~Chapter 3~

"What's tah matter Twilight? You seem kinda off today." The tawny farm pony addressed the purple unicorn who seemed to walk as if dazed. Her gaze wandered with thoughts unknown to the rest of her friends. Hearing the voice made her jolt from her thought process,

"Oh, what?"

"You're a bit distracted." Rarity commented, "Today's the festival, you should be happy! Whatever is your problem?" she asked.

Twilight Sparkle was surprised as her gaze seemed to move automatically to the sky, "I'm not sure. Just a weird feeling…like something's going to happen."

She saw the blue and pale yellow bodies of her winged friends soar across the sky. All of them were rather surprised the usually somber and shy Fluttershy was going into the race with Rainbow Dash. The streets of Canterlot were jammed with game and food stands, and ponies were running around, chattering, laughing, having general fun. Why did Twilight feel she was the only one who felt there was a shadow cast over these festivities?

"You shouldn't be worrying, Twilight!" Came the cheerful voice of Pinkie Pie as she hop-skipped down the street alongside her friends, "At a super-duper fun party like this, you should be having super-duper fun, right? What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing." Twilight lied, feigning a smile, "Just something…about a book I read." She rarely ever lied outright, especially to her friends, for she knew it was wrong. But in this case it felt necessary. She didn't want to deprive the others of their upbeat moods for her seemingly gloomy air. They deserved to have fun here, and Twilight wasn't sure why she wasn't.

"Oh looky!" Pinkie Pie cried, waving a hoof in the air, "The race is starting!"

"But…wait h' second. Wouldn't them Pegasi clear up all t' bad weather? What's that ovah there?" Applejack pointed toward the distant horizon, where a broad, black cloud sat among the mountains. Ashy wisps of the cloud blew across the sky, reaching for Canterlot and its merry festival.

"Freak storm, perhaps?" Rarity suggested, "Though I'm sure I've never quite seen a cloud do that before…"

The cloud was hurrying across the sky, leaving ashy, wispy vapor in its wake. Occasionally its curls and folds were illuminated by a sudden flash of lightning.

"It's…headed straight for the flight race!" Twilight cried.

…

"Luna, what is that?" Celestia bent to whisper to her younger sister. Luna blinked, staring up at the fast-moving cloud with worry in her eyes. Before her older sister could say anything else, Luna burst out,

"I'll investigate it," she murmured and with one strong downstroke, lifted into the sky.

"Wait, Luna." Celestia called to her, "It might be dangerous. Did you see that lightning? I should take care of it." She offered.

Luna felt a familiar prickling over the back of her neck, traveling like a current down her spine. A whisper sounded in her head.

She thinks she is stronger and more competent than you, my dear. She wants to play hero again…when was the last time you got your share of glory, of heroism?

Luna blinked her eyes shut.

Yes, dearest Luna. Don't back down now. You deserve more respect, more power. Go now, don't give her a chance to steal away this chance.

You're so very right! Luna thought, and, ignoring the older princess, flew off toward the storm.

"Luna! What do you think you're doing? Get back here!" Celestia called, stomping her hooves in anger and frustration, "That was an order, Luna!" when the dark alicorn did not even turn to look back, Celestia reared up, "Damnit! Luna you're making a mistake!" She raised her own broad, white wings.

"Wait!" Cried Twilight Sparkle. Celestia saw her student and her friends, excluding the Pegasi, galloping up. Twilight blinked at Celestia, "You can't go, princess. It really does look dangerous."

"But Luna…" Celestia began, and her anger toward her younger sister suddenly vanished, replaced with fear and panic for her, "No, Luna's up there!"

"An' so are Rainbow Dash n' Fluttershy!" Applejack realized.

"Wait," Rarity spoke up, "Can't you use your magic to get rid of the cloud?"

"I…" Celestia stammered, "There's something wrong…" Her horn was shimmering, pointed at the dark storm, but the swirling magical debris fizzled miserably, "My magic is not working…"

"No Princess, you can't go after her." Twilight moved in front of her mentor, a serious look in her eye, "It's too risky. If it eats magic, then it'll definitely be dangerous."

"But Luna…" Celestia whimpered, lowering her head sadly.

…

Luna's wings were shedding off feathers with each downstroke. The winds up here were confusing, coming at her from every angle, shredding at her primaries and making this flight arduous.

Yes, Luna dearest. You are the only one who can defeat this storm. It is of dark alignment, your sister's light magic cannot harm it. You can, for your dark magic is stronger.

Yes, I will save the day. Luna repeated to herself as she neared the storm. She saw the wispy, shifting surface of the storm, and up close it didn't even look like a cloud. Not at all fluffy and pillowy, but more like a heap of heavy blacker-than-black mist, tumbling over and over through the sky. Constant slipstreams were whirling roughly around it. Luna struggled against a headwind, her horn glowing dark violet.

But her spell was interrupted. She felt the air around her lock in a stillness for a heart-stopping moment, and a sudden downdraft sucked her down. A bolt of lightning, not white or red or blue like regular lightning, but the darkest purple or black, struck at her. Luna somersaulted through the air and out of the way just in time.

By now even flapping her wings were useless. Luna felt like she had been forced into a hurricane or cyclone, spinning around in these winds, yet falling or rising, swung around. The storm was playing with her, like a young, destructive child would play with a doll. Luna didn't want to think about it flinging her toward the ground, breaking her body and killing her, like a child would. Hopefully this storm was just mischievous and not so much child-like. Whatever. Luna just didn't want to die.

But the wind did just that. It flung Luna through the skies. The dark alicorn did not try to flap her wings to escape. She was already unconscious.

…

"Damnit! I can't fly out of this!" Dash roared in frustration. She had seen all the other participants in the race at the sight of the storm cloud. Dash had remained, determined not to be scared off by a little rain. With great effort, she had convinced Fluttershy to stay to, though by now she was practically near hysterics with fear.

Dash felt both of her wings were stretched to the longest length on either side of her, being pulled by the winds, as if they wanted to tear her in half. She was seemingly suspended in air, battling a stubborn headwind. Fluttershy's fragile body was being tossed around, sending her cries and tears flying everywhere.

"Hang on, Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash muttered through her teeth. She punched through the headwind, which seem to let up almost too suddenly. As the blue mare fought her way toward Fluttershy, she saw something dark and large being hurtled through the air above her. What was it? No time to wonder. Fluttershy was almost screaming now.

"Hang…on…!" Dash cried as she was pulled from all angles by the storm's winds, nearing Fluttershy. The pale yellow Pegasus was flying toward her. Dash had her front legs held out to catch her, when that dark object she had seen earlier obscured her view. That was all Dash saw before it slammed into her, hard, and sent the world spinning away.

…

"No!" Fluttershy shrieked, quite louder than she was used to. Dash was hit with some sort of shape she was sure she had seen before, and was knocked out. Her body had been drawn into the same slipstream as Fluttershy, and as her form passed her, the pale yellow mare flung her front legs around Rainbow Dash's neck, holding onto her friend for her life.

Fluttershy held on persistently, burying her muzzle in her friend's rainbow mane. Tears streaked down her face. She suppressed a cry of fear. She felt like she was being carried farther and farther up, away from her friends. Straight up…toward the storm!

Fluttershy saw nothing, squeezing her eyes shut and holding onto Dash's unconscious body with all her strength. Her wings were useless, pinned down by the confused zephyrs. Fluttershy had never felt so terrified in her life. She knew she was going to die, she and Dash were going to die. All she hoped was that when she got struck by lightning, or hurled into the ground, she wouldn't suffer broken or singed but die instantly, painlessly…