The clattering of brisk steps echoed through the foyer at a volume that rivaled the very downpour beginning outside. Though Gallant dug up every ounce of energy that he could to quicken his pace, he found himself falling behind Prim Rose; in his defense, the mare's speed was nothing short of admirable, and her swiftness in her twists and turns put typical knights-in-training to shame. The stallion felt as though he were stumbling every step of the way compared to his counterpart's delicate yet powerful strides.

Upon reaching the door leading outside, Prim Rose paused as her ears shot up in attention. She turned her head just enough to let one of her green irises show its color to the stallion staggering behind.

“What are you doing?” she asked in the manner which a commander would address a slow subordinate.

Gallant gathered himself and, upon reaching the thick doors, proceeded to buck one open with a single kick.

“I'm coming too. My friend's out there.”

Gallant could see something flash in the mare's eyes, something that did not linger too long. Gallant wondered if it was some form of surprise. He didn't care to think of it long, for the image of Colgate stuck in the storm jerked his body into a full-sprint once more, diving head-first into the freezing rain outside.

Before he could even make it out of the commons, Gallant found himself being passed by his peer as she sped ahead to lead the way, showing off her tremendous speed.

With an uneven path winding southbound through wooded terrain Gallant could only manage to steal glimpses of the sky ahead. His breaths, already drawn short, almost left him completely upon spotting the multitude of vehicles dotting the clouded sky ahead. Their shapes were strange and irregular, nothing like the stallion had ever seen in his life; they were also very tiny, small like ants on a walkway. With the storm having returned, Gallant wondered why they flew so high.

Don't they know the risks of-?

Lightning cracked. Its peal resounded not a second after its blow, and its power shot through the air with the greatest of clarity from the west. An echo bounced off the cliffs nearby and traveled back out east to the sea, its rolling audible across the span of miles it traversed. Gallant slid to a stop as he remembered the unit his elemental track had spent on lightning.

“Always be cautious,” he recited aloud.

He mustered what magical power he could as his horn started to glow a bright yellow color. Sparks shot out as raindrops dissolved upon touching the magic surrounding his horn. Soon enough the energy formed a tiny ball of electricity and floated up into the air like a bubble. Gallant watched the it until it hovered over to his head. Cross-eyed, the stallion watched the flickering ball of white until suddenly it touched against his forehead. The zap shocked him for a split second, and upon opening his eyes after a brief flinch, the sphere was no more.

Did it work, this 'Buzzer' spell..?

“What are you waiting for?” shouted Prim Rose, whose snap quickly slapped the stallion from his puzzled stupor.

For only another second Gallant tried to search for a sign of successful casting, but nothing reached came to his immediate attention. All he could sense were the vigilant eyes of the mare up ahead, whom he hastily ran to catch up with without further delay.

Gallant's mind never recovered from its messy state as the two continued to gallop. A deluge of thoughts and plans poured heavy into his head. His brain flooded with mixed emotion: fear of what could possibly happen to Colgate, anxiety in his determination to impress the mare with whom he traveled, and some confusion as to what might have gone wrong with his spell. Even a bit of shame lingered in the blend as Gallant wondered if it were an appropriate time to think of such things. Acts of valor, his Canterlot teachers had told him, were neither planned nor devised; when they happened, they happened.

And so the stallion tried his best to clear his mind.

His heart, however, was in shambles. As he caught sight of the fliers ahead once more he could feel fear arising; lightning seemed to draw near again, and having failed his detection spell Gallant could do nothing to predict a strike. Colgate and countless others were still high in the sky, still at risk, for reasons Gallant could not begin to imagine.

From time to time through the thin canopy of leafless trees and breaks between evergreens he thought he spotted some of the machines moving left and right, up and down, in every direction at an alarming rate.

Are they being tossed around by the winds!?

He brought his eyes back to earth upon spotting the tip of the gateway to the practice field ahead. Its black, spiked gates and bleachers left their silhouette state to stand out from the dark scenery of the stormy sky and shadowy grounds below. Within its giant clearing stood a single individual, an earth pony of golden color that appeared more burnt orange beneath the sunless sky.

The mare wore a flat leather cap and dark goggles, leaving only the lower half of her face visible. All this revealed was a focused frown, which Gallant felt unsure of how to interpret.

“Instructor Gearheart... is everything under control?” Prim Rose shouted over the howling winds.

“Sure, everything's just fine,” the instructor replied with a wave of a ease. “Look at these pilots! First time flying in questionable conditions and they're not even scared. Not a single one has showed signs of wanting to touch back down.”

Gallant, remembering how tossed about the fliers appeared, wondered if they were off the ground of their own will.

“Are you sure they aren't stuck up there?” he asked with an implied sense of emergency in his tone.

But Gearheart heard none of it. “If they wanted to get down, they could. The first thing I taught them besides how to lift off was how to descend. All they have to do is pedal slower and those bicycopters should climb down.”

“Do you not think they are in the least bit of danger?” Prim Rose asked, slightly jolted herself by the instructor's casual demeanor. A gust of wind flew past them with enough force to blow each of the three a few inches away from where they had been standing.

“I happened to have planned and worked on all of those air-crafts, thank you very much,” Gearheart remarked proudly. “And I trust that they all remember the safety rules and instructions in case of emergency. I taught them the basics a couple of weeks ago.”

“You taught them 'the basics' of emergencies a couple weeks ago?” Gallant questioned.

Gearheart nodded. “And the details we talked about a few days back, I think. I'm not worried.”

“Perhaps the vehicles and students are reliable, but do you wholeheartedly trust this weather?” Prim Rose inquired.

“Sure it's strange weather – how often do we get these kinds of raging storms in the winter? – but I don't think anypony's in any real danger,” Gearheart said. “We just have some powerful gales here and there, that's all.” Another zephyr slid the three sideways across the wet grass of the field. “Not to mention the lightning's already passed; I can feel it. Now, if you two will excuse me, I need to keep my eyes on these ponies in case any are actually in need of-”

“HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!”

Gearheart's smart grin quickly vanished.

“I'll help them down,” Prim Rose stated before charging off toward the middle of the field.

She summoned a spell as she charged, her horn lighting a rich red hue. Her telekinetic reach rose into the like an extended limb and grabbed hold of the machine with the driver screaming for help. With a powerful tug Prim Rose pulled the copter down from its height and dropped it to the ground. The driver quickly hopped out before impact, hitting the ground with a bump and a slide. She motioned a grateful wave and stared upward where the others were trapped.

“You've got to get the others!” the mare cried as she pointed upward. “They're stuck in some kind of unnatural winds!”

Gallant thought it his turn as he made his way onto the field. He scanned the sky for the nearest flier and spotted Colgate off to the left.

“Colgate! Hold on!” he yelled.

He could see Prim Rose shoot a glace in his direction, but at the moment all it did was shake him for but a second.

“Try to stay in that one spot!” Gallant shouted to his friend at the top of his lungs.

He saw Colgate look down and begin waving madly. She grabbed onto the steering wheel of her bicycle-like helicopter and held onto it as tightly as she could.

Gallant quickly focused his power on a wind spell – one he had become familiar with while at the academy – and focused his reach up near the clouds. The spell formed into a conical barrier, blocking the surrounding gusts with its windy partition. The copter inside began lowly descending as it began spinning in circles. The stallion hurried over to the vehicle as it touched safely back on the ground.

Gallant ran over to help Colgate out of her seat, but the mare jumped out and chucked her helmet at him.

“You jerk!” she yelled.

Gallant, confused, rubbed his head from the blow. “W-What did I do!?”

“I was having a blast up there! Why'd you go and drag me down!?”

The stallion, shocked by his friend's words, could hardly manage to find what seemed like the obvious answer.

“I thought you were in trouble like the others were! You were even waving to me when I called out to you-”

Colgate dropped her head, exasperated. “That wasn't a motion of 'Oh no! Help me, Gallant, I'm a helpless little mare!'; that was a 'STOP IT I'M OKAY, PLEASE, STOP FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA!' wave-”

Gallant's ears suddenly filled with the sound of a strange, prolonged honk. His eyes twitched from the noise as a tingling sensation danced between his eyes near his forehead. The peculiar pressure didn't hurt him, but its presence was a shock – a notion which brought Gallant to a sudden realization.

The 'Buzzer' spell? But that means...

Gallant scanned the sky where a number of aviators were still stranded. If lightning suddenly struck nearby – which he knew it were – he knew somepony was in danger. Aware that he only had a few seconds to act before its strike, the stallion summoned a means by which to stop the sudden strike.

All he could think of was another spell he had looked up in the great wizard Ixion's lightning spellbook. It had been an accident that he had found it; in fact, it appeared while searching for the Buzzer spell on the opposite page. Thinking he would never have the chance to see it again, he memorized it and put it at the back of his memory.

Without a moment to lose he brought the stored recollection forward and began casting what was called the 'Lightning Rod' spell, unsure of what all it entailed. As he cast it, his horn began to glow a brilliant white and fizzled as it grew like the 'Buzzer' spell had, but rather than a small ball of electricity forming, a large needle, like an extension of his horn, stretched up and into the sky, tall as a flagpole.

When his mane started to stand up straight on end, Gallant felt his gut churn.

A gathering of fiery bolts surged out from the ominous clouds and collected into a great flash before the stallion's eyes. Its light was blinding and thunderous roar deafening. The jolt threw Gallant off his hoofs and into a shocking daze; his hearing gave way to ringing as his nerves shook with a numbness as he lie scatter-brained.

His head freely rolled from shoulder to shoulder as the grey clouds occupied his gaze. Colgate's head popped into view, revealing a pair of deep blue, wide-open eyes.

“Whoa, Gallant, what was that!?” she suddenly exclaimed with excitement. “Are you okay? Gallant?”

The stallion could only smile like a drunken fool, but even he didn't know what message his own body was trying to send. With every inch of his body seemingly paralyzed he couldn't tell what hurt and what didn't. He had a feeling his nerves had dissolved and would never have to deal with the pain, but ever so slowly the first aches started in his head.

Gallant waited for some kind of sign for another strike, but a strange sense in his head indicated that the heart of the tempest had passed. He watched the skies as the rain slowly died. Not another thunderclap resounded. With the throbbing in his head, the stallion wondered if he had attracted all of the lightning with his single spell.

“Is everypony... safe?” Gallant groaned, still dumbfounded. He tried to look at Colgate but his eyes would not follow his brain's commands.

Colgate surveyed the area for him. “Looks like good ol' Prim Rose got everypony down. Wait a second, did you two-?”

“No... she headed out here... and I followed,” Gallant said.

Colgate bit her bottom lip. “Well, things seemed to have worked out, so it's all good, right-?”

“What took you so long earlier?”

The mare laughed nervously. “'Took so long'? What, uh, whaddaya mean?”

“You took over an hour to find Prim Rose for your so-called plan,” Gallant growled, trying to ignore the stinging across his skin. “What took you so long?”

“Oh, that. Well, it wasn't entirely my fault,” Colgate said, shying away. “Twilight pulled me aside and asked me if I wanted to go on an expedition with her to check out some ruins here on the island. It could've been quick if she hadn't pulled out all those books and explained every detail to me – though I must admit, that stuff was pretty interesting...”

“Look, Colgate, I think it might be better if we just pretend none of this ever happened,” Gallant said as his body began to act the way he wanted. He began by trying to rub his eyes free of the bubbling colors that remained from the blinding flash of lightning. “I'm beginning to regret that any of this foolishness went on in the first place.”

“There is nothing to regret,” said a strong voice.

Gallant paused, leaving his hooves over his eyes for the moment. The daze shook right out of him the instant he knew it was Prim Rose speaking, but dared not say anything in return for the moment. He could only uncover his eyes, which were suddenly free of their blurriness, and stare uncomfortably at the white mare standing before him. Her green eyes were in their usual strong, intent state; but something else was in the mix, if only the faintest hint.

Is that... acknowledgement? Perhaps even... gratitude?

“A-Are they all safe?” Gallant managed to ask, to which the mare nodded.

“Yes, everypony has set hoof on the ground again,” she explained. “I shall take the shaken ones back to the infirmary and have Nurse Lionheart look at them. Shall you be joining us?”

Too shocked to say anything else, Gallant uttered, “I think I'm fine.”

“Very well.”

And without another word, Prim Rose turned and marched back toward the academy grounds, with each soul she had saved plodding along behind her, gratefulness but also shame evident in their weary eyes.

Colgate, who stuck with her friend, helped Gallant onto his hooves.

“Gee whiz, Gallant, she really is something else,” Colgate said. “And I may or may not mean that in a negative way. Did you two get to have a nice chat earlier?”

Gallant rolled his eyes. “Nice? Well, let's think back: first, she dragged me up a set of stairs and dropped me in the infirmary. After that, not a word was exchanged. Then, before she could disappear, we heard the storm surging, and in the end I followed Prim Rose out here and that's all there is to say.”

“You followed her, huh?” Colgate laughed. “So, did you come out here to help out, or were you just trying to impress Rose?”

Gallant shook his head. “I'm not sure I even thought about her when the storm was at its worst. My mind was on the situation, on saving you and the others.”

Colgate patted her friend on the back and smirked, “Aw, that was nice of you.” Gallant looked up at the mare, who tried to hold back a laugh but failed almost immediately. “Seriously, I'm glad you kept your head in all this.”

“I don't know, I feel like I'm slowly losing my mind after that shock,” Gallant admitted with a laugh of his own.

Colgate smirked. “You know, if you wanted to restore some of your sanity, you should finish what you started with this whole Hearts and Hooves ordeal.”

“I've already come to a conclusion.”

Colgate cocked her head and looked over the stallion. He still shook from the tiny shocks that tickled his coat and from the cold of the icy drizzle.

“Let's hear your 'conclusion' then,” Colgate said as the two headed back to the school, leaving behind the field full of flying machines.

“Well, to be frank-” The stallion thought of a way to put it concisely. “-I'm deathly afraid of Prim Rose.”

“Afraid!?” Colgate snickered. “First you were just clueless about to say to her, but now you're saying you're just flat-out afraid of Prim Rose, period!?”

“You don't understand!” Gallant retorted. “She's... it's not exactly what she's done- well, I guess she has done some rather harsh or unexpected things. It's just, she's nothing like I thought she'd be! I've been coldly rejected, stared at as if I'm crazy, heartlessly dragged up several flights of stairs, and now that I've done something noteworthy, she acts as though it were nothing. I was hoping that stoicism was some kind of cover, but I'm starting to realize I had just painted a false picture on an attractive body. Was... was that rude to say?”

“Sort of, but I'll let it fly. So let me get this straight: you were waiting for her to suddenly become all lovey-dovey and soft if you waited long enough? G, I hope you're aware it doesn't always work that way. In fact, I almost never see it work that way. Was it really that bad that you're scared of her, though?”

“Scared of whom?” came a powerful voice from behind.

The two turned and gasped at the sight of none other than Prim Rose. She stood tall and stared down at the two with the eyes of an eagle.

“Forgive me for overhearing that last sentence,” she said with her usual emotionless tone. “I have merely come to clarify something.”

Colgate cut in, “His name is Gallant, in case you-”

But Prim Rose pushed her off to the side and approached Gallant with a stomp.

“I have made several observations about you as of late, Gallant,” Prim Rose began, “This morning you asked me if I had company on this holiday, to which I answered that I had. The way you carried yourself was unbelievably calm, and responding to my brothers by respectfully leaving the scene as they laughed was most noble. No pony should be disrespected when checking to see if others have made satisfactory plans for their holidays.”

She bowed. Gallant gulped.

W-What!?

“Second, I believe now that I understand why you were outside earlier during the storm. Having seen your capabilities, I have come to the conclusion that you were, in fact, trying to sense an oncoming thunderstorm. Sticking to your duties, you did not intend to leave the area until you knew it was safe. I dragged you off the scene by mistake, and for that I apologize.”

A new numbness started to take over Gallant's body; he wasn't sure what it was, but it felt hot and cold at the same time. His brain felt as though it had frozen over but was melting at the same time, and thus not a single coherent thought could formulate as Prim Rose bowed once more and continued.

“Lastly, I beheld your power and quick action to not only save one life, but potentially all of those in the area with your lightning ward spell. I should have known to cast it, and am thus humbled by your effort and quickness.”

Gallant could only stare as she bowed a third time. He thought about everything the mare had essentially reflected on and declared as silence ensued after the drizzle ceased. Although half of what she had stated was inaccurate, he was not prepared to correct her or explain himself.

Colgate barged back into the conversation. “So what, that's it? You're just gonna tell him that's that?”

Prim Rose nodded. “Good deeds should not go unnoticed. I am a strong believer in this. I have notified Gallant that his work today has been beneficial to this school, and now I shall be off.”

“How about a reward?” Colgate proposed.

Colgate!

Gallant blushed, but when he caught glance of Prim Rose's face, nothing had changed about her expression. He tried to remain as emotionless as her.

“Those who aspire to achieve knighthood have no desire for monetary rewards or gifts,” Prim Rose remarked. “I trust you hold this view, Gallant?”

“Y-Yes, I do,” Gallant said as he tried to hold push Colgate back out of the discussion. “Very strongly.”

But Colgate fought her way back in. “What about a pat on the back? Or better yet, how about a 'present'? Knights like to give stuff, right?”

COLGATE!

Prim Rose considered the notion with a pat of her muzzle. “Do you mean to suggest that I give him something?”

“Well, duh. Nothing complicated or hoof-made or anything; how about, say, giving him the honor of being his partner for the Hearts and Hooves ball this week?”

FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA, COLGATE, PLEASE SHUT UP!

“I was not made aware of this event,” Prim Rose remarked. “Very well, then. Gallant, you shall join me in the Hearts and Hooves ball that is to be had this week. I trust that you are a decent dancer. Good day to you both.”

And without another word or motion for the two, Prim Rose turned and headed back. The Ponyville duo sat and watched as the mare marched off down the path toward the academy grounds. Both of their mouths fell wide open, one smiling in delight and the other frowning in horror.

Colgate was the one grinning. She elbowed her friend in the side.

“So, how about that ball, you lucky stallion?”

Only when Gallant knew Prim Rose could no longer hear them did he shout, “What were you thinking, speaking on my behalf!?”

“What, it's not like you would've been able to smooth-talk her into dancing with you,” Colgate commented with a sneer.

“Of course I wouldn't have 'smooth-talked' her, Colgate, because I don't want to go to the ball with her!”

Colgate blinked. “Gallant, this is your chance! You've been trying all day to get some kind of romantic encounter with her, and now you've got an opportunity. I know you were just saying all that stuff before to make yourself feel better about failing-”

“Colgate. You forced me into my doom.”

The mare looked her companion from head to hoof. “You mean... you really meant it when you said you were scared of her?”

Gallant massaged his temples slowly and let out deep breaths. “Yes, Colgate, I really am afraid of her now. She's powerful in every sense of the word, three times as intelligent as myself, very loud, and, as you just saw, quite insensitive and emotionally detached.”

“Aw, that's not what you're looking for in your perfect mare?”

“No, Colgate. Not at all. After today, those are things I definitely am not looking for,” Gallant commented. “No matter how beautiful the facade, one can never be too sure about compatibility. Let's just head back and get dried off so we can have dinner without any questions.”

“Whatever, Dr. Filly! I'm totally telling everypony about this,” Colgate remarked with a yip.

Aware that the mare was not ready to back down, Gallant rolled his eyes in frustration and shivered. He had no clue how he would be able to explain everything without making a mess of things. He figured Colgate wouldn't do a cleaner job, either, and so gave up anticipating what awaited him at the next mealtime.

After all, more ominous thoughts were at the front of his mind.

Now I have to encounter Prim Rose at the Hearts and Hooves dance...

… That means I'll have to face her yet again... most likely for many, many hours...

… and I don't even know how to dance.

Next Chapter: Chapter 30.5 (Interlude): Calamity Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 26 Minutes