponies only had one objective: get the clouds back to the Weather Station. When a cloud became too dangerous, it had to be taken back and carefully taken apart by a professional. One false move could cause the whole cloud to erupt in an explosion of electrical energy. Static had even heard of deaths on the Weather Service for that reason, which only added to his fear. The dark-blue pegasus glanced to his friend, who replied with a nod, and made his way to the roaring patch of clouds. The quantity of the clouds wasn't too much of an issue, it was more the clouds themselves. They had conveniently joined together into two large clouds. But the larger the cloud got, the more electricity it carried. "Wow... Dash wasn't kidding..." Thunderlane said, approaching the group of clouds closest to him. "Yeah..." Static replied nervously under his breath. Positioning himself behind the cloud, Thunderlane gave it a gentle push with his forelegs, causing it to float away from him slightly. The pegasus stopped and glanced at his hooves. "I think it's safe." Thunderlane said, his tone less shaky than before. Static was able to calm himself slightly upon hearing this as he positioned himself behind his own cloud. His composure was completely lost as a large bolt erupted from the cloud and struck the air just below him. He instantly jumped back, his eyes wide and his breathing heavy and irregular. "Woah! Dude, you alright?!" Thunderlane asked, his expression terrified. Static paused and glanced down to his coat and forelegs. He wasn't twitching or shaking uncontrollably. The bolt must have missed. With a deep breath he gave a simple nod and hovered towards the cloud once again, giving it a gentle push. Just as Thunderlane's cloud had done, it hovered away from him slightly. He turned to his friend and gave a slight smile, his nerves almost leaving his body completely. "It's actually not that bad." Static said in a cheery tone. Thunderlane smiled and began slowly inching his cloud across the night sky, in the direction of the Weather Station. It was then Thunderlane made a realization. His ears quickly perked up and his snout twitched as he took in the scent of the air. Static noticed his concerned expression and turned to face him. "What's up?" He asked, his nervousness returning. Thunderlane put his hoof up to silence Static as he continued to examine the air. A cool breeze swept across the dark-gray pony's coat, slowly turning from a breeze into a small gust of wind, signalling that it was picking up. "Wind..." Thunderlane muttered under his breath. Static raised an eyebrow. "Wind?" He asked. "Wind." Thunderlane replied, his voice slightly louder. Static turned his head and took a breath of the night air as a breeze swept over his coat as well. "Nothing wrong with a little wind..." Static said. Thunderlane shook his head. "No, dude. Wind is bad. If it picks up, these clouds are going to fly all over the place!" He said, his tone growing more worrisome. Static's heart fell in his chest as his eyes went wide. "All over the place?! Are you serious?!" He said, terrified. Thunderlane shook his head. "It'll be fine, just... just keep them moving, the station isn't far." The wind slowly began picking up, turning into full fledged gusts, that moved some of the nearby white clouds across the sky. A shiver ran down Static's spine. "Are you sure?! It's picking up fast!" He shouted over the growing gusts of wind. Thunderlane shook his head yet again, and pushed his roaring thundercloud against the force of the wind. "Keep moving!" He said sternly as the wind picked up even more. The two pegasi were now fighting to keep even themselves afloat against the strong gusts of wind. Despite the wind however, they continued trudging along, pushing the clouds across the sky as the air relentlessly attacked their faces. Static's composure was slowly falling as the cloud beneath his hooves continued raging, nearly striking his back legs every few seconds. He suddenly stopped and backed away from the cloud. "I don't think I can do this." The dark-blue pegasus said, staring nervously at his cloud as the strong wind battered his face. Thunderlane stopped as well and glanced to his friend. "What about 'facing your fears' and all that?!" He asked angrily. "That was bull shit! I was just trying to make myself feel better!" Thunderlane growled and narrowed his eyebrows. "We're, like, a couple minutes from the facility! Just suck it up and push the friggin' cloud!" He shouted over the wind. Static shook his head angrily, his thundercloud inching closer as the wind picked up even more. "I just told you yesterday how afraid I am of storms, and now you're going to tell me to suck it up?!" Thunderlane quickly noticed the cloud moving closer to the dark-blue pegasus. "S-Static..." He said, a chill slowly running down his spine. "No, dude! It's messed up! You see, this is what happens when you open up to anypony. They don't even give a shit!" "Static!" "No, Thunderlane, Piss-off!" The night sky went silent as Static turned back to face his cloud, but with one final gust of wind, the cloud rushed towards him and swallowed him whole. The air instantly escaped Thunderlane's lungs as his friend was pulled into the roaring cloud. Static immediately screamed in pain as the first bolt of lightning struck his coat, sending a tingling and burning sensation up his spine and throughout his body. "Static!" Thunderlane shouted, his breath finally coming back to him. The dark-blue pegasus couldn't speak, only scream in searing pain as the numerous bolts of lightning that had been trapped in the cloud, unleashed their energy on him, tossing him around the dark cloud like a rag-doll. Thunderlane shoved his thundercloud away and briskly flew over to Static's cloud as he was continually struck by the bolts of lightning that inhabited it. The ghastly screams of pain from his friend sent chills down his spine and brought tears to his eyes. "HELP ME!" Static managed to say as the bolts struck him, over and over again. "I-I don't know how!" Thunderlane replied, his mind going into full panic mode. The dark-grey pegasus shoved the cloud harshly, trying to free his friend from the electric prison that was torturing him, but to no avail. The cloud simply moved farther away as Static continued rolling around, his body now glowing from the electrical energy stabbing at his coat. The shove, however, had a negative effect, as the cloud started to glow a bright red. "Oh shit... I'm sorry, man!" Thunderlane shouted, backing away from the cloud. "S-SORRY?!" Static replied frantically. Within a matter of seconds, the cloud exploded, sending a massive, booming, roar of thunder across the night sky along with a shower of bright sparks. Static's unconscious and charred body flew from the bottom of the cloud at an intense speed, surrounded entirely by dimly glowing sparks. Within seconds, he flew from Thunderlane's view, and back down to the surface. The dark-grey pegasus searched around frantically. "Static?! Oh shit man, no!" He shouted, sheer terror taking over his voice. Static's sparking body continued flying with a massive amount of speed. After what seemed like hours, he finally dropped onto the roof of a bright-red barn, crashing through the roof and sending debris in all directions. After crashing through a numerous amount of wooden rafters, he collided harshly with the ground below, putting a dent in the ground and sending dirt flying in all directions. The sparks still continued to dance around Static's coat as he let out a weak groan, his eyes held shut tightly. The dark-blue pegasus twitched for a few moments before resting his head on the cold dirt floor of the barn, slowly sliding out of consciousness. They Can't Be Red...Chapter 3: They Can't Be Red... "I can't thank yah' enough for helpin' him Fluttershy." Applejack said, hovering over her pegasus friend as she examined the fallen blue pegasus in the barn. Fluttershy shook her head and flashed a shy smile to her orange friend. "I-It's really nothing... how long has he been here?" The shy pegasus asked. Applejack placed a hoof under her chin. "About 2 days, ah'd say." She replied. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow as she continued to look over the damaged pegasus that lay before her. She quickly glanced back to Applejack, her expression concerned. "You... didn't get help?" She asked as quietly as she could. "Well, ah got you. He seems... different." Applejack replied. "D-Different?" "Touch him, you'll see." Fluttershy raised her eyebrow yet again, but Applejack simply nodded to reassure her. Hesitantly, the yellow pegasus raised her shaking hoof, inching closer to Static's coat. After a few lengthy seconds, she made contact and instantly felt a gentle hum of vibration. Her expression went completely blank as she blinked in disbelief. Applejack circled around the unconscious pegasus and stifled a chuckle at her friend's reaction. "I don't know what's goin' on with him, but it aint' normal." Applejack said, kneeling down beside him as well. The pain was numbing and constant. It continued raging through Static's veins, even as he lay unconscious. It was like the massive amount of lightning bolts were still there, keeping their electric grasp on him. Along with the horrific feeling of being electrocuted over and over again, a pounding headache continued pummeling his brain with every heartbeat. All he could remember was pain, the burning sensation of the bolts, the numbing feeling of constant electric energy, and his sore body from the harsh landing. "Is he gettin' up?" Applejack asked as Static began to stir slightly. Fluttershy continued staring intently at the dark-blue pegasus, not hearing her friend's question. Static began grimacing and stirring even more. After a few seconds, his eyes finally shot open, revealing two glowing red irises. Fluttershy immediately jumped backwards and elicited a small eep before hiding behind her mane. Applejack simply took a step back and watched as the pegasus slowly lifted his torso off of the indented dirt floor of the barn. Almost instantly, Static screamed in pain and set his head back on the ground. It wasn't a usual scream though, his voice was altered in some way. It had a ghostly tone under it, that sent chills down Applejack's spine and caused Fluttershy to sink farther. Static grimaced again and placed a hoof to his head. "W-Was that my voice?!" He asked, his voice no longer holding it's ghostliness. Applejack was still stunned by the sound of his scream, and even more so as he opened his eyes again, revealing that they had turned to a dull grey. "Th.... Thunderlane?" Static asked nervously, trying to regain his vision. Fluttershy stopped shrinking for a moment and glanced towards Applejack. "T-Thunderlane...?" She asked. Applejack simply shrugged. Static looked around frantically, taking in the sight of the barn, and the hole that he had put in the roof. Nervously, he backed into the pile of hay behind him as much as he could, looking worriedly between the two ponies on opposite sides of him. "W-Who... are...." He tried to say. He quickly grimaced again and placed a hoof to his head once more as the headache continued crushing his skull. Applejack hesitated slightly, but took a step towards him. "Well.... I'm Applejack, and this is Fluttershy." The orange earthpony said, trying to keep a calm demeanor. Fluttershy... the name bounced around Static's mind for a moment, along with waves of pain. He knew he'd heard the name recently, but couldn't put his hoof on it. "W-where am I?... And where's Thunderlane?" He asked, trying to regulate his breathing. "Uhh... well, there's nopony here named Thunderlane, sugar cube." She said nervously. "And you're at Sweet Apple Acres right now." "Sweet Apple... outside of Ponyville?" Applejack nodded. Static glanced around once more and let his head rest on the hay with slightly relieved, slightly pained sigh. "Can you... walk?" Applejack asked, her tone concerned. Static looked down to his hooves, which were singed and sore, but not broken. He shook his head, still trying to rid it of the awful headache and hesitantly made his way to his hooves. "I... maybe." He said weakly. With a thrust of all the energy he had, he pushed himself onto his hooves and stumbled for a moment before gaining balance. Despite the sheer pain coursing through his veins and bones, he could stand, which was a good sign. The dark-blue pegasus glanced up to the roof of the barn again and sighed at the appearance of the massive hole as the sunlight shone through it, bathing the floor of the barn in a bright glow. "I... uh.... I'm really sorry about that..." He said, keeping his voice as quiet as he could. "Shush, it's no big deal. Just glad to see nopony got hurt... too much anyway." She said, happy to see that, for the most part, Static was alright. "Yeah... uhh... thanks for that." He said, still keeping a nervous demeanor. "Don't mention it..." Applejack said nervously, looking to the gaping hole in her barn. Maybe it was going to be a problem... "Might I, ask your name?" Applejack asked. "S-Static Wings...." The pegasus replied, keeping his view on the floor. "Well... Static. How do you feel?" "Pretty... good..." After a few seconds of awkward silence, Applejack nervously ran a hoof through the back of her mane and pointed a hoof to Fluttershy, who was still sinking in the corner. "Uhh, have you met Fluttershy?" The earthpony asked with a nervous smile. Fluttershy shrank again at hearing her name and trembled slightly. Static still couldn't quite remember where he had heard the name, but turning around he could instantly remember the face. Upon seeing the shy pegasus, he stumbled backwards, his eyes flashing to a glowing red again. "Uhm... h-hello." He said. Applejack raised an eyebrow at his reaction, and to the the fact that he was now shrinking as well. "I think you two are gonna get along just fine..." Applejack said, glancing between the two nervous pegasi. It was then Applejack noticed that Static's eyes had changed for the third time. She decided it was time to speak up. "S-Static?" The orange earthpony asked. The pegasus shakily glanced to her and remained quiet. "Your... eyes." Applejack continued awkwardly. Static paused and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah... what about them?" He asked. "Have they always... y'know, changed?" "Changed?" "Changed." "Changed." Static thought for a moment and shook his head. "No, they've always been blue." He replied. Applejack shot him a nervous smile. "W-what?" He asked, growing slightly more worried. "They're... red." The earthpony said. Static paused for a moment. "Red?" "Red." "Red." "D-do you have... like... A mirror?" * * * "Red?! How... how can they be red?!" Static asked, his voice accented by ghostliness yet again. The pegasus stumbled backwards and away from Applejack, who was holding a small mirror to his face. Almost instantly, his coat was engulfed in a shower of glowing blue sparks, glowing brighter as his fear rose. This instantly caused both Fluttershy and Applejack to stumble backwards as well. "What in tarnation?!" Applejack asked, dumbfounded by the sparking pegasus in front of her. Fluttershy simply fainted. Glancing down to his coat, he realized that it was in fact, sparking. He instantly stumbled back further and shook his head. "No no no no! What the hell is going on?!" He asked as glow grew brighter. "Ah.... ah have no clue!" Applejack replied frantically. "Just... try and calm down." Static continued trembling slightly for a moment before trying to calm himself. I'm alive... I'm alive, and I'm breathing... He thought. Slowly, the glow of the sparks started to fade until nothing was left, and his coat simply continued with the soft hum of vibration. Static glanced up to Applejack who was completely awestruck. "Have you... ever seen this before?" Static asked worriedly. Applejack simply shook her head. "Ah can honestly say I haven't..." Applejack replied. After a short, awkward silence, Static made a quick realization. "I-I... need to go do something. I'll come back later and help fix the barn, I promise." He replied, briskly trotting to the front door of her home. "Well it's really nothin'. I'm just glad-" "I-I insist." Static replied. Applejack hesitated for a moment, but nodded a few seconds after. Static replied with his own nod and continued out of the front door as the orange earthpony glanced down towards her fainted friend. With a chuckle and a shake of her head, she heaved Fluttershy onto her back and across the living room. "What am ah gonna do with you?" She said jokingly. "He's nothin' to faint over... just a... sparking... eye changin'... pegasus... that fell from the... sky."
Static WingsChapter 1: Static Wings "Alright... just get up... and get through the day." Static said, groggily opening his eyes, revealing two dark blue irises, identically matching his coat. He slowly lifted his torso up, fighting the pulling tides of the warm and inviting bed. On any other dull morning, he would've just slept in, but this morning was different. His first day on weather patrol, after the constant nagging from his parents to do something productive. His roommate had been urging him for a while to join, but it wasn't until now Static had sought the initiative. The dark-blue pegasus let out an unnecessarily long yawn and stretched his forelegs, practically broadcasting his lack of sleep to all of Equestria. Ending his yawn just as dramatic as it had begun, Static unfurled his wings and gave them a quick stretch as well, knowing they would come into great use later. With one more burst of energy, he hauled himself off of the comfortable surface and brought four hooves down onto the hard wooden floor, creating a slight echo throughout the room. Static quickly shook his head, trying to flush the tired from his eyes. His mind wandered to the importance of this day. It was his day. A day to show the folks that he wasn't just a paranoid shut in, a day to show Equestria what he was made of, a day to glance towards the clock and realize... He was late. The pegasus let out a sharp sigh and ran a hoof through his mane as he walked towards his bedroom door. He briskly threw it open, broadcasting not his grogginess, but his rage. "Thunderlane!" He called down the hall. After some shuffling from down the hall, in the kitchen, a dark-grey pegasus with a white and light-teal, Mohawk styled mane peeked his head around the corner, trying to hide his extremely apparent nervousness. "How can I help you?" Thunderlane replied. "I thought we were supposed to wake up at, I dunno, 8 or so?" Static asked, his tone showing more anger by the second. "Yeah." "It's noon." "Yeah." Static sighed deeply and facehoofed. "When do we have to be there?" He asked. "Two hours ago." Thunderlane replied shrinking slightly. Static hung his head and let out another hefty sigh, continuing down the narrow hallway, past the kitchen and into the living room. The house was adequate, Static had recently been kicked from his parent's home and moved in with Thunder to help pay for rent, and to cover himself for getting kicked out. Neither one minded the company though, they'd been best friends since grade school. After trudging along the hardwood floor for a few moments, Static finally reached the couch and heaved himself up onto the soft, red surface. "Why am I constantly instilling my trust in you?" Static said, closing his eyes and rubbing a hoof against his temple. "Sorry, man... just lost track of time." Thunderlane said, shamefully trotting into the room and placing himself on the couch opposite of Static. Static waved a hoof sympathetically and opened his eyes. "It's fine, whatever. Just, how screwed are we?" Static asked. Thunderlane hesitated for a moment. "Pretty screwed..." The dark-grey pegasus replied quietly. Static hung his head once more and heaved his tired body up from the couch and proceeded towards the door. "Let's just go... I want to get fired and get it over with." he said, opening the front door. Static was instantly assaulted by a massive ray of sunlight, causing him to recoil slightly and cover his eyes with a hoof. "Glad we're on the bloody weather patrol... all of this sun is killing me..." He said, his tone returning to annoyed. Thunderlane chuckled and pulled himself up from his seat. "It's gonna' take a lot of clouds to block out the sun there, Wings." He said, making his way out the door. Static muttered something under his breath and shut the door behind him. Turning around, he was greeted by the warm sight of his home town, Ponyville. Ever since he could remember, he had walked the streets and carefully avoided the town's residents. Nothing was wrong with them, they were often friendly. But Static had always followed an anti-social demeanor. Whenever greeted, he would usually shrink and force an awkward smile or just run the other direction. With a sigh, the pegasus caught up with his friend and lazily trotted down the street. "What's wrong, didn't sleep well?" Thunderlane asked, noticing Static's sluggish attitude. Static simply shrugged. "Just... getting those dreams again." Static replied wearily. Thunderlane paused for a moment. "You mean the ones about the storm?" He asked, his tone slightly concerned. Static replied with a nod. Thunderlane glanced around nervously, searching for his next words as the two continued down the road. "M-Maybe it'll help you in finding out what that means." Thunderlane said awkwardly, pointing to Static's cutie mark. Static shook his head. "Don't know what it means now, don't know what it'll mean ever." The dark-blue pegasus said, glancing to the two black lightning bolts crossed on his flank. "How'd you get it anyway?" Thunderlane asked. Static rolled his eyes and continued walking down the road, both of them nearing the outside of town. "Dude, come on. We've been friends for, like, 10 years, and you've always avoided that question." The dark-grey pegasus said, his own annoyance becoming apparent. Static stopped dead in his tracks and huffed angrily. "It was a storm, Thunderlane." He said sternly. Thunderlane stopped walking, his eyes going wide. "Like the nightmare?" He asked worriedly. Static gave an over-exaggerated nod, causing Thunderlane to sink slightly. "I was six, and a bloody thunderstorm happened right outside of my house. Next day I woke up, cutie mark. Are you happy now?!" The dark-blue pegasus said angrily. After no repsonse, Static shook his head and continued walking. Thunderlane quickly returned to his senses and briskly trotted in Static's direction, catching up in a matter of seconds. "Listen, man, I'm sorry." He said, apologetically. "Whatever, it's fine." Static said, keeping his eyes to the road. "No really, I shouldn't have pu-" "HEY. It's fine, alright?! Just drop it. We're out." Thunderlane, raised an eyebrow and glanced around, realizing that they were, in fact, well away from the town. "Oh, right, you ready?" The dark-grey pegasus said, spreading his wings. Static sighed and reluctantly spread his own. "Ready..." ... to get chewed out by my new boss. He thought. Static remained silent during the flight, scolding himself that he had given in, and finally told somepony his story. Even thought it was a vague description, it still brought back the memories of that night. The roar of the thunder, the unexpected flashes of lightning, and the nightmares that followed. He shivered at the thought of it. Helpless and frightened, cowering under his mother's forelegs. Normally, a foal wouldn't be afraid of a small thunderstorm, but Static had a whole new level of fear when it came to the subject. It was mostly the feelings he got in his body. He would always feel restless, his bones themselves would be tingling, chilling him extensively and scaring him beyond any known point. Thankfully, his train of thought was quickly broken as a structure came into view, built soundly atop a large, floating cloud. He sighed in relief and increased his speed, hoping he wasn't too late despite the time he had already missed. "This is the place, right?!" Static shouted over the roar of wind smacking his face. Glancing to Thunderlane, he could make out a subtle nod. As the two neared the structure, a landing patch of cloud came into view just outside. Reaching it, Static landed harshly, creating a sharp thud against the soft surface. Thunderlane landed softly however, still sulking slightly at pushing his friend. "Where to now?" Static asked, staring at the large facility in front of him. "Registration..." Thunderlane replied. Static nodded and made his way into the structure. Sure enough, right when the two entered, they found a desk labeled "registration". Static approached and waved at the receptionist, a blue pegasus mare with a pink mane. "Names?" She asked harshly before Static could attempt to speak. "Static Wings and Thunderlane." The dark-blue pegasus replied. "And reason we're late today?" Static looked to Thunderlane and shrugged. "Uhh... f-feather flu." The dark-grey pegasus said shakily. The receptionist sighed. "That's not going to work again." She said, stamping two cards and handing them to each pony. "Down the hall, third door on your left, safety demonstration." Thunderlane frowned. "Safety demonstration?!" He asked, his tone slightly panicked. The receptionist snickered. "That's what you get for being demoted." She said in a snarky, mater-of-factually tone. Thunderlane groaned and rolled his eyes, continuing down the hallway and motioning for Static to follow. "Thank you, ma'am." Static said, keeping his head down and continuing down the hall. Thunderlane groaned again as the two reached the third door on the left. "Dammit... she's teaching the safety course." Thunderlane said, his tone annoyed yet again. "Who?" Static asked, shoving him out of the way and glancing into the window. At the front of the room was a slender, cyan pegasus mare with a flowing rainbow mane and tail. Her violet eyes carrying a look of determination, and slight annoyance. "Wow... you're upset that we have a hot teacher?" Static asked glancing to Thunderlane. Thunderlane reddened and shook his head. "No! She just... doesn't like me that much..." he replied. "Whatever dude, I'd love to get on her good side..." "Who's good side?" the cyan mare asked, throwing the door open. Static jumped a few inches backwards and looked in the direction of the voice. Surely enough, the rainbow-maned pegasus was waiting there with a smug grin on her face. The pegasi inside of the room shared a chuckle as Static's face turned a deep red. "Oh I was just... talking about... you know..." He said, stumbling over his words like a babbling idiot. The cyan pegasus raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "You're not going to get on MY good side by being late. You know what wing-ups are?" She asked, smugly. Static's heart sank as the question processed in his mind. He glanced worriedly to Thunderlane who shook his head and sighed. "Uhh... y-yes ma'am." Static replied, returning his view to the pegasus mare. * * * The next 6 hours were filled with mind-numbing safety procedures from the rainbow-maned pegasus, appropriately named "Rainbow Dash". Static stifled a chuckle at the knowledge of her name, which earned him a few hundred more wing-ups, on top of the extensive amount he had earned for being tardy. After over a hundred of the exercise they both dreaded so much, Static and Thunderlane stared attentively at Rainbow Dash as she wrapped up the class. Even she was bored at this point, from teaching a massive amount of common-sense practices. "... now, if you'll proceed to the department issued to you on your card, you can begin preparations for tomorrow's weather patrol." She said, her tone dull and uninterested. Static glanced down to the card the receptionist had given him, which was only marked tardy. "Uhh... miss?" He said nervously. Rainbow Dash directed her attention to the corner of the room, where Static was sinking, nervously. "Yeah?" She asked, her tone coming back to life quickly. Static was taken back for a moment as she acknowledged him, assuming his question would be met with a harsh command for more wing-ups. He quickly shook the thought from his mind and held up the card. "Mine just says tardy..." He said nervously. "Mine too." Thunderlane said, holding his card up as well. Rainbow Dash quickly grew a smirk. "That means you two get the best job..." She said slyly. Thunderlane gasped and his eyes went wide. "You don't mean...?" He said, terrified. Rainbow nodded. "Storm control." She said sternly. Static's eyes went wide next, followed by him toppling over and colliding harshly with the ground. * * * "C'mon, it might not be that bad." Thunderlane said, trying to cheer his moping friend. Static sighed and sank lower into the bar stool as the rhythmic sounds from the nearby jukebox danced around the room. Thunderlane frowned and put a comforting hoof on his shoulder, sliding a wooden mug across the counter. "Just chill out, we've got the rest of tonight and most of tomorrow. She said the storm wasn't until, like, 9." Thunderlane said. Static shook his head and lifted the mug to his lips, taking a long drink of the warm cider waiting inside. He gave a harsh gulp and sighed, slamming the wooden mug back onto the bar. "It's probably my worst fear, and now it's my job. Sure I'll just calm down." Static replied sarcastically, waving a hoof in the air. Thunderlane sighed and took a drink of his own mug, setting it down much lighter than Static had. "Just trying to help..." The pegasus said with a slight frown. Static shook his head again and chuckled. "It's fine... I appreciate it." The blue pegasus said, shoving his friend slightly, causing him to stumble and fall from the chair. Thunderlane hit the ground harshly, creating a sharp thud that was heard even over the blaring music. Static paused for a moment before bursting into laughter, nearly falling out of his own bar stool. Thunderlane's eyebrows immediately fell, but after a few seconds he began to chuckle as well. Both of their laughing was cut short however, when a familiar cyan pegasus hovered by, carrying a drink in her hooves. "Late today and binge-drinking... smooth." Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. Static paused and stumbled over his words yet again, but Thunderlane spoke up before he could say anything legible. "Just leave us alone," He said, returning to his seat. "We got enough lecturing today as it is..." Rainbow growled angrily. "Hey, I hate giving that class anyway, but you foals need it so you don't screw up out there!" She said. Thunderlane waved a dismissive hoof and turned back to the front counter. "Sure you do..." Rainbow Dash shook her head and continued her flight over to a table of other ponies. As soon as she'd left, Static shot Thunderlane an annoyed glare. "You just had to tell her off, didn't you? You can't let me have a good standing with anypony!" He said in a harsh, hushed tone. Thunderlane chuckled, taking another drink of his cider. "Trust me, you don't need a good standing with her." He replied, wiping the foam from his mouth. "Why the hell not?!" Static spat back at him. "She's... pushy, and over-competetive!" "Yeah, but she's our boss." Thunderlane shook his head and waved another dismissive hoof. "Whatever. You want to go hang out with her then, go ahead." He said, bringing the mug to his lips yet again. Static chuckled and shook his head. Taking another swig, he glanced across the well-maintained and heavily decorated bar to the table Rainbow Dash had flown too. Around it, sat five other mares, two unicorns, a pegasus, and two earth ponies. He'd seen a few of them around before, but one specifically caught his eye, one he hadn't yet seen. Static instantly spat his mouthful of cider into Thunderlane's face and choked for a moment. "Gah, what the hell dude?!" The dark-grey pegasus shouted angrily, trying to wipe the cider from his coat. Static wiped his mouth and pulled Thunder closer, pointing his hoof to the table Rainbow Dash had flown to. "Who the bloody hell is that?!" He asked, his tone hushed to avoid any suspicion. Thunderlane raised an eyebrow and glanced towards Static's point. "The yellow one?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Static nodded his head furiously. "That's... Fluttershy if I remember right. Gah... this is all over my freakin' coat..." The blue pegasus ignored his friend and simply gazed at the yellow pegsus, her light pink mane draping over her face and down along her back, slightly covering her dark-teal colored eyes. Thunderlane immediately noticed his stare and grew a wicked smile. "Why, you got the hots for her or something?" Thunderlane asked, raising an eyebrow. Static instantly broke his stare on her and blushed deeply, turning back to the bar. "You've got the hots for Fluttershy..." Thunderlane said with a chuckle. Static shook his head and slammed a few bits on the counter, then trotted quickly out of the bar. Thunderlane blinked. "A simple 'no' would've been fine..." He said with a chuckle, following his friend out.
The StormChapter 2: The Storm Static hated the thought of flying right into the center of a storm. Everything that could possibly go wrong swirled around his mind like a hive of angry wasps, stinging his mind and leaving it shot from overactive nerves. Shaking his head, he slammed the door of his personal locker shut, causing an echo that rang through out the empty locker-room for a moment. Thunderlane flinched at the sound and glanced towards Static, who was on the bench behind him. "How you holdin' up?" The dark-grey pegasus asked in a concerned tone. Static shrugged and cracked his neck to both sides. "Not very well... but there's no avoiding it. If I lose this, I'll hear about it for years." He said, stifling a nervous chuckle. Thunderlane nodded. "Yeah, face your fears and all that, right?" He said, forcing a smile. Static replied with his own fake smile and nodded. "Yep... face my fears..." He said, a shiver coming down his spine. The two exited the empty locker room and took in the view of the Weather Station. The structure was mostly made up of bright colors and old Equestrian architecture, but the colors were dampened by the growing darkness, and only shades of the former colors stayed. This only worried Static further. The fact that they were doing a potentially deadly task in the dead of night with no supervision made him want to just quit and go home. But it was true, so many things were riding on this job. With a shake of his head he continued away from the locker room and out of the large entrance, taking in a deep breath of fresh air and the calming view of Luna's moonlight. Rainbow Dash had said Thunderlane counted as good-enough supervision, but Static knew better. Thunderlane was just as worried as he was, despite the fact that a thunder storm was not his worst fear. Something about the night seemed off to both of them, like things were destined to go wrong. Static forced down a nervous gulp and looked to Thunderlane. "This is... pretty stupid, huh?" He said, trying to make light of the situation. Thunderlane nodded and let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, l-lettin' the degenerates do the dangerous work?" He said. Static frowned upon hearing his statement. They were degenerates. All of the other pegasi had made it on time, why couldn't they? Rainbow probably hates us both. Just trying to kill us... Static thought, now shaking from his nervousness. "Well..." Thunderlane said with a sigh. "Are you ready?" Static simply nodded and spread his wings, which were chilled and shaking as well. With one swift movement of each of their wings, the pegasi took off. The night air chilled Static even more than he already was, adding to his massive amount of nervousness. After a few moments of flight, he looked to Thunderlane. "You've got the coordinates, right?" He asked shakily over the gentle breeze. Thunderlane nodded and held up his foreleg, where a small collection of characters had been etched with a quill. Static couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of the numbers and responded with a nod of his own. Suddenly, the faint roar of thunder echoed off of the night sky, causing Static to stumble sideways in-flight and whimper nervously. "Or we could follow that..." Thunderlane said, his tone shaky as well. Static cleared his throat and tried to return to a somewhat calm demeanor before nodding and hovering into the direction of the sound. * * * There it was. After just a few short minutes, the two pegasi arrived in front of a large spot of black clouds. The clouds hung menacingly just outside of their hometown, Ponyville. Each one was flickering with light, as the bolts of lightning danced underneath each one, constantly flashing across the blackened sky, creating showers of sparks and assorted colors against the night. The two weather ponies only had one objective: get the clouds back to the Weather Station. When a cloud became too dangerous, it had to be taken back and carefully taken apart by a professional. One false move could cause the whole cloud to erupt in an explosion of electrical energy. Static had even heard of deaths on the Weather Service for that reason, which only added to his fear. The dark-blue pegasus glanced to his friend, who replied with a nod, and made his way to the roaring patch of clouds. The quantity of the clouds wasn't too much of an issue, it was more the clouds themselves. They had conveniently joined together into two large clouds. But the larger the cloud got, the more electricity it carried. "Wow... Dash wasn't kidding..." Thunderlane said, approaching the group of clouds closest to him. "Yeah..." Static replied nervously under his breath. Positioning himself behind the cloud, Thunderlane gave it a gentle push with his forelegs, causing it to float away from him slightly. The pegasus stopped and glanced at his hooves. "I think it's safe." Thunderlane said, his tone less shaky than before. Static was able to calm himself slightly upon hearing this as he positioned himself behind his own cloud. His composure was completely lost as a large bolt erupted from the cloud and struck the air just below him. He instantly jumped back, his eyes wide and his breathing heavy and irregular. "Woah! Dude, you alright?!" Thunderlane asked, his expression terrified. Static paused and glanced down to his coat and forelegs. He wasn't twitching or shaking uncontrollably. The bolt must have missed. With a deep breath he gave a simple nod and hovered towards the cloud once again, giving it a gentle push. Just as Thunderlane's cloud had done, it hovered away from him slightly. He turned to his friend and gave a slight smile, his nerves almost leaving his body completely. "It's actually not that bad." Static said in a cheery tone. Thunderlane smiled and began slowly inching his cloud across the night sky, in the direction of the Weather Station. It was then Thunderlane made a realization. His ears quickly perked up and his snout twitched as he took in the scent of the air. Static noticed his concerned expression and turned to face him. "What's up?" He asked, his nervousness returning. Thunderlane put his hoof up to silence Static as he continued to examine the air. A cool breeze swept across the dark-gray pony's coat, slowly turning from a breeze into a small gust of wind, signalling that it was picking up. "Wind..." Thunderlane muttered under his breath. Static raised an eyebrow. "Wind?" He asked. "Wind." Thunderlane replied, his voice slightly louder. Static turned his head and took a breath of the night air as a breeze swept over his coat as well. "Nothing wrong with a little wind..." Static said. Thunderlane shook his head. "No, dude. Wind is bad. If it picks up, these clouds are going to fly all over the place!" He said, his tone growing more worrisome. Static's heart fell in his chest as his eyes went wide. "All over the place?! Are you serious?!" He said, terrified. Thunderlane shook his head. "It'll be fine, just... just keep them moving, the station isn't far." The wind slowly began picking up, turning into full fledged gusts, that moved some of the nearby white clouds across the sky. A shiver ran down Static's spine. "Are you sure?! It's picking up fast!" He shouted over the growing gusts of wind. Thunderlane shook his head yet again, and pushed his roaring thundercloud against the force of the wind. "Keep moving!" He said sternly as the wind picked up even more. The two pegasi were now fighting to keep even themselves afloat against the strong gusts of wind. Despite the wind however, they continued trudging along, pushing the clouds across the sky as the air relentlessly attacked their faces. Static's composure was slowly falling as the cloud beneath his hooves continued raging, nearly striking his back legs every few seconds. He suddenly stopped and backed away from the cloud. "I don't think I can do this." The dark-blue pegasus said, staring nervously at his cloud as the strong wind battered his face. Thunderlane stopped as well and glanced to his friend. "What about 'facing your fears' and all that?!" He asked angrily. "That was bull shit! I was just trying to make myself feel better!" Thunderlane growled and narrowed his eyebrows. "We're, like, a couple minutes from the facility! Just suck it up and push the friggin' cloud!" He shouted over the wind. Static shook his head angrily, his thundercloud inching closer as the wind picked up even more. "I just told you yesterday how afraid I am of storms, and now you're going to tell me to suck it up?!" Thunderlane quickly noticed the cloud moving closer to the dark-blue pegasus. "S-Static..." He said, a chill slowly running down his spine. "No, dude! It's messed up! You see, this is what happens when you open up to anypony. They don't even give a shit!" "Static!" "No, Thunderlane, Piss-off!" The night sky went silent as Static turned back to face his cloud, but with one final gust of wind, the cloud rushed towards him and swallowed him whole. The air instantly escaped Thunderlane's lungs as his friend was pulled into the roaring cloud. Static immediately screamed in pain as the first bolt of lightning struck his coat, sending a tingling and burning sensation up his spine and throughout his body. "Static!" Thunderlane shouted, his breath finally coming back to him. The dark-blue pegasus couldn't speak, only scream in searing pain as the numerous bolts of lightning that had been trapped in the cloud, unleashed their energy on him, tossing him around the dark cloud like a rag-doll. Thunderlane shoved his thundercloud away and briskly flew over to Static's cloud as he was continually struck by the bolts of lightning that inhabited it. The ghastly screams of pain from his friend sent chills down his spine and brought tears to his eyes. "HELP ME!" Static managed to say as the bolts struck him, over and over again. "I-I don't know how!" Thunderlane replied, his mind going into full panic mode. The dark-grey pegasus shoved the cloud harshly, trying to free his friend from the electric prison that was torturing him, but to no avail. The cloud simply moved farther away as Static continued rolling around, his body now glowing from the electrical energy stabbing at his coat. The shove, however, had a negative effect, as the cloud started to glow a bright red. "Oh shit... I'm sorry, man!" Thunderlane shouted, backing away from the cloud. "S-SORRY?!" Static replied frantically. Within a matter of seconds, the cloud exploded, sending a massive, booming, roar of thunder across the night sky along with a shower of bright sparks. Static's unconscious and charred body flew from the bottom of the cloud at an intense speed, surrounded entirely by dimly glowing sparks. Within seconds, he flew from Thunderlane's view, and back down to the surface. The dark-grey pegasus searched around frantically. "Static?! Oh shit man, no!" He shouted, sheer terror taking over his voice. Static's sparking body continued flying with a massive amount of speed. After what seemed like hours, he finally dropped onto the roof of a bright-red barn, crashing through the roof and sending debris in all directions. After crashing through a numerous amount of wooden rafters, he collided harshly with the ground below, putting a dent in the ground and sending dirt flying in all directions. The sparks still continued to dance around Static's coat as he let out a weak groan, his eyes held shut tightly. The dark-blue pegasus twitched for a few moments before resting his head on the cold dirt floor of the barn, slowly sliding out of consciousness.
They Can't Be Red...Chapter 3: They Can't Be Red... "I can't thank yah' enough for helpin' him Fluttershy." Applejack said, hovering over her pegasus friend as she examined the fallen blue pegasus in the barn. Fluttershy shook her head and flashed a shy smile to her orange friend. "I-It's really nothing... how long has he been here?" The shy pegasus asked. Applejack placed a hoof under her chin. "About 2 days, ah'd say." She replied. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow as she continued to look over the damaged pegasus that lay before her. She quickly glanced back to Applejack, her expression concerned. "You... didn't get help?" She asked as quietly as she could. "Well, ah got you. He seems... different." Applejack replied. "D-Different?" "Touch him, you'll see." Fluttershy raised her eyebrow yet again, but Applejack simply nodded to reassure her. Hesitantly, the yellow pegasus raised her shaking hoof, inching closer to Static's coat. After a few lengthy seconds, she made contact and instantly felt a gentle hum of vibration. Her expression went completely blank as she blinked in disbelief. Applejack circled around the unconscious pegasus and stifled a chuckle at her friend's reaction. "I don't know what's goin' on with him, but it aint' normal." Applejack said, kneeling down beside him as well. The pain was numbing and constant. It continued raging through Static's veins, even as he lay unconscious. It was like the massive amount of lightning bolts were still there, keeping their electric grasp on him. Along with the horrific feeling of being electrocuted over and over again, a pounding headache continued pummeling his brain with every heartbeat. All he could remember was pain, the burning sensation of the bolts, the numbing feeling of constant electric energy, and his sore body from the harsh landing. "Is he gettin' up?" Applejack asked as Static began to stir slightly. Fluttershy continued staring intently at the dark-blue pegasus, not hearing her friend's question. Static began grimacing and stirring even more. After a few seconds, his eyes finally shot open, revealing two glowing red irises. Fluttershy immediately jumped backwards and elicited a small eep before hiding behind her mane. Applejack simply took a step back and watched as the pegasus slowly lifted his torso off of the indented dirt floor of the barn. Almost instantly, Static screamed in pain and set his head back on the ground. It wasn't a usual scream though, his voice was altered in some way. It had a ghostly tone under it, that sent chills down Applejack's spine and caused Fluttershy to sink farther. Static grimaced again and placed a hoof to his head. "W-Was that my voice?!" He asked, his voice no longer holding it's ghostliness. Applejack was still stunned by the sound of his scream, and even more so as he opened his eyes again, revealing that they had turned to a dull grey. "Th.... Thunderlane?" Static asked nervously, trying to regain his vision. Fluttershy stopped shrinking for a moment and glanced towards Applejack. "T-Thunderlane...?" She asked. Applejack simply shrugged. Static looked around frantically, taking in the sight of the barn, and the hole that he had put in the roof. Nervously, he backed into the pile of hay behind him as much as he could, looking worriedly between the two ponies on opposite sides of him. "W-Who... are...." He tried to say. He quickly grimaced again and placed a hoof to his head once more as the headache continued crushing his skull. Applejack hesitated slightly, but took a step towards him. "Well.... I'm Applejack, and this is Fluttershy." The orange earthpony said, trying to keep a calm demeanor. Fluttershy... the name bounced around Static's mind for a moment, along with waves of pain. He knew he'd heard the name recently, but couldn't put his hoof on it. "W-where am I?... And where's Thunderlane?" He asked, trying to regulate his breathing. "Uhh... well, there's nopony here named Thunderlane, sugar cube." She said nervously. "And you're at Sweet Apple Acres right now." "Sweet Apple... outside of Ponyville?" Applejack nodded. Static glanced around once more and let his head rest on the hay with slightly relieved, slightly pained sigh. "Can you... walk?" Applejack asked, her tone concerned. Static looked down to his hooves, which were singed and sore, but not broken. He shook his head, still trying to rid it of the awful headache and hesitantly made his way to his hooves. "I... maybe." He said weakly. With a thrust of all the energy he had, he pushed himself onto his hooves and stumbled for a moment before gaining balance. Despite the sheer pain coursing through his veins and bones, he could stand, which was a good sign. The dark-blue pegasus glanced up to the roof of the barn again and sighed at the appearance of the massive hole as the sunlight shone through it, bathing the floor of the barn in a bright glow. "I... uh.... I'm really sorry about that..." He said, keeping his voice as quiet as he could. "Shush, it's no big deal. Just glad to see nopony got hurt... too much anyway." She said, happy to see that, for the most part, Static was alright. "Yeah... uhh... thanks for that." He said, still keeping a nervous demeanor. "Don't mention it..." Applejack said nervously, looking to the gaping hole in her barn. Maybe it was going to be a problem... "Might I, ask your name?" Applejack asked. "S-Static Wings...." The pegasus replied, keeping his view on the floor. "Well... Static. How do you feel?" "Pretty... good..." After a few seconds of awkward silence, Applejack nervously ran a hoof through the back of her mane and pointed a hoof to Fluttershy, who was still sinking in the corner. "Uhh, have you met Fluttershy?" The earthpony asked with a nervous smile. Fluttershy shrank again at hearing her name and trembled slightly. Static still couldn't quite remember where he had heard the name, but turning around he could instantly remember the face. Upon seeing the shy pegasus, he stumbled backwards, his eyes flashing to a glowing red again. "Uhm... h-hello." He said. Applejack raised an eyebrow at his reaction, and to the the fact that he was now shrinking as well. "I think you two are gonna get along just fine..." Applejack said, glancing between the two nervous pegasi. It was then Applejack noticed that Static's eyes had changed for the third time. She decided it was time to speak up. "S-Static?" The orange earthpony asked. The pegasus shakily glanced to her and remained quiet. "Your... eyes." Applejack continued awkwardly. Static paused and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah... what about them?" He asked. "Have they always... y'know, changed?" "Changed?" "Changed." "Changed." Static thought for a moment and shook his head. "No, they've always been blue." He replied. Applejack shot him a nervous smile. "W-what?" He asked, growing slightly more worried. "They're... red." The earthpony said. Static paused for a moment. "Red?" "Red." "Red." "D-do you have... like... A mirror?" * * * "Red?! How... how can they be red?!" Static asked, his voice accented by ghostliness yet again. The pegasus stumbled backwards and away from Applejack, who was holding a small mirror to his face. Almost instantly, his coat was engulfed in a shower of glowing blue sparks, glowing brighter as his fear rose. This instantly caused both Fluttershy and Applejack to stumble backwards as well. "What in tarnation?!" Applejack asked, dumbfounded by the sparking pegasus in front of her. Fluttershy simply fainted. Glancing down to his coat, he realized that it was in fact, sparking. He instantly stumbled back further and shook his head. "No no no no! What the hell is going on?!" He asked as glow grew brighter. "Ah.... ah have no clue!" Applejack replied frantically. "Just... try and calm down." Static continued trembling slightly for a moment before trying to calm himself. I'm alive... I'm alive, and I'm breathing... He thought. Slowly, the glow of the sparks started to fade until nothing was left, and his coat simply continued with the soft hum of vibration. Static glanced up to Applejack who was completely awestruck. "Have you... ever seen this before?" Static asked worriedly. Applejack simply shook her head. "Ah can honestly say I haven't..." Applejack replied. After a short, awkward silence, Static made a quick realization. "I-I... need to go do something. I'll come back later and help fix the barn, I promise." He replied, briskly trotting to the front door of her home. "Well it's really nothin'. I'm just glad-" "I-I insist." Static replied. Applejack hesitated for a moment, but nodded a few seconds after. Static replied with his own nod and continued out of the front door as the orange earthpony glanced down towards her fainted friend. With a chuckle and a shake of her head, she heaved Fluttershy onto her back and across the living room. "What am ah gonna do with you?" She said jokingly. "He's nothin' to faint over... just a... sparking... eye changin'... pegasus... that fell from the... sky."
