Two Princesses, Too Tender

A lightning bolt flashed across a night sky covered in thunderclouds the color and consistency of pitch, a single point of light to illuminate the city of Canterlot before vanishing as quickly as it appeared. One might have described it as beautiful, were it not for that bolt being a herald for the stone-shaking clap of thunder that rolled through the white city all the way down to its foundations. From the gleaming Royal Palace to the rugged old homes dotting the base of the city, the entire mountain felt the wrath of this miserable sky. Nary a creature dared to venture onto the cobblestone streets, even if they felt brave to stand against the thunder, it seemed like the storm had carried the entire ocean with it on its way inland just to drown the Capital of Equestria. While pony-kind had weather control on its list of natural processes to run, even they had to bow to some of the gigantic wild storms that could slam into Equestria from the untamed lands and oceans that surrounded the country.

Most of Canterlot's hustle and bustle had ground to a halt in the face of the storm, having left the streets empty and bare to be swallowed whole by the water gushing and rushing along over-burdened storm drains. Every creature big and small, pony and non-pony had retreated to the safety of sturdy walls and warm heaters to keep them safe and dry. That was not to say it was a peaceful night for them, what with the world quaking every time thunder threatened to shudder windows apart. And that was especially true for one particular violet unicorn with a broken horn.

Each flash of florescent lightning and accompanying boom of thunder was met with a frustrated snarl back at the sky as if to defy the storm, by a very drenched and tired pony that was perhaps the only one brave or foolish enough to be outside on a roof top during this chaos. Steam trailed off the chiseled body the mare possessed, every toned and corded muscle bulged from over exertion and radiated enough over-worked body heat to evaporate some of the cold water that relentlessly pounded onto her. Her body rose and fell in a practiced rhythm ingrained into her from countless repetition, hooves jammed into the roof top as if she were trying to rip it a part as she ground out push up after push up.

"Other creatures want to be around me." Tempest chanted to herself with a low growl that would make one think she were trying to argue a point with some pony else. "Other creatures are alright to reach out to, I don't have to hide." Though raw frustration seeped into every word as it was pronounced, they were spoken with a steady rhythm practiced many times over the past year. A Mantra that had been developed after the events of the last time she'd stepped hoof in this city.

Tempest continued with these two practiced rhythms for several minutes, alone a top a roof over looking the storm swept city. Each dip down cut the view of the city, driving her into the total darkness of the roof and sky, and fresh air was drawn deeply into her lungs in a brief moment of peace. But, as she rose up and let loose that air with the exertion of pushing her body up once more, the peace was replaced with a new flash of a Storm Guard pushing a pony down one road, or a great air hip shooting a guard out of a tower, or any other such displays of force that she'd heaped upon this beautiful place. However, the chaotic hammer of her mind was beaten back with that Mantra of affirmation, that what she was seeing wasn't what she had to be.

Sleep was not a luxury her mind afforded on a night like this, or any night the sky cracked open for her brain chose to mirror the chaos that storms brought with them. Throwing herself against the stinging, bone-chilling rain, staring down the crackling lightening and pushing herself upwards even as the ground shuddered from Thunder, the physical pain and impact on her body kept her rooted in the present. Each tightening of muscles hauled her brain form running off to the past and let her combat the worry and stress and turn it into productive maintenance of her body. Or so she told herself each time she found herself getting her fur drenched, and face rubbed raw form the whipping wind.

Eventually, her left foreleg decided it'd had enough of the constant stress put upon it from bearing her wight in a horrific storm chilling it down to the core and seized up. "Bucking!!" Screamed Tempest, her body weight carrying her over into a tumble as the leg gave out from underneath her. Sending her into a tumble that ended up with her on her back, reaching across her barrel to rub at the cramping, painful limb. Her lungs heaved the near dead weight of her barrel up and down, taking the opportunity of being out of the cutting wind and removed from the stress of hauling her whole body around to try and pump as much fresh oxygen into her blood as possible.

Groaning loudly, Tempest let her head fall backwards in a puddle with a dull thunk, her teal eyes staring upwards into the pouring rain. Even the Princesses you turned to stone asked you to teach them how to fight. Even at your worst you earned some respect... right? Tempest thought to herself, biting her bottom lip as the mental conflict between pride and doubt raged through her mind. Twitches rolled across her heavily worked body, flinging water about as the shock of her workout in the cold started to sink in.

All that delicious internal conflict was brought to a screeching halt by a flash of purple light, "Aww sss..." And before she could finish her swear and pin her ears, the Ka-Thoooom of thunder rattled her skull. Momentarily relaxed, and with her head down against the building, the vibrations of the mighty thunderclap slammed into her with no bracing or resistance, drawing out a pained whinny and her hooves slamming against the roof. "Bucking, shit, dammit!" Tempest roared at the top of her lungs as her ears rung with an almighty rage.

The whole world shrunk down to the cold and hard roof against her back, and the patch of black and undulating storm clouds directly above her head as adrenaline shot through her system and numbed away most of her nerves' ability to feel anything. Each second that past by just pumped more blood up through her throbbing head and kept the world, and any thoughts except for a bubbling rage at bay. Gritting her teeth through the pain, Tempest slammed her wary hooves against the roof top and pushed herself up onto all fours again. Brilliant blue sparks gushed from her horn as she thrust her head upwards and leveled a blood-shot glare up at the thunderstorm.

"I'm sick of you already!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, though to herself she sounded muffled and quite. "Why are you still here? You're dead, finished, shattered!"

The hot and blue glow of magical plasma swirled around the remains of her broken horn as frustration boiled hot in her veins, spurred on by her throbbing head. It grew and grew, spiraling out from her and instantly evaporating any rain the plasma came into contact with. "You're gone, stay gone.. please.." The magic sputtered a moment as her head dropped, fresh tears joining the rain in drenching her face.

Tempest dug her hooves into the rooftop and gritted her teeth with a low growl filled with a flood of emotions all its own. Where her magic contacted the roof, it flashed into an arc of fleeting electricity. "Stay out, of, my, HEAD!" The purple unicorn roared with all her might, whipping her head back up and blasting the build up of magic straight at the sky.

All that magic drenched in her pain and frustrations took the form of a bolt of blue lighting and a clap of thunder. It raced upwards, piercing the storm clouds and punching a hole straight through with the thunder trumpeting her roar all across Canterlot. As the magic disipated in the bright flash that came with a true lighting bolt, the soft light of the stats replaced it. If only in a small patch, the quiet, serene, and gentle blues, magentas, and ebonys of Luna's night were able to show their beauty.

Huffing with deep breaths and hard shaking limbs, Tempest's lips turned up into a wry grin. "Even with my broken horn, I could always do the storm theme better than you, asshole." She chuckled before her legs gave out, and the chaotic world of storms, throbbing migranes, and sore, cold, and drenched bones and fur faded out to the sweetly quiet and colorless embrace of unconciousness.