I pumped my jet-black wings harder as the wind blew faster, slowing me down, if not sending me backwards. In a storm like this, I began to guess if I was still on the right track. All I knew is that I couldn't land now, as a huge forest lay below me. Lightning flashed in the distance, my golden carapace shining in the light. At least, I thought it was a forest. I couldn't see very well through the rain and blinding winds. All I knew was that landing at these speeds into trees could prove to be fatal, demigod or not. My red and black striped hair flew into my eyes, and I had to throw back my head to clear my vision.

*FLASH*

'That one almost hit me. What in Luna’s name was the weather team thinking, putting together a storm like this?' I squinted through the storm, trying desperately to see any point of light. I was headed to Canterlot, but any village or town will do for now. And no matter what land one hails from, lights mean someone is home.

*FLASH*

'Again, too close for comfort. Maybe wearing metal armour in a lighting storm was a poor decision on my part. In hindsight, perhaps leaving my home in the first place was a bad idea. But the evil that we were committing… that was truly unaccepta-'

*FLASH*

Searing pain gripped me, from my tail tip to my nose. I quickly seized up, the electricity from the lightning strike pulling my muscles taught. I began to fall, faster and faster as gravity took its hold on me, and my vision started to blur. “Damn” was all that could escape my lips as I hurdled to the ground. The lightning was incapacitating, but not lethal; another perk of being a member of the Sanguine Nobility. Now, about that fall…

I built speed as gravity took its hold on me. The trees grew clearer as they grew closer. Closer and closer they came and right before I thought I would feel the sharp branches rend my flesh they suddenly disappeared. Below me now was a large clear field of grass.

‘Great,’ I thought; ’Now instead of being shredded by the trees, I get to hit the hard ground.’ That was the last sarcastic thought I had time for before I got to meet the ground personally.

*THOOM*

The first impact brings my mind forward again as the bones in my left wing shatters, leaving a crater in the ground. But, thanks to physics, I get to bounce instead of stopping.

*THOOM*
'ow.'
*THOOM*
'OW.'
*THOOM*
'OW!'

I finally stop. I opened my eyes, and I see that I’m lying in a crater about a meter in diameter. Then the pain hits me like a train, a train that then backed up and hit me again. Little else in my life compared to the pain I was feeling at this moment. I was certain that while my wing was broken, I had many other injuries and broken bones. I begin to black out, the only thing I see is a light in the distance. Just as my eyes were closing, they snapped open. ‘A light! Salvation!’ I thought as I struggled to stand up, fighting the urge to cry out. I squinted through the rain, seeing a faint light ahead… nay, not one, but many. ‘A small town… or a home with windows… in this weather, it is impossible to tell.’ I flinch as another wave of pain comes in. Gritting my teeth I turned around, as I had the urge to look at the destruction I had caused from my crash landing. I looked behind me to see three craters, easily visible even through the rain. The furthest was easily 7 meters in diameter, the second about 5, and the third about 3. Water was pooling in each one slowly as I thought, ‘The landscaper’s going to have a fit.’

I began to trudge through the mud and rain, my once golden armour caked with filth. My left wing hung limply by my side, dyed scarlet as I made my way to the light, becoming dizzy from blood loss and likely a concussion. ‘To do list: One. Get to the pretty lights. Two Pass out. Three. Find an apothecary. Four. Drug up on pain killers until I pass out again. No real reason to go to an infirmary for something that can heal on its own.’ The lights I saw earlier belonged to a small hut, whose windows were open allowing the light out. I limped to the door and raised my hoof. I knocked three times and stood there, waiting. I heard shuffling inside before the door opened, revealing a buttermilk mare with aqua blue eyes. Given different circumstances, I might have complimented her beauty, but now was not a good time, myself dying and all. She looked at me once, before her eyes went wide and she screamed.

“And good evening to you too, miss,” I said before collapsing. The last thing I saw was a seemingly annoyed rabbit at the mare’s heel. Then everything went to black as I lost consciousness…