Author Notes: To understand the FlutterMac side of the story please read "Big Mac Likes the Shy Ones" which can be found on jrakob's DeviantART Page

I give full credit to the Author for spring boarding the FlutterMac side of the story.

Update 10/29/2015: It's been awhile since I've messed around with the "My Little Pony" universe but just to show that this story isn't dead I made a few changes. First the Tornado is now a mile and a half wide at its base. This is based off a real tornado that hit Tuscaloosa on April 27, 2011. This was part of the famed Tornado Swarm of 2011 and was categorized as an EF4 by the National Weather Service.

Second there are small changes to the grammar and wording of each sentence. When I originally wrote this I was still in high school and had little experience with writing stories. Now after writing up to 26 chapters of "Flying High" as well as writing at least three other stories, I feel a lot better about fixing things that I've messed up in the past.

That's all and I hope you find this story enjoyable.

Update 7/5/2016: I few more minor changes have been made. First off the "greenish tint" that is mentioned has been changed to "darkening skies". Normally a greenish tint in storm clouds means that a large amount of pollen is in the air before a storm. This is very common in the spring especially where I live.

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Chapter 1: The Storm

It was a stormy May night as Applejack & Rainbow Dash looked out the window of Applejack's House. It had been dry for the past two weeks & many of Applejack's apple trees, not to mention her barn were in danger of catching fire. Applejack asked Rainbow Dash earlier that day if she could whip up a storm to help keep her trees & barn safe. Now as they watched the storm safely from inside Applejack's home, Applejack started to wonder how Rainbow Dash would get home. "Don't ya think ya might of over done it?" Applejack asked. Rainbow Dash chuckled at the cowpony. "You the one who asked me to do this," she said. Applejack let out a sigh & explained why she was worried. "Rainbow, ya not gonna get home in this weather," she said. This made Rainbow Dash a little annoyed. She thought that she could fly through anything as long as she tried. Just then the two of them heard a knock on the door. "What in Tarnation! Who would be out in this weather?" Applejack said as walked to the front door.

As she looked out the front window was surprised to see Twilight, soaked head to hoof. She swung open the front door. "Twilight, get in her before ya catch yourself a cold," she said. Twilight walked in, dripping water all over the floor. "Let me get ya a towel so ya can dry ya'self off," Applejack said as Twilight started to shake herself dry. Applejack soon came back with a towel. "What are you doing here Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked. Twilight looked over at Rainbow Dash as she dried herself off. "Well Rainbow Dash, I was on my way to help Apple Bloom study for a test when all of a sudden this storm hit," she explained. Rainbow Dash looked a little embarrassed. She didn't know Twilight was on her way here, even Applejack had forgotten that Twilight was coming over to help Apple Bloom.

They soon realized that Twilight was worried about something. "What's a matter Twi'?" Applejack asked. Twilight looked out the window. The sky had started to darken & hail was starting to fall. "IS THAT HAIL!" Rainbow Dash yelled. This panicked Applejack; she knew that the hail would damage her apple trees. "Yes. You two don't realize what kind of storm this is. This is a Super Cell Storm," Twilight said. Applejack looked confused & Rainbow Dash was shocked. "A super… what?" asked Applejack. Before Twilight could explain, Rainbow Dash immediately started to talk instead. "I never intended to create a Super Cell."

"Wait! You created this?"

"Yeah… I… Applejack asked me to whip up a storm so the chances of her barn & her apple trees catching fire are small. I didn't think it would get out of control."

At this point Applejack had no idea what the two were talking about. "Y'all mind telling' me what the hay a Super Cell is?" asked Applejack. Twilight started to explain as simply as she thought she needed to. "A Super Cell Storm System is a type of storm that is capable of creating a powerful storm not to mention twisters," she explained. Rainbow Dash soon jumped in & told them that she had heard rumors of a small group of Pegasus ponies that had been causing problems all over Equestria. She told them that she thought that these Pegasus ponies were the reason for the drought in Ponyville. "I've heard these rumors too, Rainbow Dash. I just don't know if they're true," Twilight said. This comforted Rainbow Dash a little to know that Twilight had heard the rumors.

By now it was pitch black outside & the storm had intensified in less than two minutes. The trees where whipping around violently, the windows were rattling, & the shutters where whipping back & forth. "WHAT THE HAY! What's goin' on?" Applejack asked a little worried. At that moment they heard a loud rumble. "EVERYONE TO THE APPLE CELLAR!" Barked Rainbow Dash. The Whole Apple Family came running down the stairs to see what was going on, but only one who knew what was truly going on was Granny Smith. "We better get over thar, right quick," she said.

As the apple family ran out the door Granny Smith was nearly blown away in the over 90 mile an hour gust. Luckily Big Macintosh grabbed her before she was completely off her hooves. There was enough light when they got outside that they saw what was an EC4 on the Enhanced Cyclone Scale. A Tornado a mile and a half wide, bearing down on Sweet Apple Acres at nearly 40 miles an hour. Applejack froze in terror as she looked at the enormous wall of dust & debris coming straight at her & her family. "APPLEJACK!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she ran toward the terrified Applejack. She grabbed Applejack & pulled her into the Apple Cellar just seconds before the Tornado hit.

Just as the cellar doors were shut as tight as they could be they heard an unimaginable roar. The cellar doors shook violently & they hunkered down in the lowest part of the cellar. They could hear the apple trees being snapped & the house & barn being torn apart. "What's gonna happen to us?" Apple Bloom asked as she turned toward Applejack. She was more terrified than anyone in that cellar. "Ah… Uh… Don't know," she said. Big Macintosh held Apple Bloom in a reassuring embrace to comfort her. The rumble & roar of the tornado was soon becoming more & more distant. Twilight realized that the twister was either fading or was moving toward Canterlot, but it was too dangerous to go outside and see. "We should stay here for the night," she reasoned. She soon explained why & the others agreed. All except for Applejack who was completely silent & was still terrified from the ordeal.

All but Applejack soon fell asleep in the cool, dark cellar. She was sitting in a corner of the cellar, wondering what she was going to do. "My home, my livelihood is gone. What am Ah gonna do?" she thought aloud. She soon started to cry, unsure what to do. She soon felt a hoof pat down on her shoulder. She looked up with tears in her eyes to see Rainbow Dash. "What's the matter?" she asked. Applejack lowered her head & started to openly sob. "Oh Rainbow… Ah don't know what Ah gonna do. Ah lost my home, my farm, & my livelihood. Ah…" She now started to bawl. Rainbow Dash started to try to comfort the broken earth pony almost immediately. "Hey… at least you have your family. Doesn't that count? You even have the Spirit of Loyalty as a…" Rainbow Dash stopped; she started to think that she wasn't helping the situation. "Look… why don't we get some sleep. Okay Applejack?" Applejack looked up gave a soft smile as tears still streamed down her face. "Alright," she said as she lay down next to Rainbow Dash as she covered Applejack with one of her wings. As Applejack drifted to sleep she thought to herself, "Ah'm glad Ah have you as a friend."

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The next morning Twilight, Big Macintosh, & Apple Bloom woke up to an odd sight. Applejack was sleeping with Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash had her hoof wrapped around Applejack & her wing covering her in what seemed to be in a comforting but loving fashion. "What are they doin'?" asked Apple Bloom. Twilight shrugged, she had no idea what happened last night after the storm. Apple Bloom turned to Big Macintosh to see if he knew what they were doing. "Ah reckon that we better leave them alone," he said. At that point Applejack & Rainbow Dash woke up to see Twilight & Apple Bloom looking at them slightly confused, but as soon as they saw how red Applejack's eyes were they figured that Rainbow Dash was trying to comfort Applejack during the night. The two of them started to blush, Rainbow Dash didn't know exactly how awkward the position they were in looked to the others. After a brief awkward silence, Twilight said, "I-I-It's morning now. It's safe to go outside."

They all walked out of the Apple Cellar to see total devastation for miles around. They were in total shock as there was nothing left of Sweet Apple Acres. There was total silence, not one bird was chirping, & not one pony said a word until Applejack collapsed crying & bawling. Rainbow Dash was the first to try to comfort her. "Applejack… look at me. Come on… look at me." Applejack looked up at the Cyan Pegasus, tears streaming down her face. "We'll get through this, don't you worry. I won't leave until you are back on your hooves. Alright?"

"Rainbow…"

"Besides, I'm the Spirit of Loyalty. I can't let a good friend suffer like this."

"I know…"

Rainbow Dash was blushing by this point. The others didn't know if she was trying to comfort Applejack or if she was trying to show some form of affection. Soon Rainbow Dash thought of something. "Hey Twilight, remember that spell you put on the others to help the walk on clouds during the Young Flyers Competition?" She asked. Twilight was a bit confused on why Rainbow Dash was asking about this one spell, but she nodded anyway. "Well I want you to do it on Applejack & her family so she can stay with me," Rainbow Dash said.

Everyone was taken aback by this, they knew Rainbow Dash was being serious but were a little concerned. They wondered if Rainbow Dash could handle having a whole family at her Cloudsdale home. Twilight voiced their concerns, but Rainbow Dash insisted that Applejack's family stay with her. Twilight gave a sigh & said, "Alright, but we'll have to go to my house to do it properly." The others nodded & headed in the direction of Ponyville.

When they entered Ponyville they were met with an appalling sight. The Tornado didn't just hit Sweet Apple Acres, it hit most of Ponyville. From what Twilight could see, the tornado formed over Ponyville & destroyed more than half the town when it formed. Ironically the one pony that was worried the most was Big Macintosh. He knew that Fluttershy's house was just northwest of Ponyville & it was right in the path of the destruction. Since he had just been on his first date with Fluttershy, he was now was now worried that she might be hurt or even trapped in her house. "Twilight…" Big Macintosh said. "Is it alright if I check somethin' real quick?"

Twilight could see that Big Mac was worried about something, or somepony. Applejack, finally snapping out of a daze from losing her home, & seeing the devastation in Ponyville, realized who Macintosh was worried about. "Uh… sure," Twilight said. Big Macintosh immediately darted toward Fluttershy's house with Applejack nearly following him before she was stopped by Twilight. "What's wrong? Why is he running like that?" she asked Applejack. Applejack stopped & turned to Twilight. "Mac is worried about Fluttershy! He's in love with her & is probably worried that she might be hurt!"

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Meanwhile Macintosh was running toward Fluttershy's house when he noticed a white bunny hopping toward him. He stopped in his tracks. It was Angel, Fluttershy's bunny friend, & he was in a bit of a panic. "You're Fluttershy's bunny friend," Big Macintosh said. "What's wrong? Is it Fluttershy!" he asked. Angel nodded & jumped on Macintosh's back. With Angel now on his back, Big Macintosh galloped as fast as he could to Fluttershy's house. When he got there he was met with another appalling sight. Fluttershy's house was in ruins, destroyed by the tornado.

Soon Angel hopped off Macintosh & hopped over to the rubble that was once Fluttershy's house & thumped his foot on a large pile of rubble. It took Macintosh awhile before realizing that Fluttershy was trapped under the rubble. He charged at a full gallop toward the rubble & knocking away a good portion of the rubble. "DON'T WORRY FLUTTERSHY, I'M A COMIN'!" he yelled. He started to buck at the pile of rubble, kicking it everywhere. Then a familiar voice called out, "MAC!" Macintosh turned to the pony who was calling his name. It was Applejack running toward Macintosh with Rainbow Dash following right behind her. "Quick, get me some help!" he yelled. Applejack nodded & told Rainbow Dash to help free Fluttershy while she went to get Nurse Redheart & Twilight. Applejack knew that Fluttershy would be hurt, but just didn't know how bad. She also knew that Big Mac would be able to get Fluttershy out.

As soon as Applejack left, Big Mac bucked the last 2X4 off Fluttershy. She was unconscious, but alive. "Oh… miss shy. We really, REALLY have to stop meeting like this," he said to himself. Rainbow Dash walked up in disbelief. "Do you think she be alright?" she asked. Macintosh let out a sigh & turned to Rainbow Dash. "I ain't no doctor," he said.

Soon he noticed that Fluttershy was starting to regain consciousness. "Miss Shy? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He was starting to become more & more frantic as she drifted in & out of consciousness. She soon started to stir once again. Macintosh was just about to help her when a voice called out, "Don't move her!" It was Nurse Redheart. Applejack managed to find Nurse Redheart & Twilight, & bring them there within two minutes. "W-w-why not?" Big Mac asked. Nurse Redheart walked up & looked at Fluttershy. "She might have some broken bones," she said. "We have to get her to the Ponyville General Hospital right away." Twilight used her magic to carefully put Fluttershy on a stretcher that they had brought & Macintosh put her on a nearby & relatively undamaged cart.

When they got to the Ponyville General Hospital they saw that dozens of ponies had injuries, from broken bones to cuts & scrapes. They rushed Fluttershy into an X-ray & found that both her hind legs were broken, she had several cracked ribs & had other serious injuries. Nurse Redheart said her condition was critical, but she would make a full recovery.

Applejack figured the Big Macintosh want to stay behind to make sure Fluttershy recovered. "Mac, do you want to stay here? We'll go over to Rainbow's house & stay there," Applejack said. Macintosh never made eye contact with Applejack. "Eeeyup, I think I'll stay here,"

"Alright, I'll let Rainbow know."

"Thanks AJ."

As Applejack walked away she turned to look at Macintosh one last time before she went to tell Rainbow Dash that Macintosh wasn't coming with them. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, was interested in what kind of relationship Macintosh & Fluttershy had. As Applejack walked up to her to tell her that Macintosh wasn't coming, Rainbow Dash had only one thing to ask, "What's going on with Mac & Fluttershy?" Applejack was slightly annoyed that Rainbow Dash asked that. This was Macintosh's personal life she was asking about & she wasn't about to discuss it outside the family. "Rainbow… I can't-" Her words were cut short when Macintosh interrupted her. "Miss Shy & I recently had our first date a few weeks ago. It's the truth."

"So… How did you two end up meeting?"

"To tell the truth… I heard her crying one night, but I didn't know who it was."

"So you decided to check it out?"

"Eeeyup, when I asked her why she was crying I ended up startling her. When I asked again she started to back away. She nearly took quite a tumble as she tripped over a rock & slipped on the night's dew, falling toward a steep hill."

"Did you help her?"

"Eeeyup, I manage to grab her before she fell. I later sat down next to her as she laid her head on my shoulder & falling asleep. We ended up sleeping together."

"So… How did you two fall in love?"

"It was after I found her bunny, Angel; she started to cry into my mane. She cried for awhile before she let go of me. Then, suddenly, she KISSED me."

"SHE KISSED YOU!"

"Yes. I believe it might have been her FIRST KISS. It was for sure my FIRST KISS."

Rainbow Dash couldn't believe what she was hearing. The shyest mare she knew, Fluttershy, Kissed a stallion she barely knew. She knew that this wasn't something Fluttershy wouldn't do unless she had a reason. A thousand thoughts ran through Rainbow Dash's head; why did she do this; is she in love with him; what was going on in her head? These were only a few of the questions that raced through her head.

Finally Macintosh finished his story, & Rainbow Dash was relieved to find out that Fluttershy couldn't believe what she had done either. But now she was lying unconscious in the Ponyville General Hospital & everypony was worried.

As they walked out of the hospital Applejack turned to Rainbow Dash. "It's mighty kind of ya to let us stay with ya," she said. Rainbow Dash smiled at Applejack. "Hey. No problem. Anytime you need a place to stay just ask. Okay?" Rainbow Dash said. Applejack soon stopped & started to wonder why Rainbow Dash was doing this. "Why me? Why is Rainbow lettin' me stay at her home?" she thought to herself. Rainbow Dash noticed that Applejack was lost in thought. She thought she was thinking about her home. "Hey Applejack! You alright?" Rainbow Dash asked. Applejack looked up, and then said, "Uh… yeah, everything's fine." Applejack wasn't making eye contact & was twirling her hoof. Applejack soon caved in. "Alright, it's just that… why are ya lettin' me stay at your home? I just don't understand. What about Fluttershy or Twilight? Twilight probably lost her home, & we know the Fluttershy doesn't have a home."

Before Applejack could continue, she noticed that Rainbow Dash was blushing & biting her lower lip. "Rainbow… are ya… in love… with me?" she asked. Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. "I-I-I-I'm not sure; it's been like this since the Running of the Leaves back in September. Then… when you… I just… I'm sorry." With tears in her eyes Rainbow Dash darted for home without Applejack & her family. Applejack smiled; for the first time she felt something that she never felt before, but she also wasn't sure how to approach the situation. She considered herself a Hetmarostallion & not a Lesmarian. One thing she knew she needed to do was to talk to someone who would listen & help her. She had to talk to Macintosh.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had manage to get to home in Cloudsdale. She plopped herself on her cloud bed & started to figure out what to do. "Why did I do that?" she thought. "Why couldn't I tell her that I might have feelings for her? She not even a Lesmarian, she wouldn't feel the same way." Soon a voice broke her train of thought. "Hey RD, is somethin' wrong?" Rainbow dash looked out to see a Pegasus she had known since she was a filly. "Oh it's you, Hurricane. I'm fine." Hurricane was a fast, hard-hitting stallion from Neigh Jersey. He had deep blue eyes & a slick downed mane. "Come on now RD, Ya wouldn't have flown in there like that if somethin' wasn't wrong," Hurricane said.

Rainbow Dash wondered if she could tell him about her "Love Trouble" as Hurricane would put it. She knew the Stallions never took things about Lesmarians lightly; they either took it to extremes or put it aside, but Hurricane was a friend & would try to help in some weird way.

"Alright, just come here & I'll tell you," she said. As Hurricane flew up to Rainbow Dash's bedroom he could already tell that this was something very personal to her & she didn't really want to tell him. When he entered her bedroom he saw that Rainbow Dash's eyes were red from crying, but she had a serious look on her face.

"Alright you PROMISE not to tell anypony about what I'm about to tell you, alright."

"Alright."

"Do you swear not to…"

"Yes RD, I won't tell anypony, now what's wrong?"

"I… think I'm in love with Applejack."

"Umm… W-what?"

"I think I'm…"

"Yes I heard that, but ma question is; who is Applejack?"

"SHE is a… um… friend of my over at Sweet Apple Acres."

"So you're a… Lesmarian huh?"

"Y-Y-Yeah… You better not be thinking any perverted thoughts."

"No. You're ma best friend; I would never think that of ya."

"Whatever. Anyway, she is a Hetmarostallion, at least I think, & I'm worried if I confess she'll turn me down."

"Looks like ya got some 'Love Trouble' to me."

"I knew you would say that."

"Heh… what ya need to do is to tell AJ how ya feel. Ya have to be… brave."

"Why did you pause right there?"

"Uh… no reason."

As soon as Hurricane answered Rainbow Dash could tell he wasn't thinking about anything perverted, but about her. "Well… I'm outta here," Hurricane said as he flew out the window. "Remember RD, ya have to be brave." Rainbow Dash smiled but in the back of her mind she knew something was wrong. "I wonder what's wrong?" she said to herself. "Anyway… he's right; I have to be brave. I have to tell Applejack how I feel… I just don't know how." Finally she gave a big sigh & said to herself, "Well if I'm going to get hurt I want Applejack to be the one to do it."

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Meanwhile Applejack was just about to talk to Big Macintosh. As she open the door to Fluttershy's room she was met with an odd sight; Big Macintosh was talking to an unconscious Fluttershy. "Mac, what are ya doin'?" Applejack asked. Macintosh jumped & turned to Applejack. "AJ, ya scared me half to death," he said. Applejack gave a warm smile & a bit of a chuckle. "Mac, Ah know ya love her, but ain't this a bit… well… crazy?" Macintosh gave a sigh & turned to Fluttershy, running his hoof through her mane. "Redheart told me if ya talk to somepony who unconscious they'll hear ya," Macintosh said. Applejack rolled her eyes. "Don't ya think that she might be pullin' your leg?" Applejack said. Macintosh was annoyed by the comment. "How would ya feel if it were me that was unconscious!" he blurted out. His demeanor soon changed again as he realized that he might be upsetting Applejack. "Ah'm sorry AJ. Ah'm just a little worked up, that's all," he said.

Applejack pulled up a chair & sat down next to Macintosh. She could see that he was worried about Fluttershy & that it was starting to wear him out. "It's alright Mac. It's pretty tough when somepony ya care about is in the hospital," she said. Mac gave a sigh & looked over over at Applejack. Applejack could definitely tell that Mac was on edge, but at the same time Mac could tell that Applejack had something on her mind. "Somethin' wrong AJ?" Macintosh asked. Applejack looked up at Mac. "What are ya talkin' about Mac? Ah'm fine," she said. Macintosh could tell that Applejack was lying, but he just played along. "Well alright, Ah just thought that you & the others would be at Rainbow's by now," he said Applejack blushed; just thinking happened between her & Rainbow Dash made her a little uneasy. Though Macintosh acted as if she was her usual self. "Uh… Rainbow just had a few thing to take care of first," Applejack said.

She took a deep breath; she couldn't keep what had happened bottled up any more. "Mac… if somepony was tryin' to help ya because they cared about ya, but ya didn't share the same feeling… just yet, what would ya do?" she asked. Mac chuckled; he figured something had happened between her & Rainbow Dash & he figured it was something big. "Well… If ah were ya, ah would tell Rainbow the truth."

"How did ya know I was talkin' about me & Rainbow?"

"It was pretty obvious that ya had somethin' on ya mind & ah figured it was about Rainbow Dash."

"Well… Ah'm just not sure about this. After all ah consider myself a Hetmaro-what-ca-ma-call-it."

"Hetmarostallion."

"R-r-right. Ah just don't know what to do. Ah mean that ah never felt this way about another mare, much less Rainbow!"

"Have ya ever considered that ya might be Biquestral instead."

"Bi-what?"

"Biquestral, when ya attracted to both mares & stallions."

"Well no, but now that ah think about it this kinda started after the Running of the Leaves. Either way ah'm just not sure about Rainbow & how ah feel about her. Ah don't want to hurt her feelings."

"Just tell her just how ya feel. She'll understand."

"Thanks Mac, ah will."

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Applejack figured that Rainbow Dash would be at one of two places; Cloudsdale & Sweet Apple Acres. "Ah don't think that she would come back after what happened," Applejack said to herself. "She's probably scared." Knowing that Rainbow Dash had never admitted feelings for another mare, it was reasonable that she would be scared. Applejack figured that Rainbow Dash would probably be at Sweet Apple Acres getting herself ready to tell her how she truly feel.

Applejack was right, Rainbow Dash had flown back to what was now the ruins of Sweet Apple Acres. Half way to the Ponyville General Hospital she got nervous & decided to carefully plan how she was going to do this. She didn't realize that Applejack had started to walk up behind her. "How am I going to do this. Applejack probably doesn't think of me as more than a good friend. NO! NO! I have to be brave." Giving a frustrated grunt she fell backwards on her back to see Applejack, who was giving a soft warm smile.

Rainbow Dash jumped back to her feet & quickly took a couple steps back. "A-A-A-Applejack. H-h-how much did you hear?" Rainbow Dash asked. Applejack walked up & sat down next to Rainbow Dash. "Ah heard enough," she said. Rainbow Dash bit her lower lip & looked around nervously. "Ah have to say Rainbow, that was a bit of a surprise. Ah never would have guessed that ya had a crush on me." Rainbow Dash continued to be silent. "Rainbow ah know ya scared about what ah'm gonna say, but ya have to know nopony has ever told me or at least showed that they cared about me… at least out side the family."

Rainbow Dash finally turn to Applejack, with tears in her eyes she gave a soft smile. "To tell the truth Rainbow, ah felt a little differently about ya after the Running of The Leaves, but ah just don't know if this is really how ah feel about ya. Ah guess what ah'm tryin' to say is that… ah'm a little scared too."

"Applejack, I-I've felt like this since the Running of the Leaves. I-I love you, Applejack. I can understand that you might not feel the same way since you're a Hetmarostallion."

"Ah don't think ah am Rainbow. The fact is ah'm not sure how I feel about ya. Mac told me that ah might be Biquestral since ah… um… since nopony has made me feel this way before. Though nopony has ever showed me that they care about me the way ya have Rainbow."

At this point Rainbow Dash was happy that there still might be hope for her & Applejack, but the moment was short lived when the two heard a voice call out to Rainbow Dash. "See RD all ya had to do was be brave," the voice called out. It was Hurricane & he had been watching the whole thing unfold from a nearby cloud. Rainbow Dash was furious, she couldn't believe that he had been spying on them the whole time. "HURRICANE! WHAT THE HEY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!" she yelled. Hurricane flew down to talk to them face to face. "I was worried RD. You're my best friend after all," he said. Rainbow Dash gave a frustrated sigh & turned to Applejack. She blushing profusely, after all a stallion had heard the whole exchange.

Rainbow Dash figured that she had to introduce Hurricane to Applejack. "Applejack, this is Hurricane. He's a friend of mine from Cloudsdale. We've known each other since we were foals," Rainbow Dash said. Rainbow Dash turned to Hurricane, glaring at him. "I can't believe you where spying on us," she said. Hurricane chuckled. "I'm not the only one. There are three fillies over by that… um… barn, or at least I think it's a barn," he said. Rainbow Dash put her hoof to her face. As soon as Hurricane said that there was three fillies over by the rubble that was once the Apple family barn, she knew who they were. "I can't believe this," she said. "what are they doing here." Hurricane chuckled again. "Ya know them RD?" he asked. Rainbow Dash now started to laugh. "Yes I know them. They're names are Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Bell," she said. "Why are ya laughing Rainbow?" Applejack asked.

Rainbow Dash started to calm down before speaking again. "Because, I knew they would end up following one of us to see what was going on. Anyway lets head back," Rainbow Dash said. She gave Applejack a wink & started to head toward what was left of the barn. Applejack followed unsure of what Rainbow Dash was planning.

When they got to the other side of the rubble they were directly behind the three. "What are they doin'?" Apple Bloom asked. Scootaloo poked her head out to see that Rainbow Dash & Applejack were gone. "They're not there. They must have gone back to Ponyville," she said. Of course Rainbow Dash couldn't help but surprise them. "We're right here," she said. The three of them were scared half to death, not realizing that Rainbow Dash & Applejack had snuck up behind them. "R-R-Rainbow Dash! You scared us," Sweetie Bell. Sweetie Bell's right front leg was in a cast; it was broken from the tornado. Scootaloo didn't look any better, she her body was covered in bandages; she had been cut up from the debris tossed up from the tornado.

"Sorry about spying on ya," Apple Bloom said. Rainbow Dash smiled. "It's better than when a full grown stallion spies on us," she said, looking up at Hurricane. The three of them turned to see that Hurricane was now behind them then turned back to Rainbow Dash. "Is this a friend of your's Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked. Rainbow Dash sigh then chuckled a bit. "Yeah. This is Hurricane. We've been best friends since we were foals," she said. As they looked at Hurricane again, Scootaloo got a look at Hurricane's Cutie Mark; a Tornado. "That looks like the thing that hit Ponyville," Scootaloo said. Hurricane looked at his Cutie Mark then turned back at Scootaloo.

"What ma Cutie Mark. Heh. I got this after I made a Twister. I was showing off of course," he said. "To me it shows that I'm a Fast & Furious, Hard Hitting Pegasus. Though I'm never gonna be as fast as RD. After all ya did a Sonic Rainboom Twice," he said slightly blushing. "Thanks Hurri-." Rainbow Dash now realized what was wrong with Hurricane; he was in love with her.

After a brief awkward silence Hurricane was the first pony to say something. "Well, I better go. They need help over at Ponyville lookin' for missing ponies," he said. "Wait there are ponies missing?" asked Applejack. Hurricane nodded. "They went missing after the Tornado last night," he said. "We better go too. If they find out that we snuck out of the hospital, they're gonna kill us," Scootaloo said.

With that Hurricane, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, & Sweetie Bell went back to Ponyville. Rainbow Dash turned back to look at Applejack. "We better head back too," she said. As Rainbow Dash started to fly back Applejack grabbed her tail. "Hold on there sugarcube. What's goin' on with you & Hurricane?" she asked. Rainbow Dash bit her lower lip, stalling for time. "Rainbow, what's goin' on?" Applejack asked again. Finally Rainbow Dash caved in. "I think that Hurricane might be in love with me."

"Say what now?"

"I know it sounds weird, but it's not like him to say something like that."

"Ya mean to compliment ya?"

"No! To say that I'm faster than him. He always brags that he could beat me in a race, ever since we were little foals."

"Sounds like a certain mare I know."

"Hey! Anyway… he's been acting differently since I told him about you. It's not like him to keep anything bottled up like that."

"Rainbow… he might be just as scared as ya when ya tried confessin' to me. Why don't ya go talk to him. I'll meet ya back at the hospital."

"Alright. See you there."

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Meanwhile back at the hospital Mac was still waiting for Fluttershy to wake up. "Ah'm sorry ah wasn't there," Mac said as he brushed away Fluttershy's mane from her forehead. At that point he leaned in & kissed her forehead. "Ah'm so sorry," he whispered. At that point the door opened & Mac turned to see Applejack & Twilight at the door. He smiled & said, "Y'all can come in." They walked in & sat down next to him. They were just as concerned about Fluttershy as he was. "Is she doing alright?" Twilight asked. Mac smiled & took a deep breath. "She's alright," he said. Applejack was now wondering how Fluttershy became unconscious in the first place. "Mac, did Nurse Redheart ever tell ya why Fluttershy is unconscious?" she asked. Almost immediately Twilight cleared her throat & said, "I can answer that. Nurse Redheart told me that Fluttershy had some serious injuries & had gone into shock." Both Applejack & Macintosh were a little confused. "Shock?" Applejack asked. Twilight let out a big sigh. "It's a serious bodily reaction that usually follows severe injury or a large loss of blood, & since Fluttershy barely lost any blood but had some serious injuries she probably went into shock."

"So why is she unconscious?"

"After shock wears off the pain of these injuries sets in & what Nurse Redheart told me she probably pass out from the pain of the injuries."

"So Redheart knows that Fluttershy went into shock."

"Yes, she said that the injuries were so bad that when Fluttershy wakes up she may need to be put in a Medical Coma so she can recover quickly."

"Ya mean to tell me that they're gonna knock her out again! There's no way ah'm lettin' that happen!"

"I'm sorry Macintosh, but that may be the case. Not only did she had two broken hind legs, but she had several cracked ribs, a fracture skull, internal damage, & even a concussion."

"I ain't lettin' anypony near her if they're gonna do that! Ah've worried too long & waited too long to she her be knocked out again!"

"Twi', we best be gettin' outta here so Mac can calm down."

"Alright."

With out another word being said, Twilight & Applejack let Macintosh calm down. Macintosh was breathing heavily & in a rage, but he quickly calm down & turned to Fluttershy. He once again started talking to Fluttershy. "Ah'm sorry Fluttershy. Ya got me all worried about ya." He started to hold her right front hoof. "Please wake up soon."

00000

Meanwhile Rainbow Dash was looking for Hurricane. She was flying high over the Everfree Forest looking for any signs for him. She soon found him circling over an area of the Everfree that had some debris around it. She flew down to talk with him. "Hurricane!" she yelled. Hurricane looked up at Rainbow Dash confused on why she wasn't with Applejack. "Hey RD! Why aren't cha with AJ?" he asked now letting two Pegasus ponies take a teal Unicorn back to Ponyville. "I wanted to talk to you," Rainbow Dash said. "About what?" he asked. Rainbow Dash now turned serious. "About what happened back there; at Sweet Apple Acres," she said. Immediately Hurricane froze & proceeded to blush. "O-o-oh…" he simply said.

Rainbow Dash now put her hoof to her face, but she could even get a word out Hurricane proceeded to lean in & kiss Rainbow Dash on the lips. It was a very short kiss, mainly because Rainbow Dash shoved Hurricane away. "WHAT THE HEY DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" she yelled. Hurricane was silent as Rainbow Dash yelled at him furiously. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? THAT WAS MY FIRST KISS! I CAME TO ASK YOU A SIMPLE QUESTION, BUT INSTEAD YOU KISS ME! YOU KNOW WHAT! I DON'T WANT TO SEE EVER AGAIN! YOU GOT THAT?" Through the rage she saw that Hurricane was starting to cry. "I-I-I'm sorry," he said quietly as he darted back to Cloudsdale with tears streaming down his face. Rainbow Dash was silent as she watched Hurricane fly away. "What've I done. I just lost my best friend." she thought. Rainbow Dash soon turned back headed back to Ponyville; back to the Ponyville General Hospital.

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When she got back she sat down & lowered her head. Applejack soon walked up to her. "Hey there sugarcube," she said. Rainbow Dash didn't say a word & refused to look at Applejack. Applejack could tell that Rainbow Dash was upset, but she didn't know why. "What's wrong?' she asked. Again Rainbow Dash didn't say a word. "Rainbow, what's wrong?" Applejack asked again. "He kissed me," she mumbled softly. Applejack didn't hear a word she said, but knew she said something. "What was that. Ya were mumblin'," she said. Rainbow Dash suddenly jumped up & yelled, "He kissed me!" Applejack was shocked. "He did what?" she said. But before Applejack could yell obscenities about Hurricane she realized that Rainbow Dash was starting to cry. "You were right Applejack. He was scared. After I pushed him away I yelled at him. Oh Applejack… I lost my best friend," Rainbow Dash said as she started to cry. Applejack was now the one to start comforting Rainbow Dash. "It's okay Rainbow. Ah'm here & ah'm sure he'll forgive ya," she said. Rainbow Dash was crying very hard. "I-I'm not worried about that. I-I'm worried that I'll never get the chance to see him again. T-T-That I'll never get the chance to say 'I'm sorry'," she said. Applejack tried once again to comfort the broken cyan Pegasus. "How long have ya been friends?" Applejack asked, trying to gauge the situation. Rainbow Dash wiped the tears from her eyes & looked at Applejack. Her eyes were already red & she had tears streaming down her face. "W-We've been friends since we were 3 years old," she said.

Applejack was surprised that they had been friends for so long. Applejack knew Rainbow Dash was at least 16 maybe 17 years old & figured that Hurricane was the same age. "We've been friends for 14 years, & now that friendship is over," Rainbow Dash said. Applejack took off her hat & put it on Rainbow Dash's head. "Rainbow… You're my best friend, at least for now, & just like ya helped me through the tornado, ah'll help ya through this. Ya know what ah'll talk to him."

"I don't think you'll be able to. He flew off toward Cloudsdale."

"That doesn't matter. When ah see him ah'll talk to him & tell him you're sorry."

"Thank you, Applejack."

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That following night, Macintosh fell asleep sitting on the chair next to Fluttershy. His head was laying on Fluttershy's hospital bed. Late that night, sometime around 1 in the morning, Fluttershy started to wake up. When she opened her eyes she looked around the room. She didn't remember much. The last thing she remembered was trapped under the rubble of her house & Macintosh was trying to save her. When she saw Macintosh sleeping next to her she smiled at him. She put her hoof on Macintosh's head & silently whispered, "Thank you."

This woke Macintosh up. Fluttershy didn't realize that Macintosh was a bit of a light sleeper, but she gave him a soft smile anyway. Macintosh opened one of his eyes & saw that Fluttershy sitting up with her right front hoof on his head. Almost immediately his eyes went wide & proceeded to jump out of his chair. He couldn't believe that Fluttershy had regain consciousness so quickly. Soon he was overwhelmed with joy. He pretty much became hysterical. "Oh thank Celestia. You're awake," he said. "Ah'll get one of the nurses." But before Macintosh started to head toward the door Fluttershy grabbed one of his foreleg. He turned to Fluttershy & gave her a bit of a confused look. "I-I don't to… um… worry you again," she said. At first Macintosh didn't know what she meant by that, but then she explained. "I… um… I heard what you said. I heard every word," she said. Macintosh was shocked that what Redheart told him about talking to an unconscious pony was true.

Now that he knew that Fluttershy heard him, he wondered if she heard about Applejack & Rainbow Dash. "So… did ya hear me when ah was talkin' to AJ?" he asked. Fluttershy simply nodded. Fluttershy then noticed two trays of food that where brought to the room, neither of which had a bite taken out of the food. "Um… have you eaten anything since I got here?" she asked. Macintosh shook his head. "No ah haven't," he said. Fluttershy was concerned that Macintosh made himself sick from not eating. She soon had a worried look on her face, which worried Mac. "But… now that you're awake ah could go for some grub," Mac said. Fluttershy giggled & said, "Yes, let eat."

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Later that morning at around 7:05 AM Applejack started to get up to go look for Hurricane. She was now staying with Rainbow Dash at her cloud home. Twilight had done the spell just hours earlier at 11:20 PM, & now Applejack was about to use the hot air balloon to get back down. But before she could, Rainbow Dash was starting to get up. She lazily walked up to the coffee maker, which had started brewing. She started to pour a cup. As she looked up to drink, she saw Applejack just about to walk out the door. "Applejack? Where are you going?" Rainbow Dash asked as she drank. Applejack stopped in her tracks & turned to Rainbow Dash. She had a nervous look on her face as she said, "Ah'm gonna look fer Hurricane. Uh… Where did ya say he headed?" Rainbow Dash chuckled & simply said, "He should be somewhere around Clouldsdale." Applejack gave a nervous chuckled & said, "Right. Uh… where is that?"

"You're at Clouldsdale."

"Oh… uh… Right."

"Hey Applejack."

"Yeah Rainbow?"

"Thanks again."

And with that Applejack smiled & walked out the door. It wasn't long before Applejack was pointed in the right direction after asking about Hurricane. Though she soon became distracted by wondering why Hurricane kiss Rainbow Dash so suddenly. She was so distracted that she bumped into Hurricane. The two fell to the cloud floor. Hurricane jumped back to his hooves & said, "Watch where the hey you're goin'."

"Ah'm Sorry."

"Wait AJ? How the Hey did you get here? How are able to…"

"Rainbow has a Unicorn friend named Twilight. She used a spell on me & ma little sis to stay at Rainbow's."

"Oh boy… I bet RD told you what happened."

Applejack responded quickly. "Eeeyup." Almost immediately she noticed that Hurricane was starting to brace himself. "Uh… What are ya doin'?" she asked. "Your gonna buck the livin' crap out of me, right?" Applejack was a little confused why Hurricane thought she was angry at him, until she remembered that Rainbow Dash had yelled at him. "Look… Ah ain't mad at ya & neither is Rainbow. Ah came to tell ya that she is sorry about yellin at ya," she said. This took Hurricane by surprise. He was amazed that Rainbow Dash wasn't mad at him. "She's not mad?"

"No, she ain't. She's worried that she lost a good friend. A friend she can count on. But what ah want to know is why ya did it."

There was an audible gulp as Hurricane prepared to explain. "I'm not the Stallion that everypony thinks I am. I'm not a player. I can't talk to mares & the only mares I fell in love with were RD & Fluttershy. When I heard that Fluttershy was seein' somepony I gave up."

"And ya thought Rainbow was the one, huh?"

"Yes, but when she told me about ya, I was crushed."

"But ya didn't give up."

"Not completely. I knew she would figure it out, but I was worried that it was too late. Now that I know it's too late to have a relationship, I don't think I'll ever find that 'Special Somepony'."

"Ah'm sure she's out there somewhere. She maybe even in Ponyville. So don't give up just yet."

Just then they heard a clap of thunder. Hurricane immediately turned to a near by Weather Team Pony. "WHAT THE HEY IS GOIN' ON? PONYVILLE IS DESTROYED & YOUR MAKIN' ANOTHER STORM?"

"It's from near by St. Hoofis. They said it already produced an EC3 Twister."

Immediately after hearing this, Hurricane bolted for Ponyville. "Where are ya goin?" Applejack asked. Hurricane just said two words, "To help!" He flew off into the heart of the Super Cell, toward Ponyville General Hospital. Applejack knew what to do; get Rainbow Dash!

End of Chapter 1