Chapters "Sister! " Came a panicked plea in a voice that commanded the authority of royalty. Convenient as that was because the voice came for one who was indeed royalty.
Princess Luna, canvasser of the night sky and commander of the moon, burst forth into her sisters royal bed chambers, in a quite uncouth manner.
"My goodness!" Princess Celestia cried out, wild eyed and disturbed by suddenly being pulled from her slumber. When her gaze landed on her sister she simply shook her head. "Not this again." but her words fell on deaf ears.
"Sister thou must come, I beckon thee! Observe the night sky and see for thy self!"
The dark sapphire blue alicorn stood before her sister, breathing erratically and a panicked look in her cyan eyes. Celestia chose to roll her eyes and mumble about the sanctity of her beauty sleep, while she begrudgingly climbed out of her bed.
"We must make haste! Come, sister!"
"Luna..."
"Come, come!" Luna continued to beckon her sister towards her room and castle observatory.
The still disgruntled Princess of the sun stood, lethargically in the middle of her sisters room, her sister running around the room mumbling about star crossing and planets colliding.
Celestia was at her wits end.
"Luna! Tell me what this is about now!" She demanded stomping a hoof. This was the third night her sister had woken her up, ranting about stars.
Shocked by her sisters sudden outburst Luna came to an abrupt halt. She carefully watched here sister and chose her words.
"The stars, they are telling me this world is due for an early end."
Celestia resisted the urge to roll her eyes once more.
"What makes you think this world is going to end?" Celestia began to peer at her sister. Was she going insane? How could what she saw in the stars tell her this? Unless an asteroid was heading straight for the planet she doubted her sisters worries were valid. It had been quite some time since Luna was released form Nightmare Moon's influence and will she was making progress reintegrating with the locals she had a few minor set backs, one of such was an initially curious attempt to decipher meaning from the night skies. An old mare who told fortunes to the local young mentioned to Luna that she could divine meaning from celestial movements and gifted to her a book.
Celestia was happy her sister was trying new things but after some time it seemed her predictions were nothing but the result of zealousness. None of Luna's predictions had come to occur.
"Sister, the book-"
"No, I am done here. If you wish to continue to pursue this ridiculous... hobby, for lack of a better word, then so be it, but wake me no more in the middle of the night over this stupor -stition." Celestia told her sister, coldly mixing a distasteful pun. She instantly regretted being so snide and knew she would have to apologize.
Deflated her sister shuffled her feet, as she made her way across the room to her desk. Using magic to levitate a quill she began to write notes.
"I'm sorry I disturbed thee, I apologize. I beg thee, take thy leave." Luna told her sister morosely.
"Luna, I didn't mean to be so disrespectful." Celestia made to apologize.
A deep blue magical aurora enveloped the door and pushed it open slightly.
"Please sister. Leave me to my stupor ."
If one took this moment to peer through the telescope in Luna's room they would see two blink out of existence, some millions of light years away.
Luna had not slept, she would sleep later, but now she was on a task of the utmost importance. For the last week she had been chronicling movements in the night skies. It was on the seventh night the fate of her world was made apparent to her.
Six, quite unusually precise, sets of information had been made apparent to her. She knew out in Equestria there were six ponies that she needed the help of. Twilight Sparkle and her friends were not those she sought. As powerful as they were Luna felt they were no match for what lied ahead.
With freshly packed saddle bags lying across her back Luna pushed a note under her sisters door and took flight out of the nearest window. She knew not where she needed to go, but she felt drawn to a particular quiet and humble town that one could see from any tower in Canterlot. Perhaps the diligent student that was her sisters pupil, Twilight Sparkle could offer some insight.
Twilight Sparkle had just awoken. She had slept well and could hear Spike scuttling around in the kitchen, no doubt preparing them breakfast. She beamed at the thought of how well she was raising him. She laid back, intending to rest for just a few more moments. She closed her eyes and began humming to herself.
There was a knock at the door, followed by the sounds of a dragon's feet moving to welcome the visitor.
"Princess?"
Twilight had not heard the rest of Spike's words, in a flash she was up. Magically brushing her hair and teeth as she tried to prepare for the Princess. She made for the stairs while attempting to put away the brushes, she instead tumbled down the stairs, brushes landing on top of her.
Spike could not refrain from laughing as he made to help his sister. Twilight grumbled to herself but the moment she locked eyes with Princess Luna she remembered why she was in such a rush.
Bounding to her feet Twilight began to shower the Princess in pleasantries.
"Princess Luna! How are you? What brings you to my humble abode?" Twilight bowed low, Luna shuffled her feet.
"Please Twilight, just Lun-" Luna, who was keeping conscious of using a more acceptable tone and speaking quiet quietly, was cut off by an oblivious Twilight.
"Oh are you hungry!? Spike was just preparing breakfast!" Twilight turned to Spike "Set the table for three,"
"Twilight.."
"Oh my! You must have flown here. Please sit down Princess!" Twilight continued her rant.
Luna began tire of Twilight's zeal.
"Twilight Sparkle, I have come to ask your assistance. "
The Royal Canterlot voice nearly threw Twilight to the ground.
"I'm sorry Princess, I just got overexcited." Twilight assured Luna.
"Please Twilight, just Luna." She reminded Twilight once more.
"Uhh... right, just Luna." Twilight fought her need to be respectful. "So you needed my help? How could I possibly be of assistance?"
"This will take some time to explain, but please hear me out?" Luna looked to Twilight for assurance. She didn't want Twilight to dismiss her predictions like her sister had.
"Sure! I'm sure Spike will be out with food soon enough, let us sit and talk in the mean time." Twilight motioned towards the table, they took their seats. Twilight looked to Luna expectantly.
"To begin simply. I need to find six ponies I know nothing about. The only clues I have to where I might find them are riddles."
"Hmm, why do you need these six ponies?" Twilight asked Luna.
"They hold the key to saving the world." Luna answered simply.
Twilight stared at the night matriarch, an incredulous look on her face.
"Saving the world?! The world is going to end?! Does Princess Celestia know?!" Twilight had left her seat and was levitating a quill, writing furiously on a bit of parchment.
"My sister wishes to hear nothing on this matter." Luna told Twilight, a twinge of hurt appeared in her downcast eyes. "She does not take my prophecy seriously."
"She doesn't believe you?"
"No she thinks it's all a sham. That I was gullible and led on." Luna responded.
"Well that's not fair." Twilight said.
"Perhaps she is right." Luna paused. "I shouldn't have come here. I'll leave you now." Luna turned and made for the door.
"Princess wait!" Twilight bolted out in front of Luna. "We can prove it!"
Luna stopped and stared at Twilight.
"How? Tis nothing but misguided notions made from a book meant to entertain housewives." Luna spoke dryly "My sister herself said it was nothing but stupor -stition."
"But you said you have riddles that will lead us to six ponies. If we follow those riddles and find ponies that match each riddle then wouldn't the prophecy be true?!" Twilight waved her hooves erratically.
"You will help me find these six?" Luna lifted her head. "Truly?"
"I would never disappoint a friend." Twilight said, smiling.
Luna's eyes overflowed with thankfulness as she wrapped Twilight in a hug.
"Oh thank you!" Luna repeated over and over.
"So what's the first riddle, Prin, err, Luna?" Twilight waited for Luna to finish sipping at her tea, brought out moments ago by Spike. After she had settled down they took their seats once again and Spike had brought out breakfast and tea.
"Confidence so hot. Passion within burns deeply. Excited to learn." She leaned in after speaking it, excited to hear Twilight's thoughts about it.
Steam Wing galloped along the length of the Canterlot walls. A strange contraption on his back rattled as he picked up speed. Periodically he would do a little hop, grunting as he went. Two guards were tailing him shouting at him to halt and the like, but he wasn't having any of that. Two guards were on the path ahead of him, barring his path, if he didn't do something soon he was going to crash right into them.
"Sir, he doesn't look like he's gonna stop." An armor clad stallion shuffled nervously next to his superior. A lone, cyan and midnight blue, assailant was sprinting at them with something odd on his back.
"Hold yer ground."
Moments passed in silence.
"Sir."
"I said hold yer ground!"
"But he might knock us off the wall." The guard gulped and peered over the edge, 50 or more hooves of solid stone wall leading to a abrupt met with the stone pathways, spelling sure death.
"Then so be it!" His superior spat.
The strange trespasser was only yards away and showing no sign of slowing.
"Sorry boys!" Steam shouted to the awaiting guards, "But not today!"
Steam suddenly changed direction and leaped off the wall, towards the city.
The guards sprung forward to watch him fall to his death, only to witness the strange device on his back spring open, revealing a glider. He swooped low over the city street, gentlecolts and mares gasped as he swept past them. The drama of his escape was short lived though. The tip of one of the glider's wings snagged the corner of a stand and sent him careening out of control and into the city wall.
"Serves ye right!" The gruff guard on the wall began to guffaw at his misfortune.
Steam Wing plopped the contraption strapped onto his back onto the concrete floor. Across the floor were past reminders of tests gone wrong. Oil stains and scorch marks were scars from battles, battles between Storm Wing and his creations. He would fight by creating contraptions and machines and they would fight by exploding, leaking or otherwise failing. On one such occasion his machina almost outright won bringing a bitter end to its master.
Storm Wing grimaced as he thought about the time he had almost died. Black smoke billowed from the machine situated in the center of the room.
"No, no, no!" Steam shouted in vain. "Work damn you!" He bucked the machine.
The Machine's response was to belch out more smoke.
Holding a foreleg to his mouth Steam trotted behind the machine. All he had to do was kick loose the fuel line and it would stop. He started coughing and his eyes began to water profusely. He couldn't see the fuel line through the smog. In fact his vision was starting to blur, he could barely see at all. He swatted at the smog, ushering it, to where he did not know, but he wanted it gone. His cough worsened. He turned around and started bucking the machine. His heart was racing. Why was it doing that? He coughed more, lights danced in front of his eyes with each spasm. He went to buck once more. He missed his mark and his legs flailed away from him. He fell onto his stomach and couldn't find the strength to stand.
He was tired... Oh so tired.
Darkness.
Steam lurched awake. He was outside the front of his house. An old stallion stood over him.
"Are you listening to me boy!?" The old stallion shouted at him. Steam was dazed and unable to grasp at his senses, he couldn't understand the old stallion.
"I said, " The old stallion boxed Steam upside the head with his hoof. Steam's senses came into sharp focus. "Are you listening to me"
"Yah, yah you old codger." Steam waved him off. "What makes you think it's ok to hit me upside the head like that?" Steam consciously rubbed the new and sore lump on the back of his head.
"What makes you think it's ok to run a gas engine without proper ventilation. If I came home minutes later you would have been dead."
Steam sighed.
"Yah, yah, 'Cooper', I get it, you old softie, without me around you'd die, whatever." Steam waved him off once more.
Copernicus was flabbergasted.
"You listen here you rascal. I'm about as soft as a brick wall! I'm sorry if I don't want to drag your lifeless corpse to the morgue one day!"
Steam stood before the machine that had almost killed him. Since that day he never ran it without opening the large bay door.
Copernicus was an old railway engineer. He knew quite a lot about engineering and locomotives and lived in the building used to service the locomotives. Steam had abandoned Cloudsdale Flight School, and came to live in the streets of Canterlot. 'Cooper' Copernicus had found him scrounging and after seeing his cutie mark, offered him a place to stay.
Steam looked back at the mark that occupied his flank. A simple brass gear with a pair of brass wings jutting out of it. He got it while doing a project for school. He wanted to make a way for earth and unicorn ponies to fly. He was just a colt then. He thought if you could just strap wings onto the back of a unicorn and make them flap the unicorn could fly, but his class partner was an earth pony and didn't have access to magic so they went to the library and found numerous books about flying, one in particular was about the concept of flying machines to carry earth ponies and unicorns. The concepts contained in it were abandoned long ago but by the end of the three weeks they were given they had a very amusing contraption and Steam had a cutie mark.
A radio flyer (Steam thought the wagon's name was very endearing to the project.) with wings on its side fixed up with gears and springs and the like that made the wings flap when it rolled forward. Him and his friend never achieved flight with the contraption but they still got A's and Steam picked up a love for making machines.
Steam dragged the glider to the corner of the room, where he leaned it against the wall. He sat down in the nearby bench and picked up a fountain pen with his hooves. He began to scrawl onto the parchment. He needed to refine the controls for the glider.
Twilight Sparkle and Luna came into existence in the center of Canterlot Square. The ponies around them gasped and shuffled away nervously while simultaneously trying to bow to the sudden appearance of Royalty.
It had only been moments since Twilight suggested they started looking for someone studious that might be 'Excited to know' at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. It had only been moments less since Luna decided to spontaneous teleport them both to Canterlot.
"Princess, a warning was in order." Twilight grumbled as she picked herself up off the ground. She was not expecting to be thrown across time and space to Canterlot and did not get the chance to brace for their landing.
"I apologize Twilight! It is just that I am so eager!" The night princess bore a smile so wide that Twilight dismissed her grumpiness.
"Right. Uh but," Twilight look around. "This isn't the school."
Luna looked around. Shuffling her wings.
"W- I mean, I must have misjudged the landing. Ok, I'll get us there this time!" Her horn lit up but then cries of fear came from the market place. Luna let go of her magic and she looked to Twilight.
"What does thou think that was about?" Luna pondered aloud.
"Lets go see, Princess."
Twilight and Luna made their way toward the disturbance in time to see a disgruntled cyan and midnight blue Pegasus sprinting off scene. Something crumpled under his wing and the crowd dissipating.
"Odd." Twilight mused, then waved down a shopper. "Miss! Um, yes, what was that screaming just now about?"
"That young stallion there leaped off the wall and some strange thing on his back opened up and made him fly a bit, but then he crashed. Strange stallion that one," The woman continued when she saw Twilight's confused look, why does a healthy looking Pegasus need a device to fly. "He can fly just as well as any Pegasus but he insisted on using that thing. Why if he just flapped his wings he would not have crashed." She pointed a hoof towards the wall, "He hit right there." and departed.
Twilight went to investigate the crash site. A guard stood over a something the Pegasus had left behind.
"I think we should return whatever this is to the stallion, Princess." Twilight turned to Luna. "It is just odd. We teleport and end up here just in time to witness this."
"I agree Twilight! There has to be some kind of guiding passion behind this stallion. He knew he was going down but he didn't lift a wing to avoid it. He must be determined to achieve his goal," Luna looked at the broken scrap on the ground. "Even if I don't quite understand it."
A few words later and Luna and Twilight made off with the liberated scrap and some indication behind who the stallion was. The guards suspected the lad to be Steam Wing and informed the Princess that Steam lived in the train yards with an old train mechanic.
Steam stood over the glider. He had made most of the repairs needed after his crash landing but a critical piece was missing. The central housing had snapped clean off. The part of the glider that held the wings enclosed when they were not needed.
How irritating, he thought, he had just masterminded it and finished its design only days ago. It had taken him a whole day to punch and grind all of it pieces out of metal, and another day to put it all together. For it to just snap off when he wrestled his way out of the harness. He sighed but his irritation was to be short lived. From behind him came the sound of someone deliberately clearing their throat.
"Who's there!" Steam shouted as he turned abruptly, startling a mulberry colored unicorn and Princess Luna! "I didn't mean to scare you your highness!" He bowed low. What in Equestria was Princess Luna doing here?!
"Thou hast left this behind." Luna levitated the glider's housing to Steam.
Steam smiled wide as he saw the piece that has irked him appear before him. He pulled it out of the air and began looking over the extent of the damage.
Twilight had began to circle the engine in the middle of the room. To her it was interesting, she had never studied how the trains in Equestria had worked. She had always assumed magic, but looking the engine over she thought it was much too complex for a single unicorn to operate.
Steam watched Twilight as she stared down his engine. Steam snickered and flipped a switch on the wall. The engine roared to life, sending Twilight sprawling, shocked by the machines sudden animation, and it rumbled from its suspension. Smoke came from it in regular amounts and, from a learned lesson, it was beckoned from the room by fans.
After Twilight realized she was in no danger began the torrent of questions.
Instead of answering Twilight in the typical 'ask, answer, ask' Steam held up foreleg to stop Twilight and described his machine in detail.
"This engine does not use the same technology of the steam engines that run the trains." He pointed at a train that could be seen from the garage doors. "It instead burns combustible substances inside of cylinders fitted with airtight pistons. The heat from combustion expands the air in the cylinder and push the piston up, which rotates the crankshaft, the piston next to the first would repeats the motion, offset from the first to provide counter-movement to the first piston, resetting its positing in the cylinder and the process begins again. As long as there was fuel the pistons will rotate the crankshaft, and anything can be attached to the crankshaft. In fact the fans ventilating the room are connected to the engine." He folded his arms, proud of his work and his description of his engine.
Luna noted how this Pegasus doted on his work and his confidence. She also noted how the engine burned fuel.
"Why did you choose to not fly when you leapt off the wall with you contraption?" Luna asked him.
His eyes lost their focus and he fell into his thoughts. Why didn't he open his wings? He could have easily avoided the accident. Yet, using his wings would have skewed what he had learned. He saw the corner of the stand before he hit it. He knew opening his wings would have negated the crash and resulting damage. If he had though he would have never learned the design flaws in the glider's housing and he wouldn't have sat down to take the time to refine the glider's controls. He summed up his opinion and turned to the Lunar Princess.
"Passion," He said simply. "Passion, if I used my wings it would mess up what I learned from doing it. Certainty I could be safe and cautious, but how would I ever learn anything doing things the easy way?"
"Twilight I believe we have found the first." Luna said abruptly, turning to look at the Unicorn seriously.
"I think you are right Princess." Twilight looked back and forth from the Princess and Steam critically.
Steam backed away a fair bit, what did these strangers want with him?
"Could one of you perhaps clue me in?" Twilight stopped her advance.
"Uh, Princess, how are we going to expla-" Twilight was cut off by the Royal Canterlot Voice
"Thou must agree to speak of this to none other than myself and miss Twilight Sparkle! Dost thou swear!" Luna bellowed
Steam backed himself into a corner, eyes wide in fear.
Luna realized she might had gone a bit too far and toned down her voice.
"We, err, I, apologize, but this is a situation of utmost importance!" Luna continued.
"I won't tell a soul I swear! Just don't shout like that again!" Steam went on to grumble about perforated ear drums.
Satisfied Luna allowed Twilight to take her position before Steam to explain.
"Well the situation is this: the world is going to end and Luna thinks you have the power to stop it." Twilight said quickly. To Steam it sounded she believed in her own words as much as Steam did. He scoffed.
"Look ladies, it has been a wonderful evening, really, but I don't have time for this." He said turning his back to them, waving them off dismissively. What a sham. He didn't want to feed her ego, but he knew who Twilight Sparkle was, element of magic and all. To think she and the Princess would prance about acting like this.
He opened his sketch book and began to sketch down an idea that he had come to him after he hit the wall.
Twilight's mouth hung open. It was true she and Luna had barged in on him but for him to be so disrespectful to Princess Luna. She walked up behind him, intending to speak her mind, but then saw what he was sketching.
His ear twitched and he grumbled.
"Do you mind, I'm sure you don't appreciate it when others read over your shoulder." He said, ear flicking again.
"What is that?" Twilight, ignoring his less amicable response to her intrusion.
"I call it an aeroplane but most will tell you its hogwash." He waved a hoof dismissively. "It's only my life dream."
"It looks like a bird," Twilight replied, turning her head one way, and then another. "Is it supposed to fly?"
"That's the plan." Steam sighed, pushing the bench he was sitting on back away from the drawing desk. "I want to make it possible for Earth Ponies and Unicorns to fly, without magic. I read about similar attempts to create something flight capable while doing a project in school. Trying to create one for a school project got me my cutie mark. Ever since then getting the grounded into the sky has always been on my mind." He turned to look at Twilight and Luna. The looked a bit forlorn, Twilight not nearly as much as Luna. He scratched at the floor.
"Well I guess there won't be much call for an aeroplane if the world ends." He sighed submitting himself to what ever their crazy notions are.
Luna's eyes lit up and Twilight perked up a bit in response to Luna. It was clear to Steam that Luna was the mastermind of the world ending prophecy, Twilight was along for the ride, support or what have you. He turned to Luna.
"So what is going to happen and where do I come in?"
"I do not know. All I know is that I must find five others and assemble them. I ask that for now you move to Ponyville so that you are within quick contact by Twilight Sparkle and the other elements." Luna looked at Steam expectantly.
He shrugged, but Twilight quipped in.
"Princess isn't it asking much to make him move?"
"No worries," Steam butted in before Luna could respond. "Cooper knows the mechanic at the Ponyville station. A few words and I'll have a place to stay."
"You are willing to just get up and go?" Twilight asked Steam, surprised at his willingness.
"Sure," He replied. "As long as I can work on my projects it don't bother me any. Only person I'd be leaving behind is ol' Cooper but he'd scold me something fierce for turning away a Princess. I can work as a mechanic in Ponyville. Cooper has taught me enough and I can use the garage there to work on my plane."
With that Princess Luna and Twilight excused themselves as Steam Wing began to prepare.
Luna sighed. It had been too long since she had slept. She, unceremoniously, flopped into her grand four poster bed. With her magic she pulled at a small rope that hung down from the ceiling. The rope would summon a servant to her and within the minute there was a knock at her door.
"Enter." Luna was curt and straightforward.
The door opened and a male unicorn entered. He bowed low.
"What does thy Princess need for?" The servant asked in a crisp and clear voice, neither loud nor soft but its clarity undeniable.
"Tea. Chamomile." Luna continued, ever curtly.
The servant returned only after a few moments. A silver tray, sitting atop a collapsed stand, alighted by his magic. He trotted briskly to Luna's bedside and with a resounding snap the tray stand popped open. He set the stand down and the tray upon it. His magic continuing his work as it poured hot water from a kettle into a dainty cup, occupied by a tea bag.
Once more the stallion bowed.
"If thy want for nothing more, Princess, then I shall take my leave." Luna waved him away with a dismissive hoof.
Just the smell of the tea was eliciting the drowsiness within her. She sipped her tea as she thought about the days events. Storm Wing had seemed to fulfill the prophecy set before her. With the realization that her prophecy had reasonable grounds she became equally delighted and disturbed. On one hoof she was right, Celestia is sure to be surprised, but, on the other hoof, she was right. Something bad was going to happen. She just hoped she could prevent it.
Twilight had given Steam a tour of the small town. As they walked through it Pinkie Pie had come, from seemingly nowhere, to gasp haphazardly and sputter about new ponies and friends and parties. Even Luna could not escape that pony's need to throw parties, as she was too invited.
Steam Wing had come off as initially reluctant, but he was neither shy nor diffident and thus appeared, especially seeing as he, unwittingly, submitted himself to the do or die contract of a Pinkie Pie Promise.
Steam Wing made his way through the crowded library, music was playing but he took it upon himself to move away from the speakers. He was more than happy to make new friends but he also wanted a chance to settle. He sighed.
"I guess I have all day to settle in tomorrow." He said to no one in particular.
"Steam! Steam Wing!" Steam looked around for the own of the voice, spotting Twilight and an orange earth pony wearing a stetson hat. Twilight made her way to him. "Steam Wing this is my friend, Applejack. Applejack this is Steam Wing."
Twilight introduced them and stepped away, presumably to find another friend to introduce Steam Wing to.
"Ah must say, its nice to meet you, any friend of Twilight is a friend of mine." Steam shuffled his wings absentmindedly, his cheeks grew a slight rosy.
'That has to be the cutest accent I've ever heard.' Steam thought to himself.
"It's nice to meet you too." He said, after a moment. His eyes scanned the crowd, and he spotted Twilight pointing him out to another of her friends, this one was a cerulean pegasus with a rainbow mane. He looked at her questionably, he had never seen so many colors on one pony.
"She sure stands out doesn't she." Applejack voiced what he was thinking.
"Uh, yeah she does." He turned to attempt more conversation with Applejack. "So, you own Sweet Apple Acres?"
The conversation would have gone on to him describing how much he liked Sweet Apple Acres apples and how they were a sort of commodity to apple lovers in Canterlot, were it not for the strong smell that hit his nostrils. It was coming from the cups they were holding.
"Wait!" He shot out a wing and knocked away the cup Applejack was putting to her lips.
"Now what in tarnation was that for?!" Was all the disgruntled farm pony could say.
"Hot sauce, someone put hot sauce in our cups!" He said quickly. Giggles was the response he got, but not from Applejack. The multi-colored pony from earlier rolled out from under the table, trying to stifle the fit of giggles she was in.
"Rainbow Dash! That's no way to welcome someone new to town!" Applejack resounded over the giggles.
Rainbow Dash stopped giggling in order to wipe away a tear from the corner of her eyes.
"It was just a small prank! Besides he caught it, no harm done right." She tried to weasel her way out. Steam Wing chuckled. Rainbow stopped moving away from them and turned to Steam Wing.
"What's so funny?" She asked him.
"You're going to have to try harder than that if you want to pull one over on me." He said simply with a suddenly serious look on his face.
Rainbow's pupils narrowed. Applejack was mouthing a silent 'no' to Steam Wing but he didn't catch it. He smiled, and winked at Rainbow Dash.
"Admirable, really." His smile grew wider.
A rainbow streak suddenly appeared, as streamers and confetti flew up off the floor in Rainbow Dash's wake, she had flown out the nearest open window.
"Oh sugarcube, you've gone worked yourself into a hole ah'm not quite so sure you want to be in. All I know is I don't want to be around when Rainbow retaliates."
"What? I didn't upset her did i?"
"No, though almost as bad, you challenged her." With that final statement, Applejack left Steam Wing.
A loud pop pervaded the air and Twilight appeared next to Steam Wing in a bright raspberry colored flash.
"I saw Rainbow leave, what happened?" She turned an inquisitive look to Steam Wing.
"Uh, she tried to prank me and Applejack, I caught it and got a little smug and I construed a challenge." Twilight just shook her head.
"I guess that explains why Applejack left too."
"Yeah. I guess. I didn't offend Rainbow though? I'm all for games of wit but my goal wasn't to hurt her pride or anything." Twilight chuckled
"No, no. She probably not mad at you, but if you don't want to spend your days running from one pony sized storm clouds targeted at you or chili pepper cupcakes I suggest conceding." It was Storm Wing's turn to chuckle.
"Concede? As in admit I was wrong? Heh, she's gonna have to work for that to happen." He sauntered away. Twilight stood, mouth agape, she didn't think she would ever meet a pony as brash as Rainbow Dash.
Steam made his way to the other corner of the party room. He sauntered away for effect, walking back to Twilight would ruin its purpose but he still wanted to be away from the music. He looked out a window and saw a few ponies outside. He decided he wanted to get some air.
He closed the door behind him and took a deep breath. He walked the perimeter of the library, if only to not be idle. He walk took him around towards the back of the tree, where a pale gold colored pegasus mare with a brilliant pink rose colored mane was trying to coax a squirrel out of the tree.
"Oh... you simply must come down, Mr. Squirrel." The squirrel chattered animatedly, throwing an acorn at Steam Wing as he approached. The pegasus followed the acorn as it flew past, but upon seeing Steam Wing she let loose a small 'eep' and became intensely reserved. Sensing the sudden change in the mare Steam stopped his approach.
"Uh, sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."
Nearly inaudible squeaks were all that came from the mare but he could make out the words 'you' and 'weren't'.
"Uhh, well my name is Steam Wing."
"My name is Fluttershy
"Uh I didn't quite catch that? Try again?" He got closer to her, hoping to hear her this time.
"My name is Fluttershy...
"Uh, well-" He stopped short, noticing a strange fluffy shadow had appeared around himself and the quiet mare. The pony shaped head emerging from the moon cast shadow confirmed it for him and he proceeded to shout. "Look out!". He threw up his wings and backed himself and the pegasus against the tree and lightning and a thunderclap resounded and a small torrent of water narrowly missed him and the mare.
Steam Wing found himself in quite a compromising position. His attempt to shelter the quiet mare resulted in her trying to evade him and tripping him up. Then the thunderclap sent her careening back, suddenly she was wrapped around him, clinging tightly. His face going rosy for the second time that night.
Guffaws came from the cloud and Rainbow Dash fell out of it in her rolling fit. Steam rolled his eyes, so confident she doesn't even check to see if her pranks worked.
"Oh my gosh you guys are soa-" She finally looked at her handiwork. Both pegasi were dry, and only Fluttershy appeared shaken. She was clinging to Steam Wing, who blew a raspberry at Rainbow Dash.
"Not this time Dashie." Steam got to his feet and helped the quiet mare get up as well.
"Hey! Only my friends call me 'Dashie'."
Steam stopped and laughed.
"Poniesactually call you 'Dashie'?
"Rainbow it wasn't very nice to prank me and Mr.Wing like that." Fluttershy said, suddenly assertive.
"Sorry, Fluttershy," Rainbow said sheepishly "uh, collateral damage?"
"Oh so your name is Fluttershy?" Steam turned his attention on Fluttershy, who once again became reclusive, mumbling about something incomprehensible as she hurriedly left the area, her cheek blazing in blush. Later she would muse about how soft 'Mr.Wing's' fur was and blush to herself.
Steam looked back to Rainbow but both her and her cloud were gone.
"I don't know what you did to get on Dash's hit list but I do suggest reconciling before the night is out." Came a very elegant voice onto Steam's ears. He turned around and saw a very elegant white unicorn with an indigo mane, styled fabulously. To Steam she looked like she belonged in Canterlot.
"Uh, right, but I'm not going to say she better than me or let her trip me up, and judging her so far, that is what is seems to take to get her to let up."
"Quite right, dear. I'm Rarity, and you are?"
"Enchante Madame Rarity," Steam stood straight and tall, taking Rarity's hoof in his own to kiss the back of it. "I am Steam Wing, charmed to make your acquaintance."
Rarity eyed him with surprise and high regard, the stallion had gone from brash to suave in a second. Steam smiled sheepishly, he learned how to respectable and charming from ol' Cooper. That stallion would berate Steam for talking inelegantly around nobles and ladies. Steam thought the dusty old stallion would be all crotchety around nobles and the like, as he often was around Steam, but he surprised Steam with a lecture about how being proper was important and tried to convey a few lessons onto the young stallion.
"My, you sir are practiced in a fading art." Rarity smiled, a critical eye looking over the young stallion before her. She began to circle Steam.
"You give your best to all you grace yourself upon, it would be unfair for me to not offer up at least a modicum of elegance." Steam remained still under her scrutiny.
"I own and operate a boutique locally, you simply must stop in one day soon and let me design you a tuxedo." She said, eyes sparkling with intensity as she spoke. She envisioned the suave stallion in tuxedos, materials and colors changing by the second.
"Black and red would make you look so charming and mysterious ." She said the last word with a bit of sultriness and a smirk. "Where did you say you came from?"
"I didn't say but I come from Canterlot." He said, knowing those were the words she wanted to her. She completed her circle and stood in front of him.
"Oh and what is it that you did in Canterlot, if you don't mind me asking?" Rarity inquired further.
He paused and coughed slightly.
"I was, err, am a mechanic. I work on the train engines." He told her, assuming that would break her obvious interest. She instead smiled.
"Oh? Honest work then? Bureaucrats and politics are quite, shady, for a lack of a better word."
"Color me surprised, milady," Storm continued with the charm, "No offense, but I assumed my position would have been compromising of your interest."
"Oh?" She smiled knowingly. "One should always be objective. No sense in running off a pleasant stallion because he's a mechanic. I certainly rather a pleasant stallion over a self absorbed noble." She shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"There you are!" Twilight called to him, just coming around the tree. "I've been looking for you all over! Oh, hi Rarity, I see you've met Steam Wing."
"Certainly, he quite charming."
"Well Princess Luna asked me to find you, she wants to explain what's going on to everyone else. With Rarity only Fluttershy is missing."
"Dashie scared her away with a prank aimed at me." Steam informed the mulberry unicorn. Twilight scowled.
"Oh well, we can tell her what is said tonight later." Twilight led Rarity and Steam into the tree house and back into, what Steam assumed was, her room. Princess Luna, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie sat in wait. Rainbow Dash kept a close eye on Steam Wing but everyone else seemed receptive of his presence.
"Fluttershy isn't here because somepony," She paused to glance at Rainbow Dash. "Took a prank too far, but we can start now Princess."
"Thank you Twilight, now that everyone is gathered I will explain why Steam Wing is here." Everyone had been assuming Steam Wing had come to Ponyville at his own volition, know the Princess summoned him brought interest into the eyes of everyone not in the know.
"Seven days ago I witnessed a foretelling of doom onto this world, and for the next six days I then witnessed that there six ponies out there that are capable of stopping this doom." Luna let the statement settle into everyone's minds before continuing.
"After some searching I have found that Steam Wing is likely the first of the six." Luna finished.
"Ah'm not a magic user and ah'm not the studious type, but is this nothing the Elements of Harmony could handle?"
"I'm afraid all indications say that the Elements of Harmony will be needed but there six others will somehow fuel the Elements with some kind of different power, one that I don't quite have a grasp of yet."
Steam had somehow found himself in the center of the room, all eyes on him. He chuckled nervously. He knew of Twilight's link to the Elements of Harmony but he now realized that the other five mares he had met were the rest of the bearers.