A Silver Lining

I can’t believe it. I can’t believe that I got kicked out just like that Lightning Dust thought as she packed her saddlebags with tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I gave up everything to get here and now it’s ruined”, she said in a cracked voice throwing her now useless flight suit against the opposite wall.

She had made the mistake of selling her Manehattan apartment for a fraction of the price she should have thinking she wouldn't be needing it.  Now she only had some loose bits he had gotten from a card game, Not nearly enough for a hotel she thought looking into her vacant wallet.  She closed and locked her door, walked down the hall, and handed the key over to the block captain as she walked out of the barracks.

She walked across the main facility towards the academy gates, on her way she went past the Mess Hall with a sign reading Gumbo. Well, at least there’s a silver lining to this she thought wrinkling her snout in disgust, she walked past the Fitness Center were she could hear the crazed yelling that could only be that white built Pegasus with the tiny wings, and finally passed the Assembly Square were everyday the entire Fight School would start and end the day with the announcements and the Wonderbolt Pledge, yet another part at Lightning won’t be missing about camp. She walked out the gates and took one last look at the academy, spread her wings and slowly glided away.

She heard about a little town by the edge of The Evergreen Forest from the other cadets and she figured it was as good as a place as any. She landed just outside the town at dusk and walked through the empty streets looking for an inn or lodge.

She must have looked for almost an hour until she gave up and decided to make a shelter in the woods to sleep in. She found a little clearing and made a small fire and lean-to for the night, just out of sight of Ponyville but not too far into the woods.

Looks like that survival training they gave us wasn’t a complete waste of time she chuckled to herself as she sat inside her shelter by the fire. She sat there watching the flames flickering up into the air.

She was so mystified and exhausted that she didn’t even notice the soft sound of hooves approaching from behind her.

“Umm, excuse me…” a soft voice said making Lightning Dust jump up and face where the voice came from.  What she saw was a light yellow coated Pegasus with a long pink mane that fell in front of half her face as she scooted back suddenly.

“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare you like that”, Lighting said trying to get closer to the pegasus, but she just moved further back every time.  She looked more carefully to see her face and it suddenly hit her Wait a minute, I know her!

“Hey I know you, you’re one of Rainbow Dash’s that were on the balloon when the twister got out of control”, she exclaimed “Now what was your name, Buttershy? Fluttereyes? ”, she thought out loud.

“It’s Fluttershy, actually”, she whispered

“Fluttershy that’s right, sorry about the tornado by the way, my names Lightning Dust”, she stated extending her foreleg, which Fluttershy met with a shaky hoof.

Lightning noticed it asking, “Hey, are you okay, Fluttershy?”

“Oh well, you see I thought your campfire was a wildfire and I rushed out here with a water pail because I was so afraid for my animal friends”, she explained with a stronger voice.

“Oh I didn't know I was on your land, sorry”, she apologized to which Fluttershy quickly replied, “Oh no no no no! This isn't my property; I just have a little cottage in that direction” pointing with her snout directly behind her.

She turned back and glanced at Lighting’s camp site and asked in a concerned voice “Umm, if you don’t mind me asking but why are you here in the first place?”

She winced at the question not wanting to think about it “Well you see…I’m… on vacation!” Ya, she’ll believe that.

“Oh, so you enjoy camping?’”, she asked.

“Well not exactly, I can’t afford a room at the hotel”, she reluctantly admitted feeling a bit embarrassed about it.

“Oh dear, that’s dreadful I can’t let you sleep out here in the cold. I have an extra room at my cottage that you can use”, Fluttershy offered, but before Lightning could answer she found herself being dragged away from her campsite in the direction of Fluttershy’s cottage

“Um, okay”, she said very confusedly while scraping along the ground.