Part 2: The accident

By now the weather had indeed taken a turn for the worse, brilliant white streaks of lightning could be seen racing across the sky accompanied by the almighty roar of thunder. As the bursts of lightning became more frequent the wind also picked up to almost gale force, ripping the branches off the trees and sending birds fleeing out of their nightly roosts. Hail stones pelted down from the sky, crashing against the rocks and covering the ground with a fine white sheen.

Skylar hardly noticed the sudden change in the weather, his mind was preoccupied by the nights events... flash backs of the glass hitting his face and him kicking Rumble Chomp raced through his mind and continued to feed his misery. He lifted his hoof to his left cheek and could still feel that the blood was still flowing freely which caused him some concern. Minutes and hours seemed to blend into one as thought's such as ' No one will every like you again'. 'Now people have seen this side you will be alone forever' entered his mind and he almost completely buckled over from crying.

After a few minutes he partially regained his senses (what was left of them) and tried to figure out what to do. As he hovered over the northern mountains (an area usually forbidden to any Pegasi but the Storm Watchers) he felt a strong, ice cold wind buffet him which sent him somersaulting backwards several feet. As he regained his balance he looked up and the dark night sky lit up with a brilliant white flash of lightning followed by a deafening crack of thunder. Sobbing, Skylar covered his ears and screwed his eyes shut while hail continued to pelt him all over his body, each strike was like a wasp sting and each one made him gasp in pain.

It was becoming clear to him now that he had no chance of making it back to the party or back home, he was way past the northern border and was already high above the northern mountains in the no-fly zone. As he realized fully where he was he also realized that he was the highest object in the sky.... in a thunderstorm! He had learnt in flight school the extreme dangers of flying in thunderstorms and he began to panic. Wildly he turned side to side, frantically beating his wings... look for some way to escape.

As he continued to search a brilliant white flash temporarily blinded him and he felt a blinding pain in his right wing. He screamed in agony and when his eyes finally cleared he could see that his wing tip was black and smoking, he had almost got struck by lightning! Now fully alert and utterly terrified he beat his wings and flew in a random direction, however before he even made it another 20 feet he saw another brilliant white flash, then he lost consciousness.

When he came back around he was still falling, he was spinning wildly towards the ground. He couldn't move a muscle in his body or make a sound but out of the corner of his eye he could see a large smoldering black patch on his flank ('where the lightning must of hit me' he thought blankly) and he could see smoke coming from his right wing. Suddenly sensation returned to his body and he yelped as a terrible pain shot back and forth his entire body, which caused him to blackout again. Still he continued to fall, like a silent snow flake racing to meet the ground.

Silverstar and his group had been rushing around Ponyville for over an hour now, everyone was either asleep or passed out from the party and they couldn't find any Storm Watchers! He stopped to catch his breath and panted ' What are we going to do?! We cant find anyone to help, I can't believe Skylar is just going to be left out there to die!'. Silverstar started to sob at the thought of losing his friend but he heard a voice from above him yell 'Did you just say there is somepony out there in this storm?!',

Silverstar and the rest of the ponies looked up and saw a white Pegasus with a brilliant blue mane descending towards them. 'Yes!' He replied ' Our friend flew off into the storm after an accident at the winter festival party, now we have no idea where he is or if hes even still alive!', during the last words his voice cracked and he began to sob uncontrollably so the other ponies gathered around him to give some comfort. 'Right' replied the Pegasus, 'Since all the other Storm Watchers are out dealing with other cases involving trapped ponies and damaged property I will go out and search for your friend, no pony will die on my watch!'. 'Oh thank you!' Silverstar sobbed ' Please be careful and bring our friend back to us!'. The Pegasus had a slight look of concern on her face, 'I will try my best' she replied as she beat her wings and began to ascend into the night sky... 'What is your name?!' She heard the ponies below call, 'Skystorm!!!' She yelled back before disappearing into the darkness.

Skystorm raced towards the northern mountains, she had heard from several witnesses before meeting Silverstar that a Pegasus had been sighted going into the no fly zone but she had dismissed it as the lightning playing tricks on the ponies imaginations. However now she knew that there really was a pony in danger and she had to do her best to save him! As she beat her wings faster and faster her heart beat faster, tensing with adrenaline and the overwhelming fear that she might well be bringing back a body instead of a pony.

Once again Skylar awoke to blinding pain and to the realization that he was about to hit what looked like some very large pinewood trees that loomed out of the darkness. As he drew closer and closer he braced himself as best he could and closed his eyes ... only two thought entered his mind ' This is the end, im so sorry to all the ponies I've ever hurt, I love you all so much but never really showed it... I wish I had taken the time to tell you all how much I deeply care about you'. The next thought was about all the things that he would miss out on in his life, meeting that special mare, all the new friends he would meet, the children he would have and watching them grow up to become beautiful stallions or mares. He let out one last sob before he crashed into the pinewood trees with earth shattering force, the impact immediately breaking his right wing and causing a deep cut down the right side of his chest, although he had slipped back into unconsciousness before witnessing this.

She continued to race on through the howling wind, battering hail and blinding lightning, even though it had only been a few minutes of flying (Extremely fast flying to say the least) she was beginning to tire and she started fearing for her own safety as well. 'No' she said to her self through gritted teeth 'I will find him, even if it means the death of me!'. As she hovered above the valley known as 'Pinewood Gorge' to gather her strength a flash of lightning momentarily illuminated the valley and she saw a white shape below her on the floor about 300 feet down. It was hard to make out because the ground was now strewn with hail but as she drew closer and closer she could see a blood stained Pegasus lying on the ground, his right wing had almost completely buckled and his back left leg was bent at an extremely awkward angle. She raced down with all her speed and strength towards him.

As she landed next to him she could see his chest slowly rising up and down which indicated he was still breathing and alive. However this was no cause for relief for now the full extend of his awful injuries were plain to see, his right wing had completely buckled and the end was black and still smoldering, his back left leg was bent very awkwardly which obviously meant it was broken, he had a large black patch on his flank and his coat had almost completely burnt away around it and there was alot of blood streaming out the right side of his chest. Her whole body shuddered and she had to bite back a sob as she stared at the battered stallion before her, lying almost motionless in the cold dark night.

It didn't take long for Skystorm to gather herself and start thinking about what she could do. All Storm Watchers were equipped with sophisticated first aid kits but even this could not save the wounded Pegasus, only slow down the bleeding and give him a better chance of survival. She laid down her first aid pack on the stone floor and removed her Storm Watcher issued leather and fur coat which she gently placed over the stallions body, as she did so he moved slightly and let out a small groan but then returned to his previous position. She stroked his forehead with her hoof and whispered 'Don't worry, you aren't alone, im here for you now', already she could feel some small amount of warmth returning to his freezing body and his shivering became less intense.

Now that she had provided him with some warmth her next job now to staunch the blood that was still continuing to flow from his right chest and torso. She burrowed deep into the first aid pack and found what she was looking for, Strong germ killing ointment (used for cleansing wounds before bandaging) and a extra large pressure bandage (used to hold absorbent pads at bay, meant to be wrapped around the entire body of a pony). Skystorm reached over his body and calmly started rubbing the ointment around the wound, as she did the Pegasus bucked and let out a mournful Winnie of pain, 'Shhh' she said stroking his forehead once again and trying to hold down his body 'everything is going to be okay, I will look after you' though as she said this a tear rolled down her cheek because she knew his chances of survival were slim at best.

The Pegasus still resisted against her attempts to put the ointment over his wound but she managed to get most of it on, nuzzling close to him she said ' Well done, your a very brave stallion, all I need to do now is bandage your wound and brace your back left leg and your wing, will you keep being brave for me?'. Even though he was still quite clearly unconscious hearing her own voice in the bleak cold darkness gave her some comfort and she hoped that in someway it provided him with some to.

Next she proceeded to gently press absorbent pads on his wound with one hoof and wrap a swathe of bandage around his body with the other hoof to hold it in place. Each time she did this he flinched slightly and a cold sweat trickled down his back so she continued to nuzzle him softly, while whispering words of comfort and encouragement. The blood was already soaking parts of the bandages, SkyStorm was now beginning to see the severity of it and applied pressure with both of her hooves to try and stop the flow, as she did so the Pegasus shuddered and a tear trickled down his cheek. 'I'm so sorry' she whispered, but I have to do this, its the only way' while all the time still stroking his forehead softly and lovingly.

When Skystorm was satisfied that the wound had been properly dressed she rummaged again in her first aid pack and bought out a tub of 'Liquid cast gel' (The gel is applied over the area and dries into a super hard, but comfortable cast, not meant for long term use but great for in field care). As she gingerly applied the gel to his leg he winced and his leg drew away from her in a protective reflex which caused his whole body to shudder. By now tears were streaming down Skystorm's face, although she barely knew this Pegasus she was still overwhelmed by seeing him in such pain. 'Your going to be okay' she said as her voice nearly cracked 'Im nearly finished, please hold on for me a little longer... please keep being brave'. The Pegasus seemed to relax his leg at sound of her voice, she was beginning to wonder if some small part of him was still aware what was happening, as this thought hit her she bit her lip to hold back another sob and continued to apply the gel all over his leg.

The Liquid cast set quickly and Skystorm let out a small sigh of relief because he seemed a bit more relaxed now and the cast seemed to fit well, which was a miracle considering the poor visibility and how much her hooves were shaking. Skystorm looked over to his wing but had to look away, it was the worst wing injury that she had ever seen... several bones were clearly broken, half of it was black and smoldering and it twitched weakly in the strong wind as if it were little more than a leaf on a tree. She knew there was nothing in her kit that could help his wing, that was far to specialist for her, he would have to have it repaired by a qualified surgeon... unless they decided to remove it.. which was an image to awful to picture!

'Okay' she said in a hushed voice, 'Im sorry but this is going to be hard for you, I'm so sorry for the pain I cause you... I am going to try and lift you onto my back to carry you away... it wont hurt for long' as she finished speaking she put her head underneath his torso and tried with all her might to lift him but he only moved several inches. The sudden movement clearly caused him alot of distress and pain. A wave of fear and horror washed over her as she realized that she would not be able to lift him, here only chance now was to use the emergency beacon ( A magical beacon / flare that can be seen many miles away). She knew from previous experience and training that the beacon could easily been seen from here by Ponyville on a normal night but she was unsure in these extreme conditions... but it was the only chance they had!

She reached into the pack and picked up the flare between here two front legs and shot it into the night sky, immediately pinewood gorge erupted into a brilliant red light and the flare soared into the sky, 'Please send help' she whispered. Once the flare was as high as it would go she led close to his body and drew herself close to provide him with warmth and her with warmth as well. She continued to stroke his forehead and nuzzle against him while whispering ' I will not leave you out here on your own to die, even if they dont come for us I will stay here with you until the end, I dont know why but I just cant leave you...' as she spoke these words she began sobbing uncontrollably, she could feel his now warm breath on her face and she gave a slight smile, thankful that he at least was warming up.

A few minutes went by with Skystorm still sobbing and stroking his forehead when she felt a small movement from his body, his head moved slightly and nuzzled in more closley to her. She opened her eyes and could see one of his deep blue eyes looking weakly back at her and she saw him give him a very weak smile... he tried to speak but he grimaced in pain. She nuzzled in closer and whispered ' Theres no need to say anything, im here for you now and I wont leave you', a small tear trickled down his face at the same time as hers and they drew closer, both shivering trying to keep warm in the icy grip of the cold and the torrential hail.

Minutes seemed like hours, she could tell that he was still very much on the brink as he kept flicking back and forth consciousness while still frequently grimacing in pain. His bandages were almost soaked though most of the bleeding seemed to stop but his breathing still came in weak, ragged shudders, she continued to whisper in his ear and gently nuzzle him... sometimes getting replies from him in the form of a weak smile, a nuzzle or a gentle lick. To Skylar it all seemed very much like a dream, the brief moments that he awoke he thought that the form before him, nuzzling and comforting him was some kind of angel, in her arms he felt no more fear and became strangely blissful... unaware of anything else around him, only feeling her warmth.

Skystorm awoke with a start, she realized that she must have drifted off due to the cold...she panicked for a moment and thought that the stallion was no longer there but then she could make out one of his eyes looking back at her again. She could see that he had become afraid again and she wiped one of the tears away from his cheek and whispered ,through chattering teeth, ' Im sure they will be here for us soon, don't worry... you're not alone and soon you will be back lying in a nice warm bed with all your friends around you', Skylar smiled at this though and drifted back off to sleep. By now Skystorm had lost nearly all hope and whispered 'Thank you for my good life, thank you for all the ponies i've met over the years and even though this may be my end... I thank you for bringing me to this Pegasus... to give him some comfort in his last moment' then she shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep as well.

'Can you still see that beacon Ranger Parker?' Asked Captain Mildew. 'Yes Ma'am, I can see it down there near pinewood gorge, it looks like we are about 500 feet away from the source of the flare!.... Wait, what is that down there?!'. Ranger Parker looked from the Binoculars and could make out the shape of two Pegasi. 'By Equestria!' he exclaimed, 'What is it Parker?' Replied Captain Mildew. 'I see Ranger Skystorm down there Ma'am and another unfamiliar Pegaus ... he looks extremely injured, we have to get down there as soon as possible!

Skylar awoke to a very bright light which illuminated the whole valley, dimly he could here the beat of rotor blades though he was unsure if he was dreaming or not. He weakly lifted his head, which took a great deal of effort, and looked to his left, there lying next to him, shivering on the cold stone floor was the most beautiful mare that he had ever seen, she wasn't a dream after all. Though he was still weak to speak he gently nuzzled her, licked her ear and brushed her with his hoof but there was no response, although she was still breathing she seemed to be in a deep state of unconsciousness. Skylar began to cry and shake uncontrollably, while he was doing so he felt something hard and flat being slid underneath him, he whinnied at the pain the sudden movement caused and almost blacked out again.

Through his hazed senses he could feel himself being lifted off the ground towards the air ambulance, each step sent a stab of pain through his body, though his concern was for the mare still led on the ground. He tried to look up but one of the crew of the air ambulance held him down and said ' Its okay now, its over, your safe ' this provided little consolation to him. He writhed around on the stretcher as strongly as he could to see what happened to the mare who saved his life, the last thing he saw were two more crew members bending over her, placing her in a warm coat and lifting her up on a stretcher as well, he kicked in dismay to see that she was not moving, fear overwhelmed his senses, as he continued to kick his injured leg caught the side of the metal air ambulance and the overwhelming pain made him black out.

He had the dim sense that he was flying in the back of the ambulance and felt another soft hoof stroking his forehead and telling him he was safe, he turned his head to look at them but his eyes were to unfocused to work out who it was, he tried to speak again but all that left his mouth was another sob , but not of pain, though he was still in agony, it was fear that the one who saved him may not survive and that he would never get to meet her. Again he began sobbing, Captain Mildew stroked him again and tried to calm him. She walked over to Ranger Parker and said 'What do you think of their chances?', Parker looked back at the two Pegasi (Who were separated by a certain) and replied 'Skystorm did a very good job patching him up, though his chances are still slim, Skystorm herself has gone into hypothermia..... i'm not sure she will make it'. Captain Mildew sighed and looked back at the two Pegasus, they both looked like they were sleeping so very peacefully... yet each one battled for life. 'All we can do now is pray, Parker.... all we can do is Pray'.