Chapter 1: Storm of the Century - part 7

Spike pressed back against the library door with all his might, desperately trying to re-hinge the clasps into their ‘locked’ positions. It was an almost futile struggle, given his short stature, but finally was able to overcome the onslaught of both wind and rain. He leaned against the wooden frame, wiping the mixture of sweat and precipitation from his scales, exhaling a puff of smoke as he did so. The trek from the depot had been arduous at best; the downpour’s intensity had nearly doubled in his short journey, making navigation almost impossible. Spike had long ago memorized his way around Ponyville so finding the library was a piece of sapphire cake; though the knee high flood water made his short legs work twice as hard. However, the weather wasn’t the only reason for his difficulties.

“Twilight! Applejack!” Spike called out, his voice echoing throughout the seemingly abandoned tree house. “Anypony here?” Deafening silence returned his calls. Spike grabbed his head in frustration and gritted his teeth. “No. No! NO! This isn’t happening!”

When Pinkie, in her own amiable way, had informed them about Twilight and Applejack, nopony really worried much. Twilight was smart, incredibly so, and any setback was nothing more than a challenge that was met head on. She always put others’ safety first, no matter the danger. And Applejack? Stubborn and hard-headed, but always there when you needed her. Together, the two were unstoppable; with the other Elements together. . . Well, the results spoke for themselves. So why was it that when the conductor informed them about the forced departure, he all but lost it?

This though continued as he removed himself from the arch of the entrance and subconsciously made his way up the spiral stairs. Maybe Twilight and A.J. were inside; just exhausted from their previous tasks. Or maybe, they had made a fortification of pillows, blankets, and the like to ride out the storm. This very inclination put Spike somewhat at ease. IF what he was rationalizing was true. . . ‘Twi can write a note to the Princess and have me send it to let our friends know we’re all okay! Sis, you’re a genius!’

A sudden gust of wind struck the library, blasting the port window asunder. Spike was flung against the far wall as a solid blast of frigid rain and debris slammed into his person. The wall lanterns flickered against the sudden onslaught of howling winds, threatening to extinguish themselves. Regaining his footing, Spike flung the mass of debris from himself and pushed back against the unwelcome invader, trying desperately to close its only access inside. With an energy sapping shove, Spike managed to re-latch the widow, halting the attack in its tracks. Spike sank down just below the window; catching his breath as the flickering of the lamps died down, restoring the lighting to a much warmer glow. As his draconic eyes adjusted to the lighting difference, he cast his view upon the debris that had impacted him just moments prior. Nestled in between the mangled branches and mass of leaves was a soaking wet mass that looked vaguely familiar. Squinting, he edged closer, pulling away the bits of debris until he found-

“. . .Applejack’s hat?”

The situation didn’t register with his brain at first; even as he retrieved it from the floor. Aside from when she was sleeping, Applejack was never without her signature Stetson. Even at the Royal Wedding she managed to sneak it on during the exchanging of vows. Surely now she wouldn’t-

“Oh no,” he whispered as a lavender follicle of mane hair protruded from the slickened leather hat band. The haunting echo of Pinkie’s words made their way to the front of his subconsciousness. ‘If we don’t make it in time, leave without us.’

Spike hung his head in defeat. All his ideas, his hopes for seeing Twilight again, gone. It was over. All he had left were fond memories and a hat containing a single strand of her hair. He simply clutched Applejack’s hat tightly against his chest, unable to cry or morn at his - their - loss. He shuddered as a chill shot up his spine as he realized that he and he alone must now be the one to inform the citizens of Ponyville and, more importantly, the remaining Element bearers as well as Princess Celestia. Now only one question remained: how to contact everypony else.

“I could always. . .”

‘Always what?’ His mind screamed through the storm of mixed emotions. ‘Go back to the train? News flash: it’s already gone.’

“Shut up.” Spike hissed aloud; condemning the actions his mind was adding to the already horrid situation.

‘Oh really? You’re trying to assault me? After everything you said and did to Rarity?’

“Shut up!”

‘You want to know the sickeningly ironic part of all this is? Even if you do manage to survive until help arrives, if you are able to break the news to our friends gently, and even if you are forgiven by Rarity for your actions against her, you’ll spend the rest of your long, draconic existence knowing that you failed. Failed to save Twilight, failed to save Applejack, being reduced to nothing more that a sad, love-struck little dragon; forever to be Rarity’s bitch.’

“SHUT UP!” Spike roared as he spun and punched the trees’ staircase wall; the insistent driveling of his psyche pushing him to his limit and then some. If there was any pain at all, he didn’t feel it; far too emotionally numb to register anything physically damning. After several tense moments wrangling with his inner voice, he pulled away from the side wall, knowing his task at hand would be difficult.

One thing was for sure, Spike adamantly refused to remain in the tree house to wait out the storm; too many memories. Where then, was the question. Sweet Apple Acres? While higher in elevation and safely away from the flood waters, it was on the complete opposite side of Ponyville; a trek smack-dab through the middle of town and into the heart of the disaster. The only other logical place would be back at the train depot; though not as secure as the Apple estate, it was really the best, and quite frankly, only option left.

A few moments (and a rummage around the maintenance closet) later, Spike emerged with an old emergency water-proof lantern, the old wooden staff from his “Dragon Migration” experience, and an small ration of gems he’d hidden away in case of emergency (or late night snacking). Swiftly, he knotted the burlap sack upon the far end of the staff and slung it upon his shoulder. Taking up the lantern in his spare hand, Spike placed it upon the library counter. There was a brief ball light as Spike exhaled a wisp of flames upon the lantern’s exposed wick. As he slid the brass-encrusted glass shield closed, his eyes wandered upon several pictures framed and neatly organized upon the counter’s far corner. As he edged closer, the images became more and more clear, rekindling memories of happier times. Partying at the ‘Summer Sun Celebration’, Pinkie’s birthday, last years ‘Hearths Warming Eve’ get-together. Glimpses of the enjoyable moments of bygone days. Unable to take the tormenting of his emotions, Spike did something he hadn’t done in a long, long time.

Spike wept.

*

Hospitals are know for their quiet demeanor. Even during the worst of situations, their waiting areas and patient rooms filled to the brim, every pony, griffin, or otherwise, a few moments of inner peace and tranquility could be had by all. This was especially true in the staff areas and such. If a pony was to walk by the staff’s break room, however, they’d find quite two pegasai mares. Both seated opposed one another, having quite a heated debate.

“. . .blasted foals would have even bothered to listen to the warnings. Read the posted signs. For bucks sake, how much more advisement do ponies need?”

“Cloud, you’re getting distracted...”

This conversation had been this way ever since Cloudbuster decided to “lay the facts down”. Just about the time Dash was getting some real information, Cloud would go off on some wild tangent; such as the one just now. The situation was leaving Rainbow more than a little peeved and, if not for Cloudkicker’s request, she’d have already lost her cool.

Cloudbuster let out a long, exasperated sigh, trying to defuse the tension in her voice and within the room. “It just makes me so frustrated I could pull my mane out. Grrrr- now where was I?”

“Red Dawn, what happened at Windswept, you know, the whole nine yards?”

“Right...”she began, taking the final swig from her container. “I met my him at the annual “Cloudsdale Sky Festival”.

“Ooh...,” Dash began; her voice dripping with sarcasm, “isn’t that the “party” where the “Cloudsdale Elite” parade around their children so that the peasants can bring thier colts and fillies to mingle in hopes of getting ‘hitched with the rich’? Pfft. Talk about politics.”

Cloud slammed her hooves down upon the table, raising it up a few inches. “Dammit Dash!” she bellowed. “That’s not what happened!”

Dash responded the gesture in kind. “Oh come on! You know that’s what goes on there! Why do you think my parents– ...my parents... Damn you, Cloud! You’ve lied to me for so long... and now you made me bring up my parents!”

The two mares glared at each other, flames dancing in their eyes that threatened to ignited one another. Neither on flinched, refusing to back down.

“Look,” Cloudbuster muttered, the first to attempt defusing the situation, “we can either continue bickering and never get anywhere, or take a deep breath and finish our conversation like two normal mares. Your choice.”

“Fine,” Rainbow countered, easing back into her seat. “Continue, if you please.”

“And, for the record Dash, I am fully aware that’s what goes on during the festival,” Cloud responded smugly as she returned to her seating posture. “I was there for a little R and R during Flight Camps’ Summer break.” Cloud suddenly clasped her hooves together, her eyes sparkling like a school-age filly in love. “Ooh! You should have seen him, Dash. The true epitome of a gentle-stallion.”

Dash rolled her eyes and leaned forward across the table top. “Uh, I kinda did. Your daughter showed me a picture of you two.” As Rarity would say: ‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ Or something to that effect.

Cloudbuster shook her head. “Neither words nor pictures could do him justice,” she retorted, still in her dream-world like state of being. “He was a bit of a goof ball at times but in his eyes I was a Princess who had no equal.”

Dash responded by pointing a hoof to her open mouth to imitate gagging. Cloud rolled her eyes annoyingly in response before continuing.

“We dated for several months and, at The Cumulus, he knelt down at the table-side and asked for my hoof in marriage. What could I have said but ‘yes’. It wasn’t long after that I went into heat and became with foal. I was torn at first, loving the fact that I was going be a mother, but unsure if I was fit to be one in the first place.”

“Well, that would explain why you were so... Tense? I mean you were hard on us during Safety 101. It was like there was no pleasing you.” Dash recalled the incident, or rather, ‘incidents’, that led to a substitute pegusai being used. It all made sense now. Well, a good portion of it did, yet there were more pieces of the puzzle yet to be placed for the complete picture.

“Well, excuse me,” Cloudbuster snapped angrily. “I’d never been in a relationship, let alone pregnant before. Why don’t you try it and see how it feels.”

“STOP MAKING ME THE BAD GUY!!” Dash screamed, causing the window to vibrate. “I’ve done nothing wrong, yet you continue to take it out on me! Unless you want your other eye to match, I suggest you cut to the chase!”

Cloud stared, her jaw dropped and wide-eyed. This wasn’t an empty threat or bluster. Rainbow was serious. In hindsight, she didn’t blame the mare. If the roles were reversed, she doubted the outcomes would have been any different. After a few moments to re-collect herself, Cloud continued.

“It was just after ‘Kickers’ third birthday party that we got the scroll from Princess Celestia. Apparently, a family went hiking near Windswept and their little colt became separated. Unfortunately, some of the “straggler” cells from the previous ‘Winter Wrap-Up’ began to flare up with the current climate, causing a dangerous instability within the peaks’ weather pattern.”

“How big of an “instability” are we talking here?” Dash asked inquisitively.

“Like “high wind-driven blizzards punctuated by sheets of freezing rain and high discharges of lightning” instability,” Cloud stated bitterly, digging her hooves into the table top. Dash could see the frustration and anger building in her eyes; her expressions. Yet this was not directed at her personally. Whatever internal struggles Cloud was fighting with, it was obvious to Dash that they were about to break their restraints and boil over.

“Look,” Dash began, her voice low and soothing, “we can stop now. If this brings up too much pain then...”

“N-no,” Cloudbuster managed to choke out, the corners of her eyes beginning to mist. “You need to hear this.” Dash nodded silently in response.

“Celestia had already dispatched Streak and Rapidfire of the Wonderbolts but it would take them some time to arrive. I tried to reason with Red, saying we needed more Pegusi to secure the weather, but he was adamant in rescuing the families’ foal before it was too late.”

Rainbow knew where this was headed; she could feel it in her bones. She opened her mouth to speak, to utter any kind of sound, just to stop her teacher, her friend, from reliving past horrors. Yet her vocal chords refused to function, almost as if this was her payback for forcing the issue in the first place. All she could do was listen, frozen in shock, as Cloudbuster continued.

“We met up with the ‘Bolts, thankfully, about half a mile from Windswept and tried to access the situation. Even from the distance we were positioned we could tell it was bad. Snow and thunderstorms definitely don’t mix.

Spitfire hoofed over a pair of thermal flight suits to help us battle the conditions. I mean, if we couldn’t reach the peak in one condition, the whole rescue would be for naught. The four of us then split into two teams, one for search and rescue, the other to fight the storm clouds. We’d switch every ten minutes or so just to keep the storm team’s wings from icing over. The four of us continued this pattern for over an hour, yet with no signs of the foal.

Just as we were about to call it quits, Streak spotted the target from above; the you colt’s body near the entrance of an old Quarry eels’ den. Red was the first to reach him, and judging by the look upon his face when the rest of us arrived, it wasn’t good. The poor kid was in pretty bad shape; unconscious, but alive. He’d managed to find this shelter for himself, but exposure to the elements had taken its toll. Unfortunately, we only knew the basics of first aid and were under equipped to administer any type of help.”

Rainbow remembered similar situations popping up during her tenure at Cloudsdale’s Weather Dynamics class. Most of ‘search and rescue’ tactics focused more on finding the lost stallion or mare than it did medical assistance. Well, at least nothing more that the basics, anyway. Then enforcement of stricter training and rules in that department (enforced by the Princess’) made sure such problems were now non-existent. Of course, those rules didn’t apply in this situation. Nor did they help Rainbow to stop Cloud from continuing.

“Please,” Rainbow begged, her cheek fur turning dark blue from the tears streaming downward, “stop this.” Reaching across the table, Dash placed her hooves upon Clouds. “Please.”

Cloud pulled her hooves away slowly, giving a small, sad smile. “I... I’m sorry, Dash, but you’ll only be more angry and confused if I stop now.”

With her heart breaking, Rainbow wept silently as her former teacher continued.

Author's Note

What a way to end the chapter, right? Don't worry. It all works out for everypony in the end. Chapter 8 may be the same length or shorter/longer depending on how I want the events to wrap up. Don't worry, the other characters will show up and well get to see Knightstride make a 'grand entrace' later on. Ciao until later,

Zillaman