Forever Fell Short

by TheRedFox

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Lightning Dust, Derpy Hooves, Slice of Life, Alternate Universe
Length: 8551

You never know how much you need something until you lose it. You never know how much you love it, until you get it back.

Lightning Dust told herself that she was happy as a mailmare. That she was safe, and nothing would hurt her. Then, she met a mare named Derpy and a team called the Rebounds.

An entry for the Reunions roleswap contest. Edited by the fabulous Mushroom. Cover art by the fantastic Snow Quill.

Edit: First place winner in the Reunions contest!

Published 2021-06-23 03:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-06-23 03:40:01 UTC

If I Jump

“Come on you spineless fillies! Do you want to live forever?!” -Cpt. Daring Do, Wonderbolts.

It was a beautiful day to take the fall.

Lightning felt the wind rushing through her extended wings: caressing each feather from base to wingtip. She squeezed her eyes shut, sucking in a sharp breath to calm her heart. The rustling of leaves from the nearby trees mixed in with her thoughts, floating across as smoothly as if they were on water.

But one thought like a skipping stone floated above. One pesky line, spoken in Lightning’s voice, that refused to go unheard.

Current feels off tonight.

She shuddered violently. Her ribs began to crush her heart and her entire chest felt as if it were folding in on itself: her breath began to quicken and the world began spinning. Lightning’s wings began to shake as she bit down hard on her lips, desperate for something to quell the vertigo.

Justbreathejustbreathejustbreathejustbreathe

Lightning felt a wave of heat wash over her, smothering and suffocating her. She inhaled through gritted teeth, trying to push the nausea from her lungs with air.

Justbreathejustbhreathejustbreathejustbreathe

Her chest rose and fell at even intervals, with the strange buzz in her ears subsiding to the gentle song of the wind. When Lightning opened her eyes again she realized they were blurry. A swipe of her foreleg drained them, and it was only then that Lightning realized she had been crying.

And Lightning Dust became angry. She picked up a nearby pebble in her hoof and heaved it out over the cliff with a frustrated yell. But as she watched it fall, her chest tightened again the roar died in her throat.

The current feels off tonight.

Another shudder ran down Lightning’s spine and she swallowed, as if it would relegate the feeling to her gut.

Lightning Dust would have given anything to be angry, for she would much rather be angry than afraid.

Disgusted at herself and at the world, she ruffled her feathers and turned away, leaving the wind unanswered.

It was a beautiful day to take the fall. But Lightning Dust was scared.

“LIGHTNING!”

“Gah!” Lightning Dust jumped into the air at the shout of her name, sending envelopes flying into the air and falling like oversized rectangular snowflakes. “Celestia’s sake, Rainy! Don’t do that to me!”

Rainy Day blushed, apologizing frantically as she gathered the fallen envelopes. “Sorry, sorry, sorry!”

Lightning sighed in frustration, slamming a hoof to her forehead as Rainy tried to scoop up a pile of letters, only for them all to slip out between her forelegs.

“Just… Just forget it. What do you want, Rainy?”

“Oh! Um, I wanted to ask you something…” Rainy trailed off, eyes drifting the floor and rubbing a foreleg with the other. “If it isn’t too much trouble, that is.”

Lightning held up a hoof. “Let me guess. You want me to swap routes with you so you can spend your shift with Snow Violet?”

Rainy Day blushed, fiddling with her hat. “Um… maybe?”

Lightning sighed, rubbing her forehead with a hoof. “Fine! Whatever, I can finish it in like half an hour. But you have to promise me one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Tell her how you feel already! I mean, the entire postal service knows you’ve got a crush on her!” Lightning said, waving her hooves around for emphasis.

Rainy Day gasped, blushing even harder. “B-but, I can’t do that! What if she says no? What if she hates me?!”

“Not my problem!” Lightning jabbed her co-worker’s chest with her wing. “But you gotta sort that out!”

“But…” Rainy Day sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Okay,” she said softly. “I guess I’ll try.”

She flinched as Lightning gave her a hearty slap on the back. “Atta girl!”

Rainy chuckled meekly. “Thanks Lightning. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Lightning rolled her eyes, giving Rainy a mock salute. “Yeah, whatever.”

As her co-worker trotted out of the mailroom, Lightning sighed, turning to the pile of letters scattered across the floor and felt the grin melt away from her face. Plain white envelopes, marred with black ink, sat around her like fragments of a dream shattered long ago.

She shuffled around an envelope, tugging at her uniform collar as she grimaced.

This was not the future she had in mind. But it was safe. It was predictable.

The current feels off today.

It was safe, and Lightning tried to convince herself that was all that mattered.

“Dust! Where you at?”

Lightning perked up at the voice. “Over here, Rolling.”

Her friend trotted over, warily stepping around the envelopes as if they were puddles. “You done in here or what, girl?”

“I haven’t even clocked out yet!” Lightning replied, gathering up the envelopes and replacing them in her sack. “Geez, learn to slow down and live a little.”

Rolling Thunder belted out a laugh. “You even know who I am?”

“Some filly with her head in the clouds?” teased Lightning, trotting over to place the bag in its proper spot.

“I’m hurt… I think?” Rolling replied. “I can’t tell if that’s meant as an insult or not to be right honest with you.”

Lightning rolled her eyes. “Take it as you will. C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

She led the way out of the post office’s mailing room, giving a nod to her fellow co-workers before stepping into the crisp autumn air.

A few stray leaves blew down the street, aided by the breath of the wind, skirting around the hooves of passing ponies before dipping away into nooks and alleys. The shops and storefronts radiated with a welcome warmth, shopkeepers sweeping in the doorways and customers milling about their aisles.

Above, the sky took on a hazy shade of orange as pegasi flittered about, shunting clouds around the sky while beneath them earth ponies did the same with leaves and rakes. Lightning Dust shivered, looking up at the swirling endless sky. She fiddled with the zipper on her jacket, frowning as the wind stirred up her thoughts like dead leaves.

“Reckon we got some time to kill,” Rolling declared as she trotted up next to her. “Hey, some of my mates in Weather are setting up this sick wind bowl! You want in?”

The current feels off tonight.

Lightning flinched. “Uh… think I’m good. I’m pretty tired, actually.”

Rolling gaped at her. “Come on, Dust, you can’t be serious!”

“What? I had a long day! Can’t blame a girl for that!” With a shrug Lightning continued down the street, eyes cast on the sidewalk. She stepped over the cracks, crunching dead leaves beneath her hooves.

“Course I can!” Rolling quickly caught up with her, hoovering beside her. “You use that excuse all the time, Lightning.”

Lightning huffed, rustling her feathers. “Not an excuse if it’s true. Postal work is rough.”

“Then why do you do it?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lightning shot back, her face morphing to a scowl.

Rolling Thunder gestured vaguely to the sky. “We grew up together, Lightning! I’ve seen what you can do, you’d be a right banging flyer in any job! So why the hay are you wearing yourself out doing postalwork when you could be with the Wonderbolts, or--”

“Stop!” Lightning cut her off, jabbing a hoof in her direction. “That dream is dead, Rolling! I told you!”

“It was one accident,” Rolling insisted. “Are you seriously going to let one single thing hold you back for the rest of your life?”

The current feels off tonight.

Lightning inhaled sharply, leaves kicking around her hooves. “You don’t get it,” she hissed, turning away from Rolling.

“Lightning…” Rolling trailed off as Lightning sulked down the street, ears folded down and a blind rage following.

A part of her hoped that Rolling Thunder would follow her. But she didn’t, so Lightning’s journey home was accompanied by the swirling leaves and howling winds.

The wind swirled around her, in breathless, violent chants. It whipped through her mane and cut a hole in her back: chilling her blood and icing her veins.

Lightning took a deep breath, but the air escaped through her lungs. She shivered, standing atop the cliff and staring down at the pulsing, liminal forest that threatened to swallow the world beneath her.

She ruffled her feathers, looking up at the oppressive blue sky.

It was a beautiful day to take the fall.

Lightning Dust closed her eyes and backed away from the cliff. With a deep breath and a defiant yell she charged towards the cliff’s edge. But her movements were slow and muddled, as if the ground beneath her was quicksand.

She took several labored breaths, feeling her heart race in her chest as her muscles struggled to propel her forwards.

Lightning didn’t remember the jump. She only knew that she was falling, plunging down towards the forest floor.

She spread her wings to turn the fall into a glide, but somehow this only made her fall faster. With a glance behind her, Lightning was mortified to see that her wings were pockmarked with holes; the wind blowing through them sending violent chills down her feathers and into her blood.

Lightning tried to scream but her voice was hoarse and weak. The ground spiraled closer and closer, and each beat of Lightning’s useless wings did little to slow the fall.

And then, she felt it: something was off in the current. Something in the vile wind was wrong, and she had underestimated its force.

Lightning squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the impact.

There was a pounding at the door and with a gasp, Lightning Dust flew awake and rolled off her couch, forelegs flailing and wings splayed out. Her right leg smacked into the coffee table’s edge and pain shot through her hazy mind.

As she rolled on the ground in pain, she vaguely heard voices from the foyer. “Lightnin’? Yeah, she’s in. I’ll go get her.”

Soon, Lightning’s roommate entered the room, calling out her name. “Lightnin’, that friend of yours is… you okay?”

Lightning waved her hoof, grinding her teeth in pain. “Banged my… leg… into… table.”

Fiddlesticks scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Well done. I’ll go tell her you’re in.”

Lightning nodded, heaving herself up to all fours and inspecting the leg. A small bruise had begun to form, and Lightning rubbed it tenderly with a scowl.

“Hey, Dust,” Rolling called as she entered. “Look, I’m… I’m sorry about yesterday. I forgot how bad that crash messed you up.”

Lightning side, ears folding down against her head. “Hey, ‘s fine. I just… I haven’t wanted to actually do stunts like that anymore, y’know?”

“Uh, not really, but I’m not the one that wiped out,” Rolling replied, rubbing the back of her neck.

They fell quiet, memories of Lightning’s accident and recovery swirling in both of their minds. Eventually Lightning extended her wings, giving them a quick inspection. Few traces of her injuries were obvious, but one could see the scars and surgical lines if they looked closely enough.

She had almost died.

Lightning didn’t like to dwell on the thought, but it was too deeply rooted in her mind to be forgotten.

And now, she was certain to never make that mistake again.

“Hey, look,” Rolling eventually said. “I’ve… I’ve got this mate I know, I think she might be able to offer some help?”

Lightning glared at Rolling. “I don’t need help!”

They fell quiet again, with only the muted music of Fiddlesticks’ fiddle to fill the void between them.

“Fine, but… look, just give her a call, okay?” Rolling set a small white business card on the table before standing. “We’re best mates, Lightning. I’m just worried about you.”

Lightning hated the pitying look in her friend's eye. But as she stared at Rolling’s face, and at the scar which marred it, something churned inside her. She didn’t want to admit that it was fear, but deep down she knew what it was.

Rolling stood and quietly left the room. Lightning barely noticed, her eyes locked on the small white card that her friend had left behind.

Lightning didn’t move for a very long time, the muffled fiddle music through the walls serving as the only evidence the world was still alive around her.

When she finally stood, she went over to the curtains and yanked them open, letting sunlight wash into the room like waves crashing against the shore. Lightning looked up as a flock of geese flew past the window in an awkward formation and sighed.

Lightning returned to the coffee table and seized the card with her wing, holding it up to read it.

Derpy Hooves, Captain
Equestrian Rebounds
It’s Never Too Late for a Second Chance.

Will You Follow?

The building looked nothing like Lightning expected it to.

Tucked in the middle of two faceless gray buildings, the address on the card led to a pastel, two-storied building: reminiscent of Cloudsdale architecture if Cloudsdale were built by earth ponies.

Lightning glanced up and down the street, ruffling her wings impatiently. Everywhere from the sidewalk to the nearby cafes seemed to be jam-packed with ponies, milling about and enjoying the easy autumn evening.

She paced up and down the cobblestone road impatiently, eyes constantly flicking to the building. Every couple of seconds she would take a hesitant step towards it, but the inner turmoil in her mind pulled her away.

Lightning spat in disgust. She sighed, squeezing her eyes shut and dropping her head in disappointment.

“Hiya!”

She flinched as a bubbly voice called out from next to her. Lightning whirled around to find a gray pegasus in a cap and sweater was smiling at her. Her form was somewhat awkward and lanky, with a pale blonde mane falling from beneath her hat and onto her shoulder.

“Uh… hi,” Lightning stammered.

“Did you need something? I noticed you were waiting outside,” the mare continued, leaning forwards on her lanky forelegs. “You can come inside, you know!”

Lightning blinked, rubbing a foreleg absently. “I, uh… was just… considering things?”

“Ooh, that’s always good!” The pegasus tilted her head to the right, and Lightning noticed one of her eyes drifting up to the sky. “Did you want to know more about the Rebounds program?”

“Uh… sure?”

“Great!” The mare extended her hoof, and Lightning shook it. “My name’s Ditzy, but you can call me Derpy. I’m the captain of this team! Why don’t you come inside and we can talk some more?”

Lightning worked her jaw, scuffing a hoof against the sidewalk. “Well… yeah, fine, I guess.”

Derpy nodded excitedly. “Follow me!” She turned and practically pranced up the stairs to the building, a bouncy mass of limbs and wings. Lightning coughed into the back of her hoof, glancing around at some of the onlookers who had stopped to stare before following her into the building.

The receptionist (a pegasus in a wheelchair) waved at Derpy before the two engaged in a conversation, leaving Lightning to look around the room.

The first thing Lightning saw in the foyer was a massive flag, hanging behind what she assumed to be the reception desk. The flag depicted the profile of a pegasus, aimed at the sky with wings spread, against a neon green and black background: the same coloring on Derpy’s hoodie.

Against the right wall were some sofas and a coffee table, littered with magazines and brochures. Lightning went over and picked one up, flipping through it idly. The text went on about how the Rebounds was open to any and all pegasi, with a large emphasis being blacked on “second chances.”

Lightning scoffed, flipping it over to its backside. What are you waiting for? it asked. Get reunited with your dream!

She blinked, chewing on that thought until Derpy called her over. She led Lightning out of the lobby and through a small hallway, before entering a surprisingly simple office.

Two large bookshelves were mounted behind the desk, adorned with novels, thick binders, and a plethora of photographs. A group of filing cabinets stood tall against the wall, strangely decorated with fridge magnets and post-it notes.

It was strange, a place that was meant to be professional looking so… childish.

“Oh my, terribly sorry but I never got your name,” Derpy said as she sat down behind the desk. She shed her hat, letting her mane bounce freely.

“Lightning. Lightning Dust.”

“A pleasure to meet you. Please, have a seat,” Derpy replied, gesturing to the armchair opposite of her.

Lightning did, observing some of the photographs decorating Derpy’s desk. “So… what the heck do you guys even do?” she asked.

Derpy smiled warmly, leaning back and sipping from her styrofoam cup. “Well, the Rebounds program is designed to help pegasi find the joy in flying again! We’re made up of ponies from all different walks. Some were denied from competitive flight teams, others are trying to recover from severe injuries, and a few just never considered it an option!”

“Denied from a flight team?” Lightning asked.

“Yeah! I’m one of them myself. When I was a filly, the only thing I ever wanted to be was a Wonderbolt! But… well, I’m sure you’ve noticed this,” Derpy said, pointing to her drifting eye. “They couldn’t offer me a spot with my poor coordination. But they were nice about it. Other places… Well, not so much.” She sighed, picking up a framed photograph and examining it. “It was hard for a while, not being able to find a job just because my eyes can’t see straight. Even more so when trying to care for two daughters.”

She passed the photograph over to Lightning, who examined it cautiously. In the photo, Derpy was hugging two young foals, both unicorns. “Aww, you got kids?”

“Yeah! Gosh, Dinky and Sparkler mean the world to me. They’re the reason I founded the Rebounds, in fact.” Derpy sighed, turning in her chair to gaze at her bookshelf. “It was hard back when I didn’t have anything. I couldn’t get Dinky the toys she wanted, Sparkler the books she needed… I didn’t know what else to do. With nowhere to go, nobody to help… I just felt anger. And I channeled that anger and turned it into this. Because I realized I’m not the only pony to feel shunned like that. But every pony deserves love and a chance! So to answer your question, that’s what we do. We give them that chance.”

Lightning sniffed, setting the photo back on the desk. “...Sounds a little sappy when you put it like that.”

Derpy laughed. “Well, I suppose it is. I guess you’re not the sappy kind of pony?”

“Nah, I’m too cool for that,” Lightning answered with a toss of her mane. “Your kids are adorable though.”

“So foals is where you draw the line?” chuckled Derpy.

“They’re great! I remember we had a group of kids who’d follow us everyday after work… always wanting flying advice.”

Derpy just smiled, tapping the edge of her desk. “Lightning Dust… aren’t you Rolling Thunder’s friend?”

Lightning stiffened at that. “She told you about me?”

Derpy nodded. “She didn’t say much. Just that she thought you’d need my help.”

“Well I don’t,” Lightning responded reflexively, folding her forelegs.

Derpy blinked and tilted her head to the side. “Oh? Then why did you come?”

“I just… wanted to see what you guys did,” Lightning answered. “That’s all.”

“Ah… okay! That’s perfectly fine,” Derpy continued without missing a beat. “I hope you found the program interesting at least!”

“Sort of,” Lightning muttered.

But Derpy wasn’t deterred by her somewhat snide response. “Oh! While you’re here…” She reached over to a small stack of flyers and passed one over. “Rainbow Dash is organizing the annual Cloudsdale Water Transfer! She’s looking for every pegasus she can get and asked us to assist, if you’re available I’m sure she’d love to have you.”

Lightning stared at the poster, which depicted a hurricane with dozens of pegasi flying in circles around it. The dark gray clouds in the back sent a shudder down her spine as her eyes locked onto the image in fear.

The current feels off tonight.

She blinked and forced the memory out of her mind, folding the flyer up and tucking it behind her wing. “Um, thanks. I’ll see if I’m free.”

“Yay! Oh goodness, look at the time, I have to go lead our practice session today,” Derpy said, rising from her seat and adjusting her hat. She smiled at Lightning, forcing both eyes to stare at her warmly. “It was a pleasure to see you, Lightning! I hope we’ll meet again some time.”

“Yeah,” Lightning offered meekly. “Me too.”

With that, she rose and left the room, half-filled thoughts swirling in her head.

“So if you’re gonna jump
Then you better stick the landing
Or are you too afraid
To be the last one standing?”

Lightning bounced her head to the beat of her music, spinning around in a circle. Her mailbags would have flown off if they weren’t attached to her body. She whirled to a halt in front of a mailbox, yanking the door open and shoving a few letters inside before shutting it again.

She paused to turn up the volume before continuing down the road, hooves pounding with the beat.

“Get up, get up
What the hell are you waiting for?
Get up, get up
I wanna see you out the door

Get up, get up
Let’s shoot a hole in the parachute
Get up, get up
Just get me the hell outta--”

“LIGHTNING!”

“Gah!” Lightning tripped over her hooves, crashing to the pavement as the brim of her hat slid over her eyes.

She groaned, angrily pulling the cap off her head to glare at the offending party: a purple pegasus laden with mailbags.

“What the hay do you want, Snow?!” Lightning growled, pulling herself to her hooves.

Snow Violet scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for, like, five minutes.”

Lightning raised an eyebrow, digging into her shirt pocket to silence the music player. She pulled her headphones onto her neck before sighing. “What do you want?”

“I… I need your advice,” Snow replied, fiddling with the strap on her messenger’s bag.

“Advice on what?” Lightning asked, holding her head up in pride that of all the ponies in the office, she was the one everyone went to for help.

Snow studied the pavement carefully. “Uh. So you know that roommate of yours? The one you said had those... connections?

Lightning blinked a few times. “Connections to… oh, you mean concert tickets? You want tickets to a classical concert?”

Snow rubbed the back of her neck and bit her lip. “I’m… a big fan of the orchestra?”

“No, no you’re not,” Lightning scoffed before realization hit her. “... but Sunny Delivery is.”

Snow blushed hard, trying and failing to hide her face in the back of her foreleg.

Lightning slapped a hoof to her forehead. “Celestia’s sake. Yeah, whatever, I’ll set you up, but you need to just pony up and talk to her!”

“I am,” whined Snow, blushing harder. “I just… I’m waiting for the right time!”

Lightning scoffed. “Well if you wait forever, it’s never going to come. If you want her, just go get her!”

Snow hung her head, grumbling to herself. “...Fine, I guess you’re right. Thanks for those tickets.”

“Yeah, I’ll get ‘em to you,” Lightning replied with a wave of her hoof. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I still gotta finish my route.”

Snow nodded, and flew away with a wave.

As Lightning watched her coworker leave, she took a second to reflect on what she had just said.

If you wait forever, it’s never going to come.

She ruffled her wings, staring up at the cool autumn sky. The wind began to sing again, calling for her to join it. How long would she wait? Forever? Even longer?

Lightning reached into her mail bag and pulled out a promotional poster: the same design as the one Derpy had given her. She put a hoof on the hurricane, frowning as she thought back to the accident.

With a sigh, she shook the doubts from her head and continued down the road, suddenly not feeling her music anymore.

If You Jump

“So are you gonna fly?”

Lightning threw her hooves up in frustration. “For the last time, Rolling, I’m just going to watch!”

Rolling ruffled her wings in frustration. “Seriously, Dusty? This is the biggest flight event of the year and you’re gonna sit on the sidelines?"

Lightning growled, pawing at the ground in irritation. “You’re the one that cares about this stuff, not me!”

Rolling frowned, jabbing a hoof into Lightning’s chest. “Where’s the Lightning I grew up with? Where’s the Lightning Dust I’d fly head-on into right gnarly storm clouds with? Where’s the Lightning Dust that wasn’t afraid to live a little!”

Lightning shoved Rolling away. “Buck off! You don’t get it!”

“I don’t!” Rolling shouted. “I don’t get what happened to you!” She spat on the ground in anger. “Enjoy the rest of your life as a nobody from nowhere, because Celestia knows you’ll never get anything done being safe.” With that, she ruffled her wings and stormed off, leaving Lightning alone amongst a crowd.

Lightning radiated with anger, scowling and kicking at the dirt. But somewhere buried beneath her rage was shame. Shame at the kernels of truth in what her friend had said.

“Lightning! You came!”

She turned to see none other than Derpy trotting towards her with a wave, a young foal on her back and a teenager by her side.

“This is Lightning Dust, say hi!” She instructed the two. The teenager gave an awkward wave and the foal yawned, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

Lightning chuckled, some of her anger melting away. “Are these your kids?”

“The lights in my life,” Derpy replied, chest puffing out in pride. “This little one is Dinky, and this is Sparkler.”

The two gazed at her curiously, and Lightning offered a wave in reply.

“Are you going to help out with the hur-i-cane?” asked Dinky tiredly, her pronunciation getting a smile from Lightning.

“Uh…” Lightning shrugged. “I dunno, it seems like they’ve got a ton of ponies already.”

Lightning blinked when Derpy put a hoof on her shoulder, smiling as one eye drifted to the sky. “That’s okay, Lightning! I know Rainbow would love to have more ponies, but if you don’t want to, then she won’t force you.”

“Yeah.” Lightning sighed, dragging a hoof across the dirt again.

“This is gonna be so cool!” Sparkler declared, hopping from hoof to hoof. “This is, like, once in a lifetime, right mom? I wish I had wings, then I could fly right up there with all those pegasi!”

Derpy was quiet for a second. When Lightning met her eyes again, she saw both of Derpy’s filled with concern and sympathy. It only made her feel worse inside. But before Derpy could speak, a streak of white cut into their conversation.

“Yo, Derpy!” declared the newcomer. “You ready?”

Derpy giggled as a wing slapped into her back. “Hi, Whitey! How are you this morning?”

“Ready to get this done,” the mare exclaimed, pumping a hoof into the air. The newcomer was practically vibrating with excitement, her wings pumping fast and sporadically. In contrast to Derpy’s tall and lanky build, this pegasus was shorter and stubbier, her brighter colors clashing with the black and green jacket she wore.

Derpy laughed, and her bubbly voice was infectious enough to melt away Lightning’s bitterness.

“Whitey, this is Lightning Dust. Lightning Dust, this is White Lightning,” Derpy said, pointing a hoof at each and crossing her forelegs in an attempt to gesture to each.

White Lightning gave a salute before turning to Derpy. “You better check-in with Rainbow, chief. She's eager to get going.”

Derpy nodded. “On my way! Come on you two, let’s go say hi to Rainbow Dash!”

As the two foals followed Derpy into the crowd, ‘Whitey’ began to look Lightning over. “So, Derpy scout you too?”

“What?”

“Did she ask you to join up?”

Lightning shook her head.

“Oh. Sorry, I thought we were about to get another teammate. You’ve got good form, too. Did you do comp flying before?” asked Whitey eagerly.

Lightning shifted on her hooves. “Not really. Used to do storm chasing but… well, I had a pretty bad accident. Haven’t really done much of that stuff since then.”

Whitey winced. “Oooh, yeah. I feel that. Have you ever considered getting back into it though?”

Lightning ruffled her wings in irritation. “No.”

Strangely, Whitey smiled. “Ah. I think I get it now.”

Lightning raised an eyebrow, but Whitey didn’t reply further: she only hovered close to Lightning with a strange glint in her eye and a placid smile on her face.

When it was clear that Whitey wouldn’t elaborate, Lightning spoke up. “So… you’ve worked with Derpy for a long time?”

“The boss? Oh yeah! She’s great, really knows how to pick someone up. She’ll take you under her wing like you were one of her own.” Whitey sighed, glancing over to where she had gone. “She’s saved lives, you know. Celestia knows she saved mine.”

Lightning stared at her inquisitively.

“See, I… kinda fell out of touch with life a while ago. Dead-end job, considering moving… I wasn’t in a great place,” Whitey said as she rubbed a foreleg. “But when I met Derpy… I found hope again. She reminded me about what I loved in life. What it meant to be alive again. That’s just what she does. Gives us back what we lost.”

Lightning blinked at that, not expecting a fairly eloquent answer. “Huh.”

“Yeah, she’s great,” Whitey finished. The two looked up as a shout echoed across the crowd. “Well, looks like Rainbow’s ready to go. Are you joining us?”

“Uh, nah. I’m sitting it out,” Lightning answered automatically.

Whitey shrugged, spreading her wings and following the pegasi. “Suit yourself!”

Lightning watched as flocks of pegasi took to the air, circling around Rainbow as she shouted instructions to them. Looking around on the ground, Lightning realized she was an oddity amongst the spectating earth ponies and unicorns, which only added to her tumultuous insecurity.

She sighed, going over to a nearby tree and trotting in a circle. Every couple of seconds she would ruffle her wings, and a few times she even splayed them out with her eyes cast at the group. But every time a memory would stab through her heart, and she’d wince before quieting her wings and sulking.

Eventually, the pegasi sans her began circling over the reservoir. As they continued to circle over it they began to build up a marvelous force, and it wasn’t long before the water began funneling upwards.

Lightning trotted forwards, casting her eyes on the storm. The pegasi became blurs, whirling bits of color against a dark gray tempest. Wind began to whip through the air, sending leaves and dust flying through Lightning’s mane and into her eyes.

She heard a whoop overhead and caught a blur of purple. Lightning spread her wings again, reminded of old times. Of diving off of clouds into thunderheads with Rolling, cheering and whooping as they felt the electricity tingling through their primaries. Of having fun for once.

But every single thought was followed by another: a flash of lightning, the roaring wind, and a searing, unbearable pain.

With a frustrated growl she dug her hoof into the ground and squeezed her eyes shut. But her ear twitched at a distant shout, and when she looked up again, Rainbow Dash had broken from the hurricane. Rainbow flew over to a nearby hill, where Lightning saw Twilight Sparkle standing next to a complicated machine.

Rainbow pulled off her goggles and her eyes bulged at the machine’s screen. Twilight waved frantically and prattled off a string of words, leading Rainbow to shrug and shout something back. As their argument continued, Lightning saw Derpy break formation and join them.

Twilight again gestured first to the machine then to the clouds above, and Derpy turned to say something to Rainbow. A swirling twinge of uneasiness, much like the hurricane wind itself, began to swim through Lightning’s stomach.

As she lifted a hoof to trot over, there was suddenly a violent flash of lightning and roar of thunder. Lightning threw a foreleg up to shield her eyes as a chorus of screams flooded over from the hurricane.

When she looked up again, the hurricane was still there, but the pegasi around it were mostly gone: they now littered the grounds around the reservoir like dead leaves around a summer tree.

Twilight shouted something again and Rainbow and Derpy took to the air.

But they didn’t get far before there was another crack of thunder, and to Lightning Dust’s horror, the hurricane moved.

In seconds it had eclipsed where Twilight, Rainbow, and Derpy were standing: passing through them as if they didn’t exist. Lightning squinted, seeing a bright flash of magenta but nothing else.

Then, she caught it: two blobs were flung out from within, flying like arrows without a target. To Lightning’s horror, neither seemed able to recover as both spiraled into the ground, disappearing behind the treeline.

The pegasi around Lightning began to recover, but without any of the leaders, their actions were uncoordinated and mismatched: several tried to fly towards the hurricane while others pointed to where Rainbow and Derpy had ended up.

“Alright!” shouted a voice that Lightning recognized as Whitey’s. The mare flew to the front, gathering the attention of the remaining airborne pegasi. “Three teams!” She barked. “Team one, gather the wounded! Team two, find Rainbow Dash! Team three, with me, we need to get that hurricane under control!”

“W-wait,” Lightning said, flying over. “What about--”

“Fluttershy, take point on team two! We need Rainbow Dash here now,” Whitey said, not hearing Lightning. “Come on, come on! We need to stop that thing before it wipes out Ponyville!”

“--Derpy…” Lightning trailed off as Whitey darted off, a small army of pegasi following close behind.

Lightning bit her lip as ponies scattered around her. A few pegasi lay crumpled on the ground, crying or screaming in pain with their wings bent out at awkward angles. She cringed, but for once something besides fear and guilt rang in her mind: worry. Worry for Derpy.

“Mom!”

Lightning looked over to her right to see Dinky and Sparkler being ushered away.

“M-Mom!” cried Dinky, tears in her eyes. “Where’s mommy?!”

Her mind set, Lightning spread her wings and headed for the forest where Derpy had fallen, keeping a wary eye on the inferno roaring nearby.

“Derpy?”

Lightning shivered as the howling wind echoed through the trees. She glanced up and saw the top of the hurricane peeking over the treeline. Pegasi circled it uselessly like bees, their forms tiny and insignificant. Movable forces against an unstoppable object.

“Derpy!”

Lightning shuddered as a herd of rabbits shot through the brush nearby. She swore beneath her breath, sticks crunching beneath her hooves. “Derpy? Where are you?”

She ran forwards, skidding to a halt at a fallen pegasus. “...Snow?”

Snow Violet glanced up at her, biting her lip. “Lightning! I… Rainy Day’s hurt!”

She moved, and Lightning saw two more pegasi behind her.

“It’s… nothing,” Rainy muttered, holding her left foreleg up limply.

“Don’t move,” hissed Sunny Delivery, digging through her bag for bandages. “Lightning… what do we do?”

Lightning slumped forwards. “I… I don’t know. I think Rainbow’s hurt.”

The three gasped and huddled close together. “But… but there has to be something we can do,” Snow gasped, tears welling in her eyes.

Sunny sighed and gently took Snow’s head, guiding it to her shoulder and nuzzling her. “Hey, Lightning is going to get us out of this… right?”

Lightning only bit her lip in response. “I… try and get Rainy some help. I need to find Derpy.”

With that, she turned away and continued through the forest, doubts tearing at her mind and drowning out the calls of her coworkers.

“Stupid stupid stupid,” Lightning muttetred. “What do they think I could possibly--”

She froze and squeezed her eyes shut as anxiety shot through her system.

“Dammit. Justbreathejustbreathejustbreathejustbreathe,” she muttered, trying to stem the fluttering in her heart.

“Lightning?”

Lightning’s eyes shot open. “Derpy?”

“H-Here,” a voice called weakly from nearby.

Lightning bolted to the source of the voice and found her: propped up against a tree and breathing heavily, goggles dangling from her neck.

Derpy coughed, tears trailing down her face. “Hey,” she replied, her voice somehow still carrying it’s typical cheer. She grimaced as she tried to adjust her position, and Lightning’s eyes widened when she saw Derpy’s right wing splayed out at an awkward angle.

“Your wing,” she stuttered dumbly.

“I think it’s broken,” Derpy replied through gritted teeth.

Lightning gaped at her, wondering how she could shrug an injury like that off so easily. “W… what happened? I thought Rainbow had this under control!”

Derpy laughed bitterly. “It turns out… Rainbow overshot, badly. Turns out her advertising campaign… worked too well. The estimates she gave Twilight were rounded down, so the storm we created was far more powerful than we thought.”

“What now?” asked Lightning.

“I… Where’s Rainbow?” Derpy asked, wincing as she tried to sit up.

Lightning winced. “She… got hit by it, same as you did. Whitey sent a group to find her, but last I heard they still don’t know where she is.”

“Then they need a replacement flyer.” Derpy looked up, locking both her eyes on Lightning. “And… I think that replacement is you, Lightning.”

A chilling wave washed over Lightning. “M-Me?!”

“Rolling told me about that wingpower test you two took,” Derpy continued. “From what I heard, you’re as good a flyer as Rainbow Dash, and Celestia knows they need everyone they can get.”

Lightning’s eyes darted around the forest. “I--I can’t! I just… I don’t think I can do it.”

“I know you can,” Derpy insisted. “Lightning, you might be their only chance.”

“No!” Lightning blurted, grinding her teeth together. “You don’t get it! I… I can’t fly again!”

“Rainbow’s probably as banged up as I am!”

“You’re not listening! I! Can’t!” Lightning pounded a hoof into the ground for emphasis, her vision starting to blur as desperate tears began to form.

Derpy frowned, squeezing her eyes shut. “You’re right.” When she opened them again the kindness and warmth were gone. In their place was steel and iron: and a fire that Lightning had never seen before. “I don’t get it.”

She heaved herself to her hooves, never breaking gaze from Lightning.

“Who says you can’t fly? You’ve got two wings, don’t you?”

“I… The last time I tried something like this, I almost died,” Lightning replied, taking a hesitant step backwards.

“Oh? You know, I almost died three times before I got to where I am now,” Derpy shot back, narrowing her eyes. “Are you saying I should have quit after I failed the first time?”

Lightning blinked in shock. “It… it’s different!”

Derpy gave a mirthless laugh. “You think it’s different to my daughters? You think you can sit here and look them in the eye before saying you did nothing to help?”

“I…” Lightning bit down hard on her lip.

There was a crash in the brush nearby, and Lightning turned to see a team of pegasi led by Fluttershy, carrying a limp Rainbow Dash in a makeshift stretcher.

“Look at me!” Derpy shouted, causing Lightning’s head to whip around. Her glare softened a bit as she grabbed both of Lightning’s withers. “You can’t let your feelings control you Lightning. I wish I had more time to help you overcome this, but we don’t have any left. Even if you don’t believe in yourself, I believe in you.”

Her words stirred something inside of Lightning. The wind whipped around them, and the voices and screams of pegasi sounded around them. Lightning turned around to look at the hurricane, tearing through the trees and heading for the town.

She swallowed, shook, but nodded. “O…Okay.”

Derpy slapped her on the back. She pulled her goggles from her neck and put them in Lightning’s hoof. “Then fly, filly, fly!”

And Lightning Dust flew.

Drops of rain hit her face as she took to the air. She spared one glance behind her, but Derpy had been enveloped by medical personnel and was being ushered to the safe zone.

She was on her own now.

But it didn’t feel terrifying anymore.

She stretched out each wing as she flew, old pre-flight checklists kicking in on instinct. Lightning knew her limits, and she knew that without a proper warmup she was treading on thin ice. But Derpy’s words rang true in her head, pumping through her blood and into her veins.

As she approached the maelstrom she saw two figures on its edge arguing.

“We can’t give up now!” cried Rolling Thunder. “That thing’s gonna level the entire town!”

“We don’t have a choice,” Whitey shot back, gesturing to the storm. “We’re down too many ponies, unless Rainbow Dash can get in the air again, our best bet is waiting for the Wonderbolts to show up!”

“Wrong,” Lightning shouted, getting their attention. “Your best bet is me.”

Rolling gaped at her. “Lightning! You came?”

Lightning nodded, tightening the straps on her borrowed goggles. “Derpy talked some sense into me. You guys need every pony you can get.”

“Darned right we do,” Whitey affirmed. “But being honest with you? I don’t know if we’ve got enough power to fully stop this thing, not until we get some serious reinforcements.”

“But we’ve got to try,” Lightning answered, her own voice unwavering. “At the very least we could try and hold it in place until we can dissipate it.”

Whitey and Rolling exchanged a glance. “Sounds like a plan,” Whitey said.

“Right on, mate, “ Rolling agreed. She exchanged a hoof bump with Lightning, a wry grin forming on her face. “Just like old times, eh?”

“Yeah,” Lightning answered with a short breath. “I’ll try not to die this time.”

“That’s the spirit!”

With that, the three flew towards the storm. As they neared it, Lightning could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins. The wind whipped by her mane and her goggles clouded over. She vaguely made out the forms of other pegasi around her, but the combination of fog and tears in her eyes made it difficult to parse out details.

It felt as if the air was being sucked from her lungs. Her wings flared out as they beat violently, electricity shooting down her primaries as they struggled to find a suitable current. Leaves, sticks, and rocks smashed against her coat, but Lightning was unstoppable.

As she gasped for air, the storm threatened to crush her whole. But she wasn’t afraid.

She felt alive.

Lightning Dust let out a guttural yell and surged forwards.

Then I'll Follow

“It’s a beautiful day to take the fall!”

Lightning Dust laughed, rolling her neck and stretching out her legs. “You say that every day, Rolling.”

“And I’m never wrong!” Rolling did a lazy loop in the air. “I’m tellin’ you, the weather here is right frothing. Ain’t never seen anything like it before!”

Lightning trotted over to the edge of the cloud, glancing down.

Below them was a swirling mass of storm clouds, black and gray and heavy.

“This has got to be one of the biggest ones yet,” Lightning said in approval. “Crazy how this stuff grows when you mix in regular clouds.”

“Yeah, something about the Everfree magic or something,” Rolling said with a shrug. “Now, are you gonna jump or do I have to push you?”

Lightning snorted, lowering her flight goggles over her eyes. “Calm down, I’m going.” She spread her wings, feeling the wind as it brushed through her feathers. It was melodious: singing a beautiful song that washed over her like waves the shore.

But…

“Huh.”

“What now?” grumbled Rolling impatiently.

“It’s just…” Lightning hesitated, cocking her head to the side. “The current feels off tonight.”

Beneath the chorus of voices, Lightning felt that something was wrong. Like a note not in tune, it grated against her ears, derailing the entire song.

“I don’t feel anything,” Rolling answered. “Are you tellin’ me you’re… scared?”

Lightning huffed. “Scared? Please. I could do this in my sleep.” She shook her head and hunched down, chin almost touching the cloud.

Then, Lightning Dust took the plunge.

In seconds she was enveloped completely in the clouds. Lightning laughed as she executed a series of spins, letting the edges brush against her stomach and back.

To her right, she saw a glowing ball of light which flickered in and out, and she felt the sharp tingle of something electric run down her wings. It was a feeling she was familiar with, and yet… something was different. Something was wrong.

There was another sharp tingle, but this time pain instead of pleasure shot through her wings. Lightning winced and banked sharply, hoping to pop out the side of the cloud. But her maneuver was thwarted by a sudden gust of wind. One that knocked her deeper into the middle.

Then there was a deafening noise, one that Lightning barely remembered. Her vision failed her and the world became white. Her wings locked up and failed to move, and the only sensation Lightning knew was falling.

From there the hours became murky, accentuated with a sharp and painful ringing noise and muted, worried voices. Time spent with her head pressed against a pillow, her body filled with drugs and medication. Hooves and magic against her wings.

But what she did remember were the doctor’s words once she had awoken: “You are a very lucky mare to be alive. We were able to save your wings, but your injuries were still fairly severe. It’ll take time for you to get in the air again, but frankly… it’s a near miracle you survived at all.”

And every night before Lightning fell asleep, she would hear those faint echoes in the caverns of her mind, coupled with the taunting call of the wind, and above all, that horrific sensation of falling and falling and falling and falling

Lightning Dust grit her teeth, her blood becoming pain and her bones tearing into violent spears against her skin .

and falling and falling and falling and falling

The world was nothing but the storm besides her and faint visages of color and shape passing her by. Words and wind became the same. All she knew was sweat and pain and that no matter what, she had to keep flying.

and falling and falling and falling and falling

“No.”

Lightning wasn’t sure if she had spoken the word or thought it, but it hung heavy in the air.

“Not today.”

From within a fire burned up Lightning’s stomach. It crawled up her throat and came out of her mouth, and in a draconic and defiant scream, Lightning Dust refused to fall.

The next thing Lightning remembered was a blue-suited pony tapping her on the shoulder. “Hey, we got it! You better go get some rest!”

Lightning blinked a few times, spreading her wings and gliding to a halt. She craned her neck to look at the hurricane only to find that it was a fraction of the storm it was before. The sky was now filled with blue and yellow-suited pegasi, working to pummel the remains into submission.

She opened her mouth to speak but found she had nothing to say. As she descended to the ground she became acutely aware of how numb her body was. She felt as if a weighted blanket was covering her, blocking her body from any semblance of feeling.

As she struggled to piece her thoughts together she felt herself be guided through a series of tents, past ponies in uniforms and stretchers filled with weary pegasi.

Someone offered her a bottle of water and she accepted it. The water trickled down her throat, cool and refreshing, and she relished the feeling as life slowly bled back into existence around her.

Her ear twitched as a weight was added to her cot, and she turned to see a familiar figure sitting next to her, their right wing wrapped in a bandage. “Hey!”

And just like that, the weariness and exhaustion came crashing down on Lightning. “Derpy?” Her voice was hoarse and weak. “What… what happened?”

“You did it!” Derpy replied, hugging her tightly. “You guys kept the hurricane in check long enough for the Wonderbolts to get here. Lightning, you were amazing! You were up there for almost an hour!”

“An… hour?” Lightning blinked, shifting on the cot and feeling a dull ache in both of her wings.

Derpy nodded, putting a hoof on Lightning’s withers. “You saved the town, Lightning. I’m proud of you.”

Lightning blinked a few times. “Yeah,” she croaked with a small smile. “I… I’m proud of me too.”

And with that, they laughed as the storm died around them.

It was a beautiful day to take the fall.

Lightning Dust stood on the edge of the cliff, staring down into the shadows below. She extended her wings and felt the wing kiss the tips of her feathers, caressing them with the graceful touch of a seasoned lover.

She closed her eyes and sighed. The sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves soothed her and she relished in their familiarity.

But one pesky thought pierced her private heaven, forcing the smile on her face to waver.

Before she could even finish forming it, however, the touch against her wing became physical, and Lightning opened her eyes to see Derpy next to her, brushing her wing against Lightning’s own.

Derpy smiled at Lightning, and it was warm and young and perfect. “Easy, Lightning,” she tittered, eyes drifting up to the clouds. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself before you’ve recovered.”

Lightning chuckled, folding her wings. “I won’t.”

“Good. You’re going to need those wings if you want to get into the Rebounds A-Team,” Derpy said, tossing her mane.

“Really?” Lightning raised an eyebrow. “Who said I wanted to join?”

“After everything I’ve done for you, you better join,” Derpy answered, trotting over to the edge. “Come on! I want to see what you got!”

Lightning took a hesitant step forwards, but her eyes fell to the ground before she made it. But before she could voice a word, Derpy took her hoof. She smiled again and Lightning couldn’t help but smile back. She let Derpy guide her to the edge of the cliff, and they stood on its edge together.

Standing next to Derpy she felt strong. She felt whole. Reunited with her dream and ready to take on the world.

Derpy looked up at Lightning. “Are you ready?”

Lightning looked down then back at Derpy. “Ready.”

With hooves interlocked, they closed their eyes and jumped.

And Lightning Dust took the fall.

End