//-------------------------------------------------------// A short trip to Stalliongrad -by Sylif Daring Doo- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Scootaloo's flight attempt. //-------------------------------------------------------// Scootaloo's flight attempt. Scootaloo was In the park preparing for her next attempt to fly. "Ok I can do this I just need to focus." She said. She had failed 8 times before today and learned something every time. The first time she had sprained her wing because she was too exited and did not look at where she was going she never practiced in a crowded area since. The third attempt had been a much better success for she did not crash but rather she did not move at all she could lift herself 5 inches off the ground but that was it. The 8th attempt she had managed to move and get at least three feet off the ground but she could only move about 2 feet before having to land. But now she had built up some strength in her wings and she was confident she would finally succeed. After taking a deep breath Scootaloo started running. "Ok just take it easy." She said to herself. Scootaloo had made herself some 'steps' in her flying, step 1 spread out wings and start flapping them, step 2 adjust wings to go with the wind, step 3 takeoff, and finally step 4 keep flapping and keep focus, she did all the steps perfectly and never lost focus the whole time then closed her eyes knowing there were no trees or possibility of falling unless she messed up which was one thing that she would not do. When Scootaloo opened her eyes her when shocked at what she saw. "I..I'm flying I c...cant believe it." She muttered to herself. she then flew around the park a couple times at a slow pace just to make sure she did not fall crash or risk her muscles giving out. "Ok so I'm not dreaming, but I better go down, I don't want to sprain a wing again" She thought to herself. After landing Scootaloo noticed a familiar pony she knew and went over to say hello. "Hey Rainbow what's up?" She asked casually. Rainbow smiled. "I came by to see your next flying attempt and I can see it was a great success....I'm proud of you Scoot." She replied happily. "Well I had a good teacher after all." Scootaloo said. "Ok ok don't go giving too much credit all I did was let you know about your mistakes and help you correct them, the rest was you." Rainbow replied. Scootaloo chuckled. "Yea, so Rainbow.....if you had to put that on a percentage meter what would it be in your opinion?" Scootaloo asked. Rainbow pondered it for a moment, she soon looked at her sister. "It would be fifteen me, eighty five you." She replied. Scootaloo chuckled. "Yea that sounds fair." She said teasingly. Author's Note Hey everyone, this is my first fimfic, and if you already read this chapter, you will notice an enormous change to it. Anyway, the changes I made were basically a fix, I fixed my grammar and made it possible to read and NOT have a hernia. Back to the story, Scootaloo can fly, her sister is revealed, and they plot has not even shown itself....an excellent beginning, I think. //-------------------------------------------------------// The Vacation //-------------------------------------------------------// The Vacation ____*Rainbow Dash's cloud house*____ "Scootaloo dinners done!" Dash called. After a few moments a voice called down. "Ok sis I'm coming!" Scootaloo said. Scootaloo ran down the stairs and into the kitchen where she found Dash eating dinner, she sat down and began eating. After the sisters finished eating, Dash sighed and looked at Scootaloo after putting the dishes in the sink. "Hey Scoots, can I ask you something?" Dash asked. Scootaloo nodded. "Sure thing." She replied. "How do you feel about going on a trip?" Dash asked. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at this. "What brought this on?" Scootaloo asked curiously. Dash chuckled and leaned against the countertop. "The house is undergoing maintenance in three days, and we can't be here when they work so I decided it's time for a vacation.....get away from the craziness for a few days." Dash replied. Scootaloo blinked and rested her hoof on the table. "So um, Dash where are we going to? unless it's a surprise." Scootaloo asked. Dash rolled her eyes. "No it isn't a surprise Scoots, we're going to Stalliongrad, a neutral city to the north." Dash said. Scootaloo tilted her head and looked at her sister. "Um....ok, what's so special about this place?" She asked. "Well you see Scoots, Stalliongrad is an earth pony city, unicorns can't get in but Pegasi are allowed in on occasion, a friend of mine also lives there so it's an added bonus." Dash explained. Scootaloo nodded and got up and out of the chair. "So Dash, um, when exactly do we leave?" She wondered. Dash walked to the living room and looked at Scootaloo. "We leave tommorow, so go to bed early." She replied before heading upstairs. Scootaloo nodded and looked around the house and sighed. "Maintenance?....on a cloud house?" She muttered quietly before heading up the nearby stairs. ____*the next day, 10:21 AM*____ Scootaloo groaned as she heard a voice. "Scootaloo! wake up we need to get going!" Dash called. The Pegasus filly sighed and groggily sat up. "I'm up, I'll be down In a minute!" Scootaloo shouted down sleepily. As Scootaloo put her saddlebags on, she heard Dash call her again. "Hurry up Scoots or we'll miss the train!" Dash called again. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and walked to the door. "Ok ok I'm coming!" Scootaloo shouted before walking downstairs with her saddlebags on her back, when she walked up to the front door she heard Dash clear her throat, she looked back to see Dash walk up and open the door. "Do you have everything Scoots?" Dash asked. Scootaloo nodded. "Yea, I've got everything." She replied calmly. Dash nodded and walked out the door with. "Come on then." She said. Scootaloo waited as Dash locked the door and took flight, she soon flew up and followed her sister to the train station. ______*the train station, five minutes later*______ Dash and Scootaloo walked onto the platform and awaited their train, after a few moment Scootaloo decided to break the silence. Scootaloo looked at Dash. "Hey Dash, what's Stalliongrad like?" She asked. Dash chuckled and looked up. "It's nice enough, you got the rich district in the northern part of the city, the market is spread throughout the city, they have an assortment of entertainment methods there, from fire eating to music, the only part of the city you actully WANT to avoid is the eastern side." She explained. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at this. "What do you mean by that?" She wondered. Dash sighed and looked at Scootaloo. "It's commonly known as 'the slums', but other than that?....it's filled with criminals, from con artists to murderers, most people actually just flat out avoid it." She replied quietly. Scootaloo gulped and nearly jumped as she heard a train pull in, she looked at the train and immediately recognized it as unusual, the front of the train looked mostly like a rectangular black steel box, the train cars and caboose seemed to be the same way, but they were simply gray, she decided not to question it however as Dash practically dragged her to the train and handed over the tickets. _____*in the train, ten minutes later.*_____ Dash sighed and looked out the window, she was getting impatient with the time it took for the train to leave, but they were almost to Stalliongrad. Scootaloo however was bustling with questions, eventually, she looked at Dash and spoke. "Hey Dash, who do you know in Stalliongrad?" She asked. Dash chuckled. "Applejack's cousin, Applefritter, she actually lives in the slums, but only because she doesn't want to deal with the upper class in that city." She explained. Scootaloo half nodded, she questioned the safety of living there but she also knew how some of the upper class ponies acted. A few more minutes later, and the train was almost at Stalliongrad, and by the, Scootaloo had another question. "Hey Dash, how does the city look and act?" She asked. Dash raised an eyebrow but answered her sisters question. "The city itself looks decent enough, the walls are old however and haven't been replaced in ages, the culture however......it isn't something that you can find out through the tour guide.....these people are VERY secretive, if they don't want you to know about their culture, you will not find it out." She explained. Scootaloo and Dash then sat in bare silence for about two minutes before the train came to a stop, signaling its arrival, Dash sighed in relief and stood up, Scootaloo pulled herself to her feet and followed Dash, who made her way to the exit. Dash and Scootaloo eventually reached the exit and walked outside, Scootaloo looked around and took in the sight of the stone buildings, she also noted the stone pathways and the bustling streets. Scootaloo only had one word to describe her current thoughts, and she uttered them quietly. ".....Whoa." Author's Note Now uh.....I did a MASSIVE edit to this chapter and you know what that means!?.....no? It means that I am FINALLY coming back and fixing my past errors, and you will notice that there is little to no plot yet, but you might as well enjoy it while it lasts, just keep reading till the later chapters. Anyways.....I hope you enjoy and i will see you next time! Ps. I know I'm an idiot for this massive wait, but hey, I didn't have the drive to fix this till now.....sorry about that. //-------------------------------------------------------// Welcome to Stalliongrad //-------------------------------------------------------// Welcome to Stalliongrad ____*Stalliongrad streets.*____ Scootaloo and Rainbow walked through the streets of the massive city, Scootaloo was completely in awe of the city, she was looking around with pure curiosity, Rainbow however seemed to be in a hurry, and frequently had to stop Scootaloo from wandering off, stating that she would take her exploring after they settled in. Eventually, after about ten minutes of walking, the sisters reached their hotel, and after they checked in, they were brought to their room, the sisters then set their stuff down and sat on the beds, Scootaloo decided that now was a good time to look around, the room had brown walls and ceiling, the carpet was a light tan color, the the beds were comfortable enough and there was a cabinet along with a bathroom. Rainbow looked at Scootaloo and sighed. "Alright Scoots, listen.....I'm going out for a while, while I'm gone, you are NOT to go to the east side, understood?" She asked. Scootaloo sighed but eventually nodded. "Yea.....alright." She relented. Rainbow chuckled and ruffled Scootaloo's hair before heading to the door to leave. Scootaloo watched as Rainbow left the room, eventually however, after about three minutes, Scootaloo said stood up and walked over to the door, she then opened it and locked it before walking out, she made sure that the door was locked as she closed it and started exploring. ____*five minutes, at Rainbow*____ Rainbow walked through the cold damp streets, as she did, she couldn't help but feel like she attracted some unwanted stares, but she continued walking, eventually reaching an old looking building, it was built out of gray bricks and stones, she walked up to the door and knocked. Some shuffling and clanging came from inside the building, soon enough a voice came from inside. "Who is it?" The voice asked. Rainbow chuckled, recognizing the voice. "It's Rainbow." She replied. The door slightly opened to reveal a light brown earth pony mare with short black hair and green eyes, the mare sighed in relief and fully opened the door. "Come in." She said. Rainbow nodded and walked inside. "Like the new look." She commented. Applefritter chuckled and closed the door, after locking it she walked further into her home. "Thanks, so Dash.....what brings you here?" She wondered. Rainbow shrugged and sat down on the couch. "I wanted to see my old friend, is that a crime, so.....got any interesting stories?" She asked teasingly. Applefritter smiled and rolled her eyes. "You better get comfy, this might take a while." She replied as she sat in the chair. ____*meanwhile*____ Scootaloo wandered the streets aimlessly, with no particular destination in mind, she soon happened upon an alleyway with sounds of cheering and shouting, she raised an eyebrow and decided to investigate. Scootaloo walked further into the alley and soon she found a large open area, there were a lot of ponies standing in a circle watching two two ponies fight in a ring, she blinked and walked closer. Upon closer examination, the two in the ring seemed to be an older earth pony, and a Pegasus colt, the older pony was dark blue with a gray mane and tail, his eyes were steel gray, the colt however was something else entirely. The pegasus was a discolored dark blood red with an apocalyptic colored mane and tail, when Scootaloo could see his eyes, she was startled, one eye was dark red, and the other was forest green. The older pony charged the colt and made an uppercut, the colt dodged the uppercut but the older stallion swiped with his back hoof to try and hit the Pegasus. The colt nimbly dodged the swipe and ran at the stallion, he then suddenly stopped and flipped around before double kicking the stallion square in the jaw. The stallion fell to the ground and the colt then uppercut the stallion before delivering a punch to his side. Scootaloo looked away, she fought the sudden urge to vomit as some of the crowd booed and the rest cheered, she quickly started to walk off when she got bumped, she fell to the ground and a voice spoke. "Sorry about that." Scootaloo looked up and saw the colt from before offering his hoof, she gladly took it and stood back up. The colt chuckled. "You know.....judging by your reaction to the fight, I'd say you're new.....am I right?" He asked. Scootaloo nodded. "Yea, I am." She replied. The colt chuckled and looked up at the sky, he soon sighed and motioned Scootaloo to follow. "Come on newbie, we need to get inside." He said before walking off. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow and went to say no, but she soon realized that she forgot how to get home, so she reluctantly followed the colt. 'This is a bad idea.' She thought to herself. ____*meanwhile*____ Rainbow chuckled and looked at the nearby clock, seeing the time, she stood up and looked at Applefritter. "I would love to stay, but i need to get back." She said. Applefritter nodded, she then stood up. "It was good to see you again Rainbow, don't think twice about stopping by, it's good to have company that doesn't hate me." She replied. Rainbow smiled and walked to the door, which Applefritter opened and let her out. "See you some other time Rainbow." Applefritter said. ____*meanwhile*____ Scootaloo entered the living room of the colt's house, she looked around but the only real decoration was a single flower pot in the corner, there was a couch and a chair, a coffee table in the center and a window, along with two pathways, the walls were dark green and the ceiling was gray along with the carpet. The colt walked over to the couch and sat down, he then looked at Scootaloo. "You know, I almost forgot introductions.....my name is Storm Blitz, you?" He asked. Scootaloo sat down on the chair and looked at Storm. "Scootaloo, and if you don't mind me asking, why are we here?" She asked. Storm sighed and pointed at the window. "It's almost night time, and the gangs always get riled up around this time. Scootaloo shrugged and leaned back. "So how long do we wait?" She asked. Storm chuckled. "Well....I'd say at least twenty minutes." He replied calmly. _____*twenty one minutes later, Stalliongrad streets.*_____ Storm hid behind a crate and had Scootaloo hide behind another, he then peeked over the crate and saw that there was a large gray earth pony stallion walking around, Storm looked at Scootaloo. "Alright, when I give the signal, you go, ready?" He asked. Scootaloo shrugged but soon nodded after Storm gave her a silencing glare. "Alright but.....I thought Princess Celestia got rid of the mobs?" She whispered. Storm chuckled. "Celestia has no authority here......welcome to Stalliongrad Scoots, hope you like it." He replied quietly. Soon enough, Storm saw an opening. "Go!" He ordered quietly. _____*two minutes later, just outside Scootaloo and Rainbow's hotel.*_____ Scootaloo sighed and leaned against the wall, she then looked at Storm who stood near a crate. "Thank you." She said gratefully. Storm chuckled and shook his head. "No need to thank me.....just remember what I told you, alright?" He asked. Scootaloo nodded. "See you next time Storm." She replied. Author's Note Hello everyone, I've just rewritten this chapter, which is the last time for today, I will continue but for now I need sleep.....and MY GOD, just reading my old work made me WANT to have a heart attack. Anyway, as to the story, Storm Blitz, a young Pegasus colt with strange eyes and a mysterious past, and Applefritter, cousin of Applejack and a rather good friend, both have parts to play, so keep on reading......if you want of course. //-------------------------------------------------------// The tale of three ponies, Part one. //-------------------------------------------------------// The tale of three ponies, Part one. _____*the next day, the hotel, 10:21 AM*_____ The hotel room was quiet, the only noise in the room was that of Rainbow's quiet snoring, soon enough however, Scootaloo woke up and slowly sat up, she yawned and rubbed her eyes sleepily. Scootaloo blinked and got off the bed, she headed into the bathroom and walked to the sink, she turned on the cold water and splashed her eyes, she yawned again and headed to the shower. 'I wonder what I'll find today?' She wondered as she turned on the hot and cold water. When Scootaloo entered the shower she sighed in relief as the water cleaned off the dirt from last night, but when we thought on it, her mind drifted to Storm. 'Strange boy......but he beat that older guy easily, I wonder how he did it?....he must be strong to knock that other guy down. ' She asked herself. Of course, upon thinking this, Scootaloo found herself blushing, she shook her head clear of these thoughts and decided to simply finish her shower. ____*meanwhile.*____ Rainbow groaned as she sat up, she then stood up and rubbed her eyes, but just as she did, Rainbow obtained an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. Rainbow held her stomach and sighed. 'Note to self, never have Applefritter pour me a drink again.' She bit her tongue and sat back down. She then looked over at Scootaloo's bed and noticed that the filly was absent, but before Rainbow could panic, she heard the shower running, she sighed in relief and laid back. 'Calm down Dash, it's just a little stomach pain.....you've had worse.' She told herself. ____*meanwhile.*____ Storm blinked and looked outside, the city appeared so quiet right now, but he knew better. "Give it few hours, it'll be loud and wasteful again." He muttered. A chuckle came from behind him, he glanced over his shoulder and saw a young gray mare walk to the door. "Careful Storm, you might get yourself in trouble again, those fights of yours are getting harder and harder to clean up." The mare said. Storm rolled his eyes and looked out the window. "Tell your sergeant I said hey." He replied. The mare nodded and walked out the door. "Keep safe kid." She said before closing the door. Storm smirked and watched as a crow flew away from his window and headed towards the center of town. "Not that it matters." He muttered. ____*ten minutes later, outside the hotel.*____ Scootaloo took a deep breath as she looked around, the buildings were now covered in a thin layer of snow, the streets were frosted and windows had patches of frost all over. Scootaloo looked up and received a snowflake to the eye, she grumbled and rubbed her eye, she then started walking, she thought about visiting the other parts of the city, but she was drawn to the eastern side, so she walked towards it. She knew that Rainbow wouldn't approve, but she had already left five minutes ago, Scootaloo then decided to explore some more. After ten minutes of exploring, Scootaloo found about two cafés, a woodworkers, a masons, a jewelry store and a hobby shop, she eventually stumbled upon a park, she found an empty bench and sat down. It was about four minutes of sitting there with her eyes closed, that Scootaloo heard a familiar voice. "Your sitting in my bench.....mind moving over?" The voice said. Scootaloo opened her eyes and looked to the source of the voice, seeing Storm, she quickly slid over and allowed him to sit. "I didn't see your name on it." She replied. Storm chuckled and looked around. "Yea well.....I tend to sit here all the time, so it became a habit." He countered calmly. Scootaloo sighed, she looked at Storm and noticed that he had a bruise on his shoulder. "What happened?" She asked. Storm grinned and sat back. "Oh this?" He pointed at the bruise. "It's nothing, just got in an argument with an old nemesis." He replied. Scootaloo blinked and shook her head, not believing it for a second. "Uh huh.....so Storm, mind if I ask you something?" She wondered. Storm shrugged. "Sure, go ahead." "Ok....so, what can you tell me about this city?" She asked. Storm chuckled. "Well, beyond the tourist guide?....can't really say much, the city is a bustling place, filled with shops and businesses, a grand market is one the great landmarks of the city, the east side is actively avoided, declared an unsafe place for anyone, but since we are on the subject of the east side, there's a nice pub around here that serves great beer, there are many fighting rings in the alleys, like the one we met at, but other than that.....I can't tell you much else." He explained. Scootaloo nodded. Storm looked around and watched as a crow flew around the park. "Hey Scootaloo.....since you asked me something, let me ask you something." He said. Scootaloo blinked and looked at Storm. "Yea?" She asked. Storm looked at Scootaloo. "Who are you here with?.....you don't strike me as the kind of person to come to this city alone." He wondered. Scootaloo sighed and sat back. "My big sister Rainbow." She replied. Storm seemed to paused at the name, but he simply went back to watching the crow fly. "Rainbow huh?....strange name." He commented. Scootaloo nodded, but then realized something odd. "Wait a minute.....that isn't fair, all I asked for was general information on the city, not something personal." She pointed out. Storm chuckled. "Yea yea ok you got me......but still, you did ask me about my home, so it is kind of personal, so how about this.....we play a quick game to determine who talks next?" He wondered. Scootaloo sighed and soon enough she nodded. "Fine, what game?" She asked. Storm then pulled out a small cube, with three blue sides and three red sides. "I have a chance cube, if it's red, I talk, if it's blue, you talk." He said. Scootaloo eyes that cube suspiciously. "Hold on, how do I know that it isn't loaded?" She asked. Storm appeared hurt as he clutched his chest. "You wound me, as if I would stoop so low as to cheat, but your suspicion is justified, go ahead and test it....I don't mind." He said while handing Scootaloo the cube. Scootaloo then rolled the cube, seeing it land on red, she then checked it a few more times, finally concluding that it wasn't loaded, she gave it back to Storm. "Alright then, roll." She said. Storm nodded and went to roll the cube. "Only once." He metioned as he rolled it. Scootaloo watched the cube as it spun, it soon slowed, and then it stopped.....on blue. "Great." She mumbled. Storm sighed and took the cube, he then put it back where he got it and looked at Scootaloo. "Might as well get it over with." He said. Scootaloo nodded and rested her head on the bench. "Alright, this story was a year or so ago.....just after Nightmare night." ____*flashback, one day after Nightmare night.*____ Scootaloo sighed as she walked to Sugarcube corner, she knew that Pinkie would pop out and scare her, like she did every year, it had become a tradition to the filly however, so she approached the door and braced herself as she walked inside. The bell to the bakery rang, and Scootaloo found herself down on the ground as an overly excited mare stood over her and bounced up and down. "Hey Scootaloo!....it's good to see you but I need to get going see ya!" Pinkie said rapidly before darting off. Scootaloo blinked and soon enough she stood up and looked around, she saw many regulars in the room but the most notable was three mares sitting in the corner, one was Rainbow Dash, the other two were Applejack and Bon Bon, the daredevils of the town. Scootaloo went to go sit down in an empty booth but apparently Applejack spotted her. "Hey Scootaloo!....you can come sit over here!" She called. At that, Scootaloo begrudgingly walked over and sat down. "Hi." She said simply. Rainbow chuckled and looked at Scootaloo, apparently changing the tables former subject. "So Scoots, what's up?" She asked. Scootaloo shrugged. "Not much, history lessons, Sweetie Belle has a dog now apparently, and Diamond Tiara has been avoiding me and the others for some reason." She replied. Applejack nodded absently. "Well, I hear her father has been on her case a lot recently, so it's only natural that she try to avoid contact when necessary. Bon Bon rolled her eyes. "Anyway, i need to get going, have to pick up Lyra's medicine." She said before sitting up and leaving six bits on the table as she left. Soon enough, after some idle chatter, Scootaloo stood up and looked at the two mare's "I'll see you guys some other time." She said before walking out. ____*ten minutes later*____ Scootaloo rode on her scooter, to the naked eye, she seemed to be heading in no real direction, but she was actually heading off to somewhere secret, eventually, she reached a rotting broken down house in the middle of a grove of trees, she parked her scooter and walked to the house. As she walked up the steps leading to the front door, Scootaloo couldn't help but feel a familiar sense of dread, but she simply sighed and walked inside the rotting house. Scootaloo closed the door behind her and looked around the house as always, the wooden walls and floor was dark brown and was visibly rotten, the fireplace was busted with stones littered about, the rocking chair next to it was old and had a busted back. Scootaloo cringed at the sight of the room but decided not to question it, so she quickly ran up the nearby stairs, she soon came upon a door with a hole in the middle and opened it, she walked into the next room and headed to the old bed in the corner, she laid back in the bed and sighed. 'Another boring day.....another day in hell' She told herself as she rested on the beat up pillow. _____*End of flashback*_____ Scootaloo took a quick glance at Storm's expression but noticed that he seemed strangely relieved. "Anyway, that's my big secret, I was an orphan." She said. Storm sighed and looked at Scootaloo. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, but it isn't wise to dwell on it forever.....in any case, me and you are going to get along just fine." He told the filly. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at Storm. "What do you mean?" She asked. Storm shrugged. "Like you, I'm an orphan, and it's usually people like you that I get along with.....anyway, I should get going, I was supposed to be at work five minutes ago, and don't worry about my side of the deal, I never go back on a deal.....I'll be sure to tell you before you leave the city." He said before standing up and flying off. Scootaloo groaned and stood up, she then stretched and starting walking off back to the hotel. 'That is one strange guy.' She thought. _____*twelve minutes later, at the hotel*_____ Scootaloo entered the room and looked around, she saw Rainbow sitting on the bed and walked over. "Hey sis, how was your day?" She asked. Rainbow chuckled. "Found some interesting little decorations, like a snowglobe that actually makes it snow and has itself look like the current building......how about you?" She asked. Scootaloo shrugged. "I explored the city mostly, I also found a nice park and talked a while with somepony." She replied. Rainbow's expression turned cautious as she looked at Scootaloo curiously. "Scoots....who did you talk with?" She asked. Scootaloo blinked. "A Pegasus colt by the name of Storm Blitz......why?" She wondered. Rainbow seemed to be caught off guard by the name, but decided not to press it further. "Okay......look, how about we spend the day together?....tommorow?" She asked. Scootaloo smiled and nodded. "Definitely." She replied. Author's Note Another chapter rewritten, I'm thinking of keeping this up until this entire story is fixed, but not tonight, so yea, this was another massive alteration, but it makes a lot more sense than the original. Anyway, on to the story, so Scootaloo was revealed to be an orphan, and Storm also revealed a small part of his past as well, Rainbow also learned about Storm from Scootaloo so that will be interesting. And who was that mare from before doing in Storm's house?.....all will be revealed, eventually. //-------------------------------------------------------// The sorrow of two ponies. //-------------------------------------------------------// The sorrow of two ponies. _____*two minutes later, Stalliongrad streets.*_____ Storm wandered around the streets, looking over his shoulder the entire time, apparently looking for something, eventually though, he walked onto a nearby street and sighed in relief. As he walked across the street, he looked around and his eyes locked on a specific home, Storm approached the house and looked around one last time, he knocked on the door and he heard sounds coming from the other side, he felt the vibrations of footsteps getting closer and he waited for the door to open. The door opened a few moments later to reveal Applefritter with an annoyed expression, but she seemed to relax after seeing that it is was only Storm at the door. "How's it going Storm?" She asked. Storm shrugged. "Not much." He replied casually. Applefritter then sighed and let Storm inside. "So, what's this about Storm?....I know you don't make social visits." She asked. Storm looked at Applefritter and chuckled. "You know me too well Fritter, i need you're help." He then motioned his head to his back and wings. Applefritter shook her head and walked over, and upon examining Storm's back and wings she immediately noticed some cuts and bruises on his left wingbone and near his spine. "What happened this time buddy?" She asked as she went over to a small cabinet. Storm blinked and sat down. "Bad luck at work, nothing big." He replied. Applefritter returned with a small box and set it down. "Let me guess, the real reason is classified?" She asked as she pulled out some bandages. Storm chuckled and a small grin formed as Applefritter started to bandage him. "Yea, can't tell you." He replied quietly as Applefritter worked. Applefritter smirked and began bandaging the wing. "Oh really? well, i won't pry, but it's concerning that you show up like this." She said calmly. Storm simply closed his eyes and let Applefritter work, and after she was done bandaging his wing, he then felt a familiar sensation on his spine, he opened his eyes and looked back and saw Applefritter applying a salve to his back. "I have a question for you." He said. Applefritter raised an eyebrow and began applying the salve to Storm's wing. "What is it?" She asked. Storm looked away from his back and closed his eyes again. "This might be a strange question for you, but have you seen Rainbow Dash recently?" He asked. Applefritter actually paused, but she continued and took a breath. "Yea, I have." She replied calmly. Storm looked back at Applefritter curiously. "So how did you handle it?.....seeing your ex?" He wondered. Applefritter grumbled. "And I decided to let you know that why?...and yes, I handled it great." She replied. Storm rolled his eyes. "You told me because we both know her." He replied easily. Applefritter sighed sadly and stood up. "You didn't tell anyone about that did you?" She asked. Storm shook his head as he got up slowly. "It stays between us......and I think the salve is starting to work." He replied as he slowly moved to the couch and sat down. Applefritter walked over and sat down in the chair across from Storm. "Well you can't go home in your condition, stay here for the night and you can go in the morning." She said. Storm grumbled. "The only downside to that salve, it has amazing healing powers, but knocks you on your ass." He replied as he shut his eyes and fell unconscious. Applefritter sighed and walked to the front door, she then made sure the door was locked and then barred the door with a large plank of wood. After securing the plank, Applefritter walked to the stairs and went upstairs for the night, but memories of the past came back up, giving her a strange sense of relief as she entered her room. _____*flashback.*_____ A cold wind blew through the streets of Stalliongrad, but even the frozen wind paled in comparison to the sorrows of this particular night, as young earth pony mare named Applefritter walked through the streets and towards an infamous building, The Deathly Ale tavern. Applefritter approached the tavern and sighed as she soon entered, becoming quickly aware of her surroundings, knowing the taverns reputation for hosting pickpockets, mercenaries, disgruntled soldiers and more, the mercenaries and soldiers were actively avoided unless you had business with them or were one of them, but the most dangerous of the taverns patrons were the Dark Knives, retired assassins from the mysterious branch of the military, no one messed with them or went near them, the only one who spoke with them was the bartender, who seemed to be on speaking terms with them. Applefritter walked to the bar and navigated the crowd, after a while, she eventually reached the bar and sat down, she sighed and glanced to her right as the bartender walked over. "Can I get you drink miss?" He asked. Applefritter looked at the bartender. "Yea, dragon breath cocktail." She answered as she looked down at the counter. The bartender nodded and continued his duties, leaving Applefritter alone. Soon enough, Applefritter noticed someone sit down next to her, she glanced over and saw a young Pegasus colt who looked practically dead, he was torn and beaten up, and he looked like he had no life remaining in him, but Applefritter was in so much pain, she simply growled. "Go away." She said harshly. Almost immediately after she spoke, a reply from a broken voice came. "No." Said the colt. Applefritter however, was in no way about to take shit from a kid, but just before she could lift her head, she heard the telltale sound of a large mug landing on the counter in front of her. "One dragon breath cocktail, be careful." The bartender warned. Applefritter grabbed the mug and took a chug of the powerful drink, she then put the mug down and glanced over at the colt, who just ordered a drink. The colt glanced at Applefritter. "You know, dragon breath cocktails are obvious signs of sorrow." He said. Applefritter huffed. "That's none of your concern." She replied with pure hostility. The colt chuckled and looked at her. "Considering I ordered one?....it somewhat is." He replied calmly. Applefritter glanced at the colt after a minute and sighed. "Whatever, I'm not getting into a conversation." She said. The colt grinned and looked at Applefritter. "Well then, you don't have to, I am perfectly capable of talking to myself." He replied. After that, the two sat in silence, patrons came and went, until eventually, after a few hours or so, there was only them, the bartender, a few soldiers and some Dark Knives. Applefritter looked over at the colt in confusion but the alcohol in her system made her say something stupid. "So why are you drowning your sorrows at this age?.....doesn't seem like you'd have much to worry about." She blurted out. The colt frowned and looked at Applefritter. "Well, that's a tough one, but I'm just going to sum it up and say that i literally lost everything, and that most of my remaining money will be going to the bartender to pay for my drinks." He replied coldly. Applefritter sighed. "Why are you worrying, you have your entire life ahead of you, I'm sure there will be something to fill up that void." She said bluntly. The colt chuckled. "Yea, oh uh.....my name is Storm." He said, introducing himself. Applefritter rolled her eyes. "Applefritter." She said. Storm blinked and noticed the bartender walk over. "We're shutting down for the night, time to pay up and go home." He said. Applefritter pulled out a bag of coins and put them on the counter. "Memorized it, the price for the drinks and the tip." She told him. Storm pulled a similar bag out and grunted. "Basically what she said." He added. The bartender sighed and emptied the bags and began to count the money, after making sure he wasn't ripped off, Applefritter and Storm left. ____*outside the tavern.*____ Applefritter noticed Storm immediately walk in the direction of the cemetery. "You going to be alright kid?" She asked curiously. 'Why did I ask that?' She wondered silently. Storm stopped and glanced back for a moment before chuckling. "Applefritter, you know, In another life, we would've been great friends, but as it stands.....I ain't making it through the night." He then continued walking. "Never give up Fritter, that's probably terrible advice, but it helped me stand up a while longer" he added as he walked. Applefritter blinked and did nothing as she watched Storm silently walk off into the night, she then sighed and went on her own way. "Good luck kid." She said quietly. _____*end of flashback*_____ Applefritter sighed as she laid back in her bed, knowing fully well what happened afterwards, but not willing to remember it at the moment, she closed her eyes and smiled, knowing that she helped a friend to stay alive a while longer. And downstairs, as he slept, Storm unknowingly smiled, remembering the exact same night as his friend was. Author's Note One night Two people meet in a bar, they start with hostility, followed by neutrality, and ending in an odd friendship in the present. Another rewritten chapter and the story is now somewhat harder to follow, but it's obviously better, and entirely different, but that's another story. //-------------------------------------------------------// The tale of three ponies, Part two. //-------------------------------------------------------// The tale of three ponies, Part two. ____*Stalliongrad, The north district market, 1:21 PM*____ Scootaloo walked with Rainbow along the streets, they had already visited a few shops, and were now going around, they had eaten at a restaurant that served some truly unique food. As they walked, Scootaloo could tell that Rainbow was bothered by something, she decided to ask. "What's wrong?" She asked. Rainbow looked around a little, but it was clear that she was on watch for something. "I don't know, I just have a bad feeling for some reason. Scootaloo halfway nodded. "Paranoia?" She offered. "Yea, lets go with with that." Rainbow said as she walked. They walked a while longer, and Scootaloo soon saw some interesting fruit, she dragged Rainbow over to it. Scootaloo gazed curiously at the fruit, it was white and had a strange resemblance to a pear but had the feel of a peach, she then looked at the seller. "What is it?" She asked. The vendor, who was a gray stallion without hair, he chuckled. "Its an Artic Pear, Imported all the way from The Tundra." He answered easily. Rainbow decided to buy two pears, one for her, and one for Scootaloo, but as she did, she remembered something from her past. ____*Years ago, Cloudsdale, 12:20 PM*____ Rainbow walked around the city, she looked around and saw that most of the shops were bustling, she sighed and looked down at her list. 'All that's left to get is the apples......god I sound like dad right now.' She laughed at her internal joke. She eventually found an apple stall that wasn't completely crowded, she waited in line patiently as it went on, she was of course irritated by the line taking forever due to a stubborn old lady trying to convince the vendor that the price was inaccurate, but as she looked around, she couldn't help but see something odd. A young colt, barely the age of seven by the looks of it, swiped an apple and ran off to the alley, which nopony seemed to notice, she raised an eyebrow at this, but seeing as nopony else was acting on it, the lady and the vendor didn't seem to be going anywhere with their argument, she left the line and headed for the alley. As she entered the alley, she continued down it and eventually saw the colt sitting in a corner eating the apple, she approached the colt but didn't get too close. "Why did you steal it?" She asked. The colt froze, he seemed to be shaking and was covered in dirt, but the discolored dark blood red fur was still visible, he gulped and looked at Rainbow. "I....I, I had to eat." He said shakily. Rainbow blinked and knelt down slowly. "Where are your family?" She asked quietly. The colt cringed and looked away, Rainbow's heart dropped, she understood the message. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked, but still, stealing isn't a good thing to do." She said calmly. The colt shivered and looked at Rainbow from the corner of his eye. "I......you wont turn me in will you?" He asked, fear plain in his voice. Rainbow found herself in a conundrum, on one hoof, it was her civic duty to turn the colt in to foal services, on the other, she couldn't bear the look of fear on the colt's face, for now, she decided to get something simple. "My name is Rainbow Dash, you?" She asked. The colt blinked but did not move. "S....Storm, Blitz." He answered. ____*Stalliongrad, The East side.*____ Storm sat on top of the building looking down at the streets, he watched as they went about their paranoid lives, never getting close to one another, it was a jumbled mess. He chuckled and looked forward. "So, how is the sergeant?" He asked. The gray mare from before walked up next to Storm. "Doing well......Storm, we heard about what happened, and you know why I'm here." she said calmly. Storm smirked. "Go ahead and arrest me, it won't matter." He said with a grin. The mare knelt down next to Storm. "It isn't about that, eye witness reports state that the guy picked that fight, no, I'm here about the I.e.r." She said calmly. Storm shook his head. "As I've said before, I'm leaving it in, I'm not dealing with this shit anymore." He replied firmly. The mare sighed and looked at him. "You can't keep hiding this, it's unlike you, the sooner you accept this, the better." She said. Storm said nothing as the mare left, he simply looked down and a small smile crossed his face. "Soon enough, I wont even need it removed." He said before flying off, a memory coming back to him, or more accurately, an image. A smile, a face, two beautiful eyes, he couldn't help but smile, even a sad one. Author's Note It's been a while since I've rewritten a chapter, but here's another one for you guys/girls, this should be more streamlined and readable than before, it might be too big a change, but its a necessary one. Back to the story, the mystery mare makes a return, Rainbow gets some nostalgia, and Storm has more backstory now, more coming in future chapters. Ps. Yes, I know the name of the implant changed from the original, but this makes more sense. //-------------------------------------------------------// The last day in Stalliongrad //-------------------------------------------------------// The last day in Stalliongrad ____*Stalliongrad, Rainbow's apartment, 10:12 AM*____ Rainbow hastily packed everything that they were taking home, she woke Scootaloo up so that she could help, they were both still groggy, but they had enough energy to get things packed. Eventually, after ten minutes, they were finished packing, all they had to do was pass enough time so that when they reached the train station, they could just board and wait for a few minutes until the train departed. The train departed at eleven thirty exact, so they had little over an hour to wait, Rainbow had suggested that they go say goodbye to Applefritter before leaving. Scootaloo had agreed, she hadn't met the mare yet, but even meeting her and talking to her for an hour would be better then not. The two sisters exited the apartment and made sure everything was good to go, she handed the key back to the clerk and the sisters headed to Applefritter's place. ____*A few minutes later*____ Rainbow knocked on the door and heard some shuffling, soon the door opened and they saw Applefritter. "Hey Dash, who's the kid?" She asked cautiously. "This is Scootaloo." Rainbow replied. Applefritter opened the door and allowed them in. "Sorry, have to be careful these days." She said as the two Pegasi entered. Scootaloo couldn't help but look around, some of the furniture was busted, there was a broken vase and table in the corner, one of the chairs was upside down because one of the legs were missing. "Something happen here Fritter?" Rainbow asked. Applefritter shrugged. "Burglar, tossed him out and around the house." She explained as she sat on the dusty couch. Rainbow and Scootaloo sat on old chairs and looked at Applefritter. "I wanted to come by, you see, we're going home today, and i thought you should know." Rainbow said. Applefritter chuckled. "I know, It has been good seeing you, so when does your train leave?" She asked. "In an hour or so." Scootaloo answered. Rainbow looked around and saw a busted picture on the mantelpiece. "Are you ever going to fix this place?" She asked. Applefritter shook her head. "No point, it would just get robbed and vandalized again, besides the whole building is falling apart, and I cant hire anyone to fix it up, no, I think I'll just give it back to the city, I can find a place some other time." She said, brushing off the concern as if it was nothing. Scootloo blinked. 'Is this what everyone in this city deals with?.....or is it just a few, it amazing how she can just brush it off like its nothing.' She thought as Rainbow and Applefritter talked. ____*An hour later, Stalliongrad train station.*_____ Rainbow and Scootaloo headed up to the conductor and handed their tickets over, he took them and confirmed them. "Go ahead and board." He told them. The sisters entered the train and found their seats, Rainbow actually sighed in relief. "That was close." She said quietly. Scootaloo couldn't help but agree as the train departed two minutes later. The train had been going for over twenty minutes when she heard a light thud from the top of the train, she glanced up but didn't notice anything odd, she assumed it was just her imagination. ____*A few hours later, Ponyville train station, [1].*____ Rainbow and Scootaloo stepped out of the train and breathed in the fresh air. "It's good to be home, right Scoots?" Rainbow asked. Scootaloo nodded. "Yep, sure is." She glanced around and noticed something odd, she looked closer and saw an all too familiar pony. "Dash, is that who I think it is?" Scootaloo asked quietly. Rainbow looked at what her sister was looking at and her eyes widened in shock. "No way." She muttered. They watched as Storm walked over and grinned at them. "Hey guys, how's it going?" He asked. Rainbow did the only she could.......she passed out. Storm scratched the back of his head. "Did I say something?" He asked. Author's Note [1] This particular train is very very fast. This chapter is just as rushed as the original, but then, there isn't much to cover, it should be easier to read though. Anyway, now Storm is in Ponyville, and Dash fainted, so yea, I think its going pretty well, also, I apologize for my previous author notes, to those who did not read them or don't remember, it was basically me being a jerk, if that sums it up. //-------------------------------------------------------// Back in ponyville //-------------------------------------------------------// Back in ponyville _____*Ponyville*______ Storm and Scootaloo stood over Rainbow as she lie there unconscious, Scootaloo was attempting to wake Rainbow up, while Storm looked around out of pure paranoia. Scootaloo looked at Storm. "Should we try using a bucket of water?" She asked. Storm shook his head. "No, unless you have a bucket hiding in your fur, it'll take too long." He replied blandly. It was two more minutes later that Storm got fed up with waiting and flew off in a blur of speed. 'Screw it, if Equestria is how I think it is, nobody will try anything.' He thought as he flew to some clouds. ____*meanwhile*____ Rainbow groaned and opened her eyes, she woke to the sight of Scootaloo watching over her. "Heh, hey Scoots." She grumbled. Scootaloo chuckled. "Hey sis, you alright?" She asked. Rainbow nodded and stood up. "Yea, I'm fine, where did Storm go?" She asked. Scootaloo shrugged. "I don't know, he left just before you woke up." She replied. Rainbow rubbed her eyes and looked at Scootaloo. "Come on, let's head home, I'm starving." She said as she flew slowly home. Scootaloo grinned and flew after her sister, it wasn't often, but Rainbow would sometimes fly slowly, and that usually meant either she was in deep thought, or was stalling. _____*Ponyville.*_____ Storm walked through the town simply looking around, so far it seemed to be a very close nit community, as was evident by the townsponies going about their lives the way they do. Soon enough however, Storm found himself startled by a pink blur almost ramming him, normally, he would attack for something like that, but he didn't detect any hostility from the blur, so he merely fell back on an act. "Whoa!" He said in a startled manner. The pink blur had a grin that would split a face in half, and had the obnoxious colors that made Storm cringe, a bright pink for the fur, and a slightly darker pink for the mane. Storm didn't say anything at first but he felt that any normal person would say something. "Hello." He said calmly. The Pink mare gasped loudly and floated up, she then zoomed off somewhere unknown to Storm. "Moving on." He muttered. _____*Meanwhile.*_____ Rainbow and Scootaloo entered the cloud house, Scootaloo went upstairs to relieve herself while Rainbow started on some food, all the while, Rainbow was thinking. 'Why did he come here?.....why now? with everything going on, why did he show himself now? after all of these years?' She wondered. After Scootaloo came back down, Rainbow went upstairs to the bathroom, leaving Scootaloo in the kitchen with her own thoughts. 'I wonder why he came here?.....what could be here that he wants?" She asked herself, not knowing that Rainbow was thinking the same thing. After Rainbow came back down, she worked on getting herself and Scootaloo some food, it wasn't long before it was ready. ____*Meanwhile, Ponyville park.*____ Storm was walking through the park, it was of decent size, but it didn't feel like the Stalliongrad park. "Ok, let's get going." He muttered to himself. Soon enough, as he was walking he felt something crunch under his front right hoof, he lifted it up and looked at it, it was the dead corpse of some kind of bug, he shrugged and continued walking after wiping the bug off, feeling a strange chill down his spine, Storm looked around carefully, not noticing anything weird, he continued moving. He soon came across a yellow Pegasus mare looking at some flowers. "Looking for something specific?" He asked. The Pegasus gave a startled jolt but still looked at him. "Oh, yes, I'm trying to find a specific flower for my friend." She explained, albeit shyly and quietly. Storm blinked, not expecting that response. "Ok then, what does it look like?" He wondered. The Pegasus pointed at a Lavender flower. "It looks like that, but it's blue." She said. Storm closed his eyes and chuckled. "It would be right behind your front left hoof." He said. The Pegasus blinked and looked down, she soon saw it and picked it. "Thank you." She said, much less shy now. "I'm Fluttershy, nice to meet you." She said. Storm's brain twitched, but he didn't show signs of irritation. "Storm." He replied, he mentally sighed to himself. 'Great, I wasn't looking forward to making any form of friends or whatever....oh well, could be good.' He thought. As the two went their separate ways, Storm couldn't help but feel curious now. "I can't possibly meet anyone weirder than the pink one." He told himself. ____*later that day.*____ Storm was now sitting down on a bench, he heard barely anything from the quiet park, unlike the one back home. "Can I sit down?" asked a female voice. Storm looked in the direction of the voice and saw a mint green unicorn mare with a green and white mane. "Sure." He replied, not that he had a problem with it, but it was different for someone to actually ask. The mare sat down and watched the events of the park, a guy asleep on a bench, a few families playing, some people painting or writing, whatever that was going on. Storm was attempting not to say anything, but his curiosity got the better of him. "So, see anything interesting?" He asked calmly. The mare shrugged. "If you call everyday life interesting?......sure, then everything is interesting." She replied. Storm chuckled. "I guess I can call everyday life interesting." He said quietly. The mare and Storm sat there for a while until a frisbee flew towards the mare while she wasn't looking, Storm quickly caught it and looked for the one who threw it. "Hey!.....can I have my frisbee back?" Asked a young boy. Storm threw the frisbee back then sat back down. "Don't feel like playing?" The mare asked. Storm shook his head. "No, I don't play that game." He replied. "What kind of games does a kid your age play then?" The mare asked curiously. Storm chuckled. "I guess risk or poker is more my style, what about you?" He didn't want to reveal his favorite game......unless he had too. The mare looked at Storm. "Me?.....i have to say checkers and the Game of Life." She replied. Storm sighed and looked up at the sky, the clouds were slowly being placed by the Pegasi. "I guess there's a big storm coming huh?" He asked. The mare nodded and looked up. "It's supposed to be mild, but I wouldn't be surprised if it worsened." She then looked at Storm and held a hoof out. "I'm Lyra by the way, Lyra Heartstrings." She introduced. Storm shook the mare's hoof. "Storm Blitz." He said. Lyra stood up and stretched a little. "Well, I got to get going, see you kid." She said before walking off. Storm nodded and sighed. 'I better get going too.' He told himself. ____*A few minutes later.*____ Storm was flying was a drop of rain hit him on the face, he sighed and stopped. "Of course, why not, why wouldn't you rain?" He complained as he continued his flight. By the time he was flying towards the only cloud house in the area, he found himself in the middle of a downpour. "Mild my ass." He complained. Storm flew quickly to the house and landed in front of the door, he then knocked on it. Soon, the door opened to reveal Rainbow Dash, who went wide eyed. "Hi Rainbow." He said calmly. Rainbow quickly composed herself. "Storm." She replied. Storm looked to the rain. "Uh, can I come in?" He asked. Rainbow stood aside and let the young Pegasus through. "How come your here?.....last I heard, you were t going to leave that city unless you died." She said. Storm nodded. "Changed my mind, you know how I am." He replied. Rainbow led Storm to the living room and had him sit. "Of course I do." She said. Storm sat down and looked at Rainbow. "How's the sister?" He teased. Rainbow narrowed her eyes at Storm. "Ha ha ha." She laughed sarcastically. Storm grinned. "Come on sis, don't give me that stare, I haven't done anything." He said defensively. ____*later that day.*____ Storm looked out into the rain, he hated it for a long time, and with good reason, but he was over it now, he just didn't like getting wet these days, then again, who does? He had talked with Rainbow and Scootaloo earlier, and Rainbow had said that she would let him stay there until his business here was done, he didn't have the heart to tell her what it was, not that he could care. It was getting late, and he just wanted to lie down for a rest, but something was keeping him up, he couldn't get over something he saw, he had seen a weird aura around Rainbow, it reeked of dark power, but there was also an ancient light power. Rainbow and Scootaloo were asleep by now, so when Storm laid back on the couch and closed his eyes. "I'll deal with it tomorrow." He told himself. Author's Note Finally, another rewritten chapter!......that doesn't have horrible grammar. Why did I release this story before?....I should have devoted more time into it. *sigh* Anyway, the chapter is vastly different than before, if any of you are rereading this, you will know what I'm talking about, but at least now it's readable. See you next time guys, in the next rewrite or update on other stories, whichever works. //-------------------------------------------------------// Internal pain.... I hate It //-------------------------------------------------------// Internal pain.... I hate It ______*the next day, 9:00 AM*______ Storm sat on a cloud as he lazily floated, he looked down at the town and grumbled. "Of all places to end up, I go to the most boring town in existence." He complained. He sighed as he rolled to his side. "At least it's quiet, good for relaxing I guess." He muttered. 'And......I need to just get away from things, especially now.' He closed his eyes and entered his own thoughts. 'Maybe I'm just lazy, or I just want to avoid my life back home, but I could use the distraction, things were getting a little too hot back home for my liking.' He thought to himself. Storm then thought on the events that happened the past few days, and how much they changed things for him, he opened his eyes and saw only the white cloud. "How the hell did I let myself get pulled into this shit?" He asked himself quietly. Just then, the world changed and he saw the streets of Stalliongrad. "Must be daydreaming." He whispered to himself. He watched quietly as snow fell onto the streets, the warm glow of the sun keeping the people from freezing due to the winter, he also noted the happy expressions on the faces of the townsfolk, he closed his eyes and sighed sadly. "I remember that day." He chuckled. "How could I forget? it was one of the best days of my life." He opened his eyes and looked at the sky, only the bright blue clear skies greeted him. "Things won't be like that again, at least not in my lifetime." He whispered to himself as the cloud drifted. 'Still, I wish I could take it all back, if I could go back in time, I would have made very different decisions.' Storm thought as he closed his eyes again. 'I wouldn't make the same mistakes, and I wouldn't take things for granted like I did.' With that, he simply drifted along the skies, saying and doing nothing. ______*later that day, 1:00 PM*______ Storm walked through the town calmly, he hadn't been here long but he could already see the difference between here and his home. 'These people, they're just going through their lives, no fear of impending attack, no armed guards patrolling the streets?.....how can they be so naïve? every town needs guards or a militia of sorts, how do they stay protected?' He wondered. Eventually Storm's travels led him to a large tree with Windows and a balcony, it appeared to be a makeshift library, he watched a few townsfolk leave the tree, including someone he was no expecting, he grinned and walked closer. "Well well well, Rainbow Dash, never expected to see you at a library in my life." He teased. Rainbow groaned. "Storm, don't go harassing me about this, people can change, you are proof of that." She countered. Storm nodded. "True, but it's still ironic." He said as he looked at the tree. "So this is the library huh?" He asked. Rainbow nodded. "Yea, it's run by Twilight Sparkle, one of my friends, if you talk to her, try not to insult her." She said as she started to walk off. Storm smirked. "I won't make a promise I can't keep." He warned as he walked to the door of the library. Seeing as it was a public library, Storm walked inside and looked around, he saw two people inside, a purple dragon with green scales and a lavender unicorn mare with a purple mane and two other colors that Storm didn't really care about. "A library inside of a tree, Equestrians can be very strange." He commented. Twilight didn't seem to notice him at first as she rearranged the books on a shelf, she soon started talking. "It's not that strange, this was originally a secret hideout for Starswirl the Bearded, discovered and converted to a library after he died, a very interesting story actually." She answered, her tone indicating that she had explained this before, she then looked at Storm. "Oh, sorry, I you probably don't care either way." She said as she stopped using her magic. Storm blinked. "Wouldn't it be more efficient to put the books on the shelf without magic? that way you know for certain where it is." He asked. Twilight chuckled. "Maybe, but I've been organizing this way for so long, I dont see a reason to stop." She replied. Storm shrugged. "Alright then." He said as he walked to the window and looked outside. "I take it your not Equestrian?" Twilight asked casually. "Just guessing because of what you said." She added. Storm looked at Twilight. "I was born Equestrian, but I lived in the Artic for several years, now I consider that my nation." He answered calmly, that part he didn't seem to mind. "My turn for a question, what exactly do you know about the Artic?" He asked. Twilight blinked and walked to a desk. "You know, not many ponies here in Equestria know the Artic exists, just because they are so secluded, and what we do know is sketchy, in fact we know next to nothing about them, at least in publicly accessible knowledge." She answered as she pulled out a small blue book and opened It. "A secluded nation, the Artic is home to a hardy people that constantly brave harsh uncontrolled weather and wild predators, bears and wolves most common, they also have a strange magical power that any race can wield, the only known fact is a law that is actively enforced, Unicorns and Alicorns are forbidden in the Artic, if any are discovered, they will be removed immediately from the nation, resisting this means death." She closed the book and looked at Storm. "That's all." She said. Storm sighed. "And here I was hoping that more about us would be public knowledge." He rolled his eyes and looked out the window. "I'm curious about something." Twilight started. "Why exactly are unicorns and Alicorns forbidden from entering?" She asked. Storm looked at Twilight. "I'm not allowed to say, but there is a good reason for it." He replied. "Why do you ask?" He wondered. Twilight laughed nervously and sheepishly held her left hoof with her right. "I um, genuine curiosity actually, there's just so much that we don't know about the Artic is all." She replied. Storm grinned. "Well I suppose I could let you in on a few things." When he saw Twilight's expression become an excited one. "If I feel like it." He added. Twilight then appeared to be stunned for a moment, Storm chuckled at sight of it, she recovered and then frowned. "That's not funny." She said. Storm nodded. "Oh yes it is, lesson one, I'm rude." He said before walking to the door to leave. "Hey, we forgot to introduce ourselves.....I'm Twilight Sparkle." She said. "Storm Blitz, just call me Storm." He said as he opened the door. "See you Purple." ______*later that day, Ponyville park*______ Storm sat on the bench simply relaxing, he had his eyes closed for about four minutes until he heard footsteps nearby. "Hey, is it alright if I sit here?" A female voice asked. Storm opened his eyes and saw a mint green unicorn mare with Amber eyes and pale green hair. "Sure." He said, he wasn't used to people asking to sit, they usually just sat down. "Is it just me, or is the majority of this town female?" He asked. The mare laughed a little bit at the statement, but answered Storm anyway. "Pretty much, it's been like this for a long time actually." She looked at Storm. "Your new to town then?" She asked. Storm nodded. "Yea, everyone seems to notice that instantly." He replied. "I think it's how you talk, you use very different speech patterns then everypony else, that and almost all of us know each other." The mare said. Storm looked at the mare curiously. "I'm Storm." He greeted. "Lyra, so where you from kid?" She asked. The question would normally set off alarms for Storm, but he didn't sense any malicious intent in the question. "Originally Cloudsdale, but I live in Stalliongrad." He stated. Lyra looked at Storm with a bewildered expression. "Where's that?" She asked, clearly she didn't know. "Far to the north." Storm explained easily as he watched a few kids playing. "What about you?" He asked. "Born in Manehatten, raised in Canterlot, live here." Lyra answered. Storm chuckled. "Interesting life." He remarked. Lyra nodded and watched the events in the park, she smiled as she watched a few kids playing with a frisbee, she then felt a drop of rain on her face and sighed. "It's raining again?" She asked herself. "It's been raining every day for weeks now." She muttered. Storm stood up. "I heard there was a drought not long ago, so if your Equestrian weather team does their job right, this should be the last day for a while." He said as he looked at Lyra. "I would love to stay in chat, but I don't need my friend worrying about me." He said as he flew up and then headed to Rainbow's house. _____*later that day, 10:00 PM*______ Storm sighed as he lay on the cloud, while Rainbow had given him a spare room to call his own, he prefered the outdoors. 'There are some strange people in this town, I don't know what to make of it, at least back home i knew what to expect.' He rolled over to his side and looked at his hoof. 'Maybe I should have stayed home? it would have been easier for me, no time to think, always on the lookout.' He shook his head as he closed his eyes. "No, I need the quiet time, at least until I work through my pain." He whispered. Storm opened his eyes and looked at the night sky, he let a small tear fall from his eyes and he smiled softly. 'You would be proud if you could see this Sift, i just wish you were here with me.' He thought as he closed his eyes to get to sleep. Author's Note OK, this rework took me forever to get around to doing, and I finished within a half hour to an hour. Main changes for those who don't know, instead of having the chapter make no sense I decided to make it more focused on Storm's perspective on things as he explores the town. Also I made things a lot more understandable and made it so Twilight was not a complete idiot. To those of you who liked the original, I'm sorry but this is the permanent version, the only changes from this point on will be typo corrections. Again I am sorry that it took so long to do this rework, I'm happy with how it came out and I hope you like it.