Love is a hurricane

Night Shadow dragged his hooves through Ponyville, depressed with his luck in love, but not surprised. He stopped in front of the fountain and looked at his reflection. A large pitch black Earth pony with a black mane and tail with a crimson red streak running through them, blood red eyes and fangs stared back at him. 'No wonder Silverspeed refused me. If I didn't make that stupid mistake, she might have been harsher with her words instead of letting me down gently.' He sighed and hoof-dragged along while looking at the ground in sadness.

Silverspeed noticed him walking in the fountain. Sweet Celestia he was pitiful. Almost to the point where she felt sorry for him. Sure, call her a monster. Silverspeed was use to that. But honestly, he needed to grow up. Moping around was pointless. "Hey Shadow!" She waved, landing by his side. "What's up?"

Night snapped up at the familar voice before calming himself. He turned to the mare in question and gave a small smile. "Oh, hey Silver. What brings you here?" In his head, he knew he would never have a chance with her, but in his heart, he will always love the mare he admired.

"Shadow, no offense, but your shadow looks happier than you. How about we stop by Sugar Cuber Corner and get some happiness in ya', okay?"

Why was she doing this? She owed him nothing. She hadn't broken up with him. Heck, they hadn't even gotten on a date. And on top of that, he's insulted her with that smug look when he said he was going to keep her safe. Silver may be a thief, and maybe he's obsessed with proving that fact, but a good thief never let something like this blow out of control.

Night let out a sigh. "Yeah, I think that would be good. But don't think I'll let you pay for me, I still feel like I need a flank kicking, but I take what I can get." A small smile crept on his muzzle.

I take what I want, Night, whether or not it's available.

Silverspeed smiled. "Then come on, silly. I am your friend after all. Talk it out with me as if I was one of your big scary guards."

As they trotted to Sugercube Corner, Night chuckled darkly. "Don't know if you've forgotten, but the other guards are scared of me more than they are of the princesses. At least with them, they'll feel like they disappointed their mother. But with me, they look like they expect me to torture them for 90 days and 90 nights." He frowned after though. "And I think you know what's wrong. But you're not to blame, I am."

Silverspeed nodded. "You know it's usually the mare who holds the grudge, Shadow."

Silverspeed opened the door to the bakery, plopping her flank on the closest stool and gesturing Night to sit down. "But walking around, all depressed isn't going to change anything."

She grinned. "Besides, it's not the first time anypony's ever called their neighbor a criminal. Only they usually just poke fun at it where as you sounded awfully serious, Night, especially with that know-it-all smile. So quit moping and enjoy a sundae on me, alright?"

Night gave a sad sigh again. "Sorry, but again I wasn't implying that you 'were' or 'are' a thief. I was only making a guess at what you would be best at. I could tell that if you were one and I was on duty, I wouldn't be able to spot you. And if I did, I wouldn't be able to catch you, even if you were grounded. As for the reason for why I'm depressed. Well, it's had getting over your first love, especially when you've never seen anypony that why before, EVER."

"Well...perhaps then I should be apologizing. I don't mean to take such comments to heart, but the misunderstanding really got to me. But you know what? I'm willing to drop the past for my own friend's sake. And what did you see in me, out of curiosity?" Silverspeed asked, ordering two sundaes.

Night shuffled nervously while waiting for the sundaes. He could feel his blush and knew for a fact that it was showing through his dark coat. "Well, um....at first I didn't know what it was. The first time I thought about you, I was thinking how your hooves were formed in just the right way to use a bow and arrow and right after that I began to think on your figure and how it looked lean and graceful, like you could outrun anypony. The second time I thought how cute you looked when you were asking me about what I was cooking at the time. But I think that it was your eyes that really trapped me in your web. When I locked up waiting for your reaction, I almost drowned in how they captured me. It was then that I remembered that a few guards would talk about this when they thought I wasn't around and I knew what I felt. So when you rejected me, I kinda took it harder than I thought I would. You were quite literally the first mare I ever saw as more than another voice I hear. I'm not exaggerating when I say that before I fell for you, the world was dull in color and food was bland, been that way since my parents." At first, he was nervous, but as he spoke he became more serious and honest with his feelings and it showed.

"Heh...dull in color." Silverspeed examined her own grey coat. "Wow...you give me way more credit than your average pony, you know?"

She sighed. "You could say I was born with a silver spoon in my hoof. Only pony in the family with wings. Grew up fairly wealthy. Most of the time I spent with my Dad. But then...well...things didn't work out so well. He left...and ever since then it's just been the three of us, drifting apart. I know my father wanted me to come. I wanted to come too, but Mother had the better part of the deal. So it wasn't meant to be, I guess. Still hope though I can bring it together. The family."

It was so ridiculous, that Silverspeed began to laugh. "Who am I kidding? I'm sorry, Shadow, it's not nearly as sad as yours."

Well...better to talk about family than mention the fact that she was scared out of her wits by the grouch. Although...as a friend...maybe not so grouchy.

As he listened to her tale, Night could smell her fear. It didn't take mind like Twilight Sparkle's to figure out why. Being forced to survive in a forest in the griffon empire for six months can change a stallion. He leaned forward slightly while resting his right hoof on the table with a slightly hurt frown. "Silver, I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will always be there to help you and keep you safe. I know you can take care of yourself, but one day you may run into a problem that you can't handle. I understand if you never look at me like I do you, but that won't change how I feel. And if even the Princesses try to punish you, I will fight till my soul is burned to ash to keep you safe." His eyes burned with a fire, but not the hellfire from before.

"Wow...that's mighty generous of you, Night." Silverspeed smiled. "I enjoy the drama. And good to know I got a friend like you to watch my back."

She stood up. "Well, see you bright and early in the morning then. Don't worry, I already covered for you." She trotted off, humming some odd tune as she left.

Diamond Tiara was once again gallivanting off on her own, determined to find something to alleviate her of her boredom. That's when she saw Sugar Cube Corner. There was a hundred percent chance that the Cutie Mark Cru-Losers would be hanging out there. So, without skipping a beat, she passed through the doors.

Night watched her leave and felt warm inside. She now knew how much he cared and loved her and that was good enough for him. 'Still wish I could have her though. If she asked me to fight every demon and monster in Tartarus and then the princesses at the same time afteward, I wouldn't even speak before doing it.' He realized that he might be going overboard with his thoughts, but he didn't care. He got up and headed back to his home, eagerly awaiting for morning to come.

Diamond hadn't watched where she was going, and bumped into the odd stallion. "Hey buddy, watch where you're going...o....kaay?" Diamond's eyes widened. This guy was big. And on top of that, he was dressed like a freak. Why had she decided to go out alone again?

Night looked down at the tiny filly. It was a first for him, having to look straight down at his hooves to see somepony. He cleared his throat. "Sorry miss. I wasn't looking where I was going. How about I make it up to by treating you to whatever you want in here." He offered a gentle smile at the filly. Night always had a weakness for foals, no matter how rude or annoying.

"Oh...yeah...sure...whatever." Diamond picked up her tiara and carefully adjusted it on her head. "Just um...watch where you're going. And I prefer chocolate flavor for my milkshakes thank you very much."

Night's smile stayed, despite the filly's attitude. "All right. One chocolate milkshake, coming up!" He ordered the treat and returned to his table with the shake and placed it across from his own untouched dessert. 'Luna, I have got to pay more attention. Silver really messed me up, not that I'm not happy about it.' He began eating after asking the filly. "My name is Night Shadow, what's your name young lady." He still had his smile on.

"Night Shadow? That's a pretty morbid name don't you think?" Diamond sipped on her milkshake. "Well...since you obviously haven't met me before, Diamond Tiara Rich."

Night chuckled at her comment about his name. "Yeah, but it fits. Could you look at me and hear me say 'Hi, my name is Sunshine Sky' without bursting into laughter?" He smiled a little wider. "And that's a very lovely name, Miss Diamond Tiara." He gave a little bow as he said her name.

Diamond smiled. At least the weirdo had manners. "Thank you, and I think with a little proper make up, you could blend in as a real pony yourself."

Night laughed lightly. "Believe it or not, this is what I really look like. Even these beauties are real." He smiled big enough to show his fangs. "And besides, a Commander in the Lunar Guard needs to look scary." He knew he probably shouldn't be telling more ponies about his job, but with way things were going, everypony would find out soon.

"Commander in the Lunar Guard, huh?" Diamond giggled. "Yeah right. Where's your armor? And what are you doing in a place like this?"

Night knew she wouldn't believe him without proof, so he reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a badge that only those of high rank in the guard possessed, one that was impossible to make a fake of. It was common knowledge that was taught to fillies and colts so they knew who to trust when with a stranger who claimed to be a guard. He slid it to Diamond and, his smile still intact, answered her questions. "I'm not wearing my armor because I'm on leave for vacation, the same reason I came here."

"Wow..." Well...this was embarrassing. Hiding her chagrin under a self-conceited "hmph", Diamond continued their discussion. "So you like...fought bad guys or something? Protect the Princess?"

Night nodded. "Yes, but it wasn't just them. Take about four years ago. There was a bandit group of 250 griffons heading for a village in Equestria. Princess Celestia sent me to stop them. I fought for six. Days. Straight. And all without rest. When they were defeated, I had collapsed from pure exhaustion. My wounds didn't bother me, but my body was SCREAMING at me after that." He laughed a bit before continuing. "Do you know what the village's name was?" He knew she didn't as this wasn't recorded in history to spare the ponies of the village in question the fear of attack.

"Ummm...let me guess...Fantasyland?" Diamond Tiara shook her head, snickering at the stallion's naivety. "250 griffins, yeah right. Fought for six days? Come on, even I know that's outrageous."

Night simply stood up and shook his coat to where all his scars were no longer hidden, all of which looked like they were made by very sharp and deadly weapons. "If there's one thing I'm not, it's a lair. And no, not 'Fantasyland'." He chuckled. "Ponyville. If you think back to the earthquake back then, I think you'll make the connection."

"What earthquake?" Diamond scratched her head. "If you mean the stampede that was Applejack? Or when Nightmare Moon returned, the Elements of Harmony. Or when Discord took over...the Elements of Harmony. And...oh wait...that's right...I don't believe you." Diamond crossed her hooves, before drawing back in horror at the sight of the scars. "And will you please hide that. Bleh...that's disgusting. I still don't believe you. You've been in the guard for quite some time. If you really fought 250 griffins, I'd say you're just as crazy as Pinkie Pie, and believe me, that's by a long run. Like, seriously? We get so many things coming in this town I think we get a couple dozen earthquakes just from Pinkie's doozies. Anyway, you can't feel the earth shake in a battle with griffins. Number one mistake." Diamond kept up a smug smile.

Night smirked right back. "First off, I said it was 'four years ago', so unless you were in a crib, you would have felt the tremors. And second, it quite easy when the griffons are using bombs. I didn't earn the rank of Commander for nothing." He shook his fur again and hide the scars.

"First off. I'm ten. And second. Like I said, we get a lot of earthquakes in Ponyville. I highly doubt you fought all those big bad griffins by yourself. Not only is it physically impossible, but you don't look that tough."

Night decided to give Diamond a show. "Care to put your bits where your mouth is? I know where to find a spot to show you just how good of a fighter I really am. I win by proving what I said about me is true, then you have to admit that I was right with a witness. If I can't then I'll take you out around the town and get you anything and everything you want for a whole day." He gave another smile.

"Alright. Prove it to me." Diamond smiled. "Let's shake on it."

Night held out his hoof and met hers. They shook on it and the deal was set. "Alright, follow me."

They had arrived at a meadow at the edge of the Everfree Forest. Night looked around for what he wanted till he found it. "Ah-ha!!" He walked over to what looked like a sunken boulder. "This will do nicely. Alright, now I'll do three tests to show that I can back up what I say. The first is strength, then speed, and finally skill. You will pick what I have to do, but not how. Alright, first test!" He smirked as he knew he had this in the bag.

"Let's go right in order. Strength. Speed. Skill." Diamond Tiara continued to sip on the milkshake, which she'd taken with her. The Cake's wouldn't miss a glass after all. "And remember, this is proving to me without a doubt that you could take on 250 griffins."

Night grinned. "I'm waiting~" He sang out.

"Let's see..." Diamond pointed at the boulder. "Lift that up. Thirty hooves above the ground."

Night looked towards where she was pointing and felt the blood leave his face. 'I'm boned.' He sighed and ran at it full blast. When he was a few meters away, he leapt into the air and stuck his fore-hooves out to grab the overgrown rock and slammed his rear-hooves into the ground and pulled with all he had. He began to feel it give before he pried it from the ground to reveal that it was three times bigger than it appeared. 'Faust, you hate me, don't you?' He lifted as much as he could, but couldn't bring it more than twenty hooves high. He dropped it and panted hard as he dropped to all fours. "Well, first test was a bust. Next test?"

Opa the Okapi jumped when she felt the giant rock slam into the ground, and it didn't seem to be too far away from where she had been gathering herbs to fashion a nice herbal flower dish for her dinner. She paused from gathering to move in the direction of the sound to see the two of them standing next to the fallen rock. Staying close to the brush to not be seen right away, she thought, 'I should listen to what they say, so it's too soon to give myself away. But soon enough I should try, or they might think me a spy. It's not easy to find a solution to all of this confusion.'

"Alright...now for speed. There's a special sale in Canterlot. In the next five minutes, I want a prismere Butella scarf in my hooves before those five minutes are up, alright?"

Night grinned a little impishly. "You mean..." He trotted over to his saddlebags and pulled out the very scarf she just described. "...this scarf?" He was grinning like a bandit now.

"Oh yes yes yes!" Diamond snatched the scarf, rolling the fabric over her face. "And you got this from Canterlot just this instance?"

Night couldn't lie, even if would it make her believe him. He smiled. "No, I've had that for a while now. It was given to me by a noblemare who was grateful for my help one day. She said she had it enchanted so it would never become dirty and it would keep you warm in the winter. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the test was to have that in your hooves before the five minute sale was over, yes?" He lidded his eyes as his smile remained.

"Quite." Diamond smiled. "Alright, final test. Convince me that you're a filly scout selling cookies."

Night felt his inner male sobbing while his inner flankhole was laughing his own flank off, but he kept his smile. "Alright, let see no-" His eyes narrowed in shock before continuing. "Diamond, come over here. Slowly." He was staring at what had caught his attention; eyes of a Timberwolf. How he had not noticed till now was beyond him, especially with that foul breath. His body went tense, as if he were about to pounce, which if things went south, he would.

"What?" Diamond cocked her head back. "If you're trying to impress me, you're doing a really bad job at it. Although I ought to have led the filly scouts. I could have led them down a totally new path of glory. But what do they know."

Night didn't say anything, as his glare was fixed on the Timberwolf not ten hooves behind Diamond. Finally, he spoke in a whisper loud enough for the filly to hear. "Listen to me, when I say run, you run. Don't stop till you reach Ponyville. Find a grey pegasus mare with a silver mane. Her name is Silverspeed. Tell her to warn the town to evacuate." He nodded towards behind her to prove his point.

"What are you talking about? And how do you know Silver...speed...?" Diamond turned around and froze, her eyes locked in those yellow irises. Unable to move, she could only shiver. "It's...umm..."