Chapters If anything can go wrong, it will.
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Heart of the Storm
by Sebbaa
If anything can go wrong, it will.
“Nether have I, but my buddy Longstride says it's super awesome!” the orange pegasus filly answered with an eager grin.
With that Scootaloo galloped down a gentle slope that inevitably ended in a sheer cliff. Her friends were dragged along for the ride. They were all strapped to the rigging of a big rainbow-colored paraglider and there was no stopping the fuchsia maned pegasus. Luckily the glide took to the air and produced enough uplift by the time they ran out of runway.
Apple Bloom had closed her eyes when she had felt the ground give away and was holding on for dear life, but after a few moment of flight, she heard Sweetie Belle gasp in awe.
Slowly the young earth pony pried her eyes open. When she got the first glimpse of them flying and not burning and crashing to the ground, she eagerly looked around. They were high up in the sky, gliding down from a small mountain slope near their HQ at Sweet Apple Acres. The sight was astonishing. She could see miles and miles. Hilly farm and woodland dominated the scenery this side of Ponyville, large part of which were apple orchards.
She looked at her friends. Sweetie Belle was watching the scene yaw agape, while Scootaloo was steering the para with her hooves, giving them some extra boost with her small wings.
With this they were sure to finally get their cutie marks. Well at least one of them, they would surely not all get the same cutie mark now, would they? But before any of them could check, disaster struck once again.
“Is there a storm scheduled today?” Sweetie Belle asked worried, pointing her hoof at a big dark cloud, it hung right in the direction they were headed. The cloud rose and grew as they watched.
“Not that I know of.” Scootaloo answered hesitant.
Apple Bloom was shading her eyes with her hoof and looked intently.
“We better turn and land immediately!” Scootaloo declared and pulled at the steering. The para glider leaned into a sharp turn and began descending. But it was too late. As the Storm grew even further, the wind picked up and took hold of the three fillies in their glider. They shrieked in terror as they got blown into the its core.
The clouds blocked out the sun, rain poured upon them and gusts of wind whirled the glider around violently. By know it was completely out of control and the crusaders could do nothing but hold onto each other for dear life.
All of a sudden lightning flashed and a roar of deafening thunder shook them to their very bones. They stared in wide-eyed terror at a pair of giant wings made out of lighting. They flashed brightly right in the middle of the storm. It was way too close for comfort.
“Thu... Thun... THUNDERBIRD!” Apple Bloom yelled in alarm. She was certain the wings belonged to a malign spirit of storms. Granny Smith had told her stories about them. Giant ghostly birds, who could control wind and lightning. They brought death and destruction upon ponykind. She had never believed the stories to be true, until now.
“Applejack, Rainbow Dash, ANYPONY! HELP!” the last word they all screamed in union.
No longer able to withstand the storms onslaught, several cords of the glider tore. It lost it's structure. Unable to keep afloat, it started plummeting to the ground. The three pony now all entangled in it.
Out of nowhere a blue pony crashed into them and managed to hold onto the panicked fillies with his fore legs. He got hit by hooves and wings flaying widely, but he did not let go.
He spread his wings and tried to stabilize their wild descent. But alas, while his wings were big, he was still no fully grown pony and did not have the strength to carry three fillies at once. The rain, howling winds and turbulence didn't make it any easier. He barely managed to slow down their descent.
The ground came nearer and nearer. With one last effort he pumped his wings using all his remaining strength. Then he rolled onto his back and curled up into a ball, shielding the three fillies with his body.
With a splash they hit the soaked muddy ground. Sliding and tumbling several meters. Neither of them had the power to hold on. They were separated, thrown all over the place. Finally they all came to a dead stop.
Apple Bloom slowly rose to her hooves, shaking miserably. She was bruised, tired, cold and covered in mud and grass, but otherwise unharmed.
“Yea.” the orange pegasus answered, “we sure got lucky this time. If that pony had not come out of the blue, we would be flat as pancakes now.”
“Right...” remarked Sweetie Belle, stretching the I. She shook her head to clear it of the gruesome image. Then made a mental note to never again fly in any contraption Scootaloo might come up with.
“Where is he anyway?” the little unicorn asked and glanced around the clearing they had crashed on.
Sure enough the sky blue pegasus lay only a few meters away, sprawled out on his back and unmoving. Sweetie Belle gasped and galloped over to him. Her friends followed close behind.
They came to a halt, the three of them gathered around the stranger who had come to their aid. He was still a colt who could not yet have finished flight school. His coat was of sky blue color, his unruly mane and tail dark gray. His cutie mark showed a black cloud which shot out a single bolt of yellow lightning. Yet most noticeable were his wings. They were unusually large, certainly too big for his not yet fully grown body.
Hesitant Scootaloo poked him in the side, hoping he was still alive.
Somewhere, in a remote mountain range high up north, where the snow never melts. Ancient spirits stirred in their slumber. After centuries of sleep they had been called again. Bound by powerful magic, they had to head the call. A rumbling thunder shook the mountains, marking their awakening.
Authors notes: I hope you have at least half as much fun reading this story, as I had writing it. This story is a lot of firsts for me. First story written in English since school, first fan fiction, first FIM fan fiction. It is the longest story I have written yet too. I am not a native English speaker, so if you find any errors or mistakes, please point them out to me. I would appreciate your help. Thanks for reading.
Awaking at Sweet Apple Acres
Awaking at Sweet Apple Acres
Soon enough he was beginning to hear voices. There had to be at least two mares in the room with him, talking in low voices as not to disturb anypony. He tried to pick himself up, but that only managed to send a wave of pain through his body. He groaned involuntary and sank back onto the sheets.
“Look! I think he's coming to.” one of the voices said. Somepony put a hoof onto his bed and leaned over him.
Slowly he forced his eyes open. Had his eyelids always been this heavy? The light blinded him for a second, though there were only a few candles lit in the room. His vision was all blurry, and he had to blink several times, before he could make out anything.
“What?! Rainbow Dash?” he asked surprised, his voice was cracking, his throat felt raw and hot.
“Oh wow! I saw you at last Best Young Flier competition. You were amazing!” he explained.
Before he could answer, an orange earth pony grabbed her rainbow tail in her muzzle and yanked her away.
A butter yellow pegasus mare with long pink mane came into his view. She smiled warmly.
“I thought you'd be. Have some water.” she replied an took a cup of water from a nearby table.
“Come. Let me help you.” Fluttershy offered. She put one hoof behind his head and helped him raise it. Carefully she put the the water cup to his lips.
“Now drink slowly. Don't rush or you might choke .” she told him. He obeyed and took only a small sip. The water bit at his crisp lips and raw throat at first, but it felt good to finally quench his thirst. Soon he had finished the whole cup.
After his second cup he thanked the kind mare, who let him sink back to the pillow and put the cup away. Already he felt a lot better. He was still dizzy, confused and his body hurt almost all over, but he didn't feel as weak and sick, as he had before.
“Where am I? What happened?” he finally managed to ask, turning his head slightly to look at the three mares standing beside his bed.
The three looked at each other, finally it was Applejack who spoke up first: “You are at my house in Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash here found you passed out near the farm.”
The light blue mare continued the story: “Yea, I was on my way to take a look at that strange storm that had come out of nowhere, when I heard somepony calling for help. It were the Cutie Mark Crusaders... eh, you know, Applejacks here little sister and her two friends.” She explained and pointed a hoof at the orange mare.
The blue Colts eyes opened in terror and he shot up in bed.
“Oh wow, take it easy there sugar cube. They are fine. And I gather it is thanks to you.” Applejack answered and raising of hoof.
“Anyway,” Rainbow Dash said and continued her tale, “The three were standing around you laying in a pool of mud. They told me you got hurt when you saved them from crashing with a para glider. So I carried you to the nearest place and got Fluttershy here to patch you up.” She pointed her hoof at Fluttershy, when she introduced her yellow friend.
Well that explained how he got there, but he was still confused and had trouble forming coherent thoughts. Still there was something he needed to know. He looked at Fluttershy.
“So.. eh, how bad am I?” he asked, trying not to sound worried.
The blue colt made an annoyed face. “Please miss Fluttershy. I'm not a foal. Tell me how bad am hurt. I’m a big pony, I can take it.” he insisted trying to sound very serious.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack grinned amused. Foals, always trying to be more adult then they had to. But Fluttershy blushed, when she realized she had belittled the blue pegasus. She cleared her throat shyly, before she began to talk again. She tried to sound professional: ”You had dislocated your left shoulder and I had to reset it. You have broken a few feathers and strained your flight muscles. Furthermore you are suffering a mild concussion. Other than that only minor scrapes and bruises.”
With her diagnosis done she fell back to her usual demeanor and smiled warmly. “Nothing a few days rest wont cure. You'll be better in no time.” she assured him.
He relaxed visibly when he heard that. That crash could have gone very ugly very easily. Now that his curiosity was stilled, he felt dead tired. He yawned widely.
“Oh, let me thank you all. I don't know how I can ever repay your kindness.” he said with half close eyes and a faint smile.
Somehow this remark didn't sit right with him. Instead of proud, he felt guilty. But he was far to tired to follow that thought right now.
“So just relax and don't worry about a thing, my dear... ahh... what is your name anyway?” the orange earth pony asked, when she finished her speech.
High up north the spirits had woken. They gathered as they had not done in any living ponies memory. All of them gathered and became a swarm.
View Online
You always find something in the place you least expect it.
You always find something in the place you least expect it.
It was day outside and Celestias sun was shining brightly through the rooms window. He was in a practically furnished bedroom with wooden furniture, many of which were decorated with carvings of apples. Other than the bed there was a large wardrobe, a simple chair and a small table in the room.
Slowly memory came back to him. The storm, the fillies, the crash, than waking up to find the best flier in all of Equestria and this really nice mare, who had taken care of him, at his bed. The later memory brought up a strange sensation in his stomach he could not place.
Before he could elaborate any further, three young fillies stampeded into the room. Each was carrying a tablet with something to eat in it's muzzle. Without pause they jumped on the bed and put the goods on the blanked around him. Even with all four of them and the food on it, there was still room on the bed.
The food. It dawned the colt. They had probably made it themselves and wanted to see if he liked it.
He blinked at the three fillies, who still had the same look an their face, than at the food, than again at the fillies.
“Eh, could you do me a favor?” he asked at last. The three fillies leaned forward as one and listened intently. He took that as a yes.
He quickly got out of bed, ignoring his protesting foreleg. In a hurry he dumped the contents of glass and bowl out of the window and crawled back under the blanked. Before the Cutie Mark Crusaders got back he managed to dump the eggs, garnish and all, into his muzzle and chomp down in gusto. At least the eggs were good.
In surprising union the three friends came back and brought the things he had asked for. To his relieve, nothing was charred.
The three fillies had settled around him on the bed and watched him eat happily. It was Scootaloo who finally raised her voice.
His strength renewed he crawled out of bed again.
The three crusaders winced when they saw this and the rest of his battered body, feeling for him. He was no sight to behold, having his shoulder and wing bandaged and missing several feathers of the other one. When the pegasus noticed their discomfort, he put on a brave face.
Just as he had hoped, that put their mind of his wounds. It was Scootaloo who asked him about that story, when they were descending the stairs.
“It's not really a good story.” he admitted, scratching his neck. But one look told him, they wanted to hear it anyway.
“How did you beat him?” Scootaloo asked skeptical, when he did not continue his story right away.
By now they had reached the kitchen and Stormheart was helping the little fillies stacking the platters he had used into the sink. They were just done, when a massive red earth pony, who barely fit through the door, entered the kitchen. Stormhearts eyes grew big when he looked up to Big Macintosh.
The kitchen became kinda crowded, when Applejack entered too.
Stormheart blushed unsure how to handle the situation.
“Oh.. alright then... thank you.” the blue pegasus answered bashful and finally gave in.
“Do you want to tell your parents you are OK? We can have Rainbow fly to Cloudsdale in no time.” Applejack said, changing topic.
Applejack nodded. “You can give the letter to our mail mare Ditzy Doo when she makes her rounds tomorrow, or drop it off at the post office in Ponyville.” she informed him and he nodded in agreement.
“Might just do that. I was about to take a stroll anyway. You know, stretch my wing.” he said and waved his one good wing.
The mention of the yellow pegasus made the blue ones heart jump and his wing pop up in excitement. He blushed slightly. Not knowing why he reacted this way, he made for a quick escape, hoping that no one would notice.
“Can we come too? We wanted to hear how you got your Cutie Mark?!” Scootaloo asked before he was clear of the room. The question made him stop dead in his tracks.
“Your Cutie Mark.” Scootaloo exclaimed an pointed a hoof at his flank. “It almost looks like the Wonderbolts insignia. You must be fast as lightning!” she added grinning excited.
Stormheart eyes widened in wonder and he began to run in circles trying to get a better look at his own flank.
“No...” he answered with a sigh. “My flank was blank last time I looked. Must have gotten it in that storm.” he explained frustrated.
That left Applejack and her brother perplexed. Shouldn’t he be glad to have gotten his Cutie Mark? But before they could inquire, Apple Bloom jumped into the center of the group super excited.
Now the wall was broken and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo joined in.
Under the onslaught of appraise from all sides, Stormheart could not keep being grumpy. He found his composure and started smiling again.
Chattering about the endless possibilities, the four foals left the kitchen and headed outside, leaving a dumbstruck Applejack and Bigmac behind.
The swarm headed south, riding on the colt north wind. Animals fleet at their presence, they hid in their burrows. Thunder and rain followed in the swarms wake. They were far from their original strength yet. But they would gain it once again. In the south, they would rise to the heavens themselves.
The Lady Of The Forest
“I wish I had friends like you when I was your age.” he said. Not wanting to kill the mood he added quickly: “I’m sure you get your cutie marks very soon, with all the crazy stuff you try together.” He put a hoof to his chin thinking.
He was resting beneath a tree overlooking the farm later the day, taking a nap. Slacklining with the crusaders had proven to be quite the fun. He did not join in of course, battered as he already was, but helping the three fillies with his rudimentary knowledge of the sport and seeing them try their luck on the line had been entertaining none the less. Turned out, that Scootaloo had a good sense of balance and even managed to do a few tricks. But when Apple Bloom tried her luck with karate, the three of them ended up covered in pine sap.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had to go home afterward and Apple Bloom joined her siblings in their chores. Stormheart felt his concussion catching up with him and grew very tired. He opted for a brief nap in the shadow of a tree at the border of the orchard. It was a sunny day and a light breeze was whistling the leaves. He greatly preferred laying in the grass to going back to a stuffy room.
He could hear singing. The sweetest little voice humming and small birds chirping in response. He was not fully awake yet and did not want to, so it became part of his dream, as he slumbered on.
He was venturing through the Everfree Forest with the crusaders, all four of them clad in iron mail, wearing a red cloak. Their coat of arms was a yellow pony on blue. They made their way through the thick undergrowth, hacking a path with their mighty swords, when they came upon a clearing.
They stared in wonder at the sight before them. On the clearing sat a deep green alicorn with a flowing watery blue mane. She sat next to a wellspring, the creatures of the forest gathered around her in court. She sang with an angelic voice and the birds joined her in choir.
The crusaders recognized the alicorn, for they had come for her. She was Lady Of The Forest. Their quest was at its end. They fell on their knees and bowed their heads before her. She would gift them with her sigil and they would rise as Knights of Equestria.
But before that could happen Stormheart finally woke up. His mind still in a state between dream and reality, he witnessed the strangest scene. The Lady Of The Forest was sitting in an apple orchard not far from him. Forest critters had gathered around her in court. She was humming a song and the birds joined her in choir. Only that the lady was a yellow pegasus mare with pink hair.
He rubbed his eyes to clean out the sleep, he blinked several times to clear his vision and shook his head to clear his mind, but she was still there. He was awestruck.
By now Fluttershy had noticed, that he was awake. She stopped humming and stud up. She nodded to the critters around her and slowly the gathered animals dissipated in all directions, leaving the two pegasi alone.
She walked over to the still stunned colt and smiled warmly. “You are awake. You were fast asleep when I arrived earlier. You looked so cute and peaceful, I couldn't bring myself to wake you. Did I wake you? Oh, I hope I didn't wake you?!” she said, confident at first, then more and more concerned she might have offended anypony.
Colts don't like to be called cute. Especially when they are not all that small anymore. So Stormheart was actually a bit offended. Then he noticed he had been drooling in his sleep. Feeling caught, he quickly wiped it away with his hoof. “It's quite alright my lady. Eh... I mean miss Fluttershy.” he answered, still in the mindset of his dream, but quickly corrected himself.
The yellow mare hid a giggle behind her hoof. “Please, just call me Fluttershy.” she motioned to the blushing colt. He looked away to hide his face, but then thought to do better. He nodded and smiled happily at her. “Gladly.” he said.
“If I may?” she asked politely. He nodded and stretched out his one good wing to allow easier access to the bandages. “Of course.” he answered.
The yellow pegasus got to work. She carefully unwrapped her patient and checked his injuries. All the while humming a sweet melody. She started with his shoulder, then continued on his wing.
For Stormheart it was a difficult situation. Being near the yellow mare alone made his heart beat faster and his face go red. Every time she touched his skin it tickled in a strange but not a bad way. A fluffy feeling was growing in his stomach and worst of all, he could not place any of it.
Only when she began re bandaging his wing did he realize what was happening to him. It mad him blush even harder, he let his ears sink and made a grumpy face. The colt suppressed a sarcastic comment about himself and hoped the whole ordeal would be over soon. If he were not in it, he would laugh about the impossibility of the situation. He, a hot headed young colt, falling for the older mare that took care of him after an injury. Ho cliche could you get? He just hoped, that she did not notice his stupid behavior. He would surely sink into the ground in shame if anypony did.
After a few minutes, which seemed for Stormheart to stretch for an eternity, the pink maned pegasus had finished bandaging his wing. His shoulder was left bare. Fluttershy searched around in her saddlebags.
“You shoulder looks good. Just don't try galloping and heavy lifting for a few days. You can remove the bandages from your wing tomorrow and start moving it around. But don't try to fly as long as your muscles hurt even slightly.” she told him till she found what she was looking for. “Ah, here it is!” she exclaimed and turned to him with a corked bottle in her muzzle. She placed it on the ground in front of him.
“Drink this, it is a potion I got from my friend Zecora. It will make you go into molt and help you regrow all of your feathers in no time. In the meantime make sure to eat a lot.” she explained, making sure not to leave anything important out.
“Oh wow! This is strong stuff!” he exclaimed. “Tell your friend my thanks. Oh and thank you. You know, for taking care of me and all.” he said trying hard to keep his composure.
“It was nothing.” she assured him. “I love to take care of all creatures big and small. It's my special talent.” she explained. That did not normally include ponies, but since Twilight had told her friends how the doctor at the local clinic had acted, when she had brought Spike to him, the six of them tried not to depend on his medical skills.
“Oh my, I should go home now. The animals don't care for themselves!” Fluttershy said in the end, quickly packed her things and swung the saddlebags over her back. “Be sure to come by if you need anything. My cottage is at the edge of the Everfree Forest. You can't miss it. Good bye. Get well soon!” she said as she took flight and waved her hoof at him.
He had not noticed, how late it had gotten until now. It was late afternoon, quickly approaching dusk. He had slept longer, than he had planned to. With a slow trot he headed back to the farmhouse. Maybe he could help at the house, be useful, or at least less useless than he felt.
Back at the Farm he meet Apple Bloom who introduced him to her grandmother Granny Smith. The three of them prepared dinner and soon Applejack and Bigmac joined them at the kitchen table. True to Fluttershys words he was very hungry and nearly matched Bigmac in his appetite.
The Applefamily discussed the days events and future task on the farm. Stormheart did not join conversation. He retired early and quickly fell into a troubled sleep.
He dreamed of a swarm. A black wall of clouds, devastating anything that stood in it's way, a legion of ancient spirits unleashed upon an unsuspecting world. They came from the north, thunder was their name, lightning was their call. The blue colt watched in terror as they approached the peaceful land he was flying above. Then his heart froze as bright eyes settled upon him. “We see you.” he heard the north wind call.
How to be awesome in ten seconds flat
How to be awesome in ten seconds flat
He had breakfast with the Applefamily. Being farm ponies they got up very early indeed to start their morning chores.
It was still early, when he walked with Apple Bloom to the school in Ponyville. She didn't need anypony to walk her to school of course, but Stormheart wanted to get to the village anyway to write those letters he didn't get around to write the day before.
On their way he told her about his dream of the Crusaders and the Lady Of The Forest he had had the other day. The thought of that made the filly giggle in excitement.
“That's just like one of the stories of the Knights of Equestria. Bringing peace to the land before the reign of the princesses.” she exclaimed.
“Yea! Starswirl the Bearded and the Knights Of The Roundtable. They drove the Hydra back into the swamp, freed enslaved ponies from the dogs and defeated dragons at chess. Those were always my favorite!” the blue colt told her grinning widely.
They told each other their favorite tales about the legendary heroes till they reached the school building. Knights of Equestria. That sure had a nice ring too it. Maybe they could rename their secret society once their crusade for their cutie marks was at an end. Not much sense in crusading for cutie marks if you already got them.
He was on his way back soon after. It had not taken long to write those two letters and get them commissioned to Manehatten and Cloudsdale. Not having anything to do he did not rush and took his sweat time strolling around town. He was just trotting through a park and looking at a fountain, when he heard a familiar voice from above: “Hi there Stormheart. Good to see you back on your hooves!”
He looked up and saw Rainbow Dash sitting on a small cloud. She jumped off. With a gust of wind, that made him shield his eyes, she landed beside him. Dash eyed him curious and the trail of feathers he was leaving behind.
“Your are loosing an awful lot of feathers. Are you feeling alright?” she asked and pointed a hoof at the trail. When the blue pegasus saw it, he blushed a little.
“Fluttershy gave me a potion that forced me to go into molt. You know, to replace my broken feathers. At this speed all of them will be good and new by tomorrow.” he explained happily. Just at that moment his stomach growled loudly for everypony to hear. He made an annoyed face and sighed.
“And I just ate. Growing that many feathers takes lots of energy.” he said.
At once the blue pegasus noticed his mistake. He let his ears sink and bowed his head apologetically. “I'm sorry” he said, “that was uncalled for. It's just that they make fun of me in flight school, calling me Blank Flank and Freakwing! I get defensively as soon as anypony mentions my wings being big. I didn't mean to snap at you.”
Rainbow Dash just smiled and waved it off. “Don't sweat it. I can relate. They bullied me in flight school too.” she told him.
“No way!” he exclaimed, “a cool mare like you must have been super popular!”
The compliment made her grin widely. “Heh, you think? They called me Rainbow Crash till I did that Sonic Rainboom at Best Young Fliers!” she explained.
“You must be joking!” he said over dramatically, still not believing it.
“It's true!” the blue mare assured him. “I may be the best flier in all of Equestria now, but in flight school, after my growth spurt I was kinda clumsy. I crashed all the time training for my awesome tricks.” she explained a little awkward.
Stormheart nodded slowly, dumbstruck. He could belief her story, but it was totally unexpected. Again his stomach growled, ending the awkward silence that had settled between them.
“Hey, why don't we go and grab something to bite. I didn't have breakfast yet and you sound like you could use a second one.” the mare offered with a smile.
The invitation left the young pony baffled. After seeing her at Best Young Fliers, she was kind of a hero for him. Eating breakfast with her was on his list of things that just don't happen.
“Uh... sure.” he said, very unsure actually. “Where do we go?” he asked.
They were sitting at a table, on small hay piles, in front of a restaurant at the Ponyville marketplace. The pegasus colt was hungry enough to just order everything on the menu. But to go easy on the few bits he had with him, he settled for the cheapest food, hay fries, but triple portions. To his surprise Rainbow Dash ordered the same.
“Didn't expect you to eat Bigmac portions.” the colt remarked.
But he had to belief it, when their hay fries arrived. Six plates of them. The two pegasi skipped formalities and just started chomping down, grease splattered everywhere as their meal turned into a fast eating competition.
Stormheart was very hungry. And then there was the fact that he was a colt and he would not stand a filly to eat more or faster than him. Even if she was the fastest flier in all of Equestria. Rainbow Dash was hungry too, and competitive by nature. In the end they finished their fries in a manner and at a speed, that attracted looks from every other table.
They finished almost at the same time. As they sat pack on their hay, they put a hoof on their bellies and let out enormous belches. That made them look at each other in surprise. When they saw the others face covered in grease, they burst out laughing. It was a sight to behold.
Stormheart recovered first. He took a napkin from the table and quickly cleaned his face. Rainbow Dash shortly followed suite. Both were still grinning exhilarated when they were done.
“So..” it was Rainbow who took up their conversation again. “How can they make fun of you by calling you Blank Flank? I mean, you got your cutie mark alright.” she asked curious.
“Just got it the day before yesterday.” the colt explained, “must have gotten it in that storm when I caught the crusaders.” He scratched his neck with a hoof as he continued: “Apple Bloom thinks it might be a search and rescue cutie mark, but I don't know. I don't think I'm good at that at all.”
“Your kidding?” Dash exclaimed, “you were able to fly through that freaky storm all by yourself and save three fillies at once! I'm not sure I could have pulled it off myself!”
That compliment left colt bashful. He waved it off. “Ah, your just saying that.” he said, “I saw your carry four grown ponies at once. Not mentioning catching them right above ground and flying all of them back up to Cloudsdale, or doing a Sonic Rainboom while doing so!” His eyes were shining literally at that memory.
Rainbow leaned back, hooves behind her head, enjoying the admiration. “Yep, I am awesome like that.” she said vainly.
Now it was Dashes turn to get eyes like saucers. She suppresses a loud squee at the memory before she told him about it: “It was the best day ever! They showed me their training grounds, told me how they prepared for their shows. We even got to train together and they taught me some of their moves! It was so awesome!” Her voice cracked at the last words and Stormheart chuckled. Now there was one happy fan!
“Oh I wish I could spend a day with the Wonderbolts! Your so lucky!” he stated.
“Your are a fan too?” the pegasus mare asked, reverting back to her usual self.
The colt nodded grinning widely. “Sure am.” he said. “Oh, who is you favorite Wonderbolt?” he asked. He was really excited to have something in common with Rainbow Dash, something they could talk about, and that something being his most favorite fandom was too good to be true. His good wing flapped up and down involuntarily, his other wing threatened to break free of it's bandages.
Rainbow Dash was the same. Being hyper active by nature, and for once having someone to talk about her favorite pegasi, her wings flapping made her almost take off.
She did not have to think for more than a second, before she answered the question: “Spitfire!”
“Oh really? Mine too!” Storm burst out, “I have a poster of her over my bed!”
“Oh, me too.” Dash told him, “she just looks so awesome in that REA advertisements!”
The last comment made the colt stop for a second. He sure had seen the REA advertisements. He kept them hidden in his desk. Hack, didn't every young stallion? That Rainbow Dash had one hanging above her bed was... that was new. He shrugged mentally. Well, whatever makes her wings flap right? He decided not to bothered at all.
“She sure does.” he said nodding in agreement, but trying to keep his cool. “Almost made me join the REA.” he admitted with a chuckle.
The mare had to laugh at that comment. “Heh. What hold you back?” she asked.
Storm gave her a one wing shrug. “Didn't think I would fit in. I am not much of a fighter, or flier for that matter.” he told her. “Why didn't you join? I am sure you could buck it out with a dragon or something.” he said playing the ball back to her.
“Well, I considered to join after I quit flight school. Most of the Wonderbolts had made a career in the air force. But I'm not much for discipline. You know, too many rules, not enough nap time.” she admitted shaking her head slightly.
“How come you aren't a good flier? I image you’d be a great flier with that big wings of yours.” she asked quickly adding: “no offense.” Remembering the colt to be touchy about that subject.
“It's OK” he said with a sigh. “You would think big wings make you a good flier, but for me the opposite is true. I don't have the strength and weight to make anything out of this stupid wings. Can't move them fast enough to make quick turns, every minor turbulence sets me off course. To make it worse that all leads to me getting tired pretty fast.” he explained and let his ears and head sink.
Seeing the young pegasus like that made Rainbow Dashes heart hurt. A pegasus that did not enjoy flying was bad enough. A Wonderbolts fan that did not enjoy flying however. The worst possible thing! There was only one thing she could do, even if it meant her doom!
Without warning she jumped upon the table, making several plates fall off and started to shout down the blue colt with fierce determination: “DO YOU WANT TO BE A SORRY EXCUSE FOR A PEGASUS, NOT EVEN A CHICKEN WOULD LOOK AT?”
The young pony shrank back in surprise, shielding his face with his hooves before the verbal onslaught of the azure mare. What the buck was wrong with her?
“I CAN'T HEAR YOU! I SAD: DO YOU WANT TO BE FEATHER PILLOW TOO SOFT TO EVEN THROW AT LITTLE FOALS?” Rainbow shouter again, if anything with even more volume.
“CAN'T HEAR YOU!” she screamed.
“I STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU!” she bellowed.
Dash grinned mischievously. That completed the first step. But she only let him catch his breath for a second before she attacked him again.
“DO YOU WANT TO BE THE BUCKING BEST FLIER EVER TO COME OUT OF CLOUDSDALE?” she yelled. “At least second best” she added in her thoughts, but that would weaken the message and you can't do this things halfhearted.
“I SAID DO YOU WANT TO BE A PEGASUS THE WONDERBOLTS WOULD NOT BE ASHAMED TO CALL A FLIER!” she continued.
The colt stared at her wide eyed. He nodded but didn't say anything.
“I CAN'T HEAR YOU!” Rainbow shouted.
“I STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU!” she bellowed.
That completed phase two of her plan. Rainbow put on her scheming smile again. This had worked even better than she had expected. She jumped down the table, put a leg around his shoulder and pulled the still panting colt tight.
Instead she continued her passionate speech: “Your training won't be cakewalk. In fact it will be hard. The hardest thing you have ever done! There will be sweat, there will be blood and broken bones. Not everyone of you will make it through.”
Now he just looked at her as if she were crazy. But he slowly nodded none the less.
Fact was, that she had not trained anypony since she helped Apple Bloom get her cutie mark. And that did not work out at all. She would make sure to get it right this time. Yes! She would make out a proper flier of this little colt yet, even if it meant loosing nap time, even if it meant asking Twilight for a few books on flight and training for her to read up on the subject. failure was not an option!
Stormheart was still confused. It dawned only slowly on him, what he had gotten himself into. But somehow he could not help but grin in excitement. Personal training with Rainbow Dash as his coach?! Too good to be true. Or it would be his doom. Ether way he was willing to give it his best shot. Who knew? This could even turn out to be fun.
They passed mountains and rivers, plains and forests. Their way was still long, but the swarm was unrelenting. Soon it would arrive. And then the storm would truly begin.
Special thanks to Mobius of the Moon for proofreading.
You need a montage
It turned out, he really did not know what he had gotten himself into. At the end of the day they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, where Rainbow Dash finally let him off.
Next morning he was woken by a sharp whistling and fell out of the bed, his ears ringing.
It was save to say, that the following days had been the hardest in his life. But perhaps the most fun days too.
It's way had been long and it had lost even more of it's power. Shed along endless miles of travel. But now it had arrived. A place of ancient magic. A place where the animals fared for themselves and clouds moved on their own. Here they would rest. The land would restore their power. Then the swarm would rise and the world itself would shake from their voice once more.
Special thanks to Mobius of the Moon for proofreading.
The sky ain't the limit
The rest of the flight training was no fun and games. Rainbow wanted to tackle the main problem she saw with Storms flying. The lack of strength in his flight muscles to utilize his wings. Technique and a few tricks would work themselves out after that was accomplished. Or so she thought.
The animals of the Everfree Forest hid in their borrows. The hydra sought shelter in the swamp, maniticors crouched in fear and even the mighty Ursa Major moved deeper into its cave. A storm was coming.
Special thanks to Mobius of the Moon for proofreading.
View Online
If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
Of course they were flying. And with Rainbow in the lead, they were not flying slowly. Storm did his best to hold on as he was dragged along. All he could do was stabilize his own flight. Trying to do any propulsion by himself was useless.
“SURPRISE!” the voice of everypony in Ponyville shot out. Nothing could have prepared Stormheart for what he saw when he undid the blindfold.
“What was that all about?” Twilight Sparkle asked. She found herself with her five best friends and the Cutie Mark Crusaders right in front of the stage.
Rainbow Dash flew high above town to get a better vantage. She spotted no immediate sign of the blue pegasus she was looking for, but that was only natural, given that she had trained him personally. “Oh stupid Recruit. Where have you gone?” she said to herself in a low voice, sounding rather worried.
Stormheart had not found it in him to fly straight for Cloudsdale. There was nothing there for him. In fact he did not want to fly anywhere at all or do anything. With his blunder at his own goodbye party, he had probably turned all of his new friends against him.
Without him noticing, the cloud had become quite big while he had been sitting on it. Other clouds had gathered and merged together. He was sitting on a grown summer rain, when Rainbow Dash found him. “There you are! I have been looking for you.” she exclaimed worried when she landed right beside him.
He had been in his advanced course in meteorology and he was doing a presentation of his homework on the unique weather phenomena of the Everfree Forest. “Where the clouds move on their own.” But it seemed the beauty of self forming cloud formations and independent weather was lost on his classmates. It had not been an easy presentation, but one where he had to dodge paper planes and ignore stupid comments several times.
That he could live with. He was actual used to it. So he just closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and went on. Hiding his anger best as he could.
Soon he had finished his presentation with a picture of a self occurring thunderstorm above the forest complete with a giant, dark cumulus could rising thousands of feet into the sky. He had taken the picture himself, at the risk of getting caught in the storm. He nearly had been blown into the forest. But it had been worth it. To him it had been a sight of pure beauty.
Just as he had pinned the picture to the board and turned around, a big grin on his face, because now everypony could see this awe inspiring sight, he was assailed by an array of paper balls aimed at his face. He ducked on reflex and somehow managed to avoid them. When he got back up, he saw the usual trio pointing and laughing at him. Quick Ball Sky Chaser and Batalot. Three members of the Quiddich team and a constant thorn in his side.
“Now that's what I call a piece of Art!” Quick Ball claimed, before he burst out laughing, pointing at the young pegasus that now stared at the trio with a snarl on his face.
But then he realized that the brown colt was not pointing at him, but behind him? Slowly Stormheart turned around again, dreading what he would see. And true enough. The three paper balls had been soaked in raw rainbows and they had hit his picture dead center. His precious photography was now a multicolored mess. “Hey Stormblank! If you like that stupid forest so much, why don't you go and live there?!” someone yelled from behind, who Stormheart knew to be Sky Chaser by voice. He whirled around, baring his teeth, his anger flaring up white hot. He braced himself, ready to charge at his assailants,his wings popped up involuntary. Whenever a pegasus is under stress, it is his instinct to spread it's wings and get ready to fight or flight.
“Hey look! Giant wing boner!” Batalot exclaimed and pointed his hoof at the sky blue pegasus. The whole class started to laugh. Stormheart eyes widened as he realized what happened. He looked around the classroom. Everypony was laughing at him. No one would stand up for his defense. So it was flight!
Funny thing about buildings made out of clouds. No matter how thick and solid a wall might look, it is still only a cloud. Any pegasus who put his mind to it could still pass through without difficulty. With a gust of wind that made his classmates shield their faces, Stormheart took to the sky and dashed right through the ceiling. He left a hole in the clouds for Celestias sun to shine through. With that he was gone.
Stormheart flew as fast as he could, tears welling in his eyes. Buck weather factory, buck flight school! He just wanted to get away from it all. He cursed under his breath as he dashed through a layer of clouds, trailing a long vortex of bad weather in his wake.
His angry dash was slowly running its course and he started to feel burning exhaustion in his wings. With a final climb he shed his speed and landed on a dark storm cloud. It had the same color as his unruly mane and perfectly fit his mood. He looked around and took in his surroundings. Cloudsdale already was a long way. It could hardly be seen on the horizon. Below him was hilly farm and woodland, nopony to be seen for dozens of miles. He was as alone as a pegasus could be. And while this was what he had stormed out of his class for earlier, he was now starting to feel lonely. He settled down on the cloud and rested his head on his hooves. Buck it all! Why was he all alone even when in school? Why couldn’t they just accept him as he was? A tear ran down his cheek and dropped onto the cloud. It began to rain. Slowly at first. One drop, than another, but soon more rain clouds gathered around and began a downpour.
It was not just flight school that made his live a living hell. He had just started apprenticing at the weather factory while still attending his final classes at school. He had thought that this was finally his chance to shine. That he would finally find his own very special talent and get his cutie mark. But no! He had found nothing, only growing frustration. Weather factory was not at all what he had expected. “Your cloud is too big! And too dark. We are making fleece clouds today and yours is more like a black sheep. Scrap it and do it again!” his fore worker would yell. He had always enjoyed forming clouds and making winds. But for him they were not mere objects but living, breathing things, each with its own story and personality. None was exactly like the other. It was a form of art! But reality in the weather factory of Cloudsdale was a different thing. It was a machine pumping out weather at the press of a button. Each pegasus worker only a small clog in it all, making a million clouds a year.
“To the moon with weather factory! To the moon with flight school!” he exclaimed angrily as he jumped to his hooves. His anger was flaring up again, burning out all other emotions. He had to move, he had to work it out of his system. Acting purely on instinct he jumped of the cloud and dove for the ground.
Right above ground he pulled up and began circling back up again. He did not notice, but a powerful updraft appeared where he had flown. It grabbed him and pushed him up ever higher and faster. By the time he reached cloud level again he was corkscrewing up almost vertically. He shot through the dark cloud he had left behind. It was pulled and pushed into his wake as he rose ever higher. The warm, moisture air from the ground cooled down when it reached the freezing temperatures at high altitude. The water condensed and formed several storm clouds. As the updraft continued to grew in strength, so did the the clouds grow in size.
Stormheart rose to the center of the storm. Wind and rain were raging about him, tugging at his wings, drenching his coat. But this was his storm. He had made it! He was its master. He spread his wings wide. Blinding bright lightning flashed on both sides of him, deafening thunder roared and shook him to the bone. He did not notice at that time, but at this very moment his cutie mark appeared. A black storm cloud, shooting a single bolt of yellow lightning. Suddenly he heard screaming. It yanked him right out of his madness. Only now did he realize that he was in the middle of a raging storm. One he had made. One he had lost every control over. In panic he looked around and spotted three fillies strapped to some flying contraption, screaming for their lives. Without hesitating, without ever thinking, he dove for them.
“I managed to catch them and break our fall. I passed out right after the crash. This is when you found me.” he told her as he ended his story.
And they came down from the mountains. Thunder was their voice, lightning their wings. They rode on the tempest gale and left doom and destruction in their wake.
Special thanks to StewartSpicer for proofreading.
Storm of the century
The fastest flier in all of Equestria quickly intercepted the gray coated male mare. Ditzy was panting heavily and covered in sweat. She had clearly been pushing herself beyond her limits.
“Got.. pant... to.. huff... warn...huff... town... pant... thunderbirds.” she explained between gasps of air.
Stormheart took the opportunity to catch up with her.
Soon they could make out their forms at the edge of the storm. Creatures made out of lightning and wind. They had the rough shape of giant birds and they were riding the gale at tempests edge.
“We have to tell Twilight and the others! Come on!” Rainbow explained and shot off for Ponyville. The blue colt followed hard on her heels, giving his all to keep up.
When they arrived at the library tree, the others were already outside. They had saddlebags on their backs and were ready to head out.
They had not come more then twenty meters, when Stormheart arrived at the scene, panting. He landed to catch his breath.
The six mares shot glances at them. It was Twilight who spoke up: “Sorry, no time, we are in a hurry.” With that five of them galloped on. Only Rainbow stayed back. She could catch up with the rest in no time, so she took a moment to explain the situation to her finest recruit.
“The six of us will go and drive of those thunderbirds. You better stay here and.... eh keep watch.” she said with a confident smile.
Storm considered this for a second. Sure, Dash was prone to overstate her deeds and abilities. That did not make them any less astonishing though. Twilight had a dragon familiar, AJ was probably one of the strongest ponies alive. He didn't know about Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy though. Oh well, Dash seemed confided enough.
That made Dash smile warmly. She ruffled his hair with her hoof. “Oh come on, have some faith in your sergeant. We will be back before you know it. See you later!” With that she took off making haste to catch up with the others.
Stormheart let his head sink and shuffled into the library. He felt useless and powerless. He hated being useless and powerless. Maybe he could find some book to keep his mind off things.
As he entered the library he saw nopony around. He could hear Spike from the kitchen though. The little dragon was probably preparing some food, maybe bananacaramelchocolatecookies or something. He headed for the novel section of the library. Some adventure story would be a good read right now.
Suddenly three cloaked figures came out of nowhere and tackled him from the side. It was an ambush! Before he knew it, he was pinned to the ground and merciless hooves tickled his exposed belly.
When he regained his hooves, he was looking at the three angry faces of certain fillies he knew. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had caught him off guard and now they stared at him expectantly. They were even wearing their cloaks! He sighed heavily. It was time to come clear. He let his ears and head sink.
For several moments after his explanation they stared him down angrily and he shrunk even further to the ground. Then they looked at each other, nodded and faced him again.
Storm looked at the three and was stunned. Their serious manner faded, they were trying their best to hold it back, but it was to no avail. The three broke out in laughter. The colt joined in soon after, he was visibly relieved.
“Of course we don't hate you stupid.” Scootaloo exclaimed with a defiant smile.
The last sentence gave the colt pause. He got to his hooves as he was entangled from the hug.
Scootaloo spoke up first: “The three of us decided to make you a member of our secret society.” She tried to speak very solemnly but went a bit over the top.
But she hid her grin at once. All three fillies put on serious faces as they gathered around him. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo took place on his sides, facing him. Their eyes were closed, their heads held impossibly high. Sweetie Belle was standing in front of him in the same manner. She cleared her throat before she spoke up.
“Stormheart of Cloudsdale. Kneel before us!” she exclaimed ceremonial.
At first the blue colt did not know what was going on. But when the little unicorn spoke those words, he quickly caught on. He shot a quick glance at the three of them, grinning widely. Than he put on his most noble and solemn face and played along. He sunk on his knees and bowed his head in respect. This was just like a scene from one of the stories he liked so much.
Sweetie Belle waited a few seconds for dramatic effect before she continued. The three of them had actual practiced this before, each of them taking the colts and her role in turn.
“A knight is sworn to valor.
After those words were spoken, only Stormheart could keep his face. The fillies could not help but grin happily. They put their act back on when Sweetie Belle cleared her throat and continued.
He rose to his hooves as the three fillies stomped the ground with their hooves in applause. With the ceremonies over, non of them could hide their feelings any longer, or had too.
The crusaders said nothing and just smiled satisfied. This had worked out better than they had planned. No more words were needed.
The blue pegasus took a moment to get a look at the cloak they had put on him. It was made of Bordeaux red, thick loden and lined with soft black silk. His new coat of arms was stitched in golden threat on both of his sides. It showed an oak tree, growing under the sun and the moon, on a shield. The brooch that closed the cloak was golden and showed his cutie mark as ornamentation. The whole thing was expertly crafted. It even had holes for his wings, that he put to use as soon as he found them. He noticed that the cloak was actually too big for him. It was something a young pony could grow into. One thing was clear: Somepony had made this with much thought and effort.
“This cloak is amazing! It's like a real knights cloth. It' so cool!” Stormheart exclaimed in wonder. His apparent happiness made the three crusaders very proud of their effort.
This gave the blue colt pause. This cloak was perhaps the most generous gift he had ever received. And he got it from somepony who thought him to be something he was not.
Scootaloo had an idea. It was brilliant. She got behind the colt and started pushing him to the door.
Soon Stormheart was out in the open and the three fillies blocked the door. There was no way back. The colt sighed in defeat. “Fine, I'll go.” he said annoyed. But then he thought up something better. He straightened himself, raised his head high, pushed his chest out proudly and spread his wings wide for added effect.
The three rolled their eyes. “Just go.” said Scootaloo. But Apple Bloom had a better plan. With a mischievous grin she jumped behind him. “Your lady of the forest is waiting. Go save her!” she said suggestively and with a crack, she whipped him across his haunches with her tail.
The young pegasus jumped into the air in shock and took flight. He was too startled for further words of bravery. Did sweet little Apple Bloom really do what he just thought she did? Did she even know what she had done? He looked back over his shoulder. The three were waving him goodbye. The little red maned filly had the most innocent smile on her face he could imagine. Oh she knew! He blamed Applejack.
Special thanks to StewartSpicer for proofreading.
Heart of the storm
First the wind picked up. With it the temperature dropped. Dark clouds came overhead and blocked out the sun. It started to rain, and soon there was a downpour mixed with hail. Thunder roared as lightning flashed across the sky. Then came the swarm.
One lone thunderbird was a creature the size of a manticore. Its body made out of wind and lightning. It had the power to create a summer storm. Wind, rain, and thunder obeyed its command. The swarm contained dozens of them.
With the swarm approaching to what Twilight hoped to be hearing range, she set her first plan in motion. Lecture them.
The unicorn was not frazzled by this. She had one more trick up her horn. One she had learned from Princess Luna herself. Her horn shone as she cast the spell.
That provoked a reaction, but not one that she'd hoped for. She was barely able to raise a shield spell before lightning struck out at them.
She nimbly dodged any thunderbird that came near her. She knew better than to attack a creature made out of lightning head on, but she could undo their little weather. In ten seconds flat she had cleared out a patch of sky from any clouds. Celestia's sun shone through the hole and bathed her five friends in its brilliant radiance.
To her dismay that triumph was short-lived, for the storm was still massive and quickly covered up the hole. To make matters worse, she had now attracted the enemy's attention. She turned around just in time to dodge a bird that dashed right at her. Compared to her speed and agility, the creatures were slow hulking lumps of cloud, but there is no dodging lightning. When one of the birds made the tempest strike out at her, she didn't have any time to react.
Dash was hit dead on. Thunder roared, and her world lit up brightly in light and pain before it all went dark.
The azure mare fell from the sky like a rock, her coat and feathers smoldering and trailing smoke. Before her body hit the ground, it was engulfed in a bright magenta aura. With her magic Twilight had caught her friend and now quickly levitated her unmoving form to the five of them. She set her down gently, and at once the other four rushed over to her. Rarity used a wet blanked to put out any remaining embers. Fluttershy quickly put her ear to Rainbows muzzle and chest.
Knowing her friend to be safe, the yellow pegasus turned her attention to those responsible. Her anger rose up like magma in a volcano. Fluttershy was not easily agitated, but when it happened, not even Celestia herself could have saved the sorry creature that had invoked her fury.
With a speed unusual to her she flew up to the swarm. She stopped to hover right in front of one thunderbirds face. The mare took a deep breath, and then she used the Stare. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE? YOU HURT MY FRIEND!" she shouted, her usual sweet voice filled with enough anger to kill.
There was no living creature in the world that could have withstood Fluttershy's Stare. It was a force of nature more powerful than the Medusa-esque gaze of a cockatrice, it made century old dragons cower in fear and break into tears.
Thunderbirds were no living creatures. They were spirits of thunder and lightning. They did not have feelings the way living creatures did, they did not know fear.
Fluttershys Stare was utterly useless on them. Annoyed, the bird she stared at summoned a strong squall. The yellow pegasus was blown away like a leaf in the wind. She screamed at the top of her lungs as she was thrown about by the gale.
Blue hooves caught her and strong wings braced her against the storm. She was carried back to her friends and gently settled on the ground. When she dared to open her eyes she saw Stormheart standing above her. His figure defied the elements as rain and hail trashed against him. His mane was soaked, the long cloak he wore flapped wildly in the wind. Fluttershy could not help but smile at him in relief and pride.
The blue colt blushed and quickly turned away bashfully. He had managed to save his Lady of the Forest. That fact alone he could hardly believe. His long days of training with Rainbow Dash had paid off, but being too shy to even look at her? His training had not prepared him for this.
Twilight and Applejack galloped to him and Fluttershy.
"It's a good thing you came when you did." Twilight said, trying to get their attention.
Stormheart looked around. Fluttershy still couldn't get up. Further away he could see Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. The pegasus was laying on the ground and did not move. The pink earth pony was sitting beside her, her mane had deflated and hung straight down her face. She was crying. The fashonista was standing over them, shielding them from the storm with her magic. Her once luxurious mane was all messed up and wet and hung almost to the ground. Her face showed signs of exhaustion. Still she was keeping up the spell, not yielding an inch.
At the sight of Rainbow Dash on the ground he galloped over to the trio.
It was all too much to take for the blue colt. He stumbled several feet backwards, tears running down his cheeks. He was sobbing uncontrollably. He swallowed hard and looked up. There they were. Those stupid murdering lightning creatures. He could feel his growing hate for the spirits. He could feel it replacing his sadness, sweeping away all other emotions, fueling his anger!
"RRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" with an angry, mighty roar he took flight, shooting straight up into the sky. Everypony on the ground had their mane blown the other way by the force of the start, and then in front of them again as the air rushed in behind him. A strong updraft formed in his wake.
Already the storm was changing course. It began spinning around the updraft the blue pegasus had created. The thunderbirds had no more control over their weather. They too were drawn to the center. They gathered around him, circled him. They shrieked at him, their voices deafening thunder. And still the storm grew in size and strength.
Stormheart was absolutely out of it. Blinded by anger he no longer knew reason. All he knew was a searing hot hatred for everything around him. He lashed out in every direction. Lightning struck all around him. The wind uprooted tress, frozen hail slammed the ground. In his rage he did not know anything else. He did not now himself, he did not know friend or foe.
Twilight's magic was shielding her and her five friends with a glowing bubble. It was assailed from every side, as lightning struck, frozen hail plummeted upon it, and flying debris hit from every direction. Slowly the strain of holding up the spell got to her.
"I could help you with that." a weak voice sounded from below them.
The storm had reached a scale Equestria had not seen in centuries. It was a spinning leviathan of wind and rain. By now its edge had arrived at Ponyville. Ponies were seeking shelter in their homes, closing shutters, and barricading windows and doors while black clouds blocked out the sun. The howling winds and deafening thunder made for a cacophony that shut out any other sound. Yet suddenly an angry shout could be heard above it all.
"RECRUIT! YOU SNAP OUT OF YOUR SILLY TANTRUM THIS INSTANT!" Rainbow shouted, her voice amplified by the royal Canterlot spell as she reached out to her finest pupil, as she reached out to her friend. Six ponies looked up into the sky and sent their prayers to Celestia and Luna, praying that this would work.
Stormheart was lost in his own mind. All around him a blazing inferno raged as far as he could see. He had curled into a ball and was shielding himself with his hooves and wings. It was all he could do to not perish in the soaring flames. He didn't know how long he had held out this way or how much more of this agony he could take.
He was about to give up. Maybe it was better if he just faded away. He hurt and he was alone. Nopony would care anyway.
He opened his eyes and uncurled his body. His mouth opened in awe when he saw what was around him.
Wake up? Stormheart didn't understand. But as he got upon his hooves, he heard somepony calling out for him from a faraway distance: "Recruit! You snap out of your silly tantrum this instant!"
When he came back to his senses, he was surrounded by a raging monstrosity. Strong gales pulled at his feathers as they thrashed him around. Rain and frozen hail attacked his body without mercy. Thunder roared and lighting was flashing all around him. He began to panic.
On the ground his shout could barely be heard over the cacophony of the storm.
Up in the sky the blue colt only heard a faint whisper. Its meaning was clear enough though. And he tried. He tried to use his senses, to feel the weather. He tried to reach out and stop the storm. It was no use, he could not concentrate on anything.
"This is Bad!" Applejack stated and looked to the others for ideas.
Up in the sky the blue pegasus had a lot of other worries than meditation, but after weeks of training under Rainbow Dash, he was used to following her instructions without complaint.
He didn't notice, but having anything he could do at all gave his panic a pause. Slowly, he became calm.
Another try, breathe, focus only on your breathing. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. When he had stopped counting, his mind was blank. The storm was still raging around him, but he payed it no heed. His frantic thoughts and conflicted emotions had faded. He was at peace.
Slowly he became aware of the weather around him. Not the feeling of the wind tugging his feathers, not the cold of the rain on his coat or the deafening roar in his ears. But he could still feel the weather.
He could feel the thermal updraft that was powering the storm at its center. It's flow keeping him aloft. He was aware of the clouds, big and small, and how they all circled around the updraft. He sensed the clouds that were blown about by the wind, dark and heavy with rain. He felt the electric charge that unleashed itself in bright flashes and roaring thunder.
And he could feel the thunderbirds. They were all around him, circling him, looking at him, biding him. As his mind touched theirs, he could sense their thoughts. They did not think in words like a pony did. Their thoughts were as their whole being, wind and rain, thunder and lightning. But he knew their meaning none the less.
He had hated them before. He had thought them to be malevolent spirits that brought death and destruction upon ponykind. They had hurt his friends. But he realized that his hate had been meaningless, he hated because he didn't know better. He had been wrong. Now that he knew, he could not bring himself to hate. He could hate them no more than he could hate the rain or the wind. Hating them would be like hating a tree or a rock. There was not point.
He knew what he had to do know. If not with reason, he knew it by instinct. He spread his other pair of wings.
"I AM THE HEART OF THE STORM!" a voice called in the wind. The six friends could not believe their ears. It was as if the storm around them had spoken in the voice of a small blue pegasus they knew. With that, the lightning wings folded back to Stormhearts body and vanished.
At once the tempest lost its power. No more lightning cracked the sky. Then the winds let up. Slowly the rain stopped and the clouds began to dissipate, letting Celestia's sun shine through growing gaps between them. It bathed the six ponies on the hill in its warming rays.
The six looked at the sky, relieved smiles crawled to their faces. They looked at each other for a second, then they embraced in a big group hug. Dash was in the middle, still resting on the ground.
They didn't have to wait long. Stormheart was descending to them, gliding in wide circles. Rainbow Dash would normally just dive to the ground and stop at the last instant. But the blue colt was way to beaten to even try that. He took his time and, when he was almost to the ground, he pulled up and spread his feathers wide, shedding all his remaining speed this way. He landed on the ground gently.
He looked pretty ruffled, his feathers disheveled, his eyes showing exhaustion. Still small sparks of electricity danced between his feathers. They were only extinguished when he carefully folded his wings. He looked up to the group.
When he saw Rainbow Dash up and about, smiling at him, he rushed her at once and hugged her tightly.
After a few more moments he let go of her. He wiped away his tears as he found his composure again. He looked around the group. His eyes were involuntarily drawn to Fluttershy. "I'm glad you're all alright." he stated with a nervous smile.
"I must say I'm impressed. You managed to vanquish all of the thunderbirds. I'm not sure even the princesses could have banished a whole swarm of evil spirits!" Twilight Sparkle said, eying him curiously.
"And I didn't vanquish them." he admitted when he was done explaining. The statement greatly surprised the others.
Storm let his head and ears sink. Now came the uncomfortable part.
The six mares stared conflicted at the young colt in front of them that was now no more than a sobbing pile of sorrow misery. They looked at each other for guidance. Wings shrug, heads shook and nodded, in the end they began to smile in agreement.
Applejack put a hoof on the blue colts shoulder.
The young pegasus blinked a few times, still not believing his ears. "I am?" he asked nopony in particular.
"I think you broke him!" chuckled Rainbow Dash, as she regained her hooves. The remark made everypony laugh happily.
Special thanks to StewartSpicer for proofreading.
Epilogue
Epilogue
He stayed in Ponyville for two more days and helped cleaning and repairing the storms leftovers. Rainbow Dash had gotten a few potions from Zecora and was spreading azure feathers everywhere. Storm made a point of personally bringing her large bowls of oatmeal several times a day. She was back dashing all over the place in no time.
Dear Princess Celestia Two days ago a swarm of thunderbirds was on its way to Ponyville. And with it came the biggest storm in recorded weather history. Me and my best friends managed to hold it at the last moment. But we couldn't have done it without our newest friend. He is a brave young Pegasus with incredible abilities. His name is Stormheart. He managed the impossible and bound the birds into his own wings. We still can't figure out, how he was able to it. But we know that they came looking for him and that it has something to do with ancient pegasus weather magic. I'd like to speak to you in length on the subject when you can find the time. Your faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle. P.S. Stormheart has learned a valuable lessen about friendship and I talked him into writing it to you personal.
Dear Princess Celestia. Two days ago I have learned an important lesson about friendship. Your friends will never abandon you. Even if you think you are lost and on your own, your friends will always be with your. Their thoughts and wishes will accompany you on all of your trails. Just knowing that your friends care will give you the strength to struggle on and overcome all obstacles. Yours truly, Stormheart
Before he departed, Pinkie Pie got to throw him the goodbye party she wanted to do before. This time only ponies he knew were invited. They celebrated in small circle, eating, dancing, making fun an games. It was a great party, but it made Stormheart all the more sad that he had to go. He promised everypony to come and visit, whenever he would find time.
The departing itself was a very tear inducing affair. He had promised himself not to cry, but it was futile. The friends traded hugs and well wishes. And of course he had to blush hard when Fluttershy hugged him. Dash had even gotten him a farewell gift.
Two month later he was back in flight school, holding a presentation on ancient pegasus weather magic. Rainbow Dash had given him notes on how to continue his flight training. They had contained literature references for him to read up on his own. With that help he had managed to come up with a training routine that suited him just fine. Thanks to Rainbows training, flying had become fun and that was all the motivation he needed to keep practicing. By now he was amongst the best fliers in his class.
In the months after his departure from Ponyville, he had done a lot of research on ancient pegasi weather magic. He had searched the libraries in Cloudsdale, Ponyville and Canterlot, but there was almost nothing to be found on the subject. The sources he found only claimed what he already knew. That commander Hurricane had been able to command storms at will. But there was nothing to be found about how he did it. Much less was known about thunderbirds.
Special thanks to StewartSpicer for proofreading.
