Chapter 1: Lightning Crashes

The sound of thunder bore deep into Flashbang’s eardrums. He clutched the side of his cloud in desperation.

Reality was frozen in the millisecond before impact where there is only fear, helplessness, and regret. Especially regret. He had been careless. Even in such a frantic instant, he knew full well that he would have no excuses for what was to come.

The other cloud slammed violently into his own, intermingling with a tell-tale bang and a brilliant flash of light. He could almost feel the energy extending below his body toward the helpless town of Ponyville with a speed that few fliers could match. A second blast followed, more sinister and unfamiliar than the first. And then there was the distant scent of smoke.

He could vaguely hear a mare's voice calling out from across the way: “Flashbang! What the hay!?”

He buried his snout in the cloud he had been responsible for, as if he could somehow wake himself up from the coming nightmare before it drew him in.

“I said, ‘what the hay’!?” The voice was closer this time. Then its owner, Skyraven, grasped her compatriot by the mane and forced him away from the billowy wreckage, his last solace. “Didn't you see my cloud?!”

Flashbang looked up at her slowly. He could see the reflections of red flames dancing over her eyes, and they suited her expression of rage all too well.

“Is it … bad?” He whispered, meekly.

“Of course it’s bad! Get down there and help put that fire out. I’m getting Rainbow Dash.”

“Yes, Raven ...” the rookie said, staring down at last. The flames of somepony’s home tumbled toward him like an open furnace. For the first time in an entire life of flying above the clouds, he felt vertigo.

*

Twilight Sparkle stumbled out of the library in a hurry as Spike sprinted in front of her, hoisting a lamp and shielding his eyes from the rain with a free claw. Other faces were popping out into the street, each turned in the same direction. Smoke rose above the buildings like a great crag of destruction, lit up along its underbelly by the fire that spawned it.

Twilight peered up through the rain just in time to see a single rainbow tearing through the sky, displacing clouds and rainfall in its wake. Then her coat bristled down the full length of her spine.

It was heading toward Fluttershy’s home.

*

“No, no, no, no, NO!” Rainbow Dash shouted to herself as she soared towards the blazing building. Of all the things the bolt could have struck, it had to be the home of the gentlest, most peaceful creature in the entire town. Dash couldn't even begin to think that her friend might be injured ... or worse. Her body was throbbing with adrenaline and her heart was a few beats short of an attack.

A crew of pegasus ponies were standing on a solitary storm cloud, leaping up and down in place to force a torrent of rain to spill down on the burning home. It was doing very little to extinguish the flames, but the fire was no longer spreading.

“Where is she?!” Dash cried to the group, pausing her flight to stand in their midst.

Derpy Hooves hopped from one end of the cloud and flew over to Rainbow with a salute that fell midway between her eyes. She winked furiously as this bounced raindrops directly into her eyeballs, but didn’t seem to think there was an alternative. “Who's where, Dashie?”

"In the .. who's ... ugh." Rainbow Dash shook her head to dispel her confusion. "Fluttershy! The one who lives in there! Did you see her?”

“Uh ...”

Rainbow Dash clacked her hooves together. “Derpy, come on, focus!”

“But Dashie, I -”

Suddenly, a dark-coated stallion named Flashbang appeared at Derpy’s side. He looked positively frantic, even without the two white circles of fur that surrounded his eyes like a permanent pair of goggles. “M-mam,” he wheezed, “nopony’s come out ...  just a bunch of birds, butterflies and squirrels. We ... have not seen any bodies.”

Rainbow Dash swore under her breath. “Tss, critters know how to fend for themselves. I’m more worried about ... I'm going in!”

Without giving the others time for any further words, Rainbow Dash turned and shot down like a bullet. The cloud of smoke broke around her body as she bore her way through. She didn't even try to pretend that the tears in her eyes were caused by the stinging sparks of flame that were leaping up across her face. The very thought of Fluttershy in danger had left her ego out to dry.

The sound of glass shattering filled the air as she broke through a window. She dove beneath the smoke and shook shards from her hooves and arms. A few would have to be picked out later.

“Fluttershy!” She shouted hoarsely, squatting and moving as quickly as she could beneath the oppressive smoke.

“Rainbow!” Squeaked a familiar voice, high-pitched and choked with tears. “Where is he?!”

“Where is who, Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash mostly needed Fluttershy to keep talking as she continued her search. What she said was not of consequence.

“Angel Bunny!” Sobbed the ash-covered mare, seconds before Dash clasped her in both arms.

“NOT HERE!” Dash screamed, gritting her teeth. She pushed her entire body as hard as she ever had in her life. Despite the added weight, the side of the house exploded with a brilliant rainbow as the two ponies burst free, exposing the interior to the rain and finally snuffing the flames as the rest of the building tumbled apart.

“Angel!” Fluttershy cried, extending a hoof towards the increasingly distant, smoking ruins. “No!”

*

Rainbow Dash held her friend firmly in place. They were up on a hill, watching with horror together as the night seemed to come apart. Many ponies were out gathering below, hooves in front of their gaping mouths. It was seldom that a storm went awry in Equestria.

"No... not Angel Bunny... please no." Fluttershy sobbed so heavily that her tears were distinct  through the relentless rain. They cut lines in the coat of her face, deeper than any storm could burrow.

Dash looked at her, uncertain as she spoke. "I'm ... sure he knew how to get out of the way."

But Fluttershy shook her head furiously. "He was trapped, I saw it! I couldn't get to him. I couldn't find him. Oh, he must have ... he must be so scared ..."

"Fluttershy ..."

Just then, Rainbow Dash got the sense that she heard something whistling through the air. She turned to look up at the burning ruin just as a single figure appeared from the catastrophic smoke. A pegasus pony, dark  with soot, was flying directly toward Rainbow Dash. Then it crashed at her hooves with an unceremonious tumble. This figure was clutching something very tightly in its arms, something small. When the pony's eyes finally came open, it was immediately apparent who this was.

“Derpy?” Dash blinked.

Fortunately, Derpy Hooves was used to crash-landings. She hopped at once up on her feet and shook soot off her face, revealing that she was beaming with excitement. “I found Fluttershy!” she proclaimed, as she raised a singed and blackened rabbit up in both hooves and stood up on the others.

“Angel!” Fluttershy shouted, as she lunged through the air and snagged the unconscious critter, tackling him to the ground in her embrace.

Derpy frowned as she fell back onto all fours. “Uh? That wasn't Fluttershy?”

Dash resisted the urge to hug, maybe even kiss the ditsy mare. She was certainly in for some kind of reward for this one … but now was not the time.

“Derpy …" Dash said, clearing her throat. "Go home for the night, clean up, and get some rest. You've done your share.”

Derpy gave another of her strange salutes. “Okay! I mean, uh, yes mam, Dashie, sir!” Then she unfurled her wings and lunged herself vertically toward the city of Cloudsdale above.

Dash took a moment to watch her vanish before returning her full attention to Fluttershy and her rabbit. The two were lying on the ground, both alive in varying degrees. Fluttershy was tracking the rabbit’s pulse and had washed off most of the soot with the help of the falling rain. No medic in Cloudsdale would be more adept at caring for an injured critter.

A familiar voice called out from behind the hill “Fluttershy!”

Dash turned in time to see Twilight Sparkle galloping at break-neck speed. Spike was skipping from puddle to puddle to keep up. The timing of their arrival could not have been more perfect... or more ominous.

Twilight parked herself by Fluttershy and threw both hooves around her, shielding her from the rain. “Oh my gosh ... are you okay? Your house!”

Fluttershy kept both eyes centered on the rabbit beneath her. “It’s okay, Twilight. Angel Bunny is more important right now.”

“Yeah, so, about that.” Dash said, sticking her nose between the two. “You and Angel are used to living in a tree, right? Well, a cottage shaped like a tree. Whatever it was. Anyway, I don’t think Cloudsdale is such a good place for a sick rabbit.” She looked pointedly at Twilight.

“Oh.” Fluttershy looked up, her face flushing deeply. “It’s alright. I can just go to the forest or something.”

Twilight shook her head resolutely as magic spiraled up her horn. Angel floated bodily over to Twilight and hovered up against her belly where he would be relatively warm and dry.

“Dash is right.” Twilight said. "The library has everything you need to treat him. Books, food, materials … and me. I'll be there to help, with and without magic.”

Fluttershy trembled in place like a small breed of dog. “B-but... oh my ... I don’t want to be a bother.”

Dash stared at her friend in awe. “Are you … are you serious? Fluttershy, your house just burned to the ground.”

“We’re your friends.” Twilight added. “That means we’re there for each other. You know that.”

Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight and said nothing. The implications of this night were now beginning to concern her.

Fluttershy raised her head and looked between the two with an affectionate smile. “Th-thank you. I know Angel Bunny would … will thank you too.”

“A-hum.” Spike piped up, raising his lantern toward the three ponies. “Now that we have that sorted out, how about we save the talking and get indoors?”

Twilight nodded. “Light the way, Spike.”

As the procession marched toward the library, the smoke continued to circle above the ashes once were called a home. Though the rain continued to barrel down upon the remaining plumes, it could not snuff out the feeling of tragedy that now hung over the entire town.

*

“Don’t worry, you guys. No more accidents tonight. Whoever’s responsible for this will get an earful from me tomorrow morning ... personally! I'll even go for banishment, if I can get enough of the others to agree to it.”

Fluttershy stepped into the warm library after tapping her hooves dry, listening unhappily to Rainbow’s words. “Oh please, no ...” she gasped, “It was just an accident. I’m sure they didn't mean to hurt anypony.”

Twilight followed last, still holding the limp rabbit against her stomach. She didn't have anything to say as she silently shut the door behind Spike and motioned for him to start preparing the area for guests.

Rainbow Dash heaved a sigh. “You’re too nice, Fluttershy. Somepony destroyed your home. They need to be held accountable.”

“Well, maybe … but you don’t have to send them away from all their friends and family, do you? I’m sure they feel just awful about what happened. If I did something like that I … I would cry for days.”

Dash looked deeply into her friend’s concerned eyes, and was quickly broken by them. She turned her snout and eyes aside in defeat. “Gah ... I’ll think about it."

Fluttershy smiled weakly. “And please, don't forget about Derpy. She saved Angel Bunny, after all.” Her face changed expressions immediately to one of concern. “Oh, Angel Bunny!”

Twilight felt Fluttershy appear swiftly at her side, so she raised a hoof and pointed it at a small bed which Spike had just prepared between two bookcases. Angel was softly breathing beneath the blanket with his fur matted back by rainwater. The ash was gone, but this only made Angel's wounds more visible.

Fluttershy took a moment to turn to Twilight Sparkle directly, raising herself up on her hind legs as she embraced the unicorn as tightly as she ever had. “Thank you.” She whispered sweetly into an ear, before parting to join Spike at the tiny animal's side.

Rainbow Dash watched the whole thing critically, then motioned Twilight over with her hoof. "Twilight ..."

“Yes, Dash?” Twilight whispered, as she trotted over.

“You’re blushing.”

Twilight reached up and put a hoof to her cheek. She had been so cold from rainwater that she hadn't noticed that lively little glow beneath her fur. It deepened considerably.

“Can we step outside for a second?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I need to talk to you. Alone.”

“I ... don't ..."

"I'm serious." Dash said, narrowing her eyes.

Twilight looked behind. Fluttershy was completely focused on Angel Bunny and oblivious to anything else for the time being. "Fine." she sighed.

*

Once outside, Rainbow Dash wasted no time. She shut the door and turned to her friend with a stern gaze as sprinkles of rain made it past the canopy and landed on her features. There was not much visibility between the two ponies now. With all the lights off in Ponyville and the flames finally put out, there was very little light to spare. Yet the moonlit clouds did just enough to show Twilight Sparkle that her friend's eyes were locked onto her, serious and searching.

Rainbow Dash's first words were very much to the point: “Don’t think I've forgotten what you told me. About how you feel about Fluttershy.”

Twilight tried rolling her eyes to shrug off the intensity of Dash's stare. “I thought that might be what this is about.”

“Well, yeah. You’re going to have her in your house, maybe for a good while. So stop chewing on your lip and listen. Fluttershy’s going through a very hard time right now. I’m trusting my good friend with you and I don’t want you to think this is your chance to make some kinda move.”

Twilight’s mouth went agape. “Excuse me? Your good friend?”

“Yeah ... my good friend.” Dash said. “Just like you, Applejack, and the others, you're all my good friends. We’re close, and I want it to stay that way. That’s all the more reason why I don’t wanna see you mess this up.”

“Look, Rainbow Dash, I’m not taking advantage of anypony. Besides, I only told you that I thought she was pretty. I honestly don’t even know her as well as some of my other friends.” Twilight looked away a bit, as this was something that had bothered her before. “She’s so … quiet.”

Dash lightened up the tiniest bit. “Yeah well, so are you, egghead. So why don’t you take this chance to get to know her better? But do it as a friend, Twilight. This isn't time for other stuff.”

“Fine, I get it. Can we get out of this cold and rain now?”

“You can, I gotta head back.” Rainbow turned an eye toward Cloudsdale above. “I've got stuff to prepare for.”

Twilight nodded. “Well. Good luck.”

As Rainbow Dash turned to go, her wings lifting and extending, she paused long enough to look back over her shoulder for one last, pleading stare.

“All I'm saying is ... be a friend, Twilight.” She said, and then she took off.

*

Inside the library, Spike was already asleep, curled up next to Angel Bunny in the small bed that had just been prepared. Fluttershy was quietly watching from their side, expressionless.

Twilight Sparkle walked up and offered a light, empathetic smile. “Hey … he’ll be okay.”

“I know, Twilight.” Fluttershy sighed. “But he breathed in so much smoke, and he has burns all over … it’s going to be a while before I have my friend back the way he was.”

“If there’s anything I can do to help, just ask.”

Fluttershy's cheeks lit up very slightly and she took a moment to suck on her lips before replying. “Well … um … there is one thing ...”

“Sure, name it.”

With tears streaming from her bright blue eyes, Fluttershy turned to Twilight Sparkle with her front legs parted outward. “Hug me again? A real big one?”

That was something Twilight could certainly do.