Where Do Your Loyalties Lie?

"So, lemme get this straight," Lightning said angrily. "You created some freak hurricane out of frustration and because of your stupidity, you get our parents killed?!"

Stormy leaned back. "Yep, pretty much."

Lightning was instantly being choked by her own tears. "And you think that's okay?!" she shouted.

Stormy sat up in the booth seat with an angry look of his own. "Listen, kid, I had no idea it was gonna happen, okay? And what in your right mind makes you think I'm okay with that? Why do you think I never got over it, yet you did, huh?! Show a little damn respect to those who have endured more! That's your problem, Lightning, is you don't think before you spew your nonsense, and it's gonna wind up costing you!"

Lightning looked at the table and then stared at her hard cider that Stormy had bought her.

"I need you grow up, sis! Look I know your seventeen, but lately you've been acting like a twelve-year old convinced of their own superiority, and I'm sick of it!" he shouted, slamming his hoof on the table. A few other ponies began to stare at them as they argued with one another.

"Yeah, well it's not like you've just realized that you've been lied to for ten years--"

"I was protecting you--"

"Yeah, right!

"Look, you need to shut your mouth, you stupid brat! I'm tired of you treating me like I'm just another one of your friends! I'm your fucking older brother, for Luna's sake! I've been taking care of you for ten years--"

"Only so you could have another excuse to lie to me--"

"You know that's not true--"

"The hell it ain't!"

Their arguing went on for a few minutes until Stormy said the wrong thing.

"Stop acting like a colossal bitch, would you please?!"

It was then that Lightning leaped across the table, screaming, "You'll pay for that!" as she punched him across the jaw. She had unwittingly forgotten about Stormy's strength and stamina as he got back up, grasped her by her shoulders and threw her out the open window and out into the street. He jumped out after her and landed on the ground beside her. He then knelt down on top of her and began delivering blow after blow of pure anger and fury. Lightning kicked him off of her and sent him sprawling back onto the ground. When he got back up, she jumped up and kicked him with her hind leg and did a back-flip, causing him to lose his balance. He regained his center of gravity and pounced his sister, bringing her down to the dusty, cobbled road below her. When she hit the pavement, they heard a large crack, and Lightning felt a wave of searing pain in the back of her head. She subsided that and put her hooves at Stormy's throat, attempting to keep him from continuing his onslaught of death-punches.

He brought down hoof after hoof, adding a new bruise or cut to Lighting's growing collection. He landed one blow in her eye, causing it to swell up rapidly. He then transferred all his anger to her belly, so that she would be crippled, at the least.

You're about to figure out why you should keep your mouth shut! he thought. He brought a final punch, sending blood spewing out of Lightning's mouth. She retaliated with one last feeble punch to the eye, giving him a shiner that matched hers.

Stormy decided he wouldn't except that. It was surrender or nothing. He punched her again, then again, then again, continuously trading between gut strikes and face hits.

When he finally stopped, satisfied by his handy-work, he said, "You gonna shut up now?!"

Lightning spat blood in his face, then blacked out.

There were several police officers staring at what just happened, but then decided that they should stay out of it.

Stormy slung Lightning over his shoulder and began flying back home. "It's gonna be a long night," he said aloud.