Tough Love

Snowflake guzzled down a pint of cider and winced as the bubbly liquid squeezed down his throat. He was sitting on a stool in the local bar in Ponyville and wondered what was going on with his life. For the past few days, he’d had the strangest feelings at the most random of times, as if they were trying to warn him of something to come. Whether it be during one of his work out sessions or if he were just grocery shopping, a tingling sensation would occasionally run through him, telling him to avoid certain things. Specifically, certain mares.

He ordered another round as he recalled the strange event he had witnessed the other day. It was just a simple dinner meeting with his colleagues, but the normally cheery atmosphere of the restaurant they frequented had plunged into a melancholy air before he had even arrived. The aura seemed to emanate from a table of very familiar pegasi mares, and Snowflake realized that it was not the first time he had witnessed a strange spectacle involving them.

Whenever something exciting happened around Ponyville, it involved those girls. Everypony knew them as the Elements of Harmony, the mares that were always off on some misadventure around Equestria. But two mares from the group were especially familiar. They were the Elements of Loyalty and Kindness.

Snowflake knew Rainbow Dash back from when he lived in Cloudsdale. During his brief time there, he did part time for the weather team and worked with her for about a year before moving back to Ponyville to pursue his modeling career.

As for the Element of Kindness, he recognized her from after the tornado debriefing. The first time he actually made contact with her was right after the meeting when he came across her doing her business behind the bushes. He blushed a little at the memory, but washed the embarrassment down with more cider.

These two mares seemed to be at the center of his strange senses. Whenever he had the jitters, there they were not too far away. His instincts must be telling him to avoid the dangerous mares. Or perhaps they were urging him towards them?

“Oi you, the big lad sittin’ on the stool.”

Snowflake was jerked out of his thoughts by a raspy voice calling to him from the corner of the pub.

“Me?”

“Ye you.”

The voice that was as pleasant as chalk grating against a blackboard came from a creepy looking pony sitting in the far end of the bar. He was a rather small, sickly grey pegasus with fierce yellow eyes and a peg as a leg.

At first, Snowflake mistook the shaggy pony for a mare due to his size and curvy waste, but judging from the beard he had to be a stallion. Unless it was a mare with a beard? Snowflake shuddered at the thought and quickly pushed it out of his mind. He turned his attention back to the scruffy pony as he left the corner of the room and waddled his way.

As he limped closer, Snowflake smelled the poignant stench of old pastries permeate the air. One of the old pony’s eyes wandered around the room while the other was glued to Snowflake, making him shift uncomfortably under the scrutinizing stare. The old, smelly stallion plopped his rump on the stool right next to Snowflake’s and eyed the hulking pony.

“What’s a young thing like ye doin’ in a rat’s nest like this?”

The bartender gave the rude pony an incredulous glare. “Hey!”

“Oh c’mon Berry, you know I didn’t mean that. Anyways, big healthy ponies like you shouldn’t be wasting your youth in a cup o’ cider.”

Snowflake scooted his stool back until he was a safe distance away from the creepy stallion. “Are you coming onto me?”

“What? No! Is it wrong for an old sea pony to talk to young lads these days?”

Snowflake allowed his tense body to calm down and let loose a sigh. “No, I suppose not. Sorry about that, things have just been weird lately.”

The old sailor began nodding in understanding. “Aye, I’ve noticed it too lad. Take a look out that window.” Snowflake turned around and looked through the small opening. “The strong winds rustlin’ those trees, greedy for them jimmies. The rain pourin’ down like hail from the sky. A storm be brewin’ lad.”

“Yeah… it’s the storm we pegasi made in preparation for the tornado this afternoon. Rainbow Dash thought it would be a good idea to make a storm to boost the power of the tornado. Man, I can’t wait for it. It’s going to be SICK.”

“Aye, it’ll be sick alright. The sight’ll be somethin’ for sore eyes, I assure you lad. It’ll be a storm to reckon!”

The ponies in the bar gasped as the window burst open, letting powerful gales and rain pour in. Thunder struck the background as the crazed old pony hopped onto his stool and continued his rambling.

“Aye, a storm be brewin’! The wretched stench of the piles of flesh to come will be matched only by its size and the odor of the storm that caused it. It’s a manurestorm everypony! A manurestorm!”

By now, the ponies in the bar were so freaked out they were huddling together for comfort.

Snowflake sighed. Things were getting weird around him. Again. It seemed that the hysterical pony wouldn’t be stopping anytime soon, so the buff stallion put down his bits and slipped out the door amidst the chaos.

The bartender noticed his swift escape and slammed her hoof on the counter. “Dammit Derpy, would you quit scaring the customers?! And take that stupid costume off.”

The old stallion, who was now atop one of the stools with his arms flailing in the air, resigned and floated down onto the floor. “Alright, alright. I was just rehearsing for this year’s Hearth’s Warming Eve play. Don’t get your panties in a knot.”

“The hay is a panty?”

Derpy shrugged and shook herself out of the costume. She sat down on the stool Snowflake has occupied and looked around for her potential drinking buddy.

“Hey, where’d that stallion go?”

“You scared another customer off Derps.” She sighed. “Shouldn’t you be out there, I don’t know, helping with the tornado?”

“No, they said I was a liability so I got the day off. I’m still getting paid too.”

“So you decided to spend your day off frightening customers at my bar. Nice.”

Berry Punch went and closed the window, catching a glimpse of the hard rain and culminating floods outside in the streets as the occasional lightning lit the dark skies.

“A storm, huh?”

“What was that?”

The bartender turned back around and sat on the other side of the counter facing her friend. “Nothing. So, are you going to pay for your drinks, or am I going to have to kick you out?”

The grey pegasus’ eyes rotated as she smiled and nudged Snowflake’s bits closer to Berry. “Hey, check it out! That stallion left some bits for me too. What a gentlepony. I wish I got his name.”

Berry Punch’s eyes bulged out of her sockets as she jumped up from her seat and snatched the bits. After counting every last bit, she confirmed it. That customer was a freak. “No bucking way! He actually had a thing for your whole creepy old dirt bag act? Gross!”

“What can I say? I know what men want. If you’re still having trouble with guy problems, maybe I can be of assistance.”

Berry punch scowled. “Derpy, I know for a fact that you’ve never dated anypony.  Now shut up and finish your drink so I can wash that mug.”

The triumphant mare took small sips from her cider, savoring each drop and trying to make the mystery stallion’s hospitality last as long as possible. The bartender grumbled and blew hot air from her snout in agitation. Then she left to wipe the boogers that came out, leaving a giggling mailmare on the stool.

~Outside in the storm~

After leaving a few extra bits for the old man, Snowflake was out of the bar. He felt pity for the smelly stallion and was worried that he might get kicked out into the rain since he seemed like a poor hobo, and Snowflake would not let that happen to any resident of Ponyville.

Was he a resident of Ponyville? He seemed familiar, but Snowflake was unable to catch a glimpse of his cutie mark before his escape. Meh, whatever.

As Snowflake trotted in the rain towards the lake where the long anticipated tornado was to take place, he couldn’t help but wonder if the storm really was a good idea. The words of the salty old pony echoed in his mind as he made his way towards the designated spot. “A manurestorm be brewin’... brewin’… brewin’… something about stench and odor. I smell like old muffins.” Snowflake laughed a little at his silly interpretation of what the mysterious pony actually said.

He shook the echoes from his head and continued onwards. The old man was obviously delusional. There was nothing wrong with this storm, after all, Rainbow Dash planned it and she knew all there was about weather. She would never cause danger to anypony in her right state of mind.

By the time Snowflake made it to the clearing, several pegasi were already making preparations for the biggest tornado of the century. He felt the adrenaline pump through his veins as he swept his gaze across the expansive mass of pegasi that had gathered to create the beastly cyclone of wind and awesomeness. Snowflake put on his goggles and began stretching. Things were about to get real.

~In the far corner of the lake~

Rainbow Dash sat on a bench as her crew prepared for the tornado. Her normally vibrant eyes were void of any life as they stared at the wet grass and her normally proud posture was hunched with arms limp at her sides. The heavy rain fell hard against her slumping frame, completely soaking her fur, and the chilling winds tossed her mane around, but she could not feel any of it.

Ever since the revelation from last night, Rainbow Dash was numb. Though the weather was cold and her neglected stomach growled for food, the only thing she could feel was the ache in her heart. She tried to pry her mind off of the subject, but her thoughts constantly wandered back to Fluttershy and her crush on Snowflake.

Snowflake. Just the name alone sent chills of jealousy and disappointment through her. Fluttershy was pretty, elegant and demure, but she was also easily frightened and paranoid. Snowflake was strong, kind and thoughtful; he could take care of her well and protect her when he needed to. Now that she thought about it, they seemed like the perfect match.

But Rainbow Dash could do those too. She was strong, wasn’t she? She was assertive, she took care of her friends, and most of all, she was loyal. She had just as much to offer as Snowflake, probably even more. She understood Fluttershy and cared for her, and Snowflake probably didn’t even know she existed. Why did she have to fall for him? She’s going for the wrong pony, thought Rainbow Dash bitterly.

“Rainbow Dash, I know I’ve asked you several times already, but is the storm really such a good idea? I know that pegasi can harness the magical properties of weather, but isn’t attempting to apply the magic to fuel the tornado too dangerous?” Twilight Sparkle sat next to her downtrodden friend and placed a hoof on her cold shoulder in a vain attempt at comforting her.

Rainbow Dash kept her eyes locked on the grass. “Yeah, it’ll help us get the tornado up faster. I just want to get this thing over with. I don’t really care about the record anymore.”

The lavender unicorn had no clue what to do at this point. She witnessed the tragic moment from the night prior and knew what her friend was going through, but none of her books gave her any affective means of curing heartbreak. With no ideas but to trust Rainbow Dash’s judgment, she sat there stroking her friend’s arm waiting for the tornado.

~The cottage~

Fluttershy made her way towards the exit of her humble home, but stopped in her tracks as a half-eaten carrot knocked against her head. She turned her attention to Angel Bunny who was thumping his leg impatiently while holding up a flight goggle. The yellow pegasus flashed her pet an apologetic smile and gratefully took the eyewear after giving him a pat on the head. With her gear in check and her mind set, she stepped out into the storm, ready for whatever the day had to throw at her.

As soon as she stepped out and closed the door behind her, Fluttershy was blown back against her cottage by the howling winds. She wasn’t quite ready for that, but she would not relent. Today she would make everything right with Rainbow Dash, even if it meant fighting a storm and flying through a hurricane.

Her eyes ablaze with fierce determination, Fluttershy braced the winds and lifted off towards the designated tornado zone.

*End of Chapter 5*

~Small author's note~

I got Derpy's crazy speech from some random youtube comment I vaguely remembered. Yeah, random I know.

Preview of next chapter: Things are going to go down and stuff is going to happen. Awesome stuff.