//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: The Gathering Storm // Story: On Swift Wings // by Jade Ring //------------------------------// Ponyville “Mom?” Sweetie Belle’s magic pushed the door to Rarity’s bedroom open. The young mare peered into the darkness and spotted the unmoving form under the bed’s covers. She sighed as she entered, a tray with coffee and pastries floating in behind her. “I heard you moving around a little while ago.” “…I took a bath.” Rarity’s voice was a monotone, flat and emotionless. “Are you hungry?” Sweetie Belle asked, already knowing the answer. “No.” Sweetie Belle put the tray on the nightstand anyway, knowing from past experience that Rarity would eat them long after the breakfast had gone cold. “The ponies from Appleloosa are arriving today. I heard a rumor that we’re also getting some help from the Wonderbolts.” “That’s nice.” Sweetie Belle’s ears perked up. “I was thinking about going and saying ‘hi’ to Braeburn when he gets here. Do you… do you wanna come along?” Rarity said nothing. She only shook her head. Sweetie Belle’s hope deflated and she sat heavily on the bed’s edge. “Mom, it’s been months since you left the boutique. A little fresh air will do you some good.” “I’m just fine in here, Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie Belle used her magic to smooth the bed’s covers. “Your friends miss you. Fluttershy was just here yesterday, remember? You said you didn’t want to see her.” “It’s her who shouldn’t want to see me.” Rarity murmured. “It’s my fault Macintosh lost his eye…” “Oh, please don’t start this again.” Sweetie Belle huffed and jumped to her hooves. “Mom, you can’t let what that bug monster said to you mess with you like this. What happened here, to everypony, that isn’t your fault.” “And Spike?” Rarity turned her head, her weary eyes glinting in the light from the open door. “Was his death not on my hooves?” “Mom…” But Rarity had already turned away. “No matter what they might tell you, Sweetie Belle, everpony who lost somepony lays some of the blame on me. Applejack, Rumble, Crescendo…” “Mom, you have to stop this.” Sweetie Belle pleaded. “Nopony blames you for anything. If you would just talk to somepony besides me, you would see that.” “What’s the point?” Rarity curled tighter into a ball. “What’s out there besides death and destruction? Death and destruction that came here because of me…” “Mom!” “I’m going to take a nap, Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie Belle bit back her response, knowing that it would be pointless to continue the conflict. She spun and trotted from the room. There had to be somepony in town who could break through the shell of misery Rarity had built up around herself. Surely there was somepony who she would see, somepony who hadn’t visited in a while… The answer came to her and she increased her pace down the stairs. In her dark bedroom, Rarity’s horn lit only slightly, the familiar blue tinged with the slightest of greens. The door slowly swung shut with a click, leaving her in the complete blackness that had become her home since her light had left her life. “Spike…” She sniffled. She pulled the covers tight against her and wept. For the umpteenth time, the Bearer of Generosity cried herself to sleep. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////// “You did WHAT?!” Applejack, seated behind her desk, winced at her Deputy Mayor’s outburst. “Lyra…” “No no.” The mint green unicorn began to pace in front of the heavy oak desk. “Let me just make sure I have all this straight. After literal months of ignoring offers of aid from the alicorn who rules this entire land, she has to personally visit us in order for you to accept help from the smallest division of the Equestrian military. Have I got it so far?” She continued before Applejack could reply. “So later that same day, you get a visit from two ponies who claim to be, and let me know if I’m getting this detail wrong, members of a tribe of ancient, nomadic pegasi. They offer help, and not only do you accept this offer without question, but you also sent two members of your family to act as ambassadors IN FIRST CONTACT WITH A SOCIETY WE DID NOT KNOW STILL EXISTED!” Lyra’s voice had steadily grown louder as she ranted. She glared at the Mayor of Ponyville, panting slightly. “That sound about right?” Applejack pulled her Stetson down across her eyes. “Well, I suppose it does sound a mite stupid when you lay it all out like that.” “Stupid? What you did wasn’t just stupid, Applejack.” Lyra leaned forward. “It’s borderline treason.” “Now ain’t that goin’ a bit overboard?” “Applejack, you are the Mayor of a small town. You were way out of line sending Dash and Fluttershy to meet this tribe’s leader.” She sighed. “You don’t have that kind of power.” Applejack snorted. “So what was I supposed to do?” “Contact Princess Celestia for starters.” Lyra snarled at the earth pony’s following eye-roll. “Will you stop that? Your personal issues with her aside, that mare is still the supreme ruler of all pony-kind.” “Fine. We’ll tell Celestia what’s going on. I’ll even invite her to come back and talk to me face to face.” Applejack opened a drawer and pulled out a bit of parchment and her official pen. “If this is going to go the way I think it is, it’ll be you being summoned to stand before the throne in Canterlot.” Lyra muttered. The room was silent for a while, the only sound the scratch of the pen on paper. When it was done, Applejack folded the brief message into an envelope, pressed her hoof into a waiting pad of ink, and sealed the letter with a perfect hoof-print. Lyra floated the message into the air and concentrated. There was a small flash of light and the letter vanished, magically sent to the desk of Princess Celestia. Applejack wiped her hoof clean. “Anything else?” Lyra shook her head sadly. “Since you can’t call your new ambassadors back…” “Look, I trust Dash and Fluttershy. They’ll be fine.” Applejack tried to offer a reassuring smile. “This is all going to be fine.” “I hope so.” Lyra looked at her superior. “Applejack, you may not have wanted this job, but the ponies who elected you wanted you to have it. They trust in your tact, your devotion to this town, and your honesty. That’s why they voted for you.” She smiled. “That’s why I voted for you.” Applejack sighed. “I know. It’s just… I’m still gettin’ used to bein’ in charge. On the farm it’s easy, but with everything else…” She took off her hat and examined the interior. “Twilight was always the leader.” “Well, you’re the leader now. And the task of a leader is to get their ponies from where they are to where they need to be.” Lyra stretched out her hoof. “I believe you’ll get us to where we’re going; a rebuilt Ponyville.” Applejack smiled, returned her hat to her head, and tapped her hoof against Lyra’s. “You sure you don’t wanna trade jobs?” “Ha. Nice try, but maybe I’ll reconsider if this…” Her words were cut off by a flash of light. An envelope bearing the royal seal floated to the desk. “Well, that was fast.” Applejack watched as Lyra opened the letter and read the message inside. “Well?” “’Her Majesty, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is unavailable at this time. She should return within the next few days. Your message will be answered in the order it was received.” Lyra’s brow creased as she read. “’Additionally, due to the devastating effects of a sudden outbreak of Ferian Flu, Princess Luna will also be unable to hold court or answer messages for the time being. The crown thanks you for your continued patience and loyalty.’” Lyra looked up. “That’s odd.” “It’s about what I’ve come to expect from her.” Applejack muttered. Lyra shrugged. “I guess she’ll get the message when she gets back.” She glanced at the clock on the wall and blanched. “The Appleloosan delegation will be here any minute. I better get down to the station and greet them.” “I’ll come too.” Applejack jumped from her chair and headed for the door. “Suppose it’ll look better if both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Ponyville show up.” Lyra smirked. “You want your sash and top hat?” Applejack shuddered. “I wore that get-up for the swearing in. I don’t intend to ever wear it again.” The mares laughed as they trotted out the door, but something about the message was still bugging Lyra. During her education in Canterlot, her parents had insisted she try and learn a different language every school year. Year four had been Germane. She’d never heard of ‘ferian flu’ before, but the word ‘ferian’ struck a chord for some reason. She grimaced, trying desperately to remember what ‘ferian’ was in Common Equestrian. It came to her just as they headed into the beaming sun of another beautiful day. ‘Ferian’ was Germane for ‘vacation.’ //////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Professor Crescendo watched as the train rolled into the still being rebuilt station. With an echoing blast of its whistle and a screech of brakes, the locomotive came to a full stop and began unloading a bevy of ponies in western attire. They gazed open-mouthed at how wrecked most of Ponyville still was. Some had joyful reunions with friends and family. Others held tight to the survivors of the battle that they cared for, weeping for the fallen. The vast majority seemed genuinely excited to be there, ready to help. The unicorn chuckled as he sipped from his flask. “Yeehaw.” Settling better on the wall on which he leaned, he watched as the Mayor and Deputy Mayor came trotting towards the train station. “Getting the VIP treatment, I see.” He laughed lowly again as he brought the flask to his lips. “Dad.” Crescendo almost choked on his drink. Coughing, he turned his head and grimaced at his eldest child. “Are you trying to give your father a heart-attack, Sweetie Belle?” Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “Dad, we need to talk about Mom.” Crescendo pursed his lips. “It is far too early in the day for that sort of thing.” Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow at the still floating flask. “But not too early to get toasted?” Crescendo grinned in embarrassment as his flask floated back into his vest. “Touché, filia.” Sweetie Belle considered continuing the topic but decided to let it hold until another day. “We need to do something about Mom.” “Still not leaving the house?” Crescendo smiled, already nursing a good buzz. “Celestia above, I wish I could do that. Do you have any idea how tiresome it is inspecting those bug tunnels? It seems we find a new entrance every day.” “Dad.” Sweetie Belle admonished him, a bit of her mother slipping into her tone. “Well, what exactly do you expect me to do? Go in there and drag her out by her back legs?” Crescendo rolled his eyes. “Your mother is a grown mare, Sweetie Belle, and she is dealing with a tremendous amount of grief. We all are.” He nodded towards the flask in his vest. “And we all have our own ways of coping.” “Dad, that’s exactly the problem. She isn’t coping.” She looked back in the direction of Carousel Boutique. “She’s depressed. She’s blaming herself for everything, including losing Spike.” She looked back at her father and snorted angrily when she saw the flask floating out again. “Can you stop for just a second and listen to me?!” She reached out a hoof and smacked the flask to the ground. Crescendo stared at the fallen container. “Was that really necessary?” Sweetie Belle’s lip trembled. “Why won’t you go see her? I thought you were her friend.” Crescendo closed his eyes. “I am her friend, Sweetie Belle. And that’s exactly why I won’t… why I can’t go see her.” Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to continue the argument, but thought twice and chose to pursue a new line of conversation. “How’s Dimmy?” “Doing very well with his grandparents.” Crescendo floated the flask back to him and brushed dirt from the side. “Is there anything else you’d like to question me about, Sweetie Belle?” “How’ve you been sleeping?” Crescendo started and looked at her. “What?” “Before he left, Dimmy said you’d been having nightmares.” Sweetie Belle looked at her father with genuine concern. “Are you doing alright?” Crescendo stared at his daughter… Here is the moment, the chance he has been waiting for. He can end his pain, his longing, in a single moment. And in that same moment he can prove his love and devotion for… No! Why are you standing in the way!? WHY ARE YOU PROTECTING ME?! DON’T YOU KNOW?! DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND?! YOU BASTARD! YOU CAN’T HAVE THIS! LET ME HAVE THIS! THIS SOLVES EVERYTHING! LET ME DIE…! “…for her.” “What?” Crescendo shook his head and took a great swig from his flask. “Nothing.” He spat out quickly, relishing and hating the burning in his throat at the same time. “Sleeping just fine.” He saw his rescue from further questioning coming down the lane. “Isn’t that your Button Mash chap? Why don’t you go say ‘Hello?’?” Sweetie Belle sighed and turned to go meet her special somepony. “I’m worried about you, Dad. You and Mom both.” Crescendo watched her go and examined his flask. “We’re in pain, Sweetie Belle.” He whispered. “And we must each deal with our own.” //////////////////////////////////////////////////////// “Caramel!” Applejack greeted her cousin with a hug. “Seen that doofus relative of ours yet?” “Ya mean Braeburn?” The stallion rolled his eyes in an over the top fashion. “I imagine we’ll hear that blowhard well before we see him.” “You’re probably right.” Applejack smiled at Lyra. “He’ll see us and yell something over the top like…” “AAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAPPLEJACK!” Applejack and Caramel busted up laughing as Braeburn Apple galloped over and grabbed them both in crushing hugs. Lyra watched the three with a smile on her face. Applejack pulled away and grinned at her cousin. “How was yer trip?” “T’weren’t nothin.’” Braeburn shifted the pack on his back. “I’ll be glad to be sleeping under apple trees tonight, though. Those train cars get awful cramped.” “Sorry ya’ll have to sleep in the field.” Caramel grinned apologetically. “We had to use all the boarding space in town for the Wonderbolts.” “Think nothin’ of it, cousin.” Braeburn motioned at the stallions and mares getting off the train. “Most of them’d probably prefer bunking out on the grass for the time being.” He shuddered. “Ponies weren’t meant to spend all their time on the sand. It's awful stuff. It's coarse and rough and it gets everywhere.” “Uh, Madame Mayor?” Lyra was looking up. “I think our other delegation has arrived.” The three earth ponies followed her gaze and found two dozen pegasi in matching blue and gold uniforms floating down towards them. Their leader landed first, her blazing orange mane giving away her identity before she even removed her hood and goggles. “Mayor Applejack?” Applejack stepped forward. “That’s me. Pleasure to have you, Spitfire.” Spitfire smiled and saluted. “The pleasure is all ours, ma’am. The Wonderbolts have been chomping at the bit to get out her and help since the invasion.” She looked around. “Looks like there’s a lot of work to be done, huh?” “Yeah, but I think with all this help we might finally make some head-way.” She looked over the relatively small platoon. “Why don’t ya’ll just get settled in today and we’ll get started bright and early tomorrow. There’s some things we need to go over before we decide who needs to go where.” “Understood.” Spitfire turned to her troops. “Atten-tion!” The pegasi snapped to. “The Mayor has graciously found us accommodations in the town for the duration of our stay. With that being said, I know that some of you have family in Cloudsdale. If you’d prefer to stay with them, you’re welcome to. However, the first time that any of you are late for morning muster, that privilege will be revoked and you will be spending your nights in the orchards with delegation from Appleoosa.” “And we cuddle.” Braeburn smirked. One of the uniformed stallions chuckled. “Be at City Hall at 0600. Dis-missed!” Spitfire did a smart about face and smiled. “Now that that’s taken care of, if you’d be so kind to show me where we’ll be staying.” “We?” Lyra repeated. “Captain Soarin and I will be sharing accommodations. Will that be a problem?” Spitfire looked back at the already dispersing troops. “Where did he go?” “Probably lookin’ to wet his whistle.” Braeburn started towards the town proper. “I’ll go look for him.” “Thanks, Brae.” Applejack turned back to Spitfire. “It won’t be an issue, but it does make me curious. Why, exactly, are ya’ll two boardin’ together?” Spitfire grinned, reaching towards something shiny on her ear. “Well, you see…” //////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Braeburn had barely passed the city limits when he was snatched by a pair of hooves and pulled into a shadowy alcove. His words of protest died on his tongue as his lover’s lips crashed into his. His breath was pushed from his lungs as he was pressed against a nearby wall. When he finally had a chance to breathe, he laughed lowly and licked the stallion’s cheek. “Well, that’s one way to say ‘How-de-do.’” Soarin groaned as he nuzzled his face into the earth pony’s neck. “Celestia above, I missed you.” “Missed you too, sugar.” He kissed Soarin’s cheek and embraced him tightly. “You have no idea how happy I was when I heard you’d be in town.” “I can imagine.” He kissed him again, this time at a much slower pace. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in months.” He said when they parted. “You haven’t.” Something popped into Braeburn’s head. “Soarin?” “Yeah, babe?” “Spitfire said ya’ll were gonna be roomies. Ain’t that gonna make our little rendezvous’ a little… suspicious?” Soarin froze against his lover’s body. “We… we need to talk about that.” “About what?” “About Spitfire.” Braeburn blinked twice and pushed the stallion away, falling back to four hooves. “You said you were gonna break it off.” “I know, but…” “That was months ago.” “I know…” “Are you still seeing her?” “It’s… it’s more than that.” Soarin was staring at the ground. “What do you mean?” Braeburn felt a sliver of ice in his heart at the tone in his special somepony’s voice. “We’re…” He sighed. “We’re engaged.” Braeburn stared at the stallion for a moment, then turned and started trotting away. “Brae, wait…” “No, you made your choice. I hope ya’ll are happy.” “Brae, it isn’t like that.” Soarin nimbly jumped over the stallion’s head and landed in front of him. “I’ve got an appearance to maintain. If it came out that I was seeing a stallion, it would shake up my standing in the Wonderbolts and…” “Aw, don’t give me that!” Braeburn raged. “Staying in a relationship with Spitfire for appearances is one thing, but engagement?! Marriage?! And did you just expect me to stay yer dirty little secret for the rest of my life?!” Soarin looked away. “You’re being irrational.” “No, I’m makin’ sense.” Braeburn grabbed Soarin’s chin and forced him to meet his gaze. “And I’m givin’ you the ultimatum I should’ve given you from the start; it’s her or me. I ain’t gonna be just yer roll in the hay.” “Brae…” “Her or me.” Soarin pulled away from the earth pony’s grasp. “I… I need to think.” “You do that.” Braeburn snorted and started to leave. “You’ve got until I leave town.” Soarin watched him go and sighed heavily. If this was how his time in Ponyville was starting, then how could things possibly get any worse?